RHS Plants
RHS Plants

Shop

Information & Help

My account

tomato (plum) 'Rio Grande'

plum tomato or Solanum lycopersicum 'Rio Grande'

Product Image
Known for its meaty, pear-shaped fruits, tomato 'Rio Grande' is a highly productive plum tomato perfect for cooking, sauces, and purées. This vigorous bush cultivar produces thick-fleshed fruits weighing around 70–80g each, making it a favourite for preserving and culinary use.

With excellent disease resistance and low maintenance requirements, it’s a great choice for beginner gardeners. Grow it in full sun, either outdoors or in a greenhouse, for a reliable and abundant harvest of flavour-packed tomatoes throughout the season.

How to care for tomato Rio Grande:

Support plants as they grow by tying the main stem to canes or string, and regularly pinch out side-shoots to focus energy into fruiting. Keep soil consistently moist and feed weekly with a high-potash fertiliser once flowers appear.

Towards the end of the season, to help ripen any remaining fruit, lift the plants off supports and lay them flat in a sunny, sheltered spot, ideally under a cloche to retain warmth.

Sowing instructions:

From February to May, sow 1cm deep in trays or two seeds per pot selecting the strongest seedling on germination. This takes one to two weeks and is best done at 64°F (18°C), ideally in a heated propagator, or covered with a clear plastic bag and placed on a warm windowsill. Use multi-purpose compost, to cover seeds.

Plant out in a greenhouse from March or outside once the risk of frost has passed.
Eventual height:
1.25m
Eventual spread:
0.3m
Position:

Full sun

Rate of growth:

Fast-growing

Soil:

Moderately fertile, moist, but well-drained soil, or general-purpose loam-based potting compost

Hardiness:

Fully hardy

Product options

1
Buy Now
Delivery options (pick your preferred option at checkout)
Seed Packets (only)£2.99
Named Day Delivery£10.99

Goes well with
Add to wishlist

tomato (cherry) 'Gardeners Delight'

cherry tomato or Solanum lycopersicum'Gardeners Delight'

From £2.49
View options
Add to wishlist

Pop-up tomato cloche

£21.99
View details
Add to wishlist

Organic liquid tomato feed

£9.99
View details
Become an RHS Member today and save 25% on your first year
Join now

Keep in touch

View our Privacy Policy
Contact us
Cookies
Terms
Privacy

© RHS Enterprises Limited 2026
Registered in England & Wales No. 01211648. | VAT No. GB461532757 | Registered Office: 80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE.

All sales help fund the charitable work of the RHS.