Crops › Tomato (Plum) › Principe Borghese
Principe Borghese
Tomato (Plum) in the UK
This is a proper Italian drying tomato, producing loads of small, flavourful fruits. It's a traditional choice for sun-drying or oven-drying.
Sow window for Tomato (Plum) generally.
Buy Principe Borghese seeds
Partner retailers. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission. It never costs you more.
How to grow it
You'll want to get your plum tomato seeds started indoors, usually around March or April up here in the North. Pop them in trays or small pots, about 5mm deep, in some good quality seed compost. They need warmth to get going, so a heated propagator or a warm windowsill with a heat mat is ideal, and grow lights will really help stop them getting leggy. Once they've germinated, make sure they get plenty of light, otherwise they'll stretch for it and be weak.
When your little seedlings have their first proper set of true leaves, it's time to prick them out into individual pots, say 9cm ones. Give them a good bit of space. Before planting out, you need to harden them off gradually over a week or two, you know, get them used to the outside world. Don't even think about putting them outside until all danger of frost has well and truly passed, usually mid to late May for us. In the greenhouse, give them about 60cm between plants, and they'll definitely need good support as they grow.
More Tomato (Plum) varieties
Track your Tomato (Plum) from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.