San Marzano

PunkRotten · Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:56 pm

Upon entering the grocery store today I checked out the few racks of plants they had outside. Mostly stuff I wasn't interested in or already growing. But a 'San Marzano' Tomato plant caught my attention. I was planning to try this plant soon like maybe next year and one of my Tomato plants isn't doing so good. So I figure get rid of the bad plant and replace with this one. I think I got enough time left this year to get some fruits from it. I am unclear on weather it is a DET/IND variety anyone know? Do the plants get pretty big or stay more on the small side like Romas? I am gonna dehydrate most of the tomatoes I get and might make a jar of sauce.

gixxerific · Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:49 am

Indet itis classified as a midseason they are very productive you should do alright.

Is this a plant? I reread your post it sounds like that, at first I thought you were getting seed from a store tomato.

You can't find plants around here they have been gone for a long time from all the possible places, trust me I have checked several. It was too hot for store bought plants. Lowes for example there is usually racks from here to there in front, inside, all over. But not this year, probably 3/4 or more of the normal stuff is gone it is like a ghost garden there.

Here is a link to San Marzano on Tatiana's site https://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/San_Marzano

PunkRotten · Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:58 pm

It is an actual started plant. The place I got it is sort of a health food store similar to Whole Foods, if you have heard of them. But this store chain is smaller and more obscure. It was the only San Marzano there too, all the rest were Celebrity and some other I forgot. So I got lucky. Tomato plants go dormant about mid November here so I think I got plenty of time to get fruits. I hope it is productive too since all my Spring started plants have not been doing good. I am gonna transplant it in a few hours from now as the sun is starting to go down. Must be a location thing cause our Lowes and HD racks are full. But they never stock anything interesting they usually stick to certain varieties.

gixxerific · Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:14 pm

PunkRotten wrote:It is an actual started plant. The place I got it is sort of a health food store similar to Whole Foods, if you have heard of them. But this store chain is smaller and more obscure. It was the only San Marzano there too, all the rest were Celebrity and some other I forgot. So I got lucky. Tomato plants go dormant about mid November here so I think I got plenty of time to get fruits. I hope it is productive too since all my Spring started plants have not been doing good. I am gonna transplant it in a few hours from now as the sun is starting to go down. Must be a location thing cause our Lowes and HD racks are full. But they never stock anything interesting they usually stick to certain varieties.

No its that we were in a severe drought and they culdn't keep anything alive, not too mention no one in ther right mind (other than me) would have tried to plant anything new. I normally don't buy any plants but I love to look.

dustyrivergardens · Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:53 pm

actually there are both Indeterminate and determinate San Marzano tomatoes I grow 4 different types of them. The best for me is a determinate.

gixxerific · Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:22 pm

true Dusty, there are about 13 variations of San Marzano but more than likely she got the indet. San Marzano bush is the only det I know of you may have a mutation. Not sure but you know what you are doing so....basically saying a true San Marzano should be indet. If it's det you need to save seed. But you knew that.

Does the tag say anything?

SLC · Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:34 pm

Stupid question...what is the difference between determinate and indeterminate?

Also, I heard that this San Marzano is good to make sauce with, as well as Roma. Anyone know the difference? Is one better than the other for sauce?

gixxerific · Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:39 pm

Determinate produce their fruit all at once than die normally, sometimes they will do a second flush the same as they did the first. Indet keep cranking along till frost kills them.

San Marzano and "Roma" are basically the same in that they have more meat, less gel and not many seeds making them good for sauce. There are many "good for sauce" tomatoes. Anything that falls into the above category is a sauce tomato.

Tonio · Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:15 pm

dustyrivergardens wrote:actually there are both Indeterminate and determinate San Marzano tomatoes I grow 4 different types of them. The best for me is a determinate.

Dusty,
Why is the det variety good for you? Assuming det is an early type, what kind do you prefer.

I tried San Marzano Redorta this year, and I'm hooked

though its a indeterminate.
Roma's in the past didn't do well for me, though I've heard Rio Grande or Perito is prolific. I'll add those and Principe Borghese next year.

mattie g · Wed Aug 15, 2012 4:25 am

SLC wrote:Stupid question...what is the difference between determinate and indeterminate?

Also, I heard that this San Marzano is good to make sauce with, as well as Roma. Anyone know the difference? Is one better than the other for sauce?

As for "which is better," that's obviously a matter of personal opinion, but I've really enjoyed the San Marzanos I've been growing (for the first time) this year. I find that the SMs are slightly bigger and have a deeper red color and fuller flavor than Romas. They're also producing quite a bit more - really full, healthy plants. While the Romas are now really slowing down production given that they're determinates, the SMs - while slowing down a little - are still going strong and developing new flowers every day.

SLC · Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:29 am

I would like to try the San Marzano next year....does anyone know where I can get seeds? I would like the Interdeterminate kind.

I only have Roma cuz I heard it was good for pasta sauce (and it is) and it was all I could find as far as seeds go (in Walmart or Home Depot).

PunkRotten · Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:41 pm

SLC if I get tomatoes I will save seeds and maybe we can do a trade.

dustyrivergardens · Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:00 pm

I prefer the determinate San Marzano for the simple reason I bottle lots of sauce and my own catsup and so I need lots of tomatoes at once. I do grow several kinds of san marzanos still but this one has been the best of all of them I also will have seed for the Indeterminate or determinate San Marzano Pm me with your name and address and I will send you some seed...

PunkRotten · Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:29 pm

Dusty would you mind trading some of those determinates or any other varieties of San Marzano that you have? I got lots of stuff tomatoes, peppers, melons, herbs, flowers etc.

dustyrivergardens · Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:47 pm

always looking to do some trading I have a few tomato varieties

SLC · Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:52 pm

Okay so I checked the seed packet from the Roma tomatoes I planted this year and they ARE determinate! But the weird thing is, they didn't all bloom at once...it took maybe a month that it just kept blooming, and now I am only getting a few tomatoes at a time turning red, but I need more than that to make sauce with. I mean I have enough to make sauce, but the process takes sooooooo long that I would rather just do it all at once with like 50 pounds of tomatoes! I only have 6 Roma tomato plants and one Deliciious Tomato plant, which I won't be planting again next year cuz its too hard to get the junk out, and you don't get much from it. Which is why I wanna try the San Marzano kind next year. Maybe I'll plant 8 tomato plants next year.... Oh but that will take away room from something else.....oh I don't know what I'll do. I am only allotted a small area for my garden, and the problem is that I have so many different kinds of veggies....

ANYWAY, yes, please, I would LOVE to get some of the San Marzano seeds for next year! Yes, please let me know!

ETA: Just fixed my horrible spelling errors! That's what I got for typing on and iPad!

dustyrivergardens · Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:16 am

SLC that is normal for determinate tomatoes to bloom for a month. But you will notice when they start ripening you will get a few then a few more then tons all at once. I do prefer to have my paste tomatoes to be determinate.

gixxerific · Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:51 am

A little trivia tidbit.

Did you know that it is not considered a "true" San Marzano unless it is grown in a certain area of Italy (sorry can't remember the town right now). It is there volcanic soil and other speacial techniques that make it what it is famous for.

Kind of like Champagne is only "true" if made in Champagne France in a very certain way.

SLC · Sat Aug 18, 2012 5:05 am

gixxerific wrote:A little trivia tidbit.

Did you know that it is not considered a "true" San Marzano unless it is grown in a certain area of Italy (sorry can't remember the town right now). It is there volcanic soil and other speacial techniques that make it what it is famous for.

Kind of like Champagne is only "true" if made in Champagne France in a very certain way.

Ooooh, kinda like the Vidalia Onion! Which is only a true Vidalia Onion when it is grown in Vidalia, Georgia, which is the only place that doesn't have sulfur in the soil, which gives the onion that sweet taste. We can all try all we want to grow them, but they won't come out the same!

(or so it says on the the internet anyway)

BTW, I changed my mind. Since I realized the Roma tomatoes I have ARE determine, that is the kind I want! It's taking long enough to get enough of these all at once, I can't imagine how long I'd be waiting if they were indeterminite!