San Marzano Tomato

Native to Italy, San Marzano tomatoes can be identified easily by their oblong shape and pointed ends. Sometimes they are called "San Marzano sauce tomatoes," because they are fleshy and have fewer seeds than other kinds of tomatoes. Strong and sweet in flavor and less acidic, this old-fashioned tomato is a favorite snack of many gardeners. Fruits grow in clusters of 6 to 8, each about 4 inches long. Buy a plant from a local garden center. Or, if starting seedlings, sow seeds about 8 weeks before the last frost date and a little earlier than other tomatoes, because San Marzanos need about up to 85 days to mature on their vines, which can reach 6 to 8 feet tall.

How to Plant San Marzano Tomato
Transplant seedlings when they are 6 to 12 inches tall. Establish them in a hole twice as wide and the same height as the plant. Set at least two-thirds of the seedling's stem underground and bury it. For stronger growth, dig a trench and bury the plant sideways, situating the tip above the soil surface. Then fill the hole with soil. Tamp the soil down. Water well. Space plants 30 to 48 inches apart. As each plant grows taller, tie branches with twine or strips of pantyhose.

San Marzano Plant Care
Place plants near a wall or fence or offer them a stake or strong cage for extra support. It's best to do this sooner rather than later while the roots are small. Otherwise, you may have to slide it over the tomato plant and disturb its growing foliage. Most San Marzano tomatoes are indeterminate and will grow rather large, so typical tomato cages may be too small or not supportive enough. If you do choose to go the route of a tomato cage, choose one that is extra tall and made of thick gauge wire to support the abundant crop the plant will produce.

Light
San Marzanos prefer full sun, like all tomato plants. Plant them in a location that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily.

Soil
To make a rich soil for San Marzano tomato plants, mix 1/3 organic matter and 2/3 high quality organic soil, or mix together 1/2 regular top soil and 1/2 organic matter such as peat moss, manure, or compost. You can also mix in 1 to 2 cups of garden lime per 10-gallon container. Maintain a soil pH between 5.8 and 7. If needed, raise the pH level with wood ash or more agricultural lime, or lower it with organic matter.

Water
Tomato plants like to be consistently moist. Don't let their soil dry out completely. You can water them with compost tea (made by letting compost or manure sit in water for a while before mixing it). Use this, pondwater, well water, or rainwater to water plants well.

Fertilizer
Within two weeks of planting, use a 5-10-10 fertilizer, which is low in nitrogen, to fertilize foliage enough to keep the plant healthy and focus the nutrition on the fruit bearing. Apply fertilizer in trenches at least 6 inches from the plant's steps to avoid burning any leaves that are low to the ground. Use a water-soluble fertilizer for tomatoes grown in pots.

Here are our San Marzano Tomatoes on 06.25.2022.  We are very excited about these plants as we were able to grow them from seed.  Not the best propagation at first but we did finally have four healthy plants.  As you can see, they are going gangbusters here in the Carondelet Garden!