How To Prune & Stake San Marzano Tomatoes (indeterminate)

[@ShootingUtah]

My San marzanos went crazy last year. It was my first year growing them and they completely overtook and broke through the cages I put around them. I thought I was pruning enough but obviously not. The sauce my wife made with them was WELL WORTH IT! Amazing actually. Nice video!

[@jenicepye2997]

What size grow bag did you used?

[@flamingdragon3861]

Great video man, very good look at what suckers are thanks

[@rodrigofajardo3435]

Hola amigo saludos desde Colombia 🇨🇴 estoy enamorado de los tomates 🍅 San Marzano después de un viaje que hice a España 🇪🇸, aquí el clima es tropical quiero saber en USA dónde puedo comprar buenas semillas para traerlas para acá y poder seguir sus consejos 😊les dejo este mensaje en español porque mi inglés es muy limitado, todos los comentarios los he traducido y los he leído ¡Bendiciones para todos!

[@brettyokum7473]

What size grow bags are these? I have some 10 gallon ones & I'm wondering if they'll be big enough

[@sillyalena]

Your awesome! Thank you, I didn't know what I was getting into when I planted my lil baby plant... Holy Moly! She's a beast now and my first gardening adventure?! 😂 This helped so much!

[@Gardening4Gains]

Thank you so much, I love hearing this & hope you had a successful garden last year and wishing you much success this year!!

[@InnerLifePhotography]

@@Gardening4Gains In terms of taste, flavour and quality;How is san marzano tomato is in comparison with saint Pierre tomato and brandy wine tomato.??

[@brianshort1843]

Can you share some more information about your staking method? Are you using just one bamboo stake per plant? Is that strong enough to support all the fruit and weight of the plant once it grows up and out?

[@DomalainDiLorenzo]

Hi, please let me know what fertilizer you are using on your San Marzano, and if you have found that they are determinate or not. thank you so much

[@erice8615]

My San Marzano's have 3 main branches. Other than that I remove any suckers. They are currently 7 feet tall. My question is, should I take out the 3rd main stem?

[@salifdieme5863]

Hello. I would like to know if we can grow the san marzano tomato during the rainy season. thank you very much

[@2021-j2d]

What time of year should San Mariano’s be pruned? If pruned too early, or late, will that affect the production?

[@janicegame2372]

If you are growing your San Marzano as a indeterminate ( cordon) take side shoots( suckers ) out as soon as you see them be careful not to take out the main stem😊

[@joannetanner7282]

Where did you purchase your Max take apparatus?

[@SnowinSummer37]

I wanna too but it looks like this guy doesn’t respond to any of his comments on this channel.

[@joguertin4181]

So I can tell which are the main stems...but how do I differentiate between a branch amd a sucker? This is where I die. To you, an experienced gardener a branch is obvious, to me, I have a deer in the headlights look

[@davemeeks8109]

I have 7 deer and a dozen ground hogs working to prune my tomato plants everyday but even they need my help as well.

[@latifahamid5614]

Are you harvesting in early winter?

[@MrKevrogers]

Where’d ya get that pruner mate ?

[@theresaherron1140]

What are those pails you have them in? I have garden boxes that are 4’ x 8’ and I can’t seem to get the plants growing so well.

[@svbeezy403]

I just planted my San Maranzo a couple months ago and I'm a major newbie. Had no idea to do this and I got so heavy and thick it snapped all the stems. Was super sad

[@mapachas]

Do I still cut off a sucker that has grown a lot?

[@jimford1256]

What size container are you using?

[@williamsequeira1163]

great tutorial

[@Gardening4Gains]

thank you so much, glad you found it helpful!

[@ImTellingYallItsSabotage]

Great video! What size are your stakes? The link in your description wasn’t working for me. Thank you!

[@Gardening4Gains]

I really like using an 8 foot stake so I can drive at least a foot or 2 in the ground and still be able to reach my tomato plants once they reach the peak

[@winterhughe5495]

So basically... I put my SM in cages.. your basic mater cage. Do i need to remove that?

[@Gardening4Gains]

I think that they could grow well in cages too - have you grown them that way in the past? I would guess that you may have smaller fruit if you don't prune and cage instead of staking

[@jenniferspencer537]

Thanks....Now I know how to prune my San Marzanos...

[@Gardening4Gains]

You're very welcome! I can't wait to get mine growing - starting seeds today actually

[@winterhughe5495]

🤣😂🤣

[@jeanlaikan8400]

Hi G4G, do you propagate your tomato plants from cut suckers. From your experience which produces better plants? From seeds or from pruned suckers. One thing I am sure is it is faster from suckers

[@Gardening4Gains]

Hey Jean, I usually just grow from seed in the beginning of the year and will propagate cuttings as the year goes on. I agree with you that the suckers yield fruit faster though! They always seem weird to me - like they should grow taller, but then, all of the sudden there is fruit on it lol

[@jeanlaikan8400]

@@Gardening4Gains Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. As I live in a tropical island, there is no frost, so I can grow vegetables all year round. Good to know it is OK to grow from cuttings as long as the parent plant is healthy

[@amarvirbilkhu8160]

How many trusses do you leave for San Marzanos before you top them? Thanks for video, cool shades!

[@Gardening4Gains]

I do not top my San Marzano tomatoes at all. And thanks for watching, appreciate the support!

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

Thanks for this video, pruning can be scarey! Question: do you keep your San Marzano tomato plants at a certain height, and if so, how and how tall? Does it give you more, or less tomatoes? I live in zone 4 Michigan and I'm getting ready to put my very first seedlings I grew from seed into the ground. Our season isn't the longest, that's why I'm wondering if I should eventually keep them from growing super tall, like, limit the height so the plant puts more energy into the fruit? I'm so proud of myself, I got 100% germination on my first try! Woot, woot!!!

[@Gardening4Gains]

Glad it helped you out & I 100% agree that pruning is scary until you get used to it! I do not keep mine a certain height and usually they will reach 7+ feet tall and would go higher if i had taller stakes. I think that you'll find doing the proper pruning will maximize your tomato quality and quantity because it will keep the plant from producing a ton of vegetative growth into the leaves and branches - and funnels that energy into fruit/flower production. And congrats on 100% germination rate, that is amazing!

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

@@Gardening4Gains Hey thanks for answering my question!

[@Gardening4Gains]

@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane you're welcome and sorry for the long delay!

[@josephcampese5347]

Hey, G4G! How about an Amazon link to the staking and pruning tools you're using? Thanx.

[@Gardening4Gains]

sounds good, i'll update the description!

[@m_s.doubleyou]

Whats the name of the song at the begining? :)

[@christopheradam6967]

Yeah nice groove that, mr.

[@Gardening4Gains]

I cannot find the original file on my computer right now but will keep you posted once i do!

[@courtneysmith9074]

What size pot do you have them in?

[@Gardening4Gains]

I believe I had those in a 10 or 15 gallon Root Pouch

[@mehdiimran]

Thak you so much . I grew so many kinds of tomatoes but i narrowed down to san marzano and roma and i grew them as detrminate tomatos last year but san marzane was out of conteol . Thats the first video i found about pruning san marzano . Thank you again now i know roma in tomato cage and san marzano on trellises and prune the like othe indeterminate variety. Hope fully this year will be fun .

[@Gardening4Gains]

You are welcome! Love hearing that this helped you out & hope that some of the other tips will help your garden even more this year. Looking forward to seeing it all grow!

[@gbennett58]

Probably because San Marzano is actually indeterminate. Roma is determinate.

[@radoutdoors852]

Hey have you heard of san marzano tomato seeds being mislabeled? The pack of seeds I grew looked like tomato seeds and grew well but the plants look and smell nothing like tomatoes. Just curious if you have ever heard of this?

[@melissagrant9675]

Thank you for the video! My starter is about 8-10" tall, is it a good idea to cut off any suckers at this stage or wait till it's a bit more mature?

[@Gardening4Gains]

You are welcome - thank you for watching! I would say that if you're seeing suckers, it would be best to remove them. That will keep the plant's energy focused on the growth that is most important and not waste energy on the suckers

[@veronical3135]

I’m growing semi determinate san marzano tomatoes for the first time. Does anyone know how tall it gets? and if it needs pruning.

[@Gardening4Gains]

I think height will all depends on if you prune it or not. With pruning it could grow over 6 feet, without it, may only grow to 4ish feet? If you have more than one plant it would be interesting to see how the plants fare with each method - 1 pruned, 1 not. I'm doing some tests in my garden this year but i think the plants will be much healthier if pruned. we shall see!

[@veronical3135]

@@Gardening4Gains Thank you very much for your reply. My garden soil has lots of clay beneath. Silty on top about 15 cm and lots of clay beneath from there. I already transplanted them in the garden, not sure how they’ll do so it’s better to not mess with them by pruning. I’ll leave them grow and see what I’ll get.

[@Kirbhe]

My plant is less than 1ft in height and already trying to flower, just pruned them off and hope I didn't mess up😑

[@Gardening4Gains]

you should be okay, but keep an eye on it!

[@wyfyj]

Thanks dude

[@juanamenesi]

Hi there! How are your San Marzanos doing? Wondering if you got a good harvest! I’m currently growing 15 plants and I’m nervous! Great post, keep it up :)

[@Gardening4Gains]

These were from a couple years ago, but I had a HUGE harvest. Even when they seemed to be taken over by a disease, they just kept producing lol. You will be so grateful when you eat your first bowl of spaghetti or chili from those San Marzano tomatoes tho - absolutely amazing flavor! I'll never be able to eat anything with a tomato base that isn't homegrown

[@juanamenesi]

Gardening 4 Gains they are my favorite! Making pasta sauce with my own tomatoes is my goal this year, I had never grown tomatoes before but after watching a bunch of KZbin videos I think I’m moving the right direction! :)

[@Gardening4Gains]

@@juanamenesi you'll do great! And if you have any questions, just let me know on here or hit me up on Instagram @gardening4gains

[@mehdiimran]

Last uear i grew them for first time from seed . Oh man you gett bunch of tomatoes just feed them regularly . I was not sure about pruning them so i did not prune. And they took over the hole plot . And at the end tomaos were smaller. After wathing this video i will be peuning them this year .

[@jakeblasko7237]

San Marzano is a determinate variety. The only thing you should really prune on determinate varieties is the lower growth to provide air flow and keep space between the soil and leaves to prevent disease. Maybe some pruning here and there to provide air flow throughout..

[@AKJJSIM]

Actually, heirloom San Marzano ARE indeterminate tomato plants. Determinate tomato plants are a hybrid.

[@mustaqimahmad5161]

They are Indeterminate plants.

[@cheriweber4]

They are actually both, as they are considered semi-determinate.

[@scottietimmons3322]

I need that shirt.. link please?

[@cowboyblacksmith]

Oh was he pruning tomatoes? I got so distracted, lol.

[@TotCarloMusic]

I’m just speaking from experience, but I find that pruning the lower 1/3 of your plant, in vegetative state , is an effort to prevent it from touching your topsoil and being exposed to diseases, OR AN EXPERIENCED GARDENER MULCH, is necessary. I personally allow my suckers to grow ABOVE the lower 1/3 line, because the more suckers you grow, the more flowers develop and the more tomatoes you get. That’s basic math you keep the bottom 1/3 of the plant Empty and you let the top grow CONTROLLED. Granted, you will have to use more cages and and string and etc., but I’ll go through and I would personally cut off a lot of vegetative growth that is growing too big. It is obviously taking up too many nutrients in the soil And the microbial growth is robust. That’s my two cents. My plants grow extremely large, I keep them caged and roped off with strings and yarn and such. But I’ll let the bottom 1/3 of that plant be naked at an adult and remove any branch that is a sun leaf, and appears to be utilizing too much of the plants nutrients. Mine may look weird, but it is full proof, that if you remove those unnecessary branches that you see folding around, trying to shade your tomatoes, they’re just trying to steal nutrients from them. Cut them off! Good luck guys.

[@vilkoskorlich259]

Are San Marzano tomatoes the best? These tomatoes have a huge reputation and boast a Protected Designation of Origin status (DOP, or sometimes written as PDO - Denominazione d'Origine Protetta) which specifies the precise cultivar, processing method and region in which the tomatoes can be grown.

[@MysticDonBlair]

For the BEST results use hemp seeds 😉

[@11111111samy]

When new video?

[@Gardening4Gains]

Working on getting more consistent with posting.. is there any topics you would want me to cover specifically?

[@ps7365]

Seems like modern thought is not to prune suckers unless you are lacking in space. Anything with leaves will provide energy to the plant. Typically when you prune out all the suckers you lose about 25-30% of potential fruit.

[@Gardening4Gains]

I think that would really depend on the types of plants. I would think that if you DON'T prune the suckers, then you'll lose 25-30% of yield or you'll lose 25-30% in the tomato size. When the suckers form, that is a new header of the plant, meaning it will be a huge drag on resources for the plant. With indeterminate tomatoes, you want to prune them up to keep them growing upright, to continue to throw off fruit. If you're growing determinate types - DO NOT PRUNE - this would include Roma. Determinate will only set so many flowers, so any pruning would be devastating to yield for roma or other determinate

[@ps7365]

@@Gardening4Gains Not according to Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. People have been perpetuating the 'myth of suckers' for decades but growth trials do not back them up. If you prune suckers you will loose fruit production.

[@jakeblasko7237]

@@Gardening4Gains San Marzano is determinate

[@Gardening4Gains]

@@jakeblasko7237 I get mine from Gurney's and they have it listed as indeterminate. Maybe there are determinate varieties as well? I'm going to let one grow freely this year and prune the other one, so I guess we will see what happens!

[@vencent8329]

i thought it was determinant type 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@Gardening4Gains]

from what I have researched, they look to be indeterminate. With that being said, I have noticed that they have strange & variable growth pattens that seem to differ plant to plant. I think that next year I need to do some tests between pruning & not pruning to see which method gives the highest yields

[@gbennett58]

Wikipedia says "The San Marzano vines are indeterminate."

[@scottietimmons3322]

Mine was grown from seed. I have leaves bigger than my hand. I have big hands..

[@luanasavage92]

I’ve always heard, prune suckers from indeterminate plants but not determinate plants

[@Gardening4Gains]

that is true! Determinate plants need no pruning, just keep an eye out for pests and you'll have a hearty harvest!

[@MartyFRsfNE]

Ever JUICE the leaves? They're reportedly as nutritious as the fruit with some of the same flavor.

[@Gardening4Gains]

I have not heard of that but I feel like that may cause one hell of a stomach ache lol. Do you mix them with anything?

[@jimd1617]

Gainz!

[@paulg.3067]

The video is best viewed on a huge 16:9 Widescreen Monitor for best vertical video experience...

[@Gardening4Gains]

yeah, sorry about the vertical video - trying to make everything fit better for KZbin moving forward

[@wrongfullyaccused7139]

Too much talk. Thumbs down.

[@jsa4864]

you Amerikans use a lot of plastic in your gardens