San Marzano Tomato Care

In this video, I share our process from starting seeds to the transplanting process, pruning, and protective caging of the tomato plants for a productive season.
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[@AnthonyDeeYT]

This is my first year growing crops in general. Thank you for the information. I'm growing San Marzanos as well and I'll definitely be revisiting this video.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi Anthony, thanks for the comment. We are absolutely crazy about our San marzano tomatoes. We've been eating them fresh out of the freezer after thawing throughout the winter which has been a real and amazing discovery for us. The tomatoes are so good on our wraps, on our pizzas after they've been thawed and drained. Thanks again for the comment and have an awesome week!

[@santinozakai7011]

i guess I am kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good site to watch newly released movies online ?

[@emersonronald5328]

@Santino Zakai flixportal :D

[@soniamarshall9293]

Glad to find your channel. This is very timely for me. Have 6 plants of this type tomato. Thanks for info.

[@shelly5596]

We bought 2 really small plants from Lows yesterday. We live in the mountains in Eastern Washington above zone 3a. I plan to plant them in our high tunnel. Crossing my fingers we will get to taste them! We have crazy weather, last week it warned up and now it's cold again! Thanks for the information!

[@zengrow3098]

my san marzano's are indeterminate and highly prone to disease but I still grow and love them... had one stay alive and keep on giving me tomatoes for close to 3 years. This year all my san marzano's got blight and are dying but i have newer plants growing to take their place. Just harvested a healthy basket :)

[@jimsingleton3790]

Where do you live that you kept them growing for3 years?

[@zengrow3098]

@@jimsingleton3790 Southern California, our coldest nights are generally in the 40's if we're lucky. Sometimes we get a few days of frost but generally my peppers and my tomatoes survive winter.

[@mrzazzaable]

I spray milk over the leaves the blight goes away

[@trebis1]

My San Marz. are also Indeterminate not sure if this gentleman has determinate or if he may have been mistaken.

I've got a lot of inspiration here, thank you!

[@troublingleaf]

I actually cross polinated an heirloom with an indeterminate tomato, and I got 100% seedless tomato seeds from it, which are delicious, and it's not a problem really for reproducing the plant as you can just replant the suckers to make extra plants. This year I'm planning to cross polinate another heirloom with that in/determinate variety and see if they actually have any seeds.

[@Jonas_Fox]

Growing San Marzano for the the first time this year now that I have a yard. I have a cow panel arch to grow them across so hopefully it'll go well. Thanks for all the helpful info.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

You're very welcome here's to a great season! Have a great day!

[@lisaelliott1149]

Good to see you again Kevin. Your color is improving and much less short of breath. Please pace yourself. You matter.

[@beastlybombers]

Thank you Kevin

[@childersoasismotel7570]

Great information Kevin, very well done mate.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Thanks 👍

[@carlosibanez2763]

Really great video! Thanks!

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Glad you liked it!

[@sararichardson737]

Thank you for explains the determinate. At last! Call me lazy. I find it very difficult to get the seedlings, I only have proper luck with cherry toms.

[@moochythecat3435]

I preserve my tomatoes in the freezer... It's very easy to pull tomatoes out of the freezer when cooking a meal...

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

That's a great idea!

[@fyreflower]

Same, my vacuum sealer is my best friend in the kitchen. I do process too but. I'm only one person and you know how it goes, you think you got it handled and BOom all the maters are exploding with awesome

[@hypat1aa]

My San Marzano was definitely indeterminate. I see your point about bushy growth habit, but it gets huge, and will keep producing until frost. Mine is a monster, twice as wide as it's tall. Grows a bit like an eggplant!

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi Robin, thanks for the comment. Yes there are different varieties of San marzano tomato plants and I'm glad that you have a great producer. We're pretty blessed that ours don't get too bushy and max out about five to five and a half feet high. I like that ours don't get overly bushy because then I can have them close together as we have them in our tomato cages. Any bushier I would worry about the challenges of harvesting and air ventilation as well as sun exposure for the tomatoes. Thanks again for your comment and have a great day!

[@hypat1aa]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow yes, there are semideterminant and determinate ones. Determinate isn't just about size, it's that the plant ripens everything at once, then dies. I have Tiny Tim and patio toms too, these are true determinate. Roma is pushing the edge of determinate and semi determinate, I have grown these too, and it doesn't really ripen all at once then die.

[@gregorymuir1985]

His comment had me confused as well because my seed pack says that these are indeterminate. last year I bought two determinant plants of a different variety but they were definitely indeterminate and the pruning style you need to take is vastly different. I like to make sure I'm doing the right thing and would hope I have the right instructions based on the labeling LOL doesn't always seem to be the case.

[@hypat1aa]

@@gregorymuir1985 they definitely aren't giant monsters like a Brandywine or other beefsteak type indeterminate. They have a lower, spreading habit. They will grow large without pruning, just not quite as tall.

[@danrooney7914]

Yeah. Fruiting until the plant dies is how we know determinate or indeterminate. Does it fruit then die? Determinate. Does it keep fruiting until nature kills it with frost? Indeterminate. I'm going to watch the whole video but I'm already trepidations given the instant bad info.

[@highplains7777]

I plan on growing San Marzano this year. Have you had any problems with BER?

[@GEOsustainable]

First time I hear that San Marzano is a determinate. Will pulling the suckers keep them going all year?

[@desireepena08]

Hi thank you for your informative video. How far apart should I plant them?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

High Desiree, thanks for the question. We plant our tomato plants 2 ft apart on center in a single row. They are surrounded by 2 ft tomato cages that are secured by 5 ft sections of 1/2 in rebar. The system works out very well for us. Thank you. Have a great day!

[@matodinamo]

what are your thoughts on trying to simulate the volcanic soil the original san marzanos grow in?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi real loot, although that sounds like a decent idea, my goals are to identify varieties that meet our needs while thriving on the soil that we've created on our site. I'm always trying to avoid creating extra work for myself and trying to experiment with different soil amendments. Our goals here are to gradually build the microbial communities that create the soil conditions that are optimal for the plants. Thanks for the question! Have a great day!

[@davidvaughan3771]

Indeterminate tomatoes San marzano is

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Thank you for your comment! San Marzano tomatoes actually come in both determinate and indeterminate varieties. The determinate variety is typically grown for its suitability for canning and producing a large harvest all at once, which is what we discussed in the video. However, there is also an indeterminate variety that continues to produce fruit throughout the growing season. A bit of history: San Marzano tomatoes originated in the small town of San Marzano sul Sarno in Italy. They have been cultivated in the rich volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius since the 18th century. Known for their sweet flavor and low acidity, they became the gold standard for Italian tomato sauces and are often used in authentic Neapolitan pizza. It’s important to choose the right type based on your gardening needs and goals. Thanks for pointing this out!

[@MsCaterific]

💛

[@knoxurbanhomestead]

whenever possible can you show footage of the cages enduring the hard winds?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi Cynthia, that's a great idea. Idea. I'll try and make sure that I record some video footage this next season. Thanks for the suggestion! Have an awesome evening!

[@ifyouonlyk6556]

My favorite tomato! Do you have a video on canning tomatoes?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I don't believe so. Thea is retiring at the end of this year and I believe she will be recording more canning/preserving methods next year.

[@tammysousa645]

I sure wish I saw your video before growing mine. I’ll be sure to follow your instructions next time. Mine are quite bushy and I was told not to prune them to much. Mine also are tall and I’m struggling to keep them up. I’ve also tried growing Roma’s and celebrities. All 3 seem to take a long time to ripen. I’m in zone 5 here in New Brunswick Canada. Any suggestions?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Is your main concern keeping the tomatoes upright, or are you having trouble with adequate fruit production and appropriate ripening?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi Tammy, I hope to post a couple of videos covering a couple of important topics about success in your garden. One of them will be titled the use of mycorrhizal fungi to improve the health of the plants that you're growing and the other is why seed saving is so important. In short, improving the microbial communities within your soil is like having a team of excellent workers working for you to help produce plant possible, that's what mycorrhizal fungi does for plants. The other important concept is seed saving. Choosing one variety of heirloom plan to grow in your garden. For example we chose San marzano tomatoes because they meet several of our needs. However each year I select several of the very best tomato plants and I save the seeds from those plants. That way those plants have shown that they've adapted to our climate and our soil. Saving those seeds potentially can enhance a more successful season next year. We used to grow a whole variety of heirloom tomatoes both indeterminate and determinate varieties and it was a lot of work and challenges. Because we grew more than one variety cross-pollination occurred and seed saving wasn't possible. By choosing one heirloom variety you can assure yourself that you will produce replicas and potentially improved or more adapted plants for your own gardens. I'll try to make videos on these two topics in the near future because I think they may help gardeners. Thanks for your contribution to the community I really appreciate it! Hang in there and keep gardening!

[@karenkollmer]

best for canning. lower acid and sweet. no need to add sugar. grow great in va

[@salifdieme5863]

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

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Unfortunately I can't tell you how well the San Marzano tomatoes grow in your location. It really depends on the amount of rainfall you're talking about during your rainy season. In our area we have droughts during our main growing season and we only have significant rain in the spring and in the fall. I suspect they would do very well as long as you have the plants planted in mounds so that the roots aren't getting soaked constantly. The other thing that's important where you have lots of rain I think it would be wise to prune all of the lower leaves to prevent the splash back from the soil surface and therefore causing fungal disease. Thanks so much for the question and San Marzano tomatoes are so fantastic I highly recommend you give them a chance. Best wishes for a fantastic growing season!

[@salifdieme5863]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow OK thank you very much

[@fartwinkle1]

Hi, great video. It’s my first time growing tomatoes and I’ve chosen Sam Marzano. Any idea how long it will take for the fruit to ripen? It was pollinated 26th April and is slowly growing but I’d love to know when I could expect my first harvest

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I had to go back and look through a couple of our videos throughout last season and you can check out our videos on our garden updates via the garden update playlist. We plant our San marzano tomatoes after memorial Day we just planted them this past week. I can see from reviewing one of our videos from last year on August 12th we were processing diced San marzano tomatoes for freezing and dehydrating. So it looks like about 72 days and we're well into processing our tomatoes. We are in zone 5A. I hope this helps! Have a great day.

[@InnerLifePhotography]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow In terms of taste, flavour and quality;How is it in comparison with brandy wine yellow tomato, saint Pierre tomato and cuor di beu tomato .??

[@metoo2254]

I have determinate and indeterminate sanmarzano tomato seeds both are heirloom or open pollinated.

[@missmollycollie911]

San Marzano has both determinate and indeterminate

[@rahscoh]

I've only found indeterminate heirloom san marzano seeds, where'd you get yours?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I don't recall where we got our seats from originally. We've been saving seeds for years from our plants. You can see videos on our seed saving techniques on our channel. However all you have to do is do a Google search for determinate San marzano tomato seeds. That yield several options to purchase the determinate varieties from. True leafmarket.com remierseeds.com, and you can also get them on amazon.com. I realize that this can be quite confusing when so many people will state something is false as there are only indeterminate varieties of these San marzano tomatoes. Good luck!

[@asiapryor5092]

I've been growing my San marzano tomato from seed they are about three inches tall and I still have them inside. They seem to have stopped growing for the past week or so. Would you recommend adding any fertilizer or are they just slow growing? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks 👍

[@asiapryor5092]

I've moved them from the 72 flat to red solo cups by the way.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

It all depends on the size and the expansiveness of the roots. How did the roots look when you took them out of their 72 self flat? If the roots were root bound and extending out through the base hole then they might have depleted their capacity in the 72 cell flat. If the weather is good, I would say getting them into the ground as soon as the conditions are good. However, potting them up into a larger pot is certainly beneficial. I Don't fertilize our seedlings even after they've been potted up and they tend to do quite well each season without any fertilizer.

[@chantellemealing9970]

Where do you buy your cages from and how tall are they.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I have videos on how I make the tomato cages. The more recent videos show the newer technique that I use. The material can be purchased at most big box stores which is just a roll of concrete reinforcing mesh.

[@johnsheetz6639]

They like water. I let them get a little droopy just to see how long it takes before they want water. In my 10 gallon container. They got blossom end rot water than once a day if it's sunny it exploded with size. I counted 26 fruits today they're still green though. put them in the cage if you can my favorite variety so far I used ocean farm and about a pound of dry rabbit 💩

[@johnsheetz6639]

0

[@lonniepee9804]

I just ordered San Marzano seeds from Burpee, item #63736A. Their description says they're indeterminant, which I prefer.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi Lonnie, that's right I had been assuming that the San marzano tomatoes were indeterminate based on my experiences with their limitations being about 6 to possibly 7 ft growth. However I realize that there are many different variations to this variety and that some are more indeterminate than other indeterminate tomatoes.

[@lonniepee9804]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow I just picked up some San Marzano seeds cuz they were only 2/$1. They're determinate. I'll be a cannin' FOOL... whole and sauce. YUM ;-)

[@lisaelliott1149]

Kevin would you talk about your thoughts on Grazon and how so many are finding major issues with their crops after using composted manure and/or hay with this product. It's a bit alarming if it's extensive as what I have researched so far.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I'll do some research and make some comments.

[@stephenkelly1650]

My research tells me that San Marzano are indeterminate. Is it possible they can be one or the other? Great video!

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I understand, unfortunately, there's a great deal of misinformation regarding this topic on KZbin. And those folks are usually quite adamant about there definitions. However, determinant and indeterminate varieties of tomatoes can be categorized by their growth habits and production periods. Our variety has been specifically selected over more than 100 years to have determinate characteristics. These are beautifully adapted to our climate and our soil conditions. Differences between the growth and sizes Determinate tomato plants are smaller and grow like a bush. They usually grow up to five feet tall, so they are perfect for a small garden or container gardening. Indeterminate tomato plants have a more vine-like structure and can grow up to 8-10 feet tall. The plant's main stem will continue to grow for as long as it is healthy and happy. You may even have seen tomato vines of 10-15 feet long! Differences in when they set fruit Determinate tomato plants' fruit will produce a large crop for a month or two, and then their productivity slows way down. So you will have a harvest only for a short time. The fruits form on the end of the branches and are usually denser than indeterminate plants. But just because determinate tomatoes have a short fruit-bearing period doesn't mean your harvest has to end. You can plant a selection of early, mid-season, and late-season tomato varieties for a continual harvest throughout summer. Indeterminate tomato plants do not have a limited period. They will produce tomatoes throughout summer until the first fall frost if they stay healthy. Growth will be stopped by cold weather or diseases. The fruits on indeterminate plants are spaced farther apart than on determinate plants. Semi-determinate tomato plants are a third type that you may encounter. The characteristics of a semi-determinate plant are a mix of determinate and indeterminate. This type of tomato plant is less tall than indeterminate type tomatoes but not as compact as determinate types. It can also produce fruit throughout the whole season but will be less productive than an indeterminate type towards fall. This type can work well in a small garden

[@gbennett58]

"The San Marzano vines are indeterminate" - Wikipedia. Roma or plum tomatoes are determinate.

[@RealBradMiller]

You're missing out on the heritage of the Roma and plum. They came from these plants. Doesn't mean San Marzano must be determinate.

[@trdi]

Do you have any problems with diseases? I find tomatoes to be extremely vulnerable to such issues and then nothing can save them.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

No, it's important to find varieties that have adapted to your soils and climate and are fairly disease resistant. This variety has been fantastic for us. Thank you!

[@soupsandstews625]

I looked up san marzano tomatoes and the description says that they are indeterminate.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Yes that's correct. San marzano tomatoes come in both determinate and indeterminate varieties.

[@JM-zq9em]

I have a determinate variety from burpee but it says the fruiting is indeterminate. My question is should I be pruning these at all for air flow??

[@rilaceimports6832]

Hi can you help me with my San Mariano I planted in wine barrels?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Could you give me a specific question regarding a topic on growing tomato plants that I haven't covered in this video.

[@croatian_menace]

Can you tell me please your average yield per plant? Thanks.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I'm guessing around 5 gallons per plant or more

[@croatian_menace]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow gallons? I wonder about pounds/kilograms of fruit? Thanks

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

@@croatian_menace sorry we've never weighed the fruit because we harvest the tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. The amount of tomatoes you get will be dependent on the length of your growing season. We have very short growing seasons here in zone 5A.

[@croatian_menace]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow I live on adriatic sea, mediterranean so basically my season will be well lenghty probably even into late fall. I wont be using cages just long stick so plant can get up. But approximately can you guess how much those gallons weigh? Thanks a lot! ;)

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

I would guess somewhere is around 13 to 15 kg per 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes.

[@ozissizo243]

We Turks use a nylon greenhouse rope and a clip for tomatoes. Or a 2 meter bamboo stick. Why are you making a cage?

[@mbchudno]

why not to build permanent trellises for them? cage system seems a lot of work. no argument, just trying to understand logic behind it.

[@gregorymuir1985]

I am confused. I'm growing some of these guys and the package said indeterminate and you said determinate. Who's right?

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

There are both intermediate and determinant forms

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

There are both indeterminate and determine it forms of the San marzano tomato plants. The ones we have grow to a maximum height of about six and a half feet but overhang our tomato cages perfectly. Some people have varieties of San marzano tomatoes that are indeterminate and that can grow several feet tall.

[@vilkoskorlich259]

San Marzano Tomatoes the growing in Italy not in America! What is special about San Marzano tomatoes? Image result for San Marzano Tomatoes 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.

[@warlord8954]

Certified Heritage heirloom San Marzano tomatoes are indeterminate tomatoes. All the rest are not Heritage San Marzano tomatoes from Naples. And, yes, I use Heritage as opposed to heirloom because they are different. Heritage San Marzano tomatoes are non-gmo heirloom tomatoes. However, non-Heritage San Marzano tomatoes can be determinate, and indeterminate. Indeterminate San Marzano are closer to Heritage San Marzano than determinate San Marzano.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Heritage and heirloom mean the same. The only slight distinction is that some of the heirloom seeds are called heritage seeds if they carry history and tradition with them. Heritage seeds have a personalized story from the family gardens. The seeds are handed down to the future generation as an asset.

[@warlord8954]

@@GrowingABetterTomorrow In the case of San Marzano tomatoes Heritage is more than heirloom. In the Campania area of Italy, specifically around Naples, only DOP/PDO are certified as genuine heritage heirloom San Marzano tomatoes, or seeds. DOP Denominazioned' Origine Protetta meaning Protected Designation of Origin. To receive the certification, tomato farmers must follow multiple, specific guidelines. Starting with the seeds of the tomatoes, they must date back to the original strain of San Marzano tomato. There are San Marzano tomatoes grown in Italy that aren't DOP Certified. And getting DOP certified seeds isn't easy. I've been searching for a month and can't find any DOP seed suppliers.

[@vincentlabruzzo5368]

Not all are determinate

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Hi @vincentlabruzzo5368, You’re absolutely right! While many San Marzano tomato plants are determinate, there are indeed some indeterminate varieties. It’s always important to check the specific type you’re planting, as their growth habits can significantly affect how you care for them. Determinate types typically grow to a certain size, set fruit, and then stop growing, making them great for container gardening or smaller spaces. Indeterminate types, on the other hand, continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the season, requiring more space and support but often yielding more tomatoes over a longer period. Thanks for pointing that out and helping clarify for everyone!

[@vincentlabruzzo5368]

@GrowingABetterTomorrow I hope mine are determinate. I thought they were indeterminate. I set up a cattle panel just incase

[@jsa4864]

That's a lot of plastic being used

[@walkitlikeitalkit3349]

FYI: San Marzano Tomatoes are not determinate, they are indeterminate.

[@earacheselbowsenoch6251]

San Marzano is a indeterminate... Maybe a cross but according to my research....

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

The San Marciano tomatoes have been around since 1770. There are many different varieties of San marzano tomatoes that have been gradually developed over the last few centuries. Just do a search on Google for determinant San marzano tomatoes.

[@2olvets443]

Hi Kevin, not to be a smart *ss but please pronounce correctly, coming from an Italian. Marzano is Marr...Zon...oh. not Zann.

[@GrowingABetterTomorrow]

Thank you. I'll try to remember now that I know how to pronounce it.

[@ruggednorthman]

San Marzano is indeterminate

[@lorrainemcfarlandart2548]

Most San Marzanos are indeterminate.

[@glennwallace1365]

I grow indeterminate san marzano tomatoes.