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Are San Marzanos late developers?

zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
in Fruit & veg
I'm on my second year of growing tomatoes and I decided to have a go at San Marzanos as well as Rosellas (absolute favourite of three varieties of cherry toms I grew last year). I sowed the seeds at the same time (mid April) but they're some way behind the Rosellas which are starting to bear fruit. They look perfectly healthy but they're not as tall and haven't started to produce any flower trusses yet (hope I'm getting the jargon right). Is this normal? Btw, I'm growing them in pots in a 6' x 4' greenhouse.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’m growing them for the first time too. When I chose them I read that they were later to fruit than the other varieties I grow eg Sungold … I’m growing them outside so I’ve planted them in the spot that gets the sun the longest … they’re certainly a much stockier plant than Sungold and Red Alert. 
    🤞 🍅 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I don't have that variety,  but do have another type of cooking tomato Roma.
     If its habits are the same ( and I have no reason to think otherwise) then yes it is a late variety.  It will be slower to set fruit because it grows all its fruit at once ( just about) 
    It will be shorter, but much wider than cordon toms ( about 3ft × 3ft) in my case, I don't grow it cordon but let it bush.
     It will need plenty of support as they are heavy plants, with big leaves.
    Hope this all helps @zakthecat .😁
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    Because of the cold spring these were late being sown and late to develop but you can probably see that San Marzano is the shortest of these four plants. From left to right,  Orange Santa, Sungold, San Marzano, Floridity.


    Rutland, England
  • zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
    Thanks everyone - I feel quite reassured now. Because BenCotto posted a photo, I thought I would reciprocate. Rosella on the left, San Marzano on the right, with a lovely backdrop of Mares Tail (must get round to some weeding). I decided to have a go at growing San Marzano because my wife doesn't like raw tomatoes (I know!), but she does like italian tomato pasta loveliness so I thought I shouldn't be selfish.


  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    They look about ready to pot on @zakthecat they are quite hungry plants. Yours look to be doing really well,  wife should be looking forward to lots of sauce.😁
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We are growing for the first time this year, at the allotment.  An Italian allotment neighbour only grows this variety, and they look really healthy, when the rest of us have lost our tomatoes (other varieties) to blight.  He also has tomatoes on them very late in the season, which is why we thought we would give them a go.

    No idea whether they taste good or not though, only time will tell.  We have grown Roma before, it is very short and stocky, but gave us a fantastic crop, so we're doing that one again this year.
  • zakthecatzakthecat Posts: 46
    Once again - thanks everyone for your kind help. Purplerallim, they're as potted on as much as they're going to be. As I said, I've only got a very small greenhouse so space is at a premium (I've already had to move some out onto the patio - south facing fortunately). They're the same pots I grew cherry toms in last year and I had more than I knew what to do with, so lots of chutney.
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