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San Marzano 3 tomatoes
PoddingtonP
Posts: 196
in Fruit & veg
I've grown lots of tomatoes in the past, all cordon ones like tigarella and gardeners delight. I got some free seeds for San Marzano 3 this year so thought I would have a go. On the packet it says they are semi determinate. I understand that determinate are bushy ones, and indeterminate are cordon which you pinch the side shoots off. But what should I have done for semi determinate? I know its a bit late for this year. I started off pinching out side shoots, then stopped, so they have been sprawly bushy ones. Having recently hacked off some leaves to try and get them to ripen, there don't seem to be many trusses.
Should I have done them in cordons? I have some seeds left so might have another go next year.
Thanks!
0
Posts
Found this Pod.
Determinate tomatoes, or "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that grow to a compact height (generally 3 - 4'). Determinates stop growing when fruit sets on the top bud. All the tomatoes from the plant ripen at approximately the same time (usually over period of 1- 2 weeks). They require a limited amount of staking for support and are perfectly suited for container planting.
Indeterminate tomatoes will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost. They can reach heights of up to 12 feet although 6 feet is normal. Indeterminates will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the season. They require substantial staking for support.
Never prune a 'determinate' type tomato. You want all the fruit you can get from these shorter plants. Indeterminate varieties vary in their response to pruning, some reportedly have increased yields when the young plant is pruned back to three or four vines. I prefer to let the plant produce stems for better fruit production and better leaf canopy to protect the fruit from sunscald. However, I like to remove most of the suckers at the bottom 10" of the plant to invite greater air flow at the base of the plants and reduce the risk that fruit will touch the ground where they insects and disease might be encouraged. Know that removing new flowers near the end of the growing season can help speed up the ripening of mature fruit.
Thanks Dave. Like I said before , I understand determinate and indeterminate, but am struggling to find anything about semi determinate plants.
I don't know either.
I've always taken that to mean you can grow them either way and choose whichever suits your growing space; In a greenhouse I grow them as cordons, outdoors as a bush.
From what I've read semi-determinate means that they are bush-type, but prone to be a bit on the rampant side, so the side-shoots may need shortening or they may need a fair bit of support.
Hope that helps.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've grown several San Marzanos this year for the first time, and trained them like cordon, up a strong support. Otherwise they (bush types) tend to collapse in on themselves and become tiresome to handle with much twisted foliage, lack good ventilation, difficult to ripen the fruit etc. After a serious attack of blossom end rot early on, I've had a decent crop and better outside in pots than in the GH. They seem to enjoy plenty fresh air. Much ripening to do however before I establish what they taste like.