Topic: San Marzano tomatoes

[Poolcue]

This is the first year that I have tried this variety mainly for pasta sauces.
They are in the greenhouse and approx 2 to 3 feet tall.They look healthy but as yet they have no flowers.
Is this usual?

[saddad]

They can be slow to start... when did you plant them out...  :-\

[Poolcue]

Seeds started on 16th Feb,In greenhouse since 3rd July.

[saddad]

If you are letting them bush... try nipping out the tip ....  :-\

[plainleaf]

pruning tomatoes reduces production.
san marzano also usaully need a critical mass before the tomatoes turn red.

[Alex133]

I've given up on San Marzano as they are so late maturing - don't think they are well suited to UK even in a greenhouse in the south (think they're bit of a slopes of Vesuvius speciality).  Haven't grown any but have come across plum toms in catalogues which would probably do better here.

[goodlife]

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Seeds started on 16th Feb,In greenhouse since 3rd July. Ok..what happened in between? That is quite long gap from sowing to planting.

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approx 2 to 3 feet tall... :-\ have you been pruning them? How are you growing them..in pots, border grow bags?
Sorry if my questions do sound intimidating...the reason for my 'interrogation' is that you started you plants early in the year (nothing wrong with that ;)) but by now they should be much bigger plants than 2-3 ft.
I'm just trying to find out if there is something the way you've grown them that would have inhibit the flower formation.

[Poolcue]

I have rechecked my notes,seed sowed early Feb,potted on 21st March and left in the conservatory,in late April they went into a plastic greenhouse in the garden and have been potted onto larger pots in the meantime.They have always been in pots.
Sorry its a bit vague.

[goodlife]

Thats ok..and they are green and healthy looking? How big are your pots? Have you fed your toms..if so, what with and how often?

[goodlife]

and..(sorry ;D)..how are you growing them..a bush or as a cordon (trained on canes with side stems removed)?

[Poolcue]

They are growing up a cane,there are no side shoots to speak of,they are  in 5 inch pots,there are some roots showing at the bottom,they get watered daily and fed with tomorite on a weekly basis.They are green and do look healthy.

[pumkinlover]

I have rechecked my notes,seed sowed early Feb,potted on 21st March and left in the conservatory,in late April they went into a plastic greenhouse in the garden and have been potted onto larger pots in the meantime.They have always been in pots.
Sorry its a bit vague.

That doesn't sound at all vague to me ;)
I feel all my tomatoes are a bit late this year especially the plum ones (Roma V) maybe the weather is partly to blame.  If we get an indian summer you may still get a good crop. :)

[goodlife]

Sounds like its all ok to me..unless somebody has been pinching flower stems off.. :-X
But like Pumkinlover said..there is still chance. We had cold July = slow growth.
Other than that..my interrogation has shows that your growing methods sounds ok.. ;) ;D Carry on.. ;D

[Jill]

I planted mine out in a sunny bed in April and let them bush out to their hearts content.  Quite a few green tomatoes appearing.

[Jill]

Too late to edit my post ::).  My San Marzano are outside growing up against a south facing wall, being grown as cordons, and are doing fine.  Three trusses each so far with fIowers appearing further up.  It's the Marmandes that I've bunged up at the back of the garden and left to their own devices.

[plainleaf]

my bet is the fact that you have them in such a small pots still is part of the problem

[grawrc]

Yes I agree. 9 or 12 inch would be better.

[Morris]

This is my first year with them as well. I picked my first two today. Mine are in 12" pots, sown Feb, in greenhouse.

The yield isn't going to be massive so I will wait until taste tests decide whether to bother again.

Olivade give a very good yield of plums for me, but the taste is only average (for a home-grown tomato, that is).

Hope yours perk up.

[plainleaf]

i would never put a tomato in pot small then 18 inches and any color other then white.

[Jeannine]

Pots are too small, mine are in 5 gallon buckets