Beef Tomato San Marzano [Solanum lycopersicum]

The perennial beefsteak tomato 'San Marzano' is a late, robust, heirloom, and traditional small-growing stake tomato variety. Its flavor is legendary for its fruity, aromatic character and is ideal for making tomato paste. Ideal for pre-cultivation, pot culture possible, sowing in spring, good for mixed culture, harvesting the fruits.

Description
The beefsteak tomato 'San Marzano' is a perennial, heirloom, and traditional tomato variety from Campania, Italy. This particularly tasty, late-season stake tomato variety is ideal for soups, sauces, and tomato paste. The elongated, oval, red fruits have a low water content and firm flesh. The flavor is legendary for its fruity, aromatic quality. This disease-tolerant tomato variety is characterized by its extremely robust growth and high yield.
The San Marzano variety was finally removed from the official catalog in 1991, replaced by more resistant and easier-to-care-for varieties. Thanks to an initiative by the Campania region, this gourmet variety has been preserved in home gardens and can now be widely distributed.

General information
Plant family: Solanaceae
Life cycle: Perennial
Days until harvest: 150 days
Plant height approx.: 180 cm
Root type: Deep and shallow rooters
Nutrient requirements: Heavy feeders
Water requirements: High
Winter hardiness: up to 3°C
Location: Sunny
Floor: Permeable, humus-rich loamy soil

PH value: 6 to 7

Information on sowing and planting
Germ type: Dark germinators
Sowing depth: 1 cm
Optimal germination temperature: 22-28°C
Germination time: 5-10 days
Planting and row spacing: 50x70 cm

Germination of seeds: 8-9 years

Mixed culture
Optimal mixed culture: Basil, nasturtium, garlic, onion, cabbage, New Zealand spinach, spinach, parsley, radish, celery, radish, marigold, lettuce
Unfavorable mixed culture: Peppers, eggplant, physalis, potatoes

Sowing according to climate zone
Subtropical climate (Mediterranean) (e.g. Portugal, Spain, Italy)
Pre-cultivation is recommended from January to April. The ideal location for the plants is warm and sunny.
Temperate climate (e.g. Germany, Switzerland, Poland)
Pre-cultivation is recommended from March to May. The ideal location for the plants is warm and sunny.

General recommendations
The optimal time to germinate tomatoes is the first warm week of spring. After the seeds have germinated in warm temperatures, the seedlings need cooler temperatures. For pre-cultivation, sow the seeds in a small tray and let the seedlings grow until the first visible tomato leaves appear, then transplant them into the desired containers.After pricking out, allow the seedlings to grow at moderate temperatures until they are ready to be planted out as seedlings. Plant the seedlings in the garden bed starting with the second pair of leaves after the cotyledons.
The beefsteak tomato 'San Marzano' does not tolerate waterlogging.

Additional tips
Beefsteak tomato plants are generally cultivated with one or two shoots. A trellis for tying the tomato shoots with tomato hooks is recommended. To stimulate root growth and thus plant growth, the seedlings are placed deeper in the soil during pricking out, up to the leaf axil of the cotyledons. Adequate and consistent watering has a positive effect on fruit quality. At temperatures below 5°C, the plant slows its growth. Regular harvesting increases yield. In order to quickly obtain a fine, crumbly and permeable soil with good nutrient and water retention capacity, additional incorporation of biochar and primary rock flour is recommended.

Reproduction method
Propagation occurs through seeds and cuttings.

Plant care
Loose, nutrient-rich and constantly moist soil is fundamentally important for growth and quality fruit formation. Depending on the soil condition, fertilization is recommended after 10 weeks.

Other names
Botanical names: Solanum lycopersicum
English names: Beef tomato, Meat tomato
German names: Beef tomato, plum tomato
Portuguese names: tomato
Spanish names: tomato
French names: tomato

Origin
Country: Portugal