San Marzano Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum 'San Marzano'
vegetableSan Marzano is the classic Italian paste tomato, bearing elongated, thick-walled plum-shaped fruit with few seeds, low moisture, and a sweet, low-acid flavor that cooks down into rich sauce. Prized as the premier canning and sauce tomato, the vigorous vines ripen their meaty fruit in roughly 80 days and yield heavily for putting up.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 3 days
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Harvest
~80 days
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Difficulty
medium
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Lifecycle
annual
One season, then done
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Spacing
18-24 in. apart
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Planting Depth
1/4 in.
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Soil pH
6.0-6.8
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 10
Grown as an annual. This range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.
When to Fertilize
At transplant, then every 3-4 weeks at fruit set
Fertilizer
Balanced 5-10-10, low nitrogen
🌱 Growing Guide
Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and transplant after the soil warms past 60F and nights stay above 55F, setting plants deep. Give full sun, fertile well-drained soil, and sturdy staking, since the vines grow tall and load heavily with fruit. Keep moisture even, as paste tomatoes are especially prone to blossom-end rot when watering is irregular; mulch to buffer the soil.
Planting Calendar
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Start seeds indoors
Mar 4
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Transplant outdoors
Apr 29
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Projected first harvest
Jul 18
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Basil: Repels thrips and whiteflies
- Borage: Draws pollinators and hornworm-hunting wasps
- French Marigold: Suppresses root-knot nematodes
- Carrots: Shares space without competing
❌ Keep away from
BrassicasFennel
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Water deeply and evenly and keep calcium adequate; mulch, as paste types are prone to it
Attract parasitic wasps with dill and borage; handpick at dusk
Mulch against soil splash, prune lower leaves, avoid wetting foliage
🌾 Harvest & storage
Pick when the fruit is deep red and firm, twisting it from the vine. Paste tomatoes tend to ripen in concentrated flushes, which is convenient for cooking and canning a batch at once, and the dense, dry flesh holds well for several days after picking.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
Tomatoes are low in calories and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin A, and paste types are especially rich in lycopene, the red antioxidant the body absorbs best from cooked and concentrated tomato products like sauce and paste.
⚠️ Toxicity & safety
Eat the ripe fruit only. Tomato leaves and stems (and large amounts of very unripe green fruit) contain solanine-type compounds and are not for eating.
For educational and informational purposes only. HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.