You’re not really a tomato grower until you’ve grown a San Marzano. It’s one of those varieties that everyone talks about sooner or later — not because it’s flashy, but because it’s a classic. And once you’ve seen what it can do in the kitchen, you understand why it’s held in such high regard.
The plants grow tall and tidy, easy enough to manage once they’re tied in, with long trusses of firm, plum-shaped fruit. Outdoors they can be a little weather-dependent, but give them a warm spot or a bit of cover and they settle into a steady, reliable rhythm.
Under glass they’re positively well-behaved, producing enough fruit for several batches of proper, home-cooked sauce.
Fresh off the plant the flavour is gentle, but as soon as you roast or simmer it, everything deepens — sweeter, richer, and far more interesting.
This is where San Marzano earns its reputation. If you like the idea of jars of your own passata lined up in late summer, or a sauce that tastes as though you’ve done something far more complicated than you actually have, this is the tomato that makes it happen.
It’s not trying to be an all-rounder, and that’s part of its charm. For cooks who love the ritual of slow, simple food, San Marzano is an immensely satisfying plant to grow.
Additional Information
▶Species:Solanum lycopersicum. A classic indeterminate plum tomato prized for cooking rather than fresh eating.
▶Growth Habit: Tall, vining plants that need staking and regular side-shoot removal. Naturally tidy once trained, producing long trusses of uniform fruit.
▶Outdoor Reliability: Moderate. Performs well in warm, settled summers but can stall in cooler years. For predictable UK crops, a greenhouse or polytunnel gives far better results.
▶Fruit Appearance: Firm, elongated plum tomatoes with thick, meaty walls and very few seeds. Fruits typically reach 70–100g and hold their shape during cooking.
▶Flavour Profile: Mild when eaten fresh, but becomes richly sweet and concentrated when roasted or simmered. Designed for sauces, passata, and slow cooking.
▶Versatility: Best used cooked. Exceptional for sauces, roasting, canning, and passata. Less suited to salads and sandwiches due to its dense, low-juice flesh.
▶Productivity: Moderate to good depending on conditions. Under cover it produces generous, reliable trusses; outdoors yields vary with temperature and sunlight.
▶Growing Conditions: Thrives in full sun with rich, well-drained compost. Benefits from fortnightly feeding and consistent watering to prevent blossom-end rot.
▶How to Grow Chillies & Tomatoes: My free 28-page booklet, "How to Grow Chillies & Tomatoes," is included with every plant order to help you achieve a successful harvest.
World of Chillies was set up by Sarah Hunt in 2011 to promote chilli growing and the enjoyment of everything hot and spicy.