San Marzano Tomatoes - Grow your own! Artisan Ingredients Discuss San Marzano Tomatoes - Grow your own! in the Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart forums; I haven't actually eaten a black tomato yet, so I'll have to buy some seeds. There are some green ones ...

[Mitchamus]

I haven't actually eaten a black tomato yet,
so I'll have to buy some seeds.

There are some green ones that look interesting as well.

I have also heard that the variety "Sun Gold" is good too.

(damn it!... where's that spade )

[heliman]

Update on this one ...

The tomatoes have started forming nicely and are about 3- - 40 cm long. I have a nursery where I have started my seedlings and will use these to make a huge growing area in the back garden. I think the trick is to really go crazy and plant a lot so there will be a plentiful supply when needed for pizzas...

Just found an Oz supplier of canned San Marzano's so will order a few in the meantime while I wait for mine to ripen.

Will post pics of my current crop shortly...

Rossco

[heliman]

Pics of home grown San Marzanos...

The fruit is actually quite small but I will be planting some seedlings directly in soil (currently in pots), and in a more sunny spot so maybe the results will be different.

Rossco

[cynon767]

That third picture looks like you might have a little blossom end rot. You could try adding a little calcium to the soil and that might go away.

[heliman]

Update...

Yes, Jamie you were right - plenty of blossom end rot occurred until I started watering 2 x daily and added some more fertilizer. I ended up throwing away quite a few tomatoes, but now it is all going smoothly.

I found some special tomato dynamic lifter and dug that into the pots. Have been adding liquid fertilizer too which seems to have stabilised the plants and they are producing large bunches of fruit now.

The hydroponic crop wasn't very successful but I have modified the process and think I may have fine-tuned to produce a better crop now... time will tell.

I'll post some new pics a bit later...

Rossco

[Ozark_pie]

Hmm... anyone tried a topsy-turvey for growing these? My yard has 12 walnut and hickory trees (anyone need 70# of black walnuts??), and so there's little light. I was thinking about using one of these topsy-turvey tomato growers up on my deck, but seems a little gimickey to me.

[factoryrat]

hey ozark try this link for info on container gardening FR

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/contain/

[factoryrat]

BER info also here...FR

San Marzano Organic Question: BER Worries - Growing Tomatoes Forum - GardenWeb

[egalecki]

Hey, ozark- I haven't tried the topsy turvy, but in addition to the light issue you have, those black walnut trees put out a hormone from their roots which causes all sorts of problems for other plants. I think it's called juglone. You'll do better with a container of some sort with "bought" dirt with all those trees around...

[factoryrat]

good info on the black walnut trees, thanks Elizabeth