# Roma or San Marzano tomatoes?



## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I switched to Romas this year, but find I really liked the SMs better! Too bad American Seed quit carrying the SM seed, GRRRR! I suppose I will have to splurge and spend a buck or two next year, LOL.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Oh...I love a fresh tomato. What do you like abou the SM? I may have to get some next year if they are that good!!!


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

SMs are a little bigger, produce an enormous crop, and basically are trouble-free. 

One of my Romas looks blighty (the leaves) and some of the tomatoes have blemishes on the skin and whatnot. And this is in a year when the tomatoes generally have been very GOOD -- no cracking, catfacing, etc. I imagine they'd look worse in a poor year.

Fruiting has been abundant, though, although not quite as heavy as the SMs.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

ohhh...thank for the info! I love trying new tomatoes =) As a little kid I would eat them like apples lol. About gave gramps a heart attack when he found me in the garden snatching them off the vine. I'll never forget that!


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i'm growing martin's romas this year and some of them are the biggest romas i have ever seen.


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

I had some San Marzano plants but I think Bill weedwhacked them; I had some Romas I thought but am not sure. I'm growing some very odd looking paste tomato; I saved the seeds from some huge ones I bought at a farmstand last year. They're really big but not ripe yet. Haven't set as much fruit as I expected but none of my tomatoes have. (Neighbor commented that his 12 (1/2 cherries/1/2 slicers) aren't setting either which is why I'm glad I have a lot more than 12 plants!) I got a bit sidetracked when planting; so all of my saved seed plants are mixed up. Fingers crossed I have time to bag (never done it before but the bees are going nuts and I don't want crackers again) blossoms after I pick ripe ones; I just realized where my white tomatoes are and have probably found the Green Zebras.

Oh, I went off on a tangent...I grew San Marzano for years and years...why would anyone save seeds when there were 10 cent seed packages every spring? I miss those!


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

My romas always do good but this year they are exceptional. They have continued to produce even with the heat and are much larger than usual. I like the taste of some other tomatoes better but the romas are very good for drying.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

Well, tell your Romas to tell my Romas to get with the program, eh?


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2010)

Hey, around here the dollar general store sold san marzano seeds, 200 in a pack, for 20 cents.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

San Marzano, then Opalaka (polish paste) then Roma. Mind you I have never had an Amish paste tomato. 

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

zong said:


> Hey, around here the dollar general store sold san marzano seeds, 200 in a pack, for 20 cents.


Well, they didn't here or in MD last year or the year before; believe me, I looked for my "bargain" seeds at all known and unknown places between DC and Ohio.

Maybe those of you with access to "cheap seeds" (they used to be all OP) should offer to purchase and ship to the rest of us suddenly deprived. Cover your costs but share the wealth...


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I had trouble finding those cheap (American brand) seeds this year, too!

Our local Wal-Mart didn't get them in until VERY late ... which is bad 'cause I start my tomatoes EARLY in order to have plants to sell by the end of April. Luckily the Wal-Mart in the next town over had them at the proper time. 

I'll check Dollar General next year for the SMs. Thanks for the tip!


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

In addition to a few varieties which are simply named Roma, there are hundreds of Roma type varieties. All are basically plum-shaped and with few seeds. They don't even have to be red. San Marzano also is available as a half dozen or more separate varieties. Personally, I never had the best results with San Marzano but it's been awhile since I've grown it. Checking my planting stock shows that I have Green Valley packets from both 1991 and 1992. Maybe grow them out next year.

My own Paquebot Roma isn't the biggest out there but I haven't seen many that can beat it for overall production when given decent soil conditions. My main problem is trying to get enough seeds from those buggers to supply everyone who wants them. 2x4 fruit and only 20-30 seeds means one fruit per seed packet. Not running any better this year with some fruit not even having 20 seeds. But that's one of its better points to go along with taste and production.

Martin


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

My Romas from Martin did FANTASTIC last year!!!! (I didn't get any planted this year)


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## Phoebesmum (Jan 4, 2009)

I actually prefer Italia Viva to Roma or San Marzano...they do not have the disease resistance of the others, but are SO YUMMY and VERY consistent quality!


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## SerenityMama (Aug 26, 2009)

I have tried SM twice and they haven't done well for me. Normally my Amish Paste does the best but I have yet to get a tomato this year. Looking forward to doing a hoophouse just for my tomatoes next year!! Maybe then I will get some.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Phoebesmum said:


> I actually prefer Italia Viva to Roma or San Marzano...they do not have the disease resistance of the others, but are SO YUMMY and VERY consistent quality!


Eh? Viva Italia is one of the most resistant that one can buy. Letters behind its name are VFFNASt to denote all that it's resistant to. What may give you the impression of less disease resistance is that it's a determinate whereas San Marzano is indeterminate. Viva Italia begins fading soon after fruit begins to ripen whereas San Marzano continues to grow.

My Paquebot Roma have been ripening for about 2 weeks and the plants should be almost totally dead in another 2 weeks. One particular test plant around 2003 was set into the garden on 5 May with only the cotyledon leaves. The dead plant was pulled on 17 September. During that short period of life it produced 142 fruit. Every seed distributed since traces back to that one plant.

Martin


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

amish paste is proving to be the worst for me two years running. this year, both plants of the AP forced me to remove 95% of all the fruits due to blossom end rot. the other plants around them seem to be fine with BER only on the occasional fruit.


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## Phoebesmum (Jan 4, 2009)

Paquebot said:


> Eh? Viva Italia is one of the most resistant that one can buy. Letters behind its name are VFFNASt to denote all that it's resistant to. What may give you the impression of less disease resistance is that it's a determinate whereas San Marzano is indeterminate. Viva Italia begins fading soon after fruit begins to ripen whereas San Marzano continues to grow.
> 
> My Paquebot Roma have been ripening for about 2 weeks and the plants should be almost totally dead in another 2 weeks. One particular test plant around 2003 was set into the garden on 5 May with only the cotyledon leaves. The dead plant was pulled on 17 September. During that short period of life it produced 142 fruit. Every seed distributed since traces back to that one plant.
> 
> Martin


No--I know they are determinate...but mine had a ton of trouble with blight this year whereas my Romas did fine right next to the Viva Italia.


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