San Marzana toms

[chickenchargrill]

Are these tricky to grow from seed/need special treatment? I'm growing 4 types of toms this year and the rest are all doing fine. Except for the San Marzana variety which just aren't germinating.

I'm not sure if it's just the disappearance of the sun that's responsible as my sweet basil seems to be struggling too. That's just germinated around the edge of the pot and stopped. Everything else I've had from the supplier has had brilliant germination rates and are doing well

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I've had a look through the French tomato forum I frequent ( - but then it quite nice to know that I'm not the only sad weirdo growing tomato plants by the hundred) and there's nothing noted on there about this being a tricky variety, though it does have a tendency to get basal rot (what the French charmingly call "black arse"). Some of the ancient varieties can be slow to germinate - you might try moving them somewhere a bit warmer to get them on.

[wabbit955]

i have grown them for the last 3 years and never had any problems with them
and grown them just like the rest of the tomaoes i grow
alway start them indoors and as soon as they come through put them in the green house
and as soon as the weather warms up into my raised beds
last year i had over 20kg of tomatoes from 8 of these plants
love these tomotoes for cooking with not so good for eating fresh

[chickenchargrill]

Thanks guys. They're in my mini-greenhouse at the moment will bring them indoors and see if the windowsill suits them better. Hoping I've not just got a bad batch of seeds.

[Green Aura]

what the French charmingly call "black arse"

Name duly adopted!

[The Riff-Raff Element]

what the French charmingly call "black arse"

Name duly adopted!

The expression also appears when linked to animals as in the Limousin Black Arsed pig ("cul noir") but you'd never use "cul" in polite conversation otherwise. Some people find "cul-de-sac highly" amusing.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Oh, and we also have a variety in France called "Téton de Venus" which translates as, well, you work it out:

http://tomodori.com/fichephoto.php?nom= ... de%20venus