San Marzano Redorta

Family: Solanaceae Nightshade

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add San Marzano Redorta to a garden.

Sun-warmed and richly aromatic, San Marzano Redorta brings a dense, sweet-tart flavor with a classic “paste tomato” intensity—meaty flesh that clings together beautifully.

At maturity, its elongated fruits hang in tidy clusters, offering a velvety, low-seed texture that shines in thick sauces and slow-simmered favorites, and also performs wonderfully for roasting and preserving. Grow this 75-day standout for a harvest that tastes like tradition—bold, balanced, and deeply tomato-forward.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 75 DaysHabit: Indeterminate

Botanical illustration of San Marzano Redorta

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San Marzano Redorta Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	Jul 20th	Oct 3rd – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 23rd – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 23rd – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	Jul 14th	Sep 27th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 23rd – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	Jul 8th	Sep 21st – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	Jul 3rd	Sep 16th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Jun 29th	Sep 12th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Jun 26th	Sep 9th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Jun 20th	Sep 3rd – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Jun 15th	Aug 29th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Jun 5th	Aug 19th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	May 27th	Aug 10th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	May 18th	Aug 1st – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	May 1st	Jul 15th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Apr 6th	Jun 20th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	75
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Indeterminate
Support Needed	Stake
Planting Depth	Deep
Germination Temp (°F)	75
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

This is a paste tomato built for reduction: low-seed and meaty, it turns into a sauce that actually clings instead of thinning out. Expect a sweet-tart snap and aromatic depth that holds up when you simmer it hard—perfect for sauces that need to coat pasta with real body.

Best Uses

thick, slow-simmered passata for weeknight red sauce
roasting whole or halved for spoonable, caramel-tinged tomato preserves
hand-crushed canned-style sauce that clings to pasta
tomato paste style reductions for glossy pan sauces

Flavor Profile

sweet-tart bite dense, low-seed, velvety flesh meaty tomato intensity sun-warmed, richly aromatic finish

Kitchen Pairings

garlic olive oil anchovy Parmigiano-Reggiano oregano mozzarella

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease problem most often affects Solanum lycopersicum (tomatoes) and how can I stop it early?

Early blight (Alternaria) is a common tomato issue, showing as dark, target-like spots that spread from lower leaves upward. Remove and discard infected leaves, improve airflow with proper spacing, and water at the soil line (not the foliage) to reduce spore spread; if problems persist, use an approved fungicide labeled for tomatoes and rotate modes of action to avoid resistance.

How often should I water San Marzano-type tomatoes during peak fruiting?

During the main growing and fruit-setting phase, keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged—about 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of water per week total, adjusted for heat and container size. Aim for deep watering so moisture reaches the root zone, and water when the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) of soil dries; irregular watering can lead to blossom-end rot and fruit cracking.

How do I tell when Solanum lycopersicum ‘San Marzano Redorta’ tomatoes are ready to harvest?

Harvest when fruits are fully red (no green shoulders) and feel firm but give slightly under gentle pressure. If you see the seeds turning fully gel-like and the fruit comes off the plant with a slight twist, it’s at peak picking stage—waiting for over-softening can reduce shelf life and flavor.