Oskar di San Marzano Oval Tomato Plant

The Ovale di San Marzano Oskar F1 tomato is among the most popular varieties.

Among the most popular San Marzano varieties for greenhouse and open field cultivation. It has a vigorous plant and high productivity. Firm and full berries, over 130 g tolerant to splits. Good flavor and shelf life of the fruit, for use in salads and sauces. It resists nematodes and common soil pathologies. Irrigate constantly from the fruit enlargement stage, without stagnation.

HOW TO GROW BEST

EXPOSURE: Tomatoes need full sun exposure. In summer, during the hottest hours, it likes a slight shade, starting from mid-June.

TEMPERATURE: The tomato has ideal growth temperatures between 20-24°. Between 18-27° are the best conditions for fruit setting, which is difficult below 10° and above 35° (especially for old varieties and large berries). With less than 13° in flowering, the fruits can be deformed and scarred. With temperatures above 30° during ripening, the shoulder of the fruits of the sensitive varieties remains yellow or green, while below 10° the berries fail to take on the typical color when ripe. The plant can suffer damage from cold between 0-6° and dies between 0/ -2°, therefore it is essential to protect it with nylon or tnt in the earliest transplants.

SOIL: The tomato adapts to any type of soil, preferring medium-textured, fertile and well-drained ones. It likes pH preferably between 6-7. Deep tillage (30-40 cm) is recommended when preparing the soil. Despite being a very rustic species, capable of often offering good results, even if cultivated for several seasons in the same soil, it is preferable to wait 3 years before transplanting the tomatoes into the soil where they have already been grown previously. It is useful to use the grafted plants, if the correct rotation timing cannot be respected.

TRANSPLANTATION: Distances: the recommended sixth is 40-50 cm on the rows and 100 cm between the rows. For salsa varieties, the row spacing can be reduced to 30cm.

Period: planting goes from March (with nylon) to August. From mid-April to May is the most favorable period for transplanting in the plains, June in the high hills and mountains.

Graduated transplants: transplanting tomatoes not at a single moment, but in different periods (with monthly transplants, every 40-50 days, from April to July) is the most effective strategy for reducing the risks due to pathogens and climatic stress and obtaining more prolonged over time, until late autumn.

Protection: in early spring transplants, the seedlings must be protected with nylon (to be aired on sunny days); in the following transplants, from April to August, the white TNT is exploited, to be removed after 1-2 weeks.

FERTILIZATION: Balanced nutrition distributed over time allows for maximum production from tomato cultivation. In addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, tomatoes need large quantities of calcium and magnesium.

basic fertilization: 2-3 weeks before transplanting, add an abundant quantity of organic matter (if it was not distributed in autumn): mature manure (or manure) and an NPK fertilizer (e.g. 2-1-2 ), to be mixed with the soil in the hole, in the first 20-30 cm.

top dressing: after the initial fertilization, it will be possible to intervene every 3 weeks with NPK mineral fertilizer (N:P:K 1:3:1 until flowering, N:P:K 1:1:3 from enlargement to maturity) , or alternating chicken droppings, vinasse and agrogel. Exaggerated quantities of nitrogen (or manure), especially in the more vigorous varieties, can cause an excessive development of the vegetation to the detriment of the fruits.

emergency fertilization: it is essential if the growth of plants stops in the early stages, due to environmental stress or shortages. It can be done with quick effect fertilizers or by irrigating with manure soaked in water (or soaked manure), weekly, until the plants restart.

IRRIGATION: The tomato is able to survive with limited water supplies, but the chronic lack of water gives rise to stunted plants, with much lower production than the real potential of the variety. In spring, tomatoes are normally watered 2-3 times a week: frequency and quantity vary according to the characteristics of the soil, the stage of development of the plants and the climatic trend.