What Types of Tomatoes Do You Grow for Paste in Michigan?

Characteristics

• Paste tomato varieties are distinguished from other tomato types by several key characteristics. First, their flesh is dry, firm and meaty, making them ideal for processing into paste, ketchup and sauce. Paste tomatoes also have no or few seeds, which offers an additional advantage for processing. The majority of paste tomatoes are determinate varieties, meaning they grow on more compact plants that produce all their fruit in a short period, allowing paste tomatoes to be grown in small garden areas, as well as in containers, and their crop to be harvested in large lots, which is convenient for processing. Many paste tomatoes produce fruit that is more elongated or plum-shaped compared with the traditional rounder tomato shape.

Varieties

• Michigan tomato growers have multiple options when selecting paste tomato varieties for their home garden. “Roma” is the classic Italian paste tomato, with a standard red plum shape. Its fruit matures in 75 days, which is an advantage for regions with shorter growing seasons. “San Marzano” has a slightly longer growing season and is a bit larger than the “Roma”; however, it has surpassed the classic “Roma” in taste tests. “Amish Paste” is an American heirloom paste tomato variety believed to have originated in either Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. The “Amish Paste” tomato is juicier than the Italian varieties but also makes an excellent slicing fruit due to its rich flavor. Other recommended varieties of paste tomatoes include “Viva Italia,” “Opalka,” “Striped Roman,” “Cow's Tit” and “Polish Linguisa.”

Planting

• Michigan paste tomato growers need to start their planting early to allow fruit the time it needs to mature before the autumn frost. If starting from seeds, plant them indoors under fluorescent lighting in mid-March to allow them to be ready for transplant in the garden in late May, safely after the last frost date has passed and the soil has had the opportunity to warm up a bit. To help ease seedlings' transition to the outdoors, harden them off for a week before planting by bringing them outdoors for several hours each day before potting out. In northern regions, it is essential to plant paste tomatoes in an area that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day.

Growing Tip

• Determinate paste varieties like “Roma,” “San Marzano” and “Viva Italia” may not require staking; however, indeterminate paste tomatoes such as “Cow's Tit” and “Polish Linguisa” will need a support structure to keep fruit off the ground. Cages, trellises and bamboo stakes all can be used effectively to support growing tomato plants. Tomatoes are not natural vining plants, however, so stems will need to be woven through or carefully tied to the support structure.