Solanum lycopersicum
Marmande Tomato, Marmande VR: originating in Lot-et-Garonne at the beginning of the 20th century, it has remained the benchmark tomato of southwestern France. Flattened and gently ribbed, it has the rare advantage of being both large and early — making it possible to grow large fruits even where summers are short.
Characteristics:
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Large fruit: 200 to 400 g per fruit, red, flattened and slightly ribbed.
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Early: it ripens even in cooler regions, which is rare among large varieties.
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Firm, fragrant flesh: it holds up well both when cooked and sliced.
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Versatile: stuffed, in salads, in sauces — it does everything well.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun and warmth.
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Soil: deep, rich, loose and well drained. A large-fruited variety is nutrient-hungry: a generous addition of compost benefits it.
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Method: sow from February to April under cover, at a minimum of 20 °C — below that temperature, the seeds will not germinate. Cover with 5 mm of soil. Transplant into pots at the two-true-leaf stage. See how to sow seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant after the last frosts, spacing plants 70 to 80 cm apart. Bury the stem up to the first leaves: tomatoes produce roots all along the buried section, resulting in a more vigorous plant — useful for supporting large fruit.
- This is an indeterminate variety: install a sturdy stake at planting time.
Care advice:
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Always water at the base, never over the foliage, preferably in the morning: water on the leaves provides an entry point for blight. Mulch thickly.
- Water regularly and evenly: with large-fruited varieties, irregular watering causes splitting and blossom-end rot.
- Remove suckers — the shoots that emerge from the leaf axils — and limit the plant to 5 or 6 flower trusses to obtain beautiful fruit.
- Rotate crops every three to four years.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest when fully red, when the fruit yields slightly under your finger.
- At the end of the season, pick the last fruits while they are still green, before the frosts: placed indoors in front of a window, they will ripen gradually. A ripe fruit placed beside them speeds up the process.
Beneficial companion plants:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its flowers are pollinated by vibration: only bumblebees make full use of them. Welcoming bumblebees directly improves your harvest.
- As an old, open-pollinated variety, growing it contributes to preserving cultivated diversity. See our heirloom tomatoes to sow.
Uses:
- Stuffed — its flattened shape and firm flesh make it particularly suitable for this —, in salads, sauces or soups.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Remove the pulp from a beautiful, fully ripe fruit and let it ferment for two to three days in a little water — this step destroys the gelatinous coating that inhibits germination — then rinse: the healthy seeds sink to the bottom. Dry them flat. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Large fruits even in a cool climate: the tomato of southwestern France.
