Costoluto Fiorentino is a classic Italian heirloom tomato that delivers what summer gardeners dream about: the first truly ripe, juicy tomato of the season. Reaching full flavor in 80 days, this cultivar represents generations of careful selection for taste and reliability. It grows as a half-hardy annual in full sun, thriving in moderate watering and neutral to slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5, 7.0). Whether you're drawn to Italian varieties or simply want a tomato that prioritizes flavor over everything else, Costoluto Fiorentino rewards patient growers with the kind of harvest that tastes like summer.
Full Sun
Moderate
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Moderate
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This tomato captures the Italian devotion to flavor and quality. Seed catalogs consistently emphasize that the first ripe fruit of the season is a genuine milestone, and Costoluto Fiorentino delivers on that promise with juicy, flavorful results. Growing to maturity in 80 days from transplant, it's neither the fastest nor the slowest, but it's worth the wait. The variety represents the kind of careful plant selection that European gardeners have practiced for generations, making it as much a link to culinary tradition as it is a practical garden plant.
As a slicing tomato, Costoluto Fiorentino shines in fresh applications where its juiciness and flavor can take center stage. It's the kind of tomato that justifies the simple preparation: sliced ripe with good olive oil, salt, and basil. Its dense, flavorful flesh also handles cooking well, making it useful for sauces and salsas where you want tomato character to come through rather than get diluted.
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Start seeds indoors 6, 8 weeks before your last frost date. Use warm soil between 70, 90°F for reliable germination. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged until seedlings emerge.
Transplant outdoors only after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7, 10 days by exposing them to outdoor conditions for increasing periods. Space plants 3 inches apart in rows.
Harvest Costoluto Fiorentino when fruit is fully ripe, the color should be deep and uniform, and the tomato should yield slightly to gentle pressure. Timing is around 80 days from transplant to first ripe fruit. Do not harvest early hoping fruit will ripen indoors; let it mature on the vine for maximum flavor. If you have green fruit at season's end, you can ripen it in a cool, dark area, making sure fruits don't touch each other, but vine-ripened fruit is always superior.
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