Buratino is a Russian heirloom tomato that earned its whimsical name from its distinctive long, pointed nose, 'Buratino' being the Russian word for Pinocchio. These Roma-shaped fruits blush sunset orange and mature in just 70 days, producing vines that grow indeterminately throughout the season. What makes Buratino special is its refusal to compromise: gardeners get exceptional flavor, reliable high yields, and a hardy plant that handles both sauce-making and fresh slicing with equal aplomb. Each fruit weighs around 142 grams, making them substantial enough for serious cooking.
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This Russian heirloom delivers the flavor profile a tomato should have, balanced, complex, and tasting like actual tomato rather than watery filler. The distinctive long-nosed Roma shape sets it apart visually in the garden and at the table, and the sunset orange color deepens as fruit matures. Buratino performs as a true all-purpose variety, equally at home in a sauce pot, sliced fresh, or eaten warm off the vine, all while producing abundantly on hardy, manageable plants.
Buratino serves as a true all-purpose tomato, equally suited to making traditional sauces and preserves as it is to slicing fresh for salads and snacking straight from the vine. Its firm flesh and balanced flavor make it reliable for canning and sauce production, while the moderate fruit size allows for versatile kitchen applications.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Soak seeds briefly to encourage germination, then sow at a depth of 1/4 inch in warm soil maintained at 68 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Seedlings should emerge in 5 to 10 days and develop their first true leaves within 2 to 3 weeks.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors once soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and all frost danger has passed. Space plants 24 inches apart in full sun. Water gently at the base to avoid shocking roots.
Pick Buratino tomatoes when they reach full sunset orange color and yield slightly to gentle pressure. Fruits mature in approximately 70 days from transplanting. Harvest regularly to encourage continued production throughout the season. For peak flavor, pick tomatoes when fully ripe on the vine rather than harvesting early and ripening indoors.
Since Buratino is an indeterminate variety, it will grow continuously throughout the season and benefits from moderate pruning and support. Remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) on the lower plant to improve air circulation and direct energy toward fruit production. As the plant grows, train it onto stakes or cages to keep fruit off the ground and make harvesting easier.
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“Buratino originates from Russia, where it has been grown as an heirloom for generations. Its charming name references the Russian adaptation of the Pinocchio story, connecting this tomato to Russian cultural traditions and the literary character's famous elongated nose. The variety has been preserved and shared among seed savers and heirloom gardeners, eventually reaching Western seed companies like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, where its exceptional flavor and yields earned admiration among tomato enthusiasts.”