Crop type: Tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicum ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’
Common name: Beefsteak tomato ‘Costoluto Fiorentino’
Crop slug: tomatoes
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Costoluto Fiorentino’ is an indeterminate beefsteak tomato best grown under glass. Its heavy crop consists of bright-red, flattened and strongly ribbed fruits with firm succulent flesh and a good fruity flavour. The deep sculptural ribs provide its clearest identity.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 1.5–2.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
Support the tall vine securely as the heavy beefsteaks develop.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
Even moisture supports firm succulent flesh without fruit cracking.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H1c — suitable outdoors only in frost-free summer conditions above approximately 5–10°C
Protected cultivation under glass is preferred.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Yellow | Green | — |
| Summer | Yellow | Green | Bright red |
| Autumn | Yellow | Green | Bright red |
Flattened, strongly ribbed red fruit distinguishes this Italian beefsteak.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen on the profile; grown as an annual
- Habit
- Bushy indeterminate vine
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Solanum includes annuals, perennials, shrubs and climbers with five-lobed flowers followed by fleshy fruits.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Raise from seed or small plants in warmth, moving into unheated protected cropping after frost. Keep moisture even, feed every 10–14 days and switch to high-potassium feed after fruit set. Support the cordon.
Propagation
Propagate by seed indoors.
Suggested locations
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal gardens
- Patios and containers
Pruning
Remove side-shoots and stop the plant after its sixth truss.
Pests
Glasshouse whitefly and tomato moth may attack.
Diseases
The profile lists rare honey fungus, tomato blight, leaf mould and other leaf or stem problems.