Costaluto Fiorentino Tomatoes

The Costaluto Fiorentino is an Italian heirloom tomato from the Tuscany region of Italy. My research says it’s heat tolerant, but also grows well under a variety of conditions, is VERY productive, and good for slicing, stuffing, and making tomato sauces. That degree of versatility is quite attractive in a tomato!

Because of the intense heat and humidity of Alabama summers, frequent dry periods, lack of irrigation—and my love of Italian food—I decided to try the Costaluto Fiorentino this year.

I discovered the Costaluto Fiorentino heirloom while browsing tomato seeds on the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange website and liked what I read.

One detail that SESE does not mention is that these tomato plants apparently grow to something approximating the height of Jack’s beanstalk. After transplanting the seedlings from the starter tray into individual pots, I noticed they were growing exceptionally tall, very quickly. I also learned from a casual conversation with another heirloom tomato grower that there are two different types of Costaluto. Those two factors led me to do further research on the Costaluto Fiorentino to learn more about what I’m growing.

Comments about the Costaluto Fiorentino posted on the Rare Seeds website are quite positive:

• Prolific producer
• Tasty for salads, slicing, drying, sauces, and all-around eating
• “One of the best tasting in my garden last year” (comment dated 2021, referring to the 2020 growing season)
• “Gorgeous fruits”
• Plants grow up to, maybe over, 6-feet tall
• Very acidic (which is important if you’re going to be making sauce for meals, or canning), is the consensus view

The Costaluto Fiorentino is an indeterminate variety—meaning it will produce continuously through the season, provided it’s cared for properly.

The size of the plant is such that the Costaluto Fiorentino will not be a good choice for patio growers. But if you have a nice privacy fence, the container itself should not be a problem. You just need to be able to stake or trellis a tomato plant that will be over 6’ tall. These plants (photo below) are at least 15″ tall in 4″ containers, so they need to be transplanted asap or moved into larger containers. And I have many, many more. 🙂

The seeds I purchased from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange germinated exceptionally well, so I have lots of plants to sell. These will be available on most Saturdays at the Florence Lauderdale Farmers Market, in early June 2021 at the Vestavia Hills Farmers Market, or for direct sale at Shine Springs Farm. Call or text 256-284-2307 for more information on purchases.

Hope to have lots of nice Costaluto Fiorentino tomatoes to sell by early August. I will report back with first hand details on the taste.