Mr Fothergill's TOMATO Costoluto Fiorentino

A large, irregularly ribbed, Italian beefsteak with fruits up to 10cm/4in diameter. Very fleshy with good flavour. 

A Best Buy variety as recommended by the Gardening Press and Consumer Groups.

Technically a fruit, but also Britain's favourite summer vegetable! No surprise because nothing you buy beats the flavour of home-grown tomatoes.

Recommended by Monty Don in BBC Gardeners World Magazine (January 2015 edition): “This is one of the few Italian tomatoes to develop its full taste in our climate (I’ve only grown them under glass). Reliable, delicious and versatile, excellent raw and superb in a sauce.”

Sow indoors March-April. A warm kitchen windowsill is all you need for starting these seeds. Sow thinly, 0.5cm (¼") deep, in a pot of compost. Water well and place in a warm position. A temperature of 15-20°C (60-68°F) is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 7-14 days. Transplant to individual pots when 10-15cm (4-6") tall. Grow on in cooler, but not cold conditions. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out into warm, well-drained soil, April-June 60cm (2') apart, when frosts are over. This variety may also be grown in a polytunnel or cool greenhouse, but generally performs better outside. Harvest: August-October.

This variety can also be grown in large patio pots with support to keep branches off the ground. Trim plants if they become too large.