Customer Service Hours
Mon-Fri 8-4 MST
Features
Family
Solanaceae
Native
Andes
Life Cycle
Annual
Plant Height
Tall (Greater than 24")
Further Information
Growing Conditions
Frost Sensitive
About Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Fire engine red, flattened fruits with glossy skin and deep ribs weighing 6-8 oz. 'Costoluto Genovese' is an indeterminate type tomato.
Planting Tomato
Plant Spacing
A group of 3 seeds every 24" – 36"
Light Required
Full Sun
Plant Height
Tall (Greater than 24")
Planting Depth
1/4"
Coverage & Planting Details
| Coverage | This packet yields approximately 20 plants when started indoors. |
|---|---|
| Row Spacing | 36" |
| Seed Depth | 1/4" |
| Seed Spacing | A group of 3 seeds every 24" – 36" |
| Thinning | When 2" tall, thin to 1 every 24" ? 36" |
| Germination | 5 – 10 Days |
| Start Indoors | RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting. Transplant when air temperature is 45°F or warmer, usually 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 70°-90°F. |
| Direct Sow | For mild climates only: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 60°F. |
| Special Care | Do not mulch when weather is still cool; the roots of young plants need to be in soil that is warmed by the sun. When the weather warms up and plants are established, mulch to a depth of 2" or 3" with a material such as straw, leaves, or compost, to conserve moisture, reduce weed growth, and keep the roots warm. |
| Growing & Harvesting | Costoluto Genovese tomatoes are at the peak of sun-ripened deliciousness when fully red, and have a slight give when gently squeezed. Tomatoes may also be picked at the "first blush" stage, when 50% of the tomatoes' color has begun to change, and ripened at room temperature without decreasing flavor or nutrition. Picking often and early increases yield, and decreases the risk of cracking and pest damage. Ripe fruit left on the vine during rain or watering is more susceptible to splitting. About 1 month before the average first fall frost, clip all blossoms and undersized fruit off the plant, signaling to the plant to ripen what?s left. Pick any unripe fruit before frost, and store them indoors in a single layer away from direct sunlight to ripen. |
Find Your Frost Date & Grow Zone
Average First Frost Date
October 19
Average Last Frost Date
May 19
Your Hardiness Zone is
5b
Send Your Recommendation
Total 5 star reviews: 2 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
Slide 1 selected
Search
Rating
Which best describes you as a gardener?
2 reviews
- Robin W.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars2/20/26My favorite tomato
Have not started them yet this seaon but have loved them in the past
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests2/20/26Hey Robin,
We love hearing that Costoluto Genovese is your favorite tomato! We're so excited for you to get them started again this year. We hope you'll let us know how it goes. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your love for this incredible variety with us. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Alex T.Verified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 stars10/2/25You need this tomato is your garden!
You know how most heirloom tomatoes look amazing on paper but kind of fizzle out once the real heat sets in? Costoluto Genovese has been the total opposite for us. This is our second year growing it, and it’s the only tomato that didn’t throw in the towel here in Texas zone 8a. Even when the heat cranked up and the fruits got a little smaller, the plants just kept on pumping out tomatoes.
And these aren’t just any tomatoes — they’re gorgeous, deeply ribbed, old-world Italian beauties. Flavor is right where you want it too: bright and fresh in a salad, meaty enough for a sandwich, and rich enough that you could cook it down into a sauce. It’s one of those all-around varieties that actually lives up to the hype.
This year we had a single 50-foot row with 25 plants, and next year we’re doubling it to two rows. That’s how much we believe in this one. If you’re after a reliable, hardworking heirloom that doesn’t quit when the sun’s beating down, I’d say Costoluto Genovese deserves a spot in your garden.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests10/2/25Hey Alex T.,
Thank you SO much for this incredible review and for being such a dedicated Costoluto Genovese grower! Your experience in Texas zone 8a is exactly what other gardeners need to hear - it's one thing for us to say these Italian heirlooms are heat-tolerant, but it's another thing entirely to have a real grower confirm that they keep producing when everything else is calling it quits in that brutal summer heat.
Your description of these tomatoes as "gorgeous, deeply ribbed, old-world Italian beauties" is spot-on, and we love how you've discovered their versatility - fresh, cooked, or somewhere in between, they really do deliver on all fronts. That's the magic of these traditional Italian varieties that have been perfected over generations.
The fact that you're doubling your planting from 25 to 50 plants next year says everything about how reliable this variety has been for you! Your success story will be so inspiring, if your gorgeous photos aren't enough, for other gardeners in hot climates who are tired of watching their tomato plants struggle through the summer months.
Keep on growing 🌻️