Cuor di Bue Tomato Seed Packet (Oxheart) Gondian

Cuor di Bue Tomato Seed Packet (Oxheart) Gondian (Reference: 3978042) embodies the excellence of the Italian tomato-growing tradition. This late variety, born of Vilmorin know-how, produces exceptional heart-shaped fruit, with well-marked ribs and remarkably dense flesh. Renowned for their impressive size and eating quality, these fruits can reach 300 to 500 grams each.

Benefits and uses

The Cuor di Bue Oxheart Tomato is aimed mainly at passionate gardeners and food lovers looking for an exceptional variety. Its characteristic heart shape and dense flesh make it the ideal candidate for spectacular stuffed tomatoes. Restaurant professionals particularly appreciate this variety for its organoleptic qualities and its impressive visual presentation.

This tomato excels in cooking that calls for firm, not very watery flesh: tomatoes stuffed with rice, meat or vegetables, thick slices for mixed salads, or as a base for concentrated sauces. Its low seed content and pronounced flavour also make it an excellent variety for home-made preserves.

Technical features and innovation

The Cuor di Bue belongs to the category of late indeterminate tomatoes, which need a long growing season of 80 to 90 days after pricking out. This variety develops vigorous plants that can reach 1.5 to 2 metres in height, needing solid staking and regular tying-in.

The fruits have a characteristic ribbed shape with a broad base and a slightly pointed top reminiscent of a heart. The thin but tough skin, an intense red, encloses dense, juicy and fragrant flesh. This variety shows excellent resistance to cracking despite its large size.

Gondian Vilmorin seed guarantees true-to-type plants and an optimal germination rate. Each packet contains enough seed to produce 15 to 20 plants, a plentiful harvest for a family or a small commercial vegetable plot.

Planting, use and care

Sowing is done under heated cover between February and April, at a temperature of 18-20°C. Sow in a seed tray in a fine compost and keep constant moisture without excess. Germination takes place within 8 to 12 days. Pricking out into individual pots is done at the 2-3 true-leaf stage.

Final planting takes place after the last frosts, that is mid-May in most regions. Keep a spacing of 60 cm between plants and provide solid stakes of at least 1.8 m straight away. This variety demands a soil rich in humus, well drained, and a full sun position.

Care consists of regularly removing the side shoots that grow in the leaf axils, watering at the base without wetting the foliage, and topping the plant at the second leaf after the fifth flower truss to encourage the fruit to swell.

Tips, pairings and expert advice

To get the most from your Cuor di Bue, pair it with basil plants, which naturally improve the flavour of the tomatoes while repelling certain pests. Laying an organic mulch around the plants keeps the soil moist and limits weed growth.

This variety benefits from regular applications of organic fertilisers rich in potash to encourage fruit formation. Avoid excess nitrogen, which promotes foliage at the expense of fruiting. Regular, moderate watering stops the fruit from splitting.

For regions with short summers, prefer growing under a tunnel or greenhouse to ensure full ripening. The staggered harvest from August to October lets you enjoy fruit at different stages of ripeness. The fruits can be picked slightly green and will finish ripening in storage.

Complete your vegetable garden with other Vilmorin tomato varieties to spread the harvest and diversify culinary uses. This variety goes perfectly with Mediterranean vegetables such as aubergines and courgettes to create a truly gourmet vegetable garden.

Technical specifications