How to Grow Florido Tomato

Wikimedia Commons

Florido Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Florido'

vegetable

Florido is a determinate paste tomato variety bred for disease resistance and uniform ripening, commonly used for fresh eating and processing. It produces medium-sized, elongated fruits with excellent flavor and is known for its resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and septoria leaf spot. This variety thrives in warm climates and is particularly popular in Mediterranean regions.

When should you plant Florido Tomato in your zone?

Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.

Get my Florido Tomato timeline →

Example Florido Tomato timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

Plant Florido Tomato
Around Apr 17

Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
Tend & protect
Late spring–summer

Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
Harvest Florido Tomato
Around Jun 26

≈ 70 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Florido Tomato dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

☀️

Sun: Full sun, 6-8 hours daily minimum, ideally 8+ hours

💧

Water: Consistent moisture, approximately 1-1.5 inches per week. Water deeply at soil level to avoid wetting foliage. Maintain even moisture to prevent blossom-end rot and fruit cracking.

📏

Spacing: 18 inches

📅

Days to maturity: 70-85 days

🌱

Planting depth: 0.25 inches for seeds; transplants buried deeper with stem below first true leaves

Soil

Type: Well-draining loamy soil rich in organic matter

pH: 6.0-6.8

Amendments:

Compost aged manure bone meal balanced fertilizer (10-10-10)

Growing Zones

Find your zone →

Thrives in zones 5-10, with best performance in warm zones 6-9

3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a

Get my Florido Tomato timeline →

Growth Stages

Seedling

2-3 weeks

Small plants with two cotyledons and emerging true leaves; tender and delicate

Maintain 70-75°F soil temperature. Provide bright light (14-16 hours). Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Thin seedlings to prevent damping off.

Transplant/Vegetative

3-4 weeks

Sturdy seedlings with 4-8 true leaves, developing root system, pre-flowering stage

Harden off before transplanting outdoors. Plant deep, burying stem partially. Begin light fertilizing. Install support cages or stakes early.

Flowering

2-3 weeks

Plant develops flower clusters (inflorescences) with small yellow flowers. Foliage is bushy and robust.

Maintain consistent watering. Apply balanced fertilizer or switch to lower nitrogen formula. Prune suckers on determinate varieties if desired for easier harvest. Ensure good air circulation.

Fruiting

3-4 weeks

Young green fruits form and rapidly expand; plant begins bearing fruit clusters

Provide support as weight increases. Continue consistent watering to prevent blossom-end rot. Apply mulch to regulate soil temperature and moisture. Monitor for pests and diseases.

Maturation & Harvest

2-4 weeks

Fruits transition from green to mature red color; plant becomes heavy with ripe and ripening fruit

Harvest fruits when fully colored. Support heavy fruit clusters. Continue watering even as harvest begins. Remove any diseased foliage promptly. Late-season fruits may be picked at breaker stage for indoor ripening.

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

Basil Parsley Borage Carrot Onion Garlic Marigold Nasturtium Lettuce Spinach

Avoid planting near:

Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) Fennel Walnut trees Potatoes Kohlrabi

Common Pests

Hand-pick large caterpillars. Use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray for young larvae. Encourage parasitic wasps.
Use yellow sticky traps. Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil. Maintain strong water spray to dislodge insects.
Increase humidity and air circulation. Apply miticide or neem oil. Spray water forcefully on undersides of leaves.
Prune heavily infested stems. Use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Encourage ladybugs and lacewings.
Remove lower infected foliage. Improve air circulation. Apply copper or sulfur fungicide. Avoid overhead watering.
Remove infected leaves promptly. Apply chlorothalonil or copper-based fungicide. Maintain good plant spacing.

Uses

🍳

Fresh Eating & Sauces

Culinary

Florido's firm texture and rich flavor make it ideal for slicing fresh in salads, or cooking down into concentrated sauces, marinara, and tomato pastes. The high solids content and low water content are characteristics that make paste tomatoes excellent for reduced sauces. [source]

🍳

Processing & Preservation

Culinary

This variety is widely used commercially for canned tomato products, concentrates, and pastes due to its uniform size, disease resistance, and consistency. Home gardeners can can, freeze, or sun-dry Florido for year-round use. [source]

💊

Lycopene & Antioxidant Content

Medicinal

Tomatoes, including Florido, are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with cardiovascular and prostate health benefits. Lycopene bioavailability is increased when tomatoes are cooked, making Florido's sauce applications particularly beneficial. [source]

🏠

Disease Resistance Breeding

Household

Florido's documented resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and septoria leaf spot makes it valuable for disease-prone gardens and sustainable agriculture practices. This variety represents successful breeding for resilience without pesticide dependence. [source]

🦋

Garden Pollinator Support

Wildlife

The abundant yellow tomato flowers attract bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators that support the broader garden ecosystem while helping set fruit on Florido and neighboring plants. [source]

This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.

Harvest Tips

Harvest fruits when fully colored and slightly soft to the touch, typically 70-85 days after transplanting. For paste tomatoes like Florido, wait until fruits are fully mature and deeply colored for best flavor and processing quality. Twist gently or use pruning shears to avoid damaging the plant. In cool climates, pick fruits at the breaker stage (first blush of color) and ripen indoors at room temperature.

Fun Facts

🌱 Florido is a determinate variety, meaning it grows to a fixed height and produces most of its fruit simultaneously—perfect for harvest windows and canning operations, but different from indeterminate sprawling vines.
🌱 The name 'Florido' comes from Spanish/Italian meaning 'flowery' or 'flowering,' reflecting the variety's abundant flower production and heavy fruiting habit.
🌱 Florido was specifically bred in Mediterranean regions for disease resistance to the most common tomato blights, making it a favorite heirloom-adjacent variety for European home gardeners.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Damping Off Full Sun Mulch Sucker Transplant True Leaves

Shop Florido Tomato plants and related plants at Plant Addicts →

Join 30,000 gardeners planning their gardens with LizPlants.

Get your personalized Florido Tomato planting timeline

Tell us your zip code and we'll calculate exactly when to start Florido Tomato seeds, transplant seedlings, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Includes calendar reminders and printable task lists. Free to start.

Get my Florido Tomato timeline →