Quick Summary of Tomande F1
- 🌍 Origin & Genetics: This is a commercial F1 Hybrid with French roots, bred to resemble the famous traditional “Marmande” heirloom types. Note for seed savers: Because it is an F1 hybrid, seeds saved from these fruits will likely not grow true-to-type the following year.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). In a greenhouse setting, it easily reaches 1.9 to 2 meters (6.2 – 6.5 ft) in height.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Gorgeous, flat-round (oblate) fruits with deep ribbing. The color is typically described as crimson or bright red. Seed vendors accurately describe them as looking “like a blooming rose.” They generally weigh between 200-350g (7-12 oz).
- 👅 Flavor & Texture: Very meaty and extremely juicy. The flavor is highly subjective: Some growers find it sweet and tender, while others note a distinct, strong tanginess (acidity). If you are looking for that sharp, “old-fashioned” acidic tomato taste from childhood, this might be your perfect variety!
- 🎯 Best Uses: Because they are so incredibly juicy and have a great acid balance, growers universally agree that Tomande F1 is absolutely ideal for making tomato juice.
- 📈 Yield: Known as a heavy yielder that sets fruit reliably without skipping trusses, even bearing fruit over an extended period.
A mid-season, indeterminate, tall variety. In my greenhouse, it reached a height of 1.9 meters (6.2 ft). The fruits are very beautiful, flat-round, crimson-colored. In the commercial description it says: “The fruits look like a blooming rose flower. A true beauty in the garden bed! Ideal for tomato juice. Very productive!”
The weight of the fruits was 200-350g (7-12 oz). They were meaty and juicy, but the taste had a noticeable tang (acidity) to it. The yield was good.
ElenaN wrote:
…A true beauty in the garden bed! Ideal for tomato juice. Very productive! …
Excellent! I’ve recently realized that making your own homemade tomato juice is the absolute best thing you can do when you have an abundance of tomatoes that you can’t possibly eat fresh 😋
I am now starting to collect specific varieties just for juicing 😉
Tomande is a very productive little tomato. It sets fruit perfectly without skipping any trusses. I liked it very much.
Productive, incredibly delicious, beautiful variety 👍. It has an extended fruiting period, and the fruits hang well on the bush without spoiling. I have included it in my planting list once again.
Katya, whose seeds did you use??
This is not the first positive review I’m reading here, and it completely contradicts my own impression of this variety. Out of the seeds I ordered, only one single seed germinated, and even that was late. Maybe that’s why the bush wasn’t very good; the tomatoes were small and somewhat sour. I never planted Tomande again. 🙁
I grew Tomande for the first time this year. Seeds were from Redko. The fruits are large, beautiful, and truly juicy! But, they were sour. Which, surprisingly, made my mom incredibly happy! She doesn’t like sweet, or even slightly sweet tomatoes. She specifically wants sour, juicy tomatoes “just like in childhood.” I had tried planting all sorts of varieties for her, but nothing was ever quite right. And then, completely by accident, I hit the jackpot with Tomande! My mom told me that from now on, I should only bring her this one!
