We talked about this one back in July and I gave the history behind it, as in it's the same as the infamous Kumato tomato introduced by Syngentea.

The link below, from doing a search at the bottom of this forst page, will fill you in.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Rosso Bruno tomato

thanks carolyn, I did a search but it helps if you spell it right, you get nothing if you search for rossi bruno.....lol. I will be tasting later tonight

How does this tomato differ from the Cherokee Purple or Cherokee Chocolate? They look identical in the store. I can tell little to no difference in the taste for the Bruno compared to the Cherokee. The Cherokee has more of a Beefsteak configuration inside. But, again, I can tell little difference in taste!

AND, I can buy Cherokee Purple and Chocolate seeds. Are the Russo Bruno tomato seeds available?

How does this tomato differ from the Cherokee Purple or Cherokee Chocolate? They look identical in the store. I can tell little to no difference in the taste for the Bruno compared to the Cherokee. The Cherokee has more of a Beefsteak configuration inside. But, again, I can tell little difference in taste!

*****

Bruce, there are well over 100 different so called black varieties listed in the SSE Yearbook ( for members)so it's not really a matter of comparing tastes between just CC and CP and Rosso Bruno.

There are mnany like myself who don't see that much difference in the tastes of the blacks we've grown and some have done large growouts and found that some of the blacks appear to be identical.

To wit: where there is demand the varieties will appear.

We've now gone into a green when ripe fad and those varieties have been appearing faster than ever for the same reason.

(AND, I can buy Cherokee Purple and Chocolate seeds. Are the Russo Bruno tomato seeds available?)

No the hybrid Rosso Bruno seeds are not available to the public. At another site where I post someone did offer saved F2 seeds from the hybrid. But you can do that yourself just by saving seeds from the fruits that you buy.

I haven't seen anyone reporting back on what the F2 seeds give rise to, and you have to plant out quite a few F2 plants to see the results of genetic segregation.

Carolyn

The first batch of Rosso Brunos I bought at the store were fantastic, certainly by store-bought standards. I was very pleased. The ones I have bought since then have been harder, greener and not as tasty.

The ones we get here in southern California are grown in hothouses in Oxnard. (Did some research on that).

The taste of the first ones I tried was fruity, kind of like black cherry. Nothing like the meaty, rich tomato-ey flavor of Cherokee Purple. More like a big black cherry tomato. It has a lot of gel and seeds in it and thick walls.

I picked up a Rosso Bruno plant at a small local nursery a few weeks ago. I decided to allow myself just one more tomato plant (ha!), and that was the healthiest looking plant they had.

Since getting the plant home and (attempting to) research rosso bruno, I've come across all the pomp about the grocery store tomatoes, and absolutely no info on actually growing rosso bruno. Because it seems odd that my local nursery would carry Rosso Bruno, I'm beginning to wonder if I've actually got an F2 plant. Is there any way for me to tell?

Also, I nabbed a RB tomato at the store the other day (color me excited, I'd never seen them in store before), and it tasted like crap! Well, I can't even say that, because it was extremely tasteless and watery. With the particular tomato I ate, I saw no advantage over a typical grocery store tomato. I'd even say that it was probably below-average in taste as far as store tomatoes go. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my plant will produce something way tastier. If not, it's getting pulled to make way for some fall plantings.

Anyone growing RB this year? Mine seems to be very healthy and is shooting up fast. I planted it rather late (June 11), but it's since shot up and is starting to flower. If it produces tasty fruit, perhaps I'll save seed and see what happens next year.

Curious to hear any other experiences...

Because it seems odd that my local nursery would carry Rosso Bruno, I'm beginning to wonder if I've actually got an F2 plant. Is there any way for me to tell?

*****

You can certainly ask the nursery folks the origin of the seeds, but as far as I know Syngentea would never make the F1 hybrid seeds available. And at other places where I psot F2 seeds have been quite available. I don't remember anyone reporting back yet on what the F2's are giving, but I sure don't have a perfect memory. LOL

(((Also, I nabbed a RB tomato at the store the other day (color me excited, I'd never seen them in store before), and it tasted like crap! Well, I can't even say that, because it was extremely tasteless and watery. With the particular tomato I ate, I saw no advantage over a typical grocery store tomato. I'd even say that it was probably below-average in taste as far as store tomatoes go. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my plant will produce something way tastier. If not, it's getting pulled to make way for some fall plantings.))))

If your RB stands for Red Brandywine it's an absolutely wonderfuly tasting variety as many will attest to.

The hooker, so to speak, is that there are some wrong versions out there, both wrong RL's and wrong PL's/

What is the leaf form of what you are currently growing?

Was it a big box store where you bought your RB plant? it isn't uncommon at all these days to find RB at places where they've not been before.

Carolyn

Now here I thought by RB he meant Rosso Bruno *s*. I was very surprised that it was found at a big box. Red Brandywine makes more sense for a plant.

"The first batch of Rosso Brunos I bought at the store were fantastic, certainly by store-bought standards. I was very pleased. The ones I have bought since then have been harder, greener and not as tasty." [Doof]

"... I nabbed a RB tomato at the store the other day (color me excited, I'd never seen them in store before), and it tasted like crap! Well, I can't even say that, because it was extremely tasteless and watery. With the particular tomato I ate, I saw no advantage over a typical grocery store tomato ..." [Katy]

The way I read it is Doof and Katy are talking about Rosso Bruno tomatoes they bought at grocery stores or produce markets and ate ... not transplants bought at the big box nursery center! I can't imagine eating a tomato plant :::gack:::

Using initials to designate varieties certainly is convenient for lazy typists, but leads to confusion when one doesn't take the time to read and correctly interpret the text, huh?

Now here I thought by RB he meant Rosso Bruno *s*.

*****

Probably did, LOL, but RB to me has always been Red Brandywine and always will be.(smile)

Something bred by Syngentea with all the wrong information they put out about it does not interest me at all. And here I'm talking about Kumato, aka Rosso Bruno.

Heaven knows there's close to 100 so called blacks listed in the SSE Yearbooks.

Where there is a demand, the varieties will appear, say I somewhat cynically, but it's true.

Several years ago a few folks such as myself predicted that the nest fad would be the green when ripes, and sure enough, listings for those in the SSE YEarbook have also skyrocketed. Sigh.

Carolyn

Sorry about the confusion, by RB I meant Rosso Bruno.

As a tomato novice, I had no idea of the story behind Rosso Bruno, or even the fact that it was a black fruited plant. The kicker? I picked it out of the heirloom section of the nursery. Knowing what I know now, it's not a plant I would have likely picked out. But now that it's in my garden, I'll attempt to treat it as nicely as my other 'mater plants and not punish it for the sins of syngentea.

Katy,

Grow on, lady ... you might be pleasantly surprised with RBizzle. I've heard folks rave about the C-izzle and SS-sizzle they've grown out in their gardens from seeds taken out of grocery store hybridizzles. Werd to yo mutha ... IAG, like friends of mine say ... and don't let the greens grow on yer beans.

B-daddy