Shaped more like a long red chili than a tomato, ‘Andine Cornue’ is among the easiest varieties to recognise in a vegetable patch. Native to the Andes, vigorous and heavy-cropping, it offers melty, almost seedless flesh and a thin, low-acid skin; water it regularly but never to excess and it crops from midsummer to mid-autumn.
It has all you’d expect from a tomato that clearly deserves a row in your veggie patch: vigor, productivity, abundant fruits…
As its name shows, this tomato is native to the Andes mountains of South America. The name is French because a French botanist made it known to the world. The plant also appears under the name ‘Red bull horn’, ‘Horn of the Andes’, ‘Rouge des Andes’ and even ‘Red banana’ tomato. Apart from this unique and uncommon silhouette, this tomato is perhaps the most appealing solanaceae variety of all:
Start your sowing as early as Early spring, but make sure the seedlings are sheltered from freezing. To start them off, proceed as follows:
Once your seedlings have reached a nice size with several new leaves (or if you’ve purchased them), you can transplant them to the growing bed sometime in late spring, since freezing is unlikely after that. You’ll then have to :
Caring for the ‘Andine Cornue’ tomato is, in the end, simply doing what’s needed for water. It must follow a regular schedule but should not be overabundant. Furthermore, to fully eliminate risk of diseases, do what you must to never get the leaves wet.
When fruits begin to appear, start removing a few leaves to let sunlight filter to the forming fruits. The goal of this light defoliation is to help speed fruit ripening. Don’t overdo it, though, because you don’t want to weaken the plant.
As is the case for most tomato varieties, the ‘Andine Cornue’ also is impacted by tomato downy mildew. It may also fall victim to fruit tip necrosis. As for parasites and pests, tomato plants are often targeted by whitefly (tiny white winged insects) and bollworm moth caterpillars.
In the picture near the top of this article, Andean tomato is planted with marigolds together: an excellent example of companion planting.
From the first sowing under cover to the last fruit in the fridge, the variety follows a simple calendar. Here are the four moments that decide the crop.
| Stage | When | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing | From early spring | Sow in a tray of soil mix, in packs of three, kept away from frost |
| Planting out | late spring | Transplant to the growing bed once freezing is unlikely |
| Harvest | Midsummer to mid-autumn | Pick the fruits as they ripen, whenever you need them |
| Keeping | 5 to 6 days maximum | Surplus fruit goes in the refrigerator |
Shift the sowing date and the whole sequence, harvest included, shifts with it.
Depending on when the sowing started, the harvest extends from Midsummer to mid-autumn. The best way to savor it is to simply pick whichever fruits are ripe, whenever you need them. To keep whichever extra fruits you may have harvested, place the tomatoes in the refrigerator for a maximum of 5 to 6 days.
Whether you’re planning a tossed salad with mozzarella, a nice thick tomato sauce, tomato coulis or a delicious tomato juice, there’s always going to be a great recipe to accommodate your ‘Cornue des Andes’ tomato.
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