The tomato variety with the, well, unusual name is characterized by its special shape. We reveal how to plant the breast of Venus in the garden, how it tastes and when the tomato is harvested.
The 'Venus breasts' are available in different sizes and colours. In this profile you will learn everything about the varieties, the properties and the requirements of the special tomatoes.
Venus Breasts: Wanted Poster
| Synonyms | 'Piennolo del Vesuvio', 'Teton de Venus' |
| Fruit | cocktail tomato; deep red or green-red striped |
| Flavour | sweet and aromatic |
| Maturity | medium late |
| Growth | Stick tomato, up to 2 m |
| Location | Outdoor |
Origin and history of the tomato
The 'Venus breasts' were mentioned by name as early as 1885. This tomato variety is said to come from the area around Naples, where it is still popular today under the name 'Piennolo del Vesuvio' and dried in large bunches.
Venus breasts: taste and properties
The 'breasts of Venus' denote rounded tomatoes with a small point at the bottom. They are available as small cocktail tomatoes in deep red or as green and red striped variants, similar to the 'Black Zebra'. A medium-sized red oxheart tomato is also available under its French name 'Teton de Venus'. What they all have in common is the distinctive tip at the bottom of the fruit. The plants reach a height of up to two meters. The variety is a rather late-ripening variety that can be harvested from the beginning of August. The fruits of the 'Venus breasts' taste pleasantly sweet and aromatic. As a seed-fast, old variety, the 'Venusbrüstchen' can be sown again from its own seeds and cultivated.
Planting the 'Breast of Venus' tomato in the garden
'Venusbrüstchen' are good outdoor tomatoes, because they are easy to care for and are hardy to growweather and pathogens. They can be placed outdoors from mid-May. For planting, we recommend a potting soil that is specially tailored to tomatoes, such as our Plantura Tomato & Vegetable Soil in organic quality. The completely peat-free substrate supplies the young plants of the 'Venus breasts' with nutrients during the growth phase and stimulates root formation. In the open ground, this tomato variety is in dire need of support. The lowest leaves should be removed if they touch the ground to avoid carrying pathogens.
In the middle of summer, the correct watering of tomatoes is an important issue, especially outdoors, because this way you can save liters of water. As soon as the first fruits begin to grow, you should fertilize the 'Venus breasts'. With a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, your plants are supplied with all the important nutrients over a period of two months. This is followed by a second, smaller fertilization with the plant-based fertilizer granules. Until the end of the tomato season, two doses are enough for a bountiful harvest of the 'Venus Breasts'.
Venus Breasts: Harvesting and Use of the Variety
The 'Venus breasts' can be nibbled directly from the plant thanks to their many small fruits. As a snack tomato for in between, it is just the right size. If some fruits still find their way into the kitchen, this variety is particularly recommended for drying. To do this, hang the fruit together with the panicle outdoors under dry conditions until the fruit has dried. Alternatively, halved fruit can be dried more quickly in the oven over low heat.
You can find detailed instructions on drying and preserving tomatoes in our special article.