Solanum lycopersicum Honeycomb F1 - Cherry tomato

‘Honeycomb’ F1 is a variety of golden orange cherry tomato selected for its very sweet flavour with a slight honey note, its productivity and its disease resistance. This indeterminate hybrid produces long clusters of round, regular fruits, perfect for snacking, summer salads and kebabs. Suitable for family vegetable gardens, amateur greenhouses and large containers on balconies or terraces, this easy-to-grow variety offers prolonged fruiting from summer until the first frosts.

NB: This variety carries the F1 designation for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of parents selected to combine their qualities. Sometimes criticised or wrongly equated with GMOs, F1 hybrids are useful for their uniformity and their robustness, but their qualities are not passed on to subsequent generations: it will therefore not be possible to save the seeds for later sowing.

The ‘Honeycomb’ F1 cherry tomato belongs to the Solanaceae family, the same as potatoes and aubergines. The wild species Solanum lycopersicum has its origin in the Andes of South America, on the coastal foothills of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. It was domesticated in Mexico before being introduced to Europe in the 16th century, from where it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and warm temperate regions.

'Honeycomb' is a modern F1 hybrid, obtained by breeder Simon Crawford for Burpee Seeds and launched in 2018 after taste trials where it was compared to several sweet cherry tomatoes. This variety is presented as an improvement on Sungold F1, more resistant to fruit splitting and endowed with an excellent sweet flavour. Its name ‘Honeycomb’ evokes both the golden colour of the fruits and their honey-like aftertaste, an image that well summarises the taste profile observed during comparative tests. It is an annual plant in temperate climates, even though the species is perennial in frost-free tropical and subtropical zones.
The plant exhibits indeterminate growth, with a main stem that can reach 1.60 m to 2 m in height under glass or in well-managed open ground. Flowering begins in May-June for plantings in May, and the first harvests take place 8 to 10 weeks later, depending on the climate.
The fruits of ‘Honeycomb’ F1 are round, cherry-type tomatoes, 2.5 to 3 cm in diameter, with an average weight of 12 to 20 g, uniform on the cluster. Their colour is a rich golden orange to orange-yellow when ripe. The flesh is juicy, very sweet and low in acid, with a complex flavour where sweet notes dominate and a finish reminiscent of honey. The fruits are grouped on long clusters that can bear several dozen tomatoes; a well-managed plant can yield 150 to 200 fruits in a season.
This variety shows good resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici races 0–2 (Fol:0-2), Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) and Pi, and late blight. It will be a good choice for gardeners keen to limit treatments.

The tomato is a fruiting vegetable with many nutritional assets. Low in calories and rich in water, it contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It is also distinguished by its richness in vitamin C, provitamin A and trace elements.

In the kitchen: Cherry and cocktail tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked, in many ways: in salads or for appetisers, grilled, dried, confit, on skewers... Enjoy them and grow several varieties in the vegetable garden or on your balcony for variety!

The harvest: Pick when the tomato takes on its definitive colour and when its texture, while still firm, shows a slight softening. Be careful, immature fruits, stems and leaves contain solanine and must not be consumed.

Storage: The optimal storage temperature for tomatoes is between 10 and 15°C. Storage in the refrigerator is possible, but it does alter the taste of the fruits. For longer storage, tomatoes can be made into confit, dried, frozen, canned or cooked into jam.

In a family vegetable garden, ‘Honeycomb’ F1 can be planted in rows for easy harvesting. It can also be placed near a terrace or a pathway, to pick a few fruits each day. In a large container, use a single plant, accompanied by basil, chives or French marigold for example. To vary the colours and shapes of cherry tomatoes, pair it with varieties like ‘Crokini’ F1, ‘Black Cherry’ or ‘Gardener’s Delight’. In the garden, Honeycomb can be planted near peppers, salad leaves or dwarf beans.