Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Welcome to the English archive of the "TOMAT-POMIDOR.COM International Tomato Growers Club" — the largest Ru-language tomato forum, founded in 2010.
For years, our gardeners have been cultivating and discussing some of the most resilient and rare heirloom varieties in the world. We are carefully translating the best forum threads to English and distilling them into pure, useful facts.
Authentic photos, real yields, and honest reviews from actual growers.
Quick Summary of the Discussion 💡 The Dilemma: Many growers love the taste of sun-dried tomatoes but absolutely hate the traditional method of storing them submerged in olive oil, finding it too greasy and heavy. ✅ The Solution (Paper Bags): If you dehydrate the tomatoes very thoroughly (removing almost all moisture), they can be stored … Read more
Quick Summary of the Discussion 🚨 The Problem: A grower faces a common late-summer disaster: a massive harvest of heirloom tomatoes that are all splitting and cracking on the vine, forcing immediate processing into juice and sauces. 🍅 The Heirloom Dilemma: While heirloom varieties are beloved for their rich, juicy flavors, their thin skins make … Read more
Quick Summary of the Garlic Debate 🌍 The Core Question: Does planting the largest garlic cloves guarantee the largest harvested bulbs? Growers debate whether genetics and clove size matter more than the physical structure of the soil. 🌱 Soil Structure is Key: A grower noticed that “volunteer” (self-seeded) garlic growing in ultra-fluffy strawberry beds grew … Read more
Quick Summary of Boronia 🌍 Origin: A fantastic release from the Dwarf Tomato Project. It was developed by crossing New Big Dwarf with Paul Robeson. 🌿 Plant Habit: True dwarf growth habit with thick, sturdy central stems and dark, crinkly “rugose” foliage. It typically reaches about 2-3.5 ft (60-100 cm) in height. While it stands … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Cherry 🌍 Origin & History: Bred by the late Vince Sapp of TomatoFest (Florida, USA) and released in 2003. It made history as the very first truly “black” cherry tomato on the market. Vince managed to capture the rich, smoky, complex flavor profile of large dark Russian heirlooms and pack it … Read more
Quick Summary of Bronza (Amarillo Rusty Paste) 🌍 Origin: Known in the US and Europe as Amarillo Rusty Paste, this variety is often circulated among Russian collectors under the translated name “Bronza” (Bronze) due to its unique coloring. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early. The bush is thin with weeping (droopy) foliage of medium length. Despite … Read more
Quick Summary of Best Bestos 🌍 Origin & Type: A gorgeous, deeply ribbed (pleated/ruffled) red tomato. Some fruits take on a pear-like or wide piriform shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. Reaches up to 6.5 ft (2 meters) in height. Highly prized for its stress tolerance—it performs exceptionally well in both extremely hot regions and … Read more
Quick Summary of Banyan Rumi 🌍 Origin & Trivia: A rare, highly resilient heirloom variety collected from Afghanistan. Fun Fact: “Banjan Rumi” literally translates to “Roman Eggplant” in Dari (Afghan Persian), which is simply the local word for “tomato”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly vigorous, growing up to 6.5 ft (2 meters) tall. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Emperor 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive dark plum tomato variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. Generally considered a mid-season variety, though some growers in colder climates note that it begins ripening quite early for them. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-sized, plum-shaped fruits that ripen to a deep purple/brownish-black color. 👅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Bananu 🌍 Origin: A very attractive elongated yellow/orange paste tomato. Seeds are widely distributed by European and Russian seed vendors (e.g., R. Kraft, A. Kulik). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early (often leaning towards early). The plant is characteristically wispy, with thin stems and sparse, delicate foliage. Despite looking fragile, it is remarkably … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Mountain Pink 🌍 Origin: A massive old heirloom tomato originating from Kentucky, USA. Highly prized by Russian collectors who often translate the name to “Chernogorskiy” or “Pink from Black Mountain”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and tall. Growers note that it can be a bit slow to start in the spring … Read more
Quick Summary of Bill Bean Select 🌍 Origin: A fantastic American heirloom variety. Named after the grower (Bill Bean), it has become a staple among collectors who are chasing both giant fruit size and extreme productivity. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early. A very vigorous and tall vine that produces fruit relentlessly right up until the … Read more