Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Admin 
Quick Summary of Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad 🌍 Origin: A deeply historical US heirloom. Seeds were reportedly passed down from an unnamed Black man escaping via the Underground Railroad through Ripley, Ohio, to a woman known as Aunt Lou. The variety was preserved and eventually introduced to the modern heirloom community by the late, legendary … Read more
Quick Summary of African Queen 🌍 Origin: A well-known Canadian heirloom variety, highly popular among Russian growers under the translated name “Afrikanskaya Koroleva” (Африканская королева). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) with potato leaf foliage. The vines can be slightly spindly or wispy, but they are still highly productive. Growers often prune it to a single … Read more
Quick Summary: Exotic Cucumbers & Bean Growing Tips In this thread, our community dives into the fascinating world of exotic curcubits and garden beans. Here are the key takeaways: 🥒 The “Eight-Angled” Cucumber: Often sold under exotic names, these are usually ribbed varieties of Carosello (an Italian melon eaten green as a cucumber) or Armenian … Read more
Quick Summary: Best Ways to Process a Massive Plum Harvest When your plum tree overproduces and your family is tired of standard plum jam, our community members recommend these practical, time-saving solutions: 🍓 Make Fruit Leather (Pastila): Instead of drying whole plums (which takes forever), puree the plums, add sugar to taste, spread on dehydrator … Read more
Quick Summary of Ambrosia Giant 🌍 Origin: A striking and exceptionally vigorous heirloom variety known for its unique color and robust plant structure. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, with thick, sturdy stems and large, drooping (weeping) foliage. It is a highly aggressive grower—described by our community as a “monster” when grown in a greenhouse, where it … Read more
Quick Summary of Amber Keyes 🌍 Origin: A fantastic multiflora cherry tomato from breeder Michael Keyes (part of the famous Keyes multiflora series). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. When grown outdoors in open ground, it tends to stay relatively compact, reaching about 1 meter (3.3 ft). It is incredibly resilient, showing excellent resistance to … Read more
Quick Summary of Amana Orange 🌍 Origin: A very popular and beloved American heirloom tomato named after the Amana Colonies in Iowa. Highly prized by our community for its massive size and vibrant color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. The plant has medium to sparse foliage. It can be grown both in greenhouses (where it … Read more
Quick Summary of African Vining 🌍 Origin: A renowned heirloom variety highly valued by our community for its exceptional eating qualities. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season, growing up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) tall. It features classic “wispy” or weeping foliage. Because the plant is slender, growers recommend planting it in the sunniest spots of … Read more
Quick Summary of Abrica Zebra 🌍 Origin: A striking striped variety originally from the USA, highly rated by our community. It is sometimes spelled as Abrika Zebra. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. It typically reaches 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 ft) in a greenhouse, though some growers reported more compact growth (around 1.3m / 4.3 ft) when … Read more
Quick Summary of Antico Canestrino di Luca 🌍 Origin: A classic traditional heirloom from Italy (often spelled Antico Canestrino di Lucca, originating from the Tuscany region). The name translates to “Little Basket of Lucca,” referring to its deeply ribbed, pear-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very sturdy, and tall. Growers in our community report that … Read more
Quick Summary of Aunt Anna 🌍 Origin: A magnificent red heirloom variety that is highly prized in our community for its incredible flesh-to-seed ratio. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and vigorous. Growers recommend growing it in a greenhouse and pruning to 2 stems. It is quite adaptable and can even perform well in slightly shaded spots. … Read more
Quick Summary of Alleghany Sunset 🌍 Origin: A stunning and highly regarded heirloom bicolor tomato that has won over many growers in our community. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. Reports on plant vigor vary: some seed sources describe it as a very powerful and tall plant, while other growers found their bushes to be … Read more