Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Natalyin Arbuzik (Natalya’s Watermelon) is a mystery heirloom introduced by a beloved, now-deceased forum member. It is an indeterminate, mid-early pink beefsteak that produces massive, sweet, sugary fruits (some reaching over 2.2 lbs / 1 kg). It gets its working name from the distinct dark green watermelon-like stripes visible on the unripe … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Nasha Masha F1 (Our Masha F1) is aт indeterminate hybrid known for its solid disease resistance, particularly against leaf mold (Cladosporium). It produces blocky, red 6.3-10.5 oz (180-300 g) slicing tomatoes. While growers praise its vigor and yield, the consensus is that the flavor is fairly average and doesn’t hold a candle … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Nina is an incredibly striking, heavily ribbed red tomato that thrives in the greenhouse. A highly productive indeterminate vine, it yields massive fruits up to 1.1 lbs with a classic, old-fashioned tomato flavor. Perfect as a show-stopping centerpiece or sliced thick for salads. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A phenomenal compact dwarf variety that churns out massive, sweet pink beefsteaks weighing up to 21 oz. It’s incredibly low-maintenance—perfect for containers or “lazy” outdoor growing—though it will likely need strong staking to keep it from collapsing under the weight of its own fruit. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A reliable, mid-season indeterminate vine that produces gorgeous oblate brown-to-dark-purple tomatoes with dark greenish-black shoulders. Known for strong disease resistance and excellent yields even in cold, wet summers, it produces very sweet, delicious slicers averaging 7–9 oz (200–250g). Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3a-6b Experience) P Plena ⭐ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: German Giant is a massive, mid-season indeterminate heirloom beefsteak. Known for producing gigantic dark-pink fruits that frequently approach the 2 lb (900 g) mark, it is highly prized for its old-fashioned, aromatic flavor. However, growers frequently debate its foliage type, as both potato-leaf and regular-leaf versions heavily circulate in seed exchanges. Full … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Nizami is an old Georgian indeterminate heirloom renowned for its stunning orange heart-shaped fruits and “buttery,” jelly-like flesh. While it frequently tests growers’ patience with average-to-low yields, its incredibly sweet, fruity flavor makes it a cult favorite. It is also notoriously stingy with seeds, often producing massive fruits that are 100% solid … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Granny Cantrell’s German Red is a legendary indeterminate heirloom beefsteak renowned for its robust, perfectly balanced, old-fashioned tomato flavor. Originally hailing from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, this heavy-yielding vine produces stunning, meaty red slicers that typically weigh between 10 oz and 1.5 lbs, though they can occasionally reach massive proportions. It … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Right Size F1 is a massive, mid-season indeterminate beefsteak variety heavily debated in the community. While sold by many companies as a hybrid, numerous growers have successfully saved seeds and grown it out true to type, suggesting it’s actually an open-pollinated heirloom. It boasts enormous yields of uniform, meaty red slicers often … Read more
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🍅 Quick take: Natalina is a tall, vigorous indeterminate Italian heirloom that produces massive red beefsteaks weighing up to 1-1.5 lbs (500-700 g). Growers rave about its outstanding flavor, meaty texture, and beautiful, smooth appearance (it doesn’t produce gnarly, catfaced fruits). Despite their large size, the fruits are firm and possess excellent keeping qualities, with … Read more
🍅 Quick take: M16 (Saraev) is a highly rugged, cold-tolerant indeterminate vine that produces impressive 10.5-17.5 oz (300-500 g) red beefsteaks. Bred specifically to handle temperature swings, it doesn’t drop blossoms during cold snaps or heatwaves. Growers praise it for its perfectly balanced, old-school tomato flavor, long harvest window, and ability to keep producing heavy … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mashenka is a highly confusing variety name because multiple Russian seed companies sell entirely different tomatoes under this exact same label. Depending on the vendor, it might be a 7 oz (200 g) red slicer or a massive 1.3 lb (600 g) pink beefsteak. Unfortunately, grower feedback on the forum is largely … Read more