Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Lime Stripes 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety discovered by breeder Bill Jeffers. It is believed to be a natural mutation or cross involving ‘Cherokee Green’. Sometimes traded as “Cherokee Lime Stripes (Purple Green)”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In open ground, it can stay relatively compact (around 1 meter / … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cleota Pink 🌍 Origin: An old, relatively rare family heirloom from Tennessee, USA. It is highly prized by heirloom collectors for producing massive pink fruits on potato-leaf vines. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, Potato Leaf (PL). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large pink beefsteaks. They are exceptionally meaty but retain a very juicy flesh … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Church 🌍 Origin: A massive American heirloom from the Church family in Hot Springs, Virginia. It was first introduced to the wider tomato community by the legendary collector Chuck Wyatt. In Russian collections, it is frequently traded under the direct translation “Церковь” (Tserkov). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. A very … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Copia 🌍 Origin: A stunning American heirloom developed by breeder Jeff Dawson. It is a cross between ‘Marvel Stripe’ and ‘Green Zebra’. It was named in honor of Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, California. It is sometimes sold under the name “Tigercopia”. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple 🌍 Origin: A legendary pre-1890 heirloom from Tennessee, USA. According to lore, the seeds were originally given by the Cherokee Native American tribe. It was popularized in the tomato world by Craig LeHoullier, who received the seeds from J.D. Green in 1990. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though in some … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dwarf Chocolate Lightning 🌍 Origin: A fantastic release from the international Dwarf Tomato Project. It was developed from a cross between ‘Beauty King’ and ‘Dwarf Wild Fred’. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tree-type dwarf. A very vigorous plant with dark green rugose (crinkled) foliage and thick, sturdy central stems. Indoors or in a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Catwell 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded heirloom beefsteak prized by collectors for its vibrant color and excellent storage capabilities. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but tends to be quite manageable in height (around 1.7m / 5.5 ft in a greenhouse). It features good foliage cover, which helps protect the fruits. Early … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Corazon de Huesca 🌍 Origin: A magnificent old heirloom variety from the Huesca province in the Aragon region of Spain. The name translates to “Heart of Huesca”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows very well and produces reliably in greenhouse conditions. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful, massive pink heart-shaped tomatoes (oxhearts). They … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Costoluto Fiorentino sel. Canestrino di Lucca 🌍 Origin & The Great Seed Mix-Up: A fascinating piece of seed history! Commercial Italian vendors sometimes sold seeds under this long, combined name. However, as Russian growers quickly discovered in this thread, these are actually two different Italian varieties. 1) Costoluto Fiorentino: A small, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Costoluto Colli Euganei 🌍 Origin: A magnificent family heirloom from the Veneto region in Northern Italy. The name translates to “Ribbed of the Euganean Hills”. The Euganean Hills are a national nature reserve known for their incredibly fertile volcanic soil, mild climate, ancient oak and chestnut forests, olive groves, and endless … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cuore Antico di Aqui Terme 🌍 Origin: An outstanding family heirloom from Italy. The name translates to “Ancient Heart of Acqui Terme”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-late season. The plants are vigorous with sturdy, thick main stems. Grower Warning: Avoid overfeeding with nitrogen early on, or the plant will prioritize … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR) 🌍 Origin: A productive heirloom beefsteak variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Proves to be exceptionally hardy and performs wonderfully when grown outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, classic beefsteak-type tomatoes with a bright, vibrant color. Unlike some beefsteaks that are dry and dense, this variety is wonderfully juicy. … Read more