Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Hong Cai Bao (Khon-Tsai-Bao) 🌍 Origin: An exotic striped cherry variety originating from China. The name is transliterated from Russian catalogs as Khon-Tsai-Bao, or more commonly in international seed exchanges as Hong Cai Bao. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. It performs exceptionally well outdoors in open ground and boasts … Read more
Quick Summary of Huan U (Topaz) 🌍 Origin: An exotic cocktail/cherry variety originating from China. Often circulated among collectors under multiple names: Huan U, Topaz, Honey Topaz, or Pearlescent. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly vigorous, and tends to produce a ton of suckers. Can easily reach 3 meters (10 ft) in a greenhouse. Extremely … Read more
Quick Summary of Hazel Mae 🌍 Origin: A well-known American heirloom originating from Ohio. Prized for its massive bi-color fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Needs a long, warm season to perform well. In regions with short or cool summers, yields can be disappointingly low unless seeds are started very early indoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Humph (Хм) 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare variety originating from the USA, introduced to Russian growers in 2015 by seed collector V. Popenko. In Russian, it is translated/transliterated as “Хм” (Hmm / Hmph). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It is prone to putting out many suckers and can easily … Read more
Quick Summary of Hippie Zebra 🌍 Origin: A stunning Green-When-Ripe (GWR) bi-color variety. Highly popularized in Eastern Europe through collector V. Popenko’s catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft). It performs well in both greenhouses and open ground, showing excellent resistance to blossom drop during heatwaves or cold snaps. Note: … Read more
What is the Hillbilly Tomato? 🌍 Origin: The Hillbilly tomato is a famous American heirloom beefsteak variety originating from the Appalachian region (West Virginia). Known for its massive size and stunning bi-color appearance, it has become a favorite among collectors. Interestingly, this US heirloom is also widely grown by Eastern European gardeners under translated names … Read more
Quick Summary of Costoluto Fiorentino 🌍 Origin: A famous, classic Italian heirloom originating from Florence, Italy. The name translates to “Ribbed from Florence”. Very popular among Eastern European growers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. In a greenhouse, it easily surpasses 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. Generally displays good disease resistance. Note: … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Calabash (Фиолетовая тыква) 🌍 Origin: A very old and famous heirloom variety known globally as Purple Calabash. It is renowned for its unique, deeply ribbed shape resembling a miniature pumpkin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The plants are extremely rampant and vigorous. Growers report them aggressively pushing out suckers from every possible … Read more
Quick Summary of Giante Friulano (Friulian Giant) 🌍 Origin: An Italian heirloom variety from the Friuli region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Possesses absolutely incredible disease resistance and cold tolerance. Growers report it staying perfectly green and healthy even through late autumn frosts, completely shrugging off severe fungal pressures. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, ribbed plum or … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 17/2 (Raspberry Pouch) 🌍 Origin: A Polish breeding line resulting from a cross between Malinowa Sakiewka and Bordo. The name “Malinowa Sakiewka” translates to “Raspberry Pouch,” which perfectly describes its shape and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful raspberry-pink tomatoes in the shape of a truffle (or … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 8 (Favorite 8) 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line created by crossing Garmosha with Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 8”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-season and indeterminate. It reaches a very manageable height of about 1.5 meters (5 ft), making it somewhat more compact than typical wildly growing indeterminates. … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 9 (Favorite 9) 🌍 Origin: A unique Polish breeding line created by crossing Rebelpik Sakiewka with Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 9”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striking, uniquely shaped tomatoes: they look like elongated truffles (pears) with a pronounced little beak (point) at the blossom … Read more