Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Coeur de Surpriz (Heart of Surpriz) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating French artisanal variety with a dramatic backstory. Originally developed by Madame Jacqueline Morel and named after her dog, “Surpriz”. The heart-shaped version (“Coeur de Surpriz”) is believed to be a strain/mutation discovered by Sébastien Berthier. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Couilles de Taureau (Huevo de Toro) 🌍 Origin: A very old European heirloom. Originally from Spain under the name “Huevo de Toro”, it was later popularized in France under the literal translation “Couilles de Taureau” (which translates to “Bull’s Testicles”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), standard regular leaf. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cul de Singe 🌍 Origin: A wonderful heirloom oxheart variety from France. The name literally translates to “Monkey’s Ass” (a playful traditional name in French horticulture!). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very productive and heavy-yielding plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Gorgeous, plump red hearts. Fruits can reach 300-400 grams (10.5-14 oz), … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Charbonneuse du Berry 🌍 Origin: A rare and very unusual heirloom from France. The proper French spelling is Charbonneuse du Berry (which roughly translates to “Coal-colored from Berry”), referencing its dark, charcoal-like hues and the historical French province of Berry. 🌿 Plant Habit: A relatively short indeterminate (sometimes acting as a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cœur de Zèbre (Heart of Zebre Apricot) 🌍 Origin: Created and developed by breeder Jean-Claude Bosher in France. It is the result of a cross between Cœur de Bœuf and Red Zebra. Note: Do not confuse this with “Zebra Heart”, which is a spontaneous mutation circulating in the USA. 🌿 Plant … 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): Coeur Fondant 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom variety originating from France. The name translates beautifully to “Fondant Heart” or “Melting Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An extremely vigorous vine that can easily shoot up to 2–2.5 meters (6.5–8 ft). Grower Note: It may display physiological leaf roll early in the … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cuor di Bue Cavallino Tre Porti 🌍 Origin: A magnificent family heirloom from Italy. Named after Cavallino-Treporti, a picturesque coastal peninsula in the Province of Venice. The name translates to “Oxheart of Cavallino Treporti”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and mid-season. Grower Note: The plant habit is actually quite atypical for … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Crushed Heart 🌍 Origin: A stunning creation by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms (California, USA). Interestingly, among Russian and Eastern European growers, the name has sparked translation debates—some translate it literally as “Broken” or “Wounded Heart”, while others translate it as “Smitten/In Love” (playing on the word “crush”). 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cynthia’s Black Heart 🌍 Origin: Developed at the famous Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz, California, around 2005. It is noted that the variety might still be in the observation phase and not fully stabilized, meaning slight variations may occur. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Strikingly beautiful heart-shaped … 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
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Coeur de Boeuf Jerusalem 🌍 Origin: A rare and highly prized heirloom oxheart variety. While it carries a French name (translating to “Jerusalem Oxheart”), this specific heavy-yielding strain has been heavily preserved, circulated, and perfected by Eastern European and Russian tomato collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The bush is slender … Read more