Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gribnoe Lukoshko (Mushroom Basket) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial heirloom released by Siberian Garden (SibSad). The name translates directly to “Mushroom Basket,” perfectly describing its heavily ribbed, woven-basket-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate / Semi-determinate. Depending on the growing conditions, it can stay bushy and compact around 4 ft … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Calabrese Gigante 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom tomato originating from the Calabria region in southern Italy. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very productive and boasts a long harvest window, often producing well into the fall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deep red, slightly elongated (almost giant plum or pear-shaped) beefsteaks with light ribbing … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigante di Carmagnola 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom tomato originating from Italy, specifically from the Turin province near the town of Carmagnola. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very strong, vigorous plant that produces heavy yields, especially when grown in a greenhouse environment. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, incredibly massive beefsteaks. Growers … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Mr. Underwood’s Pink German Giant 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom variety originating from the USA, tracing back to German roots. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows to about 5.6 ft (1.7 m) in a greenhouse. Known for being a very reliable setter that doesn’t drop blossoms or skip trusses. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Trška Gora 🌍 Origin: An incredibly rare and deeply historic family heirloom from Slovenia, originally distributed through Dale Thurber’s seed collection. It was cultivated in the exact same family vineyard for over 40 years before being discovered! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Based on grower photos, it produces … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grapefruit 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial/heirloom variety. The original “true” Grapefruit is a stunning bi-color tomato (yellow/orange with a red blush and red marbling inside). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very tall and powerful plant, easily reaching 6.5–8 ft (2–2.4 m) in a greenhouse. It can be grown outdoors but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gruzinskie (Georgian) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom originating from the country of Georgia (in the Caucasus region). The name literally translates to “Georgian”. Note: Because it’s a regional name, there are a few different strains circulating under this name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and powerful plant. In … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Hawaiian Pineapple 🌍 Origin: A famous, late-season heirloom from North America. Known for its massive size and incredible tropical flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A robust, thick-stemmed plant. It is notoriously a late-season variety that can be a bit stingy with fruit set during extreme heat. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, stunning … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigante Farina 🌍 Origin: A spectacular large-fruited Italian heirloom. It is the result of the meticulous breeding work of Rimo Farina from Bleggio, Italy. The name “Farina” is also tied to a town in the Frosinone province. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigantsky Mech (Giant Sword) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic Eastern European heirloom. The name translates to “Giant Sword”, which likely hints at the elongated, pointy shape of some of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very productive and vigorous. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red and massive. Interestingly, it produces two shapes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gary O’ Sena 🌍 Origin: A well-known US variety bred by Keith Mueller. It is a cross between Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Traditionally, it should have Potato Leaf (PL) foliage, though several growers note segregation or off-types producing Regular Leaf (RL) plants. Vigorous growth that requires … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Galaktion 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after modern anthocyanin (antho) variety popular among Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and productive plant that performs exceptionally well both in greenhouses and outdoors. Like most antho varieties, the fruits develop the darkest, most striking purple/black colors when exposed to … Read more