Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alisa (Alice) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded heirloom variety with somewhat mysterious origins. While often credited to Russian breeders (like N. Alexandrov or Egorov), some growers trace their seed lines back to Portuguese heirlooms. The name translates to “Alice”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.7–2.0 m (5.5–6.5 ft) in height. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Aburida 🌍 Origin: A magnificent heirloom popularized by the well-known Ukrainian breeder and collector V.F. Syrai. Highly sought after by collectors of giant paste tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-late season variety. Reaches 1.8 – 2 meters (6-6.5 ft) in height. The bushes are robust and produce very beautiful, heavy … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Almaty Red Tulip (Almatinskiy Krasnyi Tyulpan) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic modern heirloom bred in the Almaty region (city of Esik), Kazakhstan, by the highly respected tomato breeder Vitaliy Gennadievich Alifirov. The name translates to “Almaty Red Tulip”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. It notably features Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Aussie (Avstraliets) 🌍 Origin: A legendary heirloom variety originally from Australia, widely known in the US and Europe simply as Aussie, and translated into Russian as Avstraliets (The Australian). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous plant. Reaches up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse and about 1.2m (4 ft) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Aquarelle (Akvarel) 🌍 Origin: A reliable Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Watercolor”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (short bush). Specifically, it is a “tree-type” (shtamb) dwarf with a very sturdy, thick central stem that requires minimal staking. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, plum-shaped paste tomatoes. They are on the smaller side … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Akrobat (Acrobat) 🌍 Origin: A Russian cascading (trailing) cherry tomato variety bred specifically for container gardening, hanging baskets, and small spaces. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, micro-dwarf/cascading type. It naturally forms a lush, cascading waterfall of foliage and fruit. If staked upright, it reaches about 50 cm (20 inches) in height. Highly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Auria 🌍 Origin: A highly popular and widely discussed Eastern European heirloom. It is also sometimes circulated under the name Zabava. An orange/yellow version exists called Eros. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), very vigorous, and typically a very heavy yielder. Mid-season to late maturity. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Famous for its elongated, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Costoluto Genovese 🌍 Origin: A legendary Italian heirloom from the Genoa region. It has been a staple in Italian gardens for generations, highly prized for its heavily scalloped, decorative shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and incredibly robust. It is famous for its hardiness, tolerating both heat spells and cooler … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Chilo Della Garfagnana 🌍 Origin: A treasured old family heirloom from the Garfagnana region of Tuscany, Italy. The name loosely translates to “Kilo of Garfagnana”, hinting at the massive potential size of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate or short indeterminate. It produces a vigorous, stout bush with regular foliage that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Corrogo 🌍 Origin: A striking, deeply pleated (ruffled) heirloom variety, highly valued for its unique decorative shape that resembles an accordion or a blooming flower when sliced. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-early season. It is a very vigorous, low-maintenance variety that easily handles being grown with multiple stems without sacrificing … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): County Agent 🌍 Origin: A classic American heirloom variety. It is named in honor of the historic “County Agents” (agricultural extension officers) who traveled across the US giving advice and sharing seeds with local farmers. Preserved and popularized among modern collectors by Tatiana Kushnareva. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. Interestingly, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cascade Lava 🌍 Origin: A stunning novelty variety bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (USA). Highly sought after by heirloom collectors for its unique appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant has a rather compact, wispy foliage structure but grows very vigorously, easily reaching 2 meters (6.5 feet) … Read more