Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Berkeley Tie-Dye Green 🌍 Origin & Lineage: A breathtaking green variation bred by the legendary Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms) in California. It is a standout member of his iconic Tie-Dye family, which also includes the original Berkeley Tie-Dye, the highly popular Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye, and the beautiful Berkeley Tie-Dye Heart. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Yum Yum 🌍 Origin & Name: A fantastic dark cocktail/salad variety. True to its name, it is highly prized for its incredibly sweet, dessert-like flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, early to mid-season. Reaches about 5.5 to 6 ft (1.7-1.8 m) in height. It is a very well-behaved plant that doesn’t produce … Read more
Quick Summary of the Discussion 💡 The Dilemma: Many growers love the taste of sun-dried tomatoes but absolutely hate the traditional method of storing them submerged in olive oil, finding it too greasy and heavy. ✅ The Solution (Paper Bags): If you dehydrate the tomatoes very thoroughly (removing almost all moisture), they can be stored … Read more
Quick Summary of the Discussion 🚨 The Problem: A grower faces a common late-summer disaster: a massive harvest of heirloom tomatoes that are all splitting and cracking on the vine, forcing immediate processing into juice and sauces. 🍅 The Heirloom Dilemma: While heirloom varieties are beloved for their rich, juicy flavors, their thin skins make … Read more
Quick Summary of the Garlic Debate 🌍 The Core Question: Does planting the largest garlic cloves guarantee the largest harvested bulbs? Growers debate whether genetics and clove size matter more than the physical structure of the soil. 🌱 Soil Structure is Key: A grower noticed that “volunteer” (self-seeded) garlic growing in ultra-fluffy strawberry beds grew … Read more
Quick Summary of Boronia 🌍 Origin: A fantastic release from the Dwarf Tomato Project. It was developed by crossing New Big Dwarf with Paul Robeson. 🌿 Plant Habit: True dwarf growth habit with thick, sturdy central stems and dark, crinkly “rugose” foliage. It typically reaches about 2-3.5 ft (60-100 cm) in height. While it stands … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Cherry 🌍 Origin & History: Bred by the late Vince Sapp of TomatoFest (Florida, USA) and released in 2003. It made history as the very first truly “black” cherry tomato on the market. Vince managed to capture the rich, smoky, complex flavor profile of large dark Russian heirlooms and pack it … Read more
Quick Summary of Bronza (Amarillo Rusty Paste) 🌍 Origin: Known in the US and Europe as Amarillo Rusty Paste, this variety is often circulated among Russian collectors under the translated name “Bronza” (Bronze) due to its unique coloring. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early. The bush is thin with weeping (droopy) foliage of medium length. Despite … Read more
Quick Summary of Best Bestos 🌍 Origin & Type: A gorgeous, deeply ribbed (pleated/ruffled) red tomato. Some fruits take on a pear-like or wide piriform shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. Reaches up to 6.5 ft (2 meters) in height. Highly prized for its stress tolerance—it performs exceptionally well in both extremely hot regions and … Read more
Quick Summary of Banyan Rumi 🌍 Origin & Trivia: A rare, highly resilient heirloom variety collected from Afghanistan. Fun Fact: “Banjan Rumi” literally translates to “Roman Eggplant” in Dari (Afghan Persian), which is simply the local word for “tomato”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly vigorous, growing up to 6.5 ft (2 meters) tall. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Emperor 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive dark plum tomato variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. Generally considered a mid-season variety, though some growers in colder climates note that it begins ripening quite early for them. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-sized, plum-shaped fruits that ripen to a deep purple/brownish-black color. 👅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Bananu 🌍 Origin: A very attractive elongated yellow/orange paste tomato. Seeds are widely distributed by European and Russian seed vendors (e.g., R. Kraft, A. Kulik). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early (often leaning towards early). The plant is characteristically wispy, with thin stems and sparse, delicate foliage. Despite looking fragile, it is remarkably … Read more