Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Bobbie 🌍 Origin & Strains: A well-known heirloom oxheart tomato. There is an interesting discussion among growers about the color: seeds sourced from Tatiana’s TOMATObase (Canada) typically produce pure red fruits, while strains sourced from some US vendors produce pink/raspberry-pink fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. Like many oxheart varieties, it features … Read more
Quick Summary of Blood Moon 🌍 Origin: An excellent cross between two absolute favorites in the tomato world: Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye and Blue Beauty. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but generally manageable, growing to about 5 ft (1.5 m). It is known for being very stocky, robust, and well-behaved as a seedling without getting leggy. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Bigly 🌍 Origin: A stunning striped orange variety closely associated with the lines bred by Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds), sharing many characteristics with Orange Jazz. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and mid-season. Known to be highly productive. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive orange beefsteaks with plump shoulders and light yellow stripes. Fruits are … Read more
Quick Summary of Big Yellow Simpson 🌍 Origin: A classic heirloom tomato. Often cataloged in seed databases (like Tatiana’s TOMATObase) as Big Yellow, Simpson. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Can be grown successfully both in open ground and in greenhouses. Typically pruned to 2 stems for the best balance of fruit size and yield. Mid-season to … Read more
Quick Summary of Blue Jolies 🌍 Origin & Stability: A relatively new and visually stunning exotic variety. However, many growers report that the genetics are still highly unstable (it frequently segregates, producing green cocktail-sized fruits or green pears instead of the intended large orange beefsteaks). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. The bush is tall, strong, … Read more
Quick Summary of Blush 2.0 🌍 Origin: Bred by the renowned American breeder Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds) and released in 2019. It is a cross between Lucky Tiger and Green Zebra Cherry. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but very compact. It is noticeably shorter and sturdier than the original Blush, making it an outstanding choice for … Read more
Quick Summary of Blue Beauty 🌍 Origin: A famous American variety bred by Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms). In Russia, it was sometimes mistakenly circulated under the translated name “Голубая прелесть” (Blue Charm). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though it can sometimes self-top outdoors), regular leaf. Reaches about 4 to 6.5 ft (1.2-2 m) in height … Read more
Quick Summary of Blue Ridge Black 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom originating from the garden of Millard Murdock in East Flat Rock, North Carolina, USA. Highly prized by Russian collectors for its rich taste and adaptability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The plant is very sturdy and features massive, wide potato leaves (PL). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Berkeley Tie Dye Pink 🌍 Origin: A well-known American variety (by Brad Gates) that is highly popular among Russian and Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, moderately vigorous, reaching about 5-5.5 ft (1.5-1.7 m) in height. Russian growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for best results. It doesn’t produce an … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR) Origin: Italy. Plant Type: Indeterminate, Mid-season. Very vigorous vines reaching over 2 meters (6.5+ feet) in greenhouses. Fruit Size & Appearance: Produces massive beefsteaks or slight hearts (some strains are sold as ‘Oxheart Belmonte’). Weights frequently hit 500-600g (1.1-1.3 lbs), with record fruits up to 1 kg (2.2 lbs). Color: Mostly … Read more
B Borisovna ⭐ Pro Grower 📍 Karaganda (USDA Zone 4) How I Save Tomato Seeds 📌 Quick Summary: Tomato Seed Saving Process Select the Best: Choose a fruit that perfectly matches the variety’s traits. Avoid fruits from megablooms or those with Blossom End Rot. Mark It: Write the variety name directly on the ripening fruit … Read more
Discussion from the Seed Savers Forum | Autumn Seed Collection 📌 Quick Summary: Why Do Saved Tomato Seeds Turn Brown? If you are saving heirloom tomato seeds and notice they turn light brown or dark after drying, don’t panic! While black necrotic spots can indicate disease, a general brown tint to the seed coat is … Read more