Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Discussion from the Greenhouse Growers Forum | Moscow Region USDA Zone 4 📌 Quick Summary: The “One-Plant” No-Prune Method In the West, greenhouse (high tunnel) cucumbers are usually planted densely and aggressively pruned to a single vine (the Lower and Lean method). This Russian grower’s method flips that logic completely upside down. The core principles … Read more
Quick Summary of Bin Pang 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It grows as a compact but sprawling bush up to 70 cm (about 2.3 ft) in height. Because of its spreading nature, it requires only moderate pruning (suckering) to maintain good airflow without sacrificing yield. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small, bright yellow cherry tomatoes. The fruits … Read more
Quick Summary of Brandywine Covlik’s Strain 🌍 Origin: A specific strain of the famous American Brandywine heirloom tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), featuring large, wide potato-type leaves. The bush is described as tall, slender, and somewhat sparse in foliage. It responds very well to fertilization. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, smooth, rounded-oblate beefsteaks. The color … Read more
Quick Summary of Brad’s Atomic Grape 🌍 Origin: A highly popular, exotic, and multi-colored variety created by Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The seedlings are notoriously wimpy, scrawny, and slow-growing. Adult plants are very productive but have extremely brittle stems that can snap easily under the weight of the … Read more
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Quick Summary of Blue Marzano 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate / Indeterminate (medium-tall). The plants are very sturdy and reach about 1.4 m (4.5 ft) when grown outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunning plum-shaped tomatoes with a small “beak” (tip) at the blossom end. They are almost entirely flooded with dark purple/black anthocyanin on … Read more
Quick Summary of Big Dolly Red 🌍 Origin: An old heirloom from Kentucky, USA. Developed over 40 years ago by Milo Eason, it is a cross between an unknown red heart-shaped tomato and ‘Big Red Stafford’. Fun fact: In Russia, this variety is often affectionately translated and sold under the name “Большая красная кукла” (Big … Read more
Quick Summary of Beauty Mark 🌍 Origin: Created by the famous American tomato breeder Tom Wagner. Fun fact: Due to a funny translation mix-up on Russian forums, some growers initially called it “Mark’s Beautiful” (Прекрасный Марка) before others corrected it to the actual meaning (a beauty mark or mole). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very … Read more
Quick Summary of Bear Wallow Canary 🌍 Origin: A historic US heirloom variety. It has been grown in the Bear Wallow mountain region of Kentucky since the 1920s. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Known for being a very vigorous and heavy yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful orange/yellow beefsteak tomatoes. The fruits typically weigh between … Read more
Quick Summary of Basinga 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom tomato variety originally from the USA. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows vigorously and can reach up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height when grown in a greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful cream-colored (pale yellow/white) beefsteak tomatoes. The shape can vary, with some fruits … Read more
Quick Summary of Barnes Mountain Yellow 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Known for being sturdy and unproblematic. The seedlings are strong and thick-stemmed, and the mature plants show excellent disease resistance in the greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive, oblate yellow beefsteaks. Fruits regularly weigh between 500-800 g (1.1-1.8 lbs), with some giants reaching up to … Read more
Quick Summary of Blush (Artisan Blush Tiger) 🌿 Plant Habit: INDETERMINATE (Tall/Vining). The bush features delicate, thin, and wispy “weeping” foliage that often looks wilted or fragile, even when perfectly healthy. Despite its delicate appearance, it is highly vigorous and can reach over 2 m (6.5 ft). It produces a massive amount of suckers and … Read more
Quick Summary of Bursztyn (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A European heirloom variety. “Bursztyn” translates to “Amber” in Polish, perfectly describing its vibrant orange color. The seeds in this thread trace back to notable Russian and Latvian collectors (D. Gusev, Valdis Pulinsh). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous and productive. Growers report excellent results both in … Read more