Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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 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
Quick Summary of Bing Cherry 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate / Semi-determinate. Grows to a compact height of about 1.2 m (4 ft) when planted outdoors. Highly praised for its robust health, disease resistance, and cold tolerance. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Gorgeous anthocyanin (blue/purple) cherry tomatoes with a red base. They possess unique color shades that make … Read more
Quick Summary of Atol 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety originally from Poland, also widely sold in Russia by the “Sedek” seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Compact, typically reaching 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) in height. Extremely rugged, cold-tolerant, and perfectly suited for open ground (outdoors) without any protection. In some regions, it can even … Read more
Quick Summary of Ambrosia Giant 🌍 Origin: A striking and exceptionally vigorous heirloom variety known for its unique color and robust plant structure. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, with thick, sturdy stems and large, drooping (weeping) foliage. It is a highly aggressive grower—described by our community as a “monster” when grown in a greenhouse, where it … Read more
Quick Summary of Amber Keyes 🌍 Origin: A fantastic multiflora cherry tomato from breeder Michael Keyes (part of the famous Keyes multiflora series). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. When grown outdoors in open ground, it tends to stay relatively compact, reaching about 1 meter (3.3 ft). It is incredibly resilient, showing excellent resistance to … Read more
Quick Summary of Antico Canestrino di Luca 🌍 Origin: A classic traditional heirloom from Italy (often spelled Antico Canestrino di Lucca, originating from the Tuscany region). The name translates to “Little Basket of Lucca,” referring to its deeply ribbed, pear-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very sturdy, and tall. Growers in our community report that … Read more
Quick Summary of Amish Orange Sherbet 🌍 Origin: A treasured family heirloom originating from the Amish community. Our community, note that the “Amish” name acts as a true mark of quality and reliability, even when grown in harsh Northern climates. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and robust. It produces a strong, vigorous bush that supports … Read more
Quick Summary of Absinthe 🌍 Origin: A well-known Green-When-Ripe (GWR) heirloom. In the Russian seed market, it is widely circulated by collectors like Valentina Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), regular leaf (if you get a potato leaf, it is an off-type). It can be a bit of a slow starter in the spring, but … Read more
Quick Summary of Aurora Blue 🌍 Origin: A beautiful anthocyanin variety popularized by the well-known Latvian tomato breeder and collector, Valdis Puliņš. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 1.7–1.8 meters (5.5–6 ft). Very vigorous and productive, known to keep setting fruit right up until the first frost. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-to-large slicing tomatoes weighing … Read more
Quick Summary of Aces High 🌍 Origin: A rare dark cocktail tomato. In the Russian seed market, it became famous due to a hilarious translation error: the first person to import it used Google Translate, resulting in “High Aces” (as in playing cards: Tuzy Vysokie). Growers later pointed out it’s actually named after the famous … Read more