Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Oaxacan Jewel (Oaksakanskaya Dragotsennost) is an indeterminate bicolor heirloom originating from Mexico, circulating here in a distinct potato leaf (PL) mutation alongside the standard regular leaf strain. Known for its golden-yellow skin marbled with raspberry streaks and marble-patterned orange interior, it offers a sweet, fruity flavor. Gardeners praise it as one of … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bakinskie (From Baku) 🌍 Origin: This is a fascinating collector’s variety. Originally, it was a “numbered test line” sent directly from a breeder in Baku, Azerbaijan, to members of the Russian ForumHouse for trial grow-outs. Because it never received an official name, growers simply started calling it “Bakinskie” (From Baku). Note: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bulgarska Hala 🌍 Origin: A magnificent heirloom from Bulgaria, highly prized by seed collectors. The name translates to “Bulgarian Hala” (in Balkan folklore, a Hala is a mythical dragon—a fitting name for such a monstrously large tomato!). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but widely praised for having a very tidy and manageable … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): The “Big Boy” Mystery 🧬 Hybrid vs. Heirloom Controversy: In the US, “Burpee’s Big Boy” is a famous commercial F1 hybrid introduced in 1949. However, in Eastern Europe and Russia, seed collectors have been trading saved seeds of a variety called “Big Boy” for years. It is highly debated whether this … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Big Yellow Zebra 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but the vines aren’t overly aggressive or huge (usually around 1.6m / 5.2 ft). Known for being quite early, especially in difficult or short summer seasons. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flat-round) bright yellow beefsteaks with very subtle, faint light-yellow stripes (which can sometimes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Baba Nadya (Grandma Nadya) 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Latvian “folk selection” (family heirloom). It was popularized in the tomato community by the well-known breeder and collector Valdis Pulins. The name translates to “Grandma Nadya”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Reaches about 1.4-1.6 meters (4.5-5.2 ft) in height. Recommended pruning is to 2 main … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Copia 🌍 Origin: A stunning American heirloom developed by breeder Jeff Dawson. It is a cross between ‘Marvel Stripe’ and ‘Green Zebra’. It was named in honor of Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts in Napa, California. It is sometimes sold under the name “Tigercopia”. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple 🌍 Origin: A legendary pre-1890 heirloom from Tennessee, USA. According to lore, the seeds were originally given by the Cherokee Native American tribe. It was popularized in the tomato world by Craig LeHoullier, who received the seeds from J.D. Green in 1990. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though in some … Read more
Quick Summary of Aunt Swarlo’s Polish Plum Appearance & Shape: Huge, chubby, ribbed red plums/hearts. There is some initial confusion in the thread, but true-to-type fruits are red (not pink) and notably ribbed, rather than smooth. Plant Habit: The plant has classic “wispy” or weeping foliage. Don’t be alarmed if the bush looks frail … Read more