Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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 Black Mountain Pink 🌍 Origin: A massive old heirloom tomato originating from Kentucky, USA. Highly prized by Russian collectors who often translate the name to “Chernogorskiy” or “Pink from Black Mountain”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and tall. Growers note that it can be a bit slow to start in the spring … Read more
Quick Summary of Bill Bean Select 🌍 Origin: A fantastic American heirloom variety. Named after the grower (Bill Bean), it has become a staple among collectors who are chasing both giant fruit size and extreme productivity. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early. A very vigorous and tall vine that produces fruit relentlessly right up until the … 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 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 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 Berkeley Tie-Dye & Berkeley Tie-Dye Heart 🌿 Plant Habit: INDETERMINATE (Tall/Vining). Both the standard and the “Heart” versions are tall, vigorous plants that can easily reach up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Regular leaf. Be careful not to over-fertilize with nitrogen early on, as they can grow too vegetatively … Read more
Quick Summary of Dwarf Uluru Ochre 🌿 Plant Habit: DWARF (Tree-type/Determinate). A sturdy, stocky plant with thick stems and dark green, rugose (wrinkled) foliage. While categorized as a dwarf, height is highly variable: from 0.6-0.8 m (2-2.5 ft) in pots or outdoors, up to a massive 1.5 m (5 ft) inside a greenhouse. It creates … Read more
Quick Summary of Aunt Ginny’s Purple 🌍 Origin: A renowned heirloom variety with German roots, popularized in the USA. (Note: In heirloom tomato terminology, “Purple” often refers to a deep, dark pink color rather than true purple). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall) with classic potato leaf foliage. The vines are highly vigorous. 🍅 Fruit … Read more