Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Himmelstürmer (German for “Sky Stormer”) is an insanely vigorous, towering indeterminate vine rumored to be a cross between San Marzano and De Barao. Capable of reaching 10 to 20 feet (3-6 m), it produces huge clusters of firm, 1.5-2 oz (50 g) red plum tomatoes that keep very well post-harvest. Growers note … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Hugo is an indeterminate, mid-late season paste mater bred by the Czech outfit Moravoseed. Pumping out 7 oz (200 g) blocky, red, pepper-shaped fruits, it boasts a solid disease package and crazy shelf life (up to 4-6 months). Growers praise its resilience through heat and drought, as well as its meaty, tender … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ozaltin is an indeterminate cocktail-sized tomato bred specifically as a “long-keeper” (storage tomato). It produces extremely dense, glossy red fruits weighing 1 to 2 oz (30-60 g). The plants are highly productive, well-behaved vines that set uniform clusters. While most storage tomatoes are notorious for tasting like cardboard, Ozaltin actually retains a … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Limbo is a mid-season determinate bush variety known for producing heavy yields of elongated, somewhat triangular red paste tomatoes weighing 2.8-4.2 oz (80-120 g). While the seedlings can be notoriously spindly and leggy indoors, the mature plants stay under 3 feet (90 cm) and are highly praised as a bulletproof, long-storing canning … Read more
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🍅 Quick take: Lutescent (also known historically as Honor Bright) is an antique 1897 heirloom bred by Alexander Livingston. It is famous for its bizarre genetics: pale yellow-green foliage, white flowers, and fruits that transition from green to white, then yellow, orange, and finally red. While some growers love its novelty and incredibly long shelf … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Kimmeriec (Cimmerian) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Cimmerian” (referencing the ancient nomadic Indo-European people). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, topping out around 24 to 28 inches (60-70 cm). Needs plenty of lateral space and strong staking due to the massive weight of the fruit. Best … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Casanova 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian tomato breeder Vladimir Dederko and distributed by the Siberian Garden (Sibirskiy Sad) seed company. It was officially entered into the Russian State Register in 2017. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can reach over 6.5 feet (2 m) in a greenhouse. If grown outdoors without pruning … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Datterini Red 🌍 Origin: An Italian-style heirloom/commercial variety. The name “Datterini” translates to “little dates”, perfectly describing their elongated, grape-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous and heavily branched. Best grown by removing all suckers up to the first flower cluster, then allowing multiple stems to develop for maximum … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Cheerful or Jolly Gnome (Veselyi Gnom) 🌍 Origin: Bred by the well-known Russian tomato breeder L.A. Myazina. 🌱 Plant Habit: A compact, tree-type determinate (about 16-28 inches / 40-70 cm tall). It has thick, sturdy stems and broad rugose leaves. It does not require pruning (suckering) and is highly recommended for container/patio … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Antonovka Medovaya 🌍 Origin & Name: A commercial variety from the Russian company “Premium Seeds”. It is named after the famous Russian winter apple, Antonovka, known for its green-yellow color and ability to be stored in cellars all winter. “Medovaya” means “Honey”. ⚠️ The Big Misunderstanding: The seed packet markets this … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Barry’s Crazy Cherry – What Growers Report 🌱 Plant: Indeterminate. Seedlings stay short, grow slowly and don’t stretch, so several growers suggest sowing early (one sowed on February 22, another says February would have been fine). Height varies: about 80 cm (31 in) outdoors near Poltava, and up to 2 m (6.5 … Read more