Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Chilo Della Garfagnana 🌍 Origin: A treasured old family heirloom from the Garfagnana region of Tuscany, Italy. The name loosely translates to “Kilo of Garfagnana”, hinting at the massive potential size of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate or short indeterminate. It produces a vigorous, stout bush with regular foliage that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ceman 🌍 Origin: A prolific plum/paste variety. While originally grown as a salad tomato, its characteristics make it an excellent processing type. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and mid-season. Produces large, heavy clusters of fruit on vigorous vines. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, elongated plum-shaped fruits with a beautiful red-pink color. They … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): County Agent 🌍 Origin: A classic American heirloom variety. It is named in honor of the historic “County Agents” (agricultural extension officers) who traveled across the US giving advice and sharing seeds with local farmers. Preserved and popularized among modern collectors by Tatiana Kushnareva. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. Interestingly, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Carmina 🌍 Origin: A wonderful heirloom slicing variety known for its distinctive appearance and reliable production. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plant grows strong and vigorous, producing very good yields. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Unusually shaped, ribbed pink beefsteaks. The interior flesh is beautifully colored—mostly pink with a striking crimson-red … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cow’s Tit 🌍 Origin: A famous and slightly cheekily named heirloom from Russia, originally known as Korovye Vymya (Cow’s Udder) or Sisechka. Widely popularized among collectors by Russian seed seller V. Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Performs well both in greenhouses and outdoors, though yields can vary depending on sun … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Purple Heart 🌍 Origin: An oxheart variation/mutation of the legendary American heirloom, Cherokee Purple. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Like many classic oxheart varieties, it has a very “wispy,” weeping, and delicate plant structure (often looking wilted or wimpy even when perfectly healthy). Some growers recommend planting two per hole to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Coeur de Surpriz (Heart of Surpriz) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating French artisanal variety with a dramatic backstory. Originally developed by Madame Jacqueline Morel and named after her dog, “Surpriz”. The heart-shaped version (“Coeur de Surpriz”) is believed to be a strain/mutation discovered by Sébastien Berthier. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, regular leaf. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cosmic Eclipse 🌍 Origin: A visually stunning novelty release from Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5–1.7 meters (5-5.5 ft) in a greenhouse, slightly shorter in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small to medium cocktail-sized round fruits (usually under 100g / 3.5 oz). The … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Couilles de Taureau (Huevo de Toro) 🌍 Origin: A very old European heirloom. Originally from Spain under the name “Huevo de Toro”, it was later popularized in France under the literal translation “Couilles de Taureau” (which translates to “Bull’s Testicles”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), standard regular leaf. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Rosse 🌍 Origin: A unique novelty release bred by the famous Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Appears to act as a semi-determinate or compact indeterminate. Grown outdoors, it reaches just over 1 meter (about 3.5 – 4 ft) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flat-round) beefsteaks … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Tiger Large 🌍 Origin: A beautiful Canadian variety originally developed by breeder Bill Minkey. Note: People often ask if this is part of the Dwarf Tomato Project. It is not a true project Dwarf, but rather a compact, semi-determinate variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. In a greenhouse setting, it typically … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cherokee Lime Stripes 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety discovered by breeder Bill Jeffers. It is believed to be a natural mutation or cross involving ‘Cherokee Green’. Sometimes traded as “Cherokee Lime Stripes (Purple Green)”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In open ground, it can stay relatively compact (around 1 meter / … Read more