Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Marizol Purple is an indeterminate 19th-century German heirloom beefsteak brought to the US by Joe Bratka’s family. Vines produce 14-17.5 oz (400-500 g) oblate, dusky purple-pink fruits with rich, sweet-tart flesh. Northern growers highlight its exceptional resilience: setting fruit through intense heatwaves without dropping blossoms and demonstrating standout resistance to greenhouse leaf … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Faelan’s First Snow (also distributed as Cherokee Purple Variegated) is an indeterminate, mid-season heirloom discovered as a sport of Cherokee Purple. It produces large, meaty purple beefsteaks on vines that sport unique white, cream, and green variegated foliage. Growers note the variegation is strongest in cool weather and often fades in summer … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Dana’s Dusky Rose (originating from Dan Gilmore) is an indeterminate but naturally compact tomato variety that produces stunning smoky-pink to dark-purple oblate fruits. Growers on the forum rave about its exceptionally sweet, rich, and unique flavor profile, often calling it one of the best-tasting dark tomatoes they’ve ever grown. Yields can be … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Purple Heart is a mid-season, tree-type dwarf variety released in 2015 by the Dwarf Tomato Project (a cross between Brad’s Black Heart and Dwarf Wild Fred). It produces beautiful, dark purple-brown heart-shaped fruits that are generally sweet and meaty. The growers here praise its excellent yields, crack resistance, and ability to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Korallovyi (Coral) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Coral”. However, seed traders have circulated two completely different varieties under this exact name. One is a dark/purplish-pink beefsteak, and the other (distributed by breeder V. Redko) is a carrot-red/orange tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and vigorous. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Indian Zebra 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom discovered by Clyde Burson. It is considered a larger, striped cousin of the famous Indian Stripe (which itself is closely related to Cherokee Purple). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows well outdoors, reaching around 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in open ground. Very productive. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispanskaya Roza (Spanish Rose) 🌍 Origin: A Russian collector’s variety (noted to be circulated by N. Berezhnova). The name translates to “Spanish Rose” and is considered an unofficial or “working” name in the heirloom community. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. Mid-to-late season. It grows to around 3 to 4 feet (1-1.2 m) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Indische Fleisch 🌍 Origin: An old heirloom variety. The name translates from German as “Indian Meat”. Despite the German name, its deeper origins trace back to India. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. Can be kept relatively compact or grown out to 6.5 feet (2 m) depending on conditions. Highly productive. Can be … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zvart Heil Lekken 🌍 Origin: A rare dark heirloom. The name appears to be of Dutch/Flemish origin (Zwart meaning black). In Eastern European seed circles, it is widely traded under its translated Russian name: Istochnik Schastya Cherny (Black Source of Happiness). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A mid-season variety that is … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dieticheskiy Chempion (Dietary Champion) 🌍 Origin: A Ukrainian variety developed by the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture in Kherson. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, mid-season variety. Thrives in both greenhouses and open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened) beefsteaks weighing 8.8-12.3 oz (250-350 g). They ripen to a stunning dark purple/black-raspberry color. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Pierce’s Pride 🌍 Origin: A highly respected dark heirloom bred by Larry Pierce of Cabool, Missouri (USA). It has gained massive popularity overseas among Russian and Eastern European growers for its rich color and reliable performance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but frequently acts as a “short indeterminate,” with many growers reporting … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gary O’ Sena 🌍 Origin: A well-known US variety bred by Keith Mueller. It is a cross between Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Traditionally, it should have Potato Leaf (PL) foliage, though several growers note segregation or off-types producing Regular Leaf (RL) plants. Vigorous growth that requires … Read more