Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 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: Granny’s Throwing is an indeterminate, early-season tomato known for its pleated, pear-like “pouch” shape. While its flavor may not beat a fresh slicing beefsteak, growers rave about its absolute resilience against bad weather and zero blossom drop. It produces massive yields of dense 3.5-7 oz (100-200 g) fruits that are considered top-tier … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Banana Toes is an early-season, highly compact dwarf variety from the Dwarf Tomato Project. Bred by Craig LeHoullier (a cross between Dwarf Golden Heart and Speckled Roman), it produces small, bright yellow-orange plum tomatoes weighing 1.7-3.5 oz (50-100 g). The grower notes it is extremely productive, does perfectly in pots, and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Opalka is an indeterminate, mid-season red paste tomato with famous Polish roots. True to its oxheart/paste heritage, the plant features very thin, wispy foliage that looks frail but produces exceptionally well. Growers highlight its massive yields, meaty texture, and perfectly balanced sweet flavor, making it a top-tier choice for sauces and sun-drying. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Cresta di Fuoco #2 (Fire Crest #2) is a distinct, deep brownish-red indeterminate Italian heirloom known for its eccentric, crested, and ribbed fruit forms. While technically a later-maturing variety, it can drop its ripe crop in a concentrated wave, outpacing other late-season varieties. With dense, meaty flesh and moderate sweetness, it stands … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Orange Russian 117 is an iconic indeterminate, mid-to-late season bicolor oxheart bred by California grower Jeff Dawson (a cross of Russian 117 and Georgia Streak). The vines carry classic delicate, weeping oxheart foliage and produce breathtaking 9-19 oz (250-540 g) gold and crimson hearts. Forum growers note that its legendary, sweet, peach-like … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lampa (The Lamp) is an indeterminate, mid-season orange tomato distributed by the Russian seed company Gavrish. It’s supposed to produce 3.5-5 oz (100-140 g) pear-shaped fruits in massive clusters. Growers report a great sweet flavor with a slight tang, making it perfect for canning and dehydrating. However, the commercial seed packets seem … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kazakhskaya Sliva (Kazakh Plum) is an indeterminate red plum tomato that grows on tall, wispy vines. The fruits average about 5 oz (150 g) and have a tender, sweet flesh. Because of their shape and meaty texture, forum growers highly recommend this variety for making sun-dried tomatoes. It performs well both in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Knyaz (The Prince) 🌍 Origin: Heirloom paste variety popularized by collector N. Ananyeva. The name translates to “Prince”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially listed as indeterminate (tall), but growers frequently report it acting as a semi-determinate by topping itself off around 3.3 feet (1 m). Standout feature: It is incredibly eager to … 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: Cornabel F1 Cornabel F1 is a highly famous French hybrid (bred by Vilmorin) that has taken the Russian gardening community by storm. But is it actually worth buying expensive F1 seeds every year? 🌍 Origin: A commercial French F1 hybrid shaped like a horn (hence the “Corn” in Cornabel). It was bred … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Koster 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial heirloom variety. The name translates to “Campfire” or “Bonfire”. Popularized by the Russian seed vendor Valery Medvedev. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and stocky, typically staying between 16 to 27 inches (40-70 cm) tall. Does exceptionally well outdoors but can drop blossoms … Read more