Historic tomato varieties are inexorably on the rise. They score points with their robust constitution, are seed-resistant and offer a unique aroma. Would you like to explore the diverse selection? Then follow us here.
Which heirloom tomato varieties are particularly popular?
Old tomato varieties score points with their robustness, seed strength and unique aroma. Popular heritage varieties include Beefsteak, Marvel Striped, Orange Ball, Rutgers, Silesian Raspberry, Tigerella and World Wonder Tomato.
Stick tomatoes with tradition
Our ancestors already appreciated the advantages of stick tomatoes in cultivation. The following historic tomato varieties are enjoying growing popularity:
- Beefsteak: red meat tomato, firm, delicious
- Marvel Striped: strong variety, red-yellow flamed fruits
- Orange Ball: orange-yellow fruits, very juicy
- Rutgers: a classic with a unique taste, red fruits, resistant to diseases
- Silesian raspberry: large, raspberry-colored fruits, up to 200 cm high
- Tigerella: red-yellow stripes, high-yielding, resistant to brown rot
- Wonder of the world: yellow fruits, very productive, comes from Germany
Tough: historic outdoor tomatoes
Historic tomato varieties that held their own in variety trials under modern conditions are introduced:
- Black Plum: a Russian classic with black-brownish fruits, growing height up to 3.50 meters
- De Berao: tall growing stick tomato with red fruits, delivers a rich harvest
- Matina: traditional stick tomato, small, sweet, juicy
- Red Marble: old bush tomato, small, red fruits, tolerant to late blight
Cherry tomatoes – authentic and reliable
The small snack tomato is not a modern invention, as the following old varieties prove:
- Blondköpfchen: Russian stick tomato with yellow fruits on large bunches, very productive
- Beta Lux: Bush tomato with sweet fruits, ideal for the balcony
- Gardeners Delight: cherry-sized, red fruits, medium early variety
- Lunar: delicious plum tomato for a small snack, early ripening, high-yielding
- Lycopersicon: Argentine wild variety with currant-sized fruits in rich red
It is not least cocktail tomatoes that bring historical tomato varieties to the top of the popularity scale. They thrive without any artificial fertilizer, repel pests on their own and are real vitamin bombs. The motto here is: From the bush straight to the mouth.
Tips & Tricks
Various non-profit and semi-commercial initiatives have been formed that are committed to preserving seeds for historic tomato varieties. We are always looking for hobby gardeners who can actively participate in the cultivation of at least one old variety. The 'Private SeedArchive', for example, is also considered an important exchange site, as more than 3,000 rare and historic tomato varieties are now archived here.
