Variety Identification

Variety identification is the process of identifying a tomato based on its distinctive characteristics. Among other things, the assessment includes growth habit, leaf structure, fruit shape and color, ripening time, number of seed chambers, and flavor. For many heirloom varieties, identification based solely on appearance can be difficult, as some of them are very similar to one another. The greatest certainty comes from knowing the origin of the seeds and from long-term observation of the plants. It’s a good idea to keep the label, the seed source, and photos of the plant at various stages of development from the very beginning, rather than identifying the variety based on a single fruit.