Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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Quick Summary of Yantar (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety developed by the Kazakh Research Institute of Potato and Vegetable Farming. The name perfectly translates to “Amber”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. A vigorous, sprawling bush that loves to spread out on the ground if not staked. Extremely low-maintenance and highly heat-resistant, making it perfect for … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi Med (Amber Honey) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom, most famously distributed by the “Uralskiy Dachnik” (Ural Summer Resident) seed company. The name translates to “Amber Honey”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). There is an ongoing debate and mystery regarding its foliage—some seed batches produce Potato Leaf (PL) plants (as usually … Read more
Quick Summary of Yaponskiy Krab Zheltyi (Japanese Crab Yellow) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom originally distributed by breeder Alexandrov. The name translates to “Japanese Crab Yellow” due to its heavily ribbed, flattened shape resembling a crab. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate / Mid-tall. Usually grows to about 1.5–1.7 m (5–5.5 ft). Known for its extreme … Read more
Quick Summary of Yablonelistniy (Jablonelistnij / Apple-Leaved) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom whose name translates to “Apple-Leaved”. It became famous in European and American seed circles under the transliteration Jablonelistnij. Due to misread cursive handwriting on seed packets (an uppercase ‘J’ being mistaken for an ‘F’), it is also widely, but incorrectly, circulated as Fablonelystynj. … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi Kubok (Amber Cup) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial heirloom variety (famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company). The name translates to “Amber Cup”. 🌿 Plant Habit: There is a well-known seed mix-up in the market. The original, true strain is Determinate (bush), growing stout and compact around 70–100 cm (2.3–3.3 … Read more
Quick Summary of Yabloki na Snegu (Apples on the Snow) 🌍 Origin: A popular early-season Russian commercial heirloom variety (frequently sold by “Russkiy Ogorod”). The poetic name translates to “Apples on the Snow”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Grows very compact, typically around 40–80 cm (16–32 inches) tall. Highly suitable for container gardening (thrives in … Read more
Quick Summary of Yaponskaya Roza (Japanese Rose) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian heirloom variety bred for reliability in open ground and unheated greenhouses. The name translates to “Japanese Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (short-growing bush), reaching about 60–80 cm (24–32 inches) in height. Very low maintenance; seed producers recommend pruning suckers only up to the … Read more
Quick Summary of Yablonka Rossii (Little Apple of Russia) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial and heirloom variety in Russia. There is an ongoing debate among collectors that it is identical to the old East German (GDR) variety Tamina, or closely related to Matina. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though often behaves as semi-determinate in open … Read more
Quick Summary of Yaponskiy Trufel (Japanese Truffle Series) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial Russian series (often distributed by Biotechnika, Sibsad, and Aelita). Despite the name, it is a Russian heirloom/commercial line. It comes in up to 6 distinct colors: Red, Pink, Black, Orange, Yellow, and Gold. 🌿 Plant Habit: Most are indeterminate, growing between … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnaya Rossyp (Amber Placer) 🌍 Origin: A modern Russian commercial variety bred by the “Tsentr Ogorodnik” / “Poisk” seed company and officially entered into the Russian State Register in 2018. The name roughly translates to “Amber Placer” or “Scattering of Amber”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, compact, and sturdy (tree-type). It has a … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Amber,” referring to its bright yellow-orange color. Note: It is sometimes sold under variations like “Yantarnyi 530”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush/tree-type). It is highly compact, rugose, and very sturdy. It does not strictly require pruning or suckering, making … Read more
Quick Summary of Yaponec (Japanese Man) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety whose name translates to “Japanese Man” (or “The Japanese”). It is often compared to the famous pink variety ‘Yaponka’ (Japanese Girl). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. It is typically grown in greenhouses and pruned to 2 stems. Note that it can be sensitive to … Read more