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 (TL;DR): Zolotoy Mandarin (Golden Mandarin) 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety popularized by private seed collector Valya Redko. The name translates to “Golden Mandarin” (or Golden Tangerine), which perfectly matches its bright color and size. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and well-behaved. Typically stays around 20 to 32 inches (50-80 cm) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlato Skifov (Scythian Gold) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety marketed for its high carotene content. The name “Zlato Skifov” translates to “Scythian Gold”, a nod to the ancient nomadic tribes and their famous gold artifacts. 🌿 Plant Habit: Classified as an indeterminate, but generally behaves more like a semi-determinate. Rarely … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blushing Bride 🌍 Origin: A well-known American heirloom variety. It is widely traded among European and Ru collectors under the direct translation “Zastenchivaya Nevesta” (Shy Bride). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but generally considered very compact and well-behaved for a climbing vine. It is not an aggressive grower and is easy … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zefir v Shokolade (Marshmallow in Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the “Poisk” seed company’s “Vkusnoteka” (Flavor Library) line. The name playfully translates to “Marshmallow in Chocolate”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Usually reaches around 6 feet (1.9 m) in open ground. It sets fruit consistently without dropping blossoms. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zyryanka 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The name “Zyryanka” references a town/river in northern Siberia, signaling its hardy genetics. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Mid-season maturity. A very vigorous, strong, and wide-spreading plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, perfectly round/oblate tomatoes. They are … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Illini Gold (Zoloto Illini) 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety that is widely circulated in Eastern Europe as “Zoloto Illini” (Gold of Illini). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Usually reaches 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) in a greenhouse, and stays around 5 feet (1.5 m) outdoors. Standout feature: It has very “wispy”, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zemlyak (Countryman) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. The name “Zemlyak” translates to “Countryman” or “Fellow Countryman”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It has a very wide, sprawling growth habit. It requires virtually no maintenance and can be grown without pruning (suckering). 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zub Drakona (Dragon’s Tooth) 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European heirloom variety. The name translates perfectly to “Dragon’s Tooth”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very vigorous, strong plant that performs exceptionally well both in a greenhouse and outdoors in open ground. Mid-season maturity. Highly praised for its excellent disease resistance. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zelenaya Slastyona (Green Sweet Tooth) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian green-when-ripe variety. The name translates perfectly to “Green Sweet Tooth”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but generally acts well-behaved and compact. Outdoors in the dirt, it usually stays around 3.3-4.3 feet (1-1.3 m). In a greenhouse, it can push 5.2 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotnik 🌍 Origin: A Russian micro-dwarf variety. The name “Zolotnik” refers to an old measure of weight (often used for gold) and comes from the famous proverb “Small is the zolotnik, but expensive” (meaning: good things come in small packages). 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf/Determinate. Incredibly compact, staying around 12 inches (30 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Petushok (Golden Rooster) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom released by the “Russian Ogorod” (RO) seed company. The name translates to “Golden Rooster” or “Golden Cockerel”. 🌿 Plant Habit: An extremely vigorous, tall indeterminate. The internodes are quite long, making the plant stretch rapidly. Easily reaches 6.5 feet (2 m) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zastolny (Banquet) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety officially registered in 2007 by the RosSortSemOvoshch seed company. The name “Zastolny” loosely translates to “for the banquet table” or “table-ready”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and low maintenance. Usually stays around 20 inches (50 cm) tall, though older seeds can … Read more