Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Leningrad Giant is an early-season, determinate beefsteak tomato bred specifically to produce massive slicers in short, cool northern summers. The compact bush stays under 3 feet (80 cm) but manages to pump out heavy yields of pink fruits averaging 10.5 oz (300 g), with some growers pulling 1.5 lb (685 g) whoppers. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Swan Song (Lebedinaya Pesnya) is a mid-season, indeterminate pale yellow/white tomato. The vines are very well-behaved and manageable, producing excellent yields over a long production window. The fruits weigh between 3.5 and 10.5 oz (100-300 g) and develop a beautiful pink blush on the blossom end when fully ripe. It has a … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lyubov Irana (Love of Iran) is a mid-late season, indeterminate pink beefsteak tomato. It is known for producing massive, uniform slicers weighing anywhere from 10.5 oz to over 2 lbs (300 g to 1 kg) with a rich, classic tomato flavor. While most growers report huge yields and beautiful fruit with no … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Reckless Driver Vils is a mid-late season pink tomato of American origin. Plants seem to stay relatively compact at around 3.3 feet (1 m) tall but are best grown pruned to two stems. It produces 7-9 oz (200-250 g) meaty, juicy fruits with a sweet flavor that has a unique kick to … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lyubimyi Malyshik (Favorite Baby) is a mid-season, indeterminate Russian family heirloom promoted heavily by seed vendor V. Kolyakov. The vendor claims it produces incredibly beautiful, sugary fruits up to 7 oz (200 g) with great late blight resistance and massive yields. However, real-world grower experience tells a different story: poor yields, constant … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Summer Apricot (Letniy Abrikos) is a moderately tall indeterminate vine that produces massive, bright orange beefsteaks weighing anywhere from 14 oz to over 2 lbs (400 g – 1 kg). Known for its tender, melt-in-your-mouth flesh and very few seeds, it is widely considered an excellent fresh-eating slicer, though its flavor can … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lotus (now officially renamed White Lotus / Belyi Lotos) is an early indeterminate, potato-leaf variety producing creamy white slicers weighing around 2-5.5 oz (60-150 g). While yields and germination rates can be wildly inconsistent, growers who succeed with it praise its delicate, sweet, fruity flavor and claim it easily outcompetes other white … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Long Keeper is a late-season indeterminate variety bred specifically for long-term winter storage. Carrying the alc delayed-ripening gene, these tomatoes are usually picked at the mature green or breaker stage before the first frost and left to ripen slowly indoors. While fresh summer heirlooms easily beat it in flavor, growers agree that … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lavender Lake is a massive, highly productive indeterminate beefsteak. It produces stunning terracotta/red-brown fruits with subtle green striping and deep crimson flesh, weighing a hefty 17.5-28 oz (500-800 g). Growers report it as an exceptional and very early producer, though the seeds can sometimes be notoriously finicky to germinate. Full summary ↓ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: The Legend tomato discussed here is a determinate red slicer, but growers report highly inconsistent traits. While some get a tall potato leaf plant with large 10.5 oz (300 g) fruits, others get a rugged, dark-foliage plant with flat fruits. Despite the seed mix-ups, growers who harvested it absolutely praise its standout … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lev Minusinskiy (Minusinsk Lion) is a striking, heavily ribbed, indeterminate heirloom from the famous Minusinsk region of Siberia. Producing large, meaty beefsteaks often weighing well over 10.5 oz (300 g), growers praise its rich, sweet flavor and excellent shelf life. While the flesh is thick and dense, some slices may reveal hollow … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lopatinskie is a highly productive, large-fruited variety that is the subject of a massive seed-source split in the gardening community. Growers buying commercial packets (usually from Siberian Garden / SibSad) often get a short determinate bush producing red fruits. Meanwhile, seeds passed around by private collectors usually result in a tall indeterminate … Read more