Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Kolumb (Columbus) is a heavy-yielding variety that produces large, classic red tomatoes on complex trusses. While originally sold as an indeterminate, growers report that it often acts as a semi-determinate, self-topping at just over 3 feet (1 m) tall in the greenhouse. It grows slowly and takes its time bulking up the … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Krovavaya Meri (Bloody Mary) is a mid-season indeterminate variety specifically promoted for making rich tomato juice. Revived from a seed packet that expired in 2000, it produces smooth, round red tomatoes with a classic, old-school tomato bite that isn’t overly sweet. While the name might not be for everyone, it proves to … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kitayskiy Rozovyi (Chinese Pink) is an early-season pink tomato with a highly mixed reputation. It is incredibly rugged, capable of setting fruit in poor conditions when other varieties drop their blossoms. However, growers report disappointing fruit quality: the tomatoes range wildly in size from 1.5 oz to 9 oz (50-250 g), lack … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Krab (translating to “Crab”) is a highly productive indeterminate variety that produces absolutely massive beefsteaks. Growers report fruits pushing 1.5 to 1.7 lbs (700-800 g). The vines grow to about 5-5.5 ft (1.5-1.7 m) in a greenhouse setting. It is praised for its heavy yields, huge fruit size, and excellent classic flavor. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Konus (meaning “Cone”) is a vigorous indeterminate variety rescued by a dedicated seed saver over 20 years ago. It produces large, red, cone-shaped (oxheart-type) fruits that are meaty, juicy, and packed with old-school tomato flavor. The vine has a unique habit of naturally forking at the main stem. While it occasionally drops … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Reine de Sainte Marthe is a vigorous indeterminate French heirloom that produces heavy trusses of dense, round red tomatoes. Fruits typically weigh between 7-8.8 oz (200-250 g), with some reaching up to 13 oz (372 g). Growers note that it needs plenty of sun and heat to reach its full yield potential. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Cuostralee is a classic French heirloom indeterminate variety that produces beautiful, oblate red beefsteaks. It is a late-mid season producer with fruits ranging from 8.8 oz to over a pound (250-500 g). Growers praise it for being completely fuss-free, highly productive, and delivering an excellent, sweet, meaty flavor with very few seeds. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Krasavets Primorya (Beauty of Primorye) is an indeterminate variety that proved highly resilient in less-than-ideal conditions. Grown in a dark greenhouse corner during a cold summer, it still delivered an exceptional yield. Growers highlight its fantastic taste and the impressive uniformity of the fruits from the bottom of the vine all the … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Korshun Zheltyi (Yellow Kite) is an indeterminate yellow/pink bicolor beefsteak. Unusually for an indet, it grows as a very stocky, stout vine. While one grower found it incredibly resilient in a crappy shaded spot with fluctuating temps, another struggled with blossom drop. When it does produce, it offers a well-balanced, excellent flavor … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kavkazets (Caucasian) is a mid-season indeterminate variety that produces uniform, oblate raspberry pink slicers. While its height can be stunted if grown outdoors in cool climates, it thrives in a greenhouse, easily reaching 8 ft (2.5 m) and pumping out meaty, highly flavorful tomatoes weighing up to 21 oz (600 g). Full … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ferris Wheel is an indeterminate American heirloom that produces massive, sweet pink beefsteaks. However, some growers have discovered two completely different foliage types circulating in the market under this name. While the true historical strain should have Regular Leaf (RL) foliage, a highly productive Potato Leaf (PL) off-type is widely grown and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kentucky Pink Stamper is an indeterminate potato leaf (PL) heirloom from the US. Brought over to Russia by seed collectors, it pumps out massive pink beefsteaks (regularly breaking the 1 lb / 500 g mark) with distinctive pleated shoulders. While the fruit size and flavor are awesome, growers note that yields can … Read more