Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Ela 18 🌍 Origin: A recent cross from a Polish breeding line. The lineage is listed as Malinowy nn od przekupki x Albenga (which roughly translates from Polish as “Unknown Pink from a market woman” crossed with “Albenga”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous plant. Best suited for greenhouse growing in cooler climates. … Read more
Quick Summary of Shimbleng 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety grown by Russian collectors. The exact origin of the name “Shimbleng” is unknown, likely a phonetic adaptation. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Greenhouse heights vary from 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) depending on conditions. Growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for … Read more
Quick Summary: Shokoladnoye Chudo (Chocolate Miracle) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial variety, heavily popularized by the “Siberian Garden” (SibSad) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Controversial! The commercial packet lists it as a determinate bush. However, nearly all growers report it growing as an indeterminate or a very vigorous semi-determinate, reaching 1.5 to 2 … Read more
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Quick Summary: Shokoladnaya Glyba (Chocolate Chunk) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Nash Sad” (Our Garden). The name translates to “Chocolate Chunk” or “Chocolate Block.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Advertised as a compact indeterminate reaching about 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall with large, dark green leaves. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Supposed to … Read more
Quick Summary: Shedevr (Masterpiece) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial variety from the Altai region of Russia. (Note: Do not confuse this with similar-sounding varieties like Slavyanskiy Shedevr or Altayskiy Shedevr). The name translates to “Masterpiece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. It reaches about 1.5 to 1.8 meters (5 to 6 ft) in a greenhouse. … Read more
Quick Summary: Aunt Swarlo’s Delight (Red) 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after new variety developed in England. It is a distinct, separate variety from the original US heirloom Aunt Swarlo’s Polish Plum, though it shares its massive size and shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. The plant is incredibly vigorous, powerful, and produces large, dark green … Read more
Quick Summary: Abrikosovye ot Gulzhanat (Gulzhanat’s Apricot) 🌍 Origin: A rare amateur heirloom variety tracing back to a collector named Gulzhanat. The name translates directly to “Apricot from Gulzhanat.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very tall (easily reaches the roof of a standard greenhouse). Despite its height, growers note it performs well even when planted … Read more
Quick Summary of Shapka Monomakha (Monomakh’s Cap) 👑 What is “Monomakh’s Cap”? The name translates to Monomakh’s Cap, which is the legendary, jewel-encrusted, sable-trimmed crown of the early Russian Tsars (dating back to the 13th century). The crown has a distinct dome/cone shape with a pointed top. Therefore, the “true” heirloom tomato of this name … Read more
Quick Summary of Chocolate Stripes (Polosatiy Shokolad) 🌍 Origin: A famous American variety developed in Ohio, USA by breeder John Siegel (a cross between Schimmeig Creg and a pink beefsteak). In Russia, it became incredibly popular under the translated name “Polosatiy Shokolad” (Striped Chocolate). Note: A Russian seed company even controversially trademarked this name in … Read more
Quick Summary of Shuntukskiy Velikan (Shuntuk Giant) 🌍 Origin: A robust, traditional Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Shuntuk Giant” (likely originating from the Shuntuk area in Southern Russia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and surprisingly low-maintenance. It is highly praised for its incredible cold tolerance, setting fruit successfully even during unusually cold and … Read more
Quick Summary of Chendler (Chandler) 🌍 Origin: A collectible variety popularized by the famous Eastern European tomato collector A. Kulik. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but can remain relatively compact depending on growing conditions. When grown outdoors in open ground, it reached about 1.1 meters (approx. 3.6 feet). Noted for being low-maintenance and highly disease-resistant, … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernaya Ulybka (Black Smile) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety originally distributed by a collector named Monakhova. The name translates beautifully to “Black Smile”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) variety. When grown in a greenhouse, it typically reaches about 1.8 meters (approx. 6 feet) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened round) … Read more