Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Makovaya Rosinka (Poppy Dew) is an ultra-early micro-dwarf cherry tomato with a rich Siberian history. The extremely compact, sprawling bush typically stays under 16 inches (40 cm) tall and requires absolutely zero pruning. It is a fantastic candidate for growing in 1-3 gallon pots on windowsills, balconies, or underplanted beneath tall vines … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Medok (which translates to “Little Honey”) is an early-season, determinate red paste tomato. The compact bush maxes out around 2 feet (60 cm) tall, making it a great candidate for underplanting beneath taller vines. It produces sweet, meaty, finger-like “icicle” tomatoes that hold up well for transport and canning. While yields can … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Basket on the Window (Lukoshko na Okoshke) is an ultra-early super-determinate (micro-dwarf) tomato bred specifically for containers, balconies, and small garden spaces. The original red variety produces round 0.7-1 oz (20-30 g) cherries on tiny 16-inch (40 cm) bushes that theoretically require no pruning or staking. However, growers note they do need … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Moonlight Delight (Lunnyi Vostorg) is a heavy-yielding yellow oxheart tomato. While plant heights seem to vary (some report compact determinate bushes, others indeterminate vines), it consistently produces massive, meaty slicers weighing up to 19 oz (550 g) with a sweet, mild, low-acid flavor. The main drawback reported by growers is its incredibly … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Leningrad Early (Leningradskiy Skorospelyi) is an ultra-early, tree-type dwarf tomato. Originally bred for harsh, short-season climates, it pumps out its entire crop so fast that it completely dodges late season diseases like late blight. Outdoors, it stays a tiny 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) tall and requires zero pruning. However, growers warn that … Read more
🍅 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: Lyana Rozovaya (Pink Lyana) is a very early, determinate pink tomato designed for outdoor growing. The compact bush stays around 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) tall and produces uniform, meaty, 3-3.5 oz (90-100 g) fruits that are perfect for whole-fruit canning. While the seed packet claims it needs zero pruning, most growers highly … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ledenets (which translates to “Lollipop” or “Hard Candy”) is an early-season, very low-maintenance small plum tomato originally from the Russian seed company Biotekhnika. It produces massive amounts of 1.5-1.8 oz (40-50 g) elongated red fruits. Outdoors in cold climates, it behaves like a compact 20-inch (50 cm) bush, but under cover, it … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lya-lya-fa F1 is a highly reliable mid-early hybrid from Russia. Growers absolutely love it for its incredible resistance to leaf mold, heavy yields, and long storage life (up to 2 months post-harvest). While the flavor is described as a “standard, slightly bland” tomato taste, its rock-solid dependability and crack-resistant, 4-5 oz (120-140 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Limbo is a mid-season determinate bush variety known for producing heavy yields of elongated, somewhat triangular red paste tomatoes weighing 2.8-4.2 oz (80-120 g). While the seedlings can be notoriously spindly and leggy indoors, the mature plants stay under 3 feet (90 cm) and are highly praised as a bulletproof, long-storing canning … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lisichka (Little Fox) is an ultra-reliable, early-ripening determinate bush that produces bright orange, icicle-shaped paste tomatoes. While a few growers find its fresh-eating flavor a bit bland, it is overwhelmingly praised as an absolute workhorse for canning and pickling. It thrives outdoors in the dirt, shrugs off late blight, and pumps out … Read more
🍅 Quick take: I Want Larisa Ivanovna (Larisu Ivanovnu Hochu) is an incredibly productive determinate bush tomato named after a famous quote from a classic Soviet movie. It produces a massive abundance of perfectly uniform, round, 2 oz (60 g) red cocktail tomatoes. Growers praise its outstanding sweet flavor, low maintenance, and perfect size for … Read more