Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Orekh (Golden Nut) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety popular in Russia and Ukraine. The name translates to “Golden Nut”, referencing its color and size. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, typically listed at 20 to 24 inches (50-60 cm) tall, though well-fed plants can reach 3 feet (90 cm). … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Serdtse (Golden Heart) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial Russian variety sold by major seed companies like Aelita and Sedek. The name translates to “Golden Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and cold-tolerant. Usually stays around 24 to 32 inches (60-80 cm) tall in open ground, but can … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Runo (Golden Fleece) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian early-season variety popularized by seed companies like “Poisk” and “Gavrish”. The name translates to “Golden Fleece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Typically grows about 20-32 inches (50-80 cm) outdoors, though it can stretch significantly taller if grown in a greenhouse. Requires minimal … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Sausage 🌍 Origin: A famous novelty variety bred by the legendary American tomato breeder Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds). 🌿 Plant Habit: A strict determinate. The plants are extremely short and bushy with a sprawling, almost trailing habit. They feature very distinct, finely cut, wispy “carrot-like” foliage. Excellent for outdoor … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grub’s Mystery Green 🌍 Origin: Developed in Australia in the mid-2000s by David Lockwood (well-known on tomato forums by his username “Grub”). It is a spectacular potato-leaf cross between Paul Robeson and Green Giant. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact indeterminate. It is not a true dwarf, but it rarely exceeds 5 feet … Read more
Quick Summary of Zolotaya Klusha 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotaya Klusha 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety developed by the SibSad (Siberian Garden) seed company. The name translates roughly to “Golden Broody Hen”. 🌿 Plant Habit: A very compact, sturdy determinate bush (dwarf type). It rarely exceeds 2 ft (60 cm) in height, making it … Read more
Quick Summary of Zagadka (The Riddle) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka 🌍 Origin: A classic ultra-early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “The Riddle” or “Enigma”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) tall. It does not require pruning or staking; you can just let it sprawl in … Read more
Quick Summary of Zelenyy Elf (Green Elf) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zelenyy Elf 🌍 Origin: A Russian Green-When-Ripe (GWR) variety. The name translates to “Green Elf”. 🌿 Plant Habit (Warning – Two Strains!): There are two completely different plant habits circulating under this name. Strain 1: A compact, sturdy “tree-type” dwarf. Perfect for container gardening … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Yellow Cap (Zheltaya Shapochka) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian micro-dwarf variety released by the “Poisk” seed company as part of their “Four Summers” balcony series. 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf (determinate). Extremely compact, growing only 10-14 inches (25-35 cm) tall. Perfectly suited for small pots (1-2 gallons), hanging baskets, and indoor windowsill … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dwarf Firebird Sweet 🌍 Origin: Developed by the all-volunteer Dwarf Tomato Project. It was selected from the “Beauty” family (a cross between Beauty King and Dwarf Wild Fred) and officially named by Craig LeHoullier in 2013. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tree-type dwarf. Reaches about 28-36 inches (70-90 cm) tall. Features the classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhemchuzhinka (Little Pearl) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the GISOK seed company. The name translates to “Little Pearl”. Visually and genetically, it appears to be identical to the well-known western variety Garden Pearl. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It has a trailing/tumbling growth habit, making it an absolute superstar … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhigalo (Gigolo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Biotechnica”. Known for its provocative name (Gigolo) due to its distinct, elongated, phallic shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact determinate (tree-type dwarf). Usually grows to about 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). Has thick, rugose foliage that looks like a little … Read more