Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vernaya Lyubov (True Love) 🌍 Origin: A rare Russian heirloom/commercial variety. The name translates beautifully to “True Love”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate. It is a sturdy tree-type (rugose) dwarf that stays compact, reaching only about 24 inches (60 cm) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunning golden-yellow rounded hearts with a very distinct, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vechnyi Zov (Eternal Call) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the well-known seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Eternal Call”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate. The seed packet claims it’s a short 28-inch (70 cm) bush, but growers in this thread report highly variable heights. Depending on pruning … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vovchik 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from Russia/Ukraine. The name is an affectionate diminutive for Vladimir (Little Vova). 💡 Editor’s Note (The Famous Mix-Up): This thread is a classic example of a happy accident. The official commercial seed packets describe Vovchik as a regular round/oblate tomato. However, a massive batch of … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vnuchenka (Granddaughter) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Aelita”. The name affectionately translates to “Little Granddaughter”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (short bush). Marketed as a patio/container variety that grows to 20 inches (50 cm), but real-world growers note it can easily reach 28 inches (70 cm) when … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vspyshka (Flash) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Flash” or “Outburst”, which perfectly describes how fast it grows and sets fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (short bush), usually topping out around 20 inches (50 cm). It stays short but loves to sprawl, throwing out a ton of … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Valentina Tomato 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety, heavily distributed by the “SeDeK” seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Typically grows about 24-28 inches (60-70 cm) tall. The Great Leaf Debate: Growers report two distinct strains circulating—one with Regular Leaf (RL) foliage and one with Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. Both … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vzryv (Explosion) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Explosion”. It was developed as an improved, modern version of the classic old Soviet variety Belyi Naliv. Specifically recommended for northern regions and short-season climates. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and sprawling, usually growing only 12-18 inches … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vishnya Zimnyaya (Winter Cherry) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Winter Cherry”. Intended for outdoor growing in middle and northern climates. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The seed packet claims it is a stout, tree-type dwarf that requires zero pruning, but growers report it grows as a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vesennyaya Kapel (Spring Drop) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Spring Drop” (referencing a drop of melting snow in spring). Grower’s Note: There are two known strains circulating among collectors. One produces small pear-shaped fruits with a little beak (spout), originating from the Russian breeder Brizhan. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vidimo-Nevidimo (Countless) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from Siberian breeders. The Russian name “Vidimo-Nevidimo” translates to “Countless” or “Invisible Amount,” perfectly describing its incredibly heavy fruit set. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and short-vined, usually topping out around 1.6-3 feet (0.5-1 m). It’s perfect for open ground and outdoor … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vesennie Zamorozki (Spring Frosts) 🌍 Origin & Breeder: A famous Russian heirloom bred by Pavel Saraev. Saraev dedicated his life to developing extreme cold-tolerant tomatoes capable of surviving light spring frosts in open ground without protection. The name translates perfectly to “Spring Frosts”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush) variety. A compact, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Cheerful or Jolly Gnome (Veselyi Gnom) 🌍 Origin: Bred by the well-known Russian tomato breeder L.A. Myazina. 🌱 Plant Habit: A compact, tree-type determinate (about 16-28 inches / 40-70 cm tall). It has thick, sturdy stems and broad rugose leaves. It does not require pruning (suckering) and is highly recommended for container/patio … Read more