Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: The name Michurinets refers to two completely different tomato strains circulating among growers, both featuring potato-leaf (PL) foliage. Strain 1 (The Early Dwarf): A short, rugose tree-type (determinate) bush that produces small, early 3 oz (80-90 g) red tomatoes. Excellent for short-season climates. Strain 2 (The Brandywine Cousin): An indeterminate PL heirloom … Read more
🍅 Quick take: The name Malinovka causes massive confusion in the tomato world because there are two completely different, unrelated varieties sharing the name. Strain 1 (Commercial “Russian Garden” brand): A short, 24-28 inch (60-70 cm) determinate bush that produces small 2.5 oz (70 g) crack-resistant, dark pink plum/paste tomatoes. Perfect for canning. Strain 2 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Marusya is an early, highly productive determinate paste tomato from Russia. Producing incredibly dense, meaty, and dry red plum/egg-shaped fruits in the 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g) range, it is an absolute favorite for whole-peeled canning and making thick sauces. The bushes stay compact at around 20-32 inches (50-80 cm), require minimal pruning, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mano is a super compact, early-season determinate bush that thrives in containers. Maxing out around just 16 inches (40 cm), it produces sweet, red cocktail-sized tomatoes weighing 1.4-2.1 oz (40-60 g). Because of its miniature footprint, growers often use it as an understory crop beneath tall vines in the greenhouse. Full summary … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Maritime Bells is a compact, tree-type variety from the Dwarf Tomato Project that produces beautiful burgundy and brown striped pears. Weighing 1.7-2.5 oz (50-70 g), these small fruits are known for being exceptionally juicy and flavorful. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience) S Svetikk (Svetlana) ⭐ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Manchester United is a highly productive, tall determinate variety that yields dense, uniform pink fruits up to 8.8 oz (250 g). It doesn’t require pruning, but because of the massive fruit load, it demands extra horizontal space and heavy-duty staking. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-5 Experience) S … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Raspberry Rhapsody (Malinovaya Rapsodiya) is an excellent compact (semi-determinate) variety from the Russian seed company Aelita. It stays short—around 2.5 ft (80 cm) in a greenhouse—but produces impressive yields of beautiful, medium-to-large pink beefsteaks averaging 7-10.5 oz (200-300g). It is highly disease-resistant, starts producing early for its size class, and delivers a … Read more
🍅 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