Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Sladkaya Grozd Shokoladnaya (Sweet Chocolate Bunch) 🌍 Origin: A very popular Russian cherry variety. The name translates to “Sweet Chocolate Bunch”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly productive, with a very long fruiting season. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Round, brown/chocolate-colored cherry tomatoes growing in dense clusters. Despite having excellent storage capabilities, the skin … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Kesidi (Sweet Casady) 🌍 Origin: A very popular elongated striped variety. Known globally as “Sweet Casady” (originally bred by Tom Wagner), it is widely grown and traded among Russian and Eastern European collectors under the translated name “Sladkiy Kesidi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and extremely vigorous! Growers describe the foliage as … Read more
Quick Summary of Skazochnyi Angel (Märchenengel / Fairytale Angel) 🌍 Origin: A modern, highly decorative variety of German breeding. Part of the “Klewerhof Fairytale” (Klewerhof Märchen) series. The original German name is Märchenengel, which translates to Fairytale Angel (Skazochnyi Angel in Russian). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but moderately tall, reaching about 140 cm (4.5 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Sweet as Linda (Sweet Linda) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic cherry tomato bred in the USA by M. Murdock. It is a stabilized cross between the legendary Marianna’s Peace and Sungold F1. He named the resulting variety in honor of his wife. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and tall (growing up to 2 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Izyum (Pink Raisin) ⚠️ Important Note: Do not confuse this variety with Rozovyi Izyumnyi (Pink Raisin Beefsteak). This is a completely different, cocktail-sized tomato! 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom originally sourced from Ukraine. The name translates to “Pink Raisin”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. It stays relatively compact, growing up to … Read more
Quick Summary of Ryabinovye Busy (Rowan Beads) 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety popularized by the famous tomato collector V. Popenko. The name translates to “Rowan Beads”, a poetic reference to how the heavy cascades of bright red cherry tomatoes resemble clusters of rowan berries. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (dwarf) and trailing/cascading (often referred to as … Read more
Quick Summary of Red Robin 🌍 Origin: A very famous and beloved micro-dwarf variety worldwide. Fun fact from Russian growers: Commercial Russian seed companies often rename and sell this exact variety under the names “Snegirek” (Gavrish seeds) and “Krasny Karlik” (Red Dwarf). If you grow them side-by-side, they are identical twins! 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf … Read more
Quick Summary of Polden F1 (Noon F1) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian F1 hybrid from the “Ilyinichna” seed company/breeder. The name translates to “Noon”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but very easy to manage. It has a sturdy, thick main stem and produces very few lateral suckers. It features unique small, finely divided (cut) … Read more
Quick Summary of Palka (Stick) 🌍 Origin: A highly unusual and rare genetic mutation. Often circulated under the translated name Stick or the original Russian Palka. Grown primarily for its ornamental and novelty value. 🌿 Plant Habit: The plant grows literally like a stick! It features tightly curled, crinkled leaves that look like little pom-poms … Read more
Quick Summary of Pinocchio 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial variety named after the fairytale character Pinocchio. 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf (tree-type / rugose foliage). Plants are highly compact and determinate, typically reaching only 20-35 cm (8-14 inches) in height. Perfect for small pots (2-3 liters / 0.5-0.7 gallons), windowsills, and balconies. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Peterhof 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety originally released by the “Russian Ogorod” (Russian Garden) seed company. Named after the famous imperial palace near St. Petersburg. Bred specifically for harsh Siberian conditions. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (dwarf). While official specs claim 40-42 cm (16 inches), growers report it typically reaches around 70 … Read more
Quick Summary of Principe Borghese 🌍 Origin: A classic and legendary Italian heirloom variety, famous worldwide as the ultimate tomato for sun-drying. 🌿 Plant Habit: Vigorous indeterminate (though some Russian commercial strains behave as bushy determinates). If left unpruned in a greenhouse, it can easily reach 3.5 meters (11.5 ft). Growers often let it grow … Read more