Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Pantano (Pantano Romanesco) 🌍 Origin: A classic traditional Italian heirloom variety. It is widely known internationally as Pantano Romanesco, though some seed swappers circulate it simply as Pantano. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but praised for being very sturdy and not prone to getting leggy or stretching. It performs decently outdoors in … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Sugar (Purpurnyy Sakharnyy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety sold in Russia by the “Dom Semyan” (House of Seeds) company. The packet claims it is an “original variety native to Latin America,” but it appears to be a ribbed dark variety highly prone to fasciation. The name translates to “Purple Sugar”. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of First Mate (Pervyy Pomoshchnik) 🌍 Origin: A stunning tricolor/bicolor heirloom. In the Russian tomato community, it circulates under the direct translation “Pervyy Pomoshchnik” (First Mate). 🌿 Plant Habit: An indeterminate (tall) variety, though some growers describe it as a “short indeterminate” as it often tops out around 1.5–1.8m (5–6 ft) in the … Read more
Quick Summary of Stump of the World (Pen Mira) 🌍 Origin: This is the famous American heirloom from the Ben Quisenberry collection! In the Russian tomato community, it circulates under the direct literal translation “Pen Mira” (Stump of the World). It’s fascinating to see how highly regarded this US classic is among Russian growers. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Plissirovannyy Serdolik (Pleated Carnelian) 🌍 Origin: The Russian name translates to “Pleated Carnelian,” which perfectly describes its gem-like reddish-brown color and heavily ruffled shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: A vigorous indeterminate (tall) variety. Performs very well in greenhouses when pruned to 2 stems (leaders). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deep reddish-brown, deeply ribbed (accordion or … Read more
Quick Summary of Mr. Stripey (Polosatiy Gospodin) 🌍 Origin: A world-famous heirloom known in Russia as Polosatiy Gospodin. Note: This is the large, bicolor beefsteak version of Mr. Stripey (not the small Tigerella-type salad tomato that sometimes shares the same name). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall and vigorous. Performs exceptionally well in a greenhouse, where … Read more
Quick Summary of Peruanische Beuteltomate (Peruvian Bag) 🌍 Origin: A variety with a confusing but fascinating history. Known in Russia as “Peruvianskiy Meshochek”, it traces back to German heirloom collections where it is known as Peruanische Beuteltomate or possibly Beuteltomate aus El Salvador. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall (easily exceeding 2 meters / 6.5 ft … Read more
Quick Summary of Geranium Kiss 🌍 Origin & Breeder: Bred by Dylana Kapuler of Peace Seeds (Oregon, USA). It is famous for producing massive floral “hypertresses” with dozens of blossoms. ⚠️ The “Two Versions” Mystery: In Russian and Eastern European seed markets, two distinct versions circulate. The True Original is a compact dwarf/bush (about 60-100cm … Read more