Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Serdtse Lyuby (Lyuba’s Heart) 🌍 Origin: A wonderful Russian collector’s variety. The name translates to “Lyuba’s Heart” (Lyuba is short for Lyubov, which also means “Love” in Russian). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can grow very vigorous and tall in a greenhouse (some growers report tying it to the ceiling), though its … Read more
Quick Summary of Sparkling Purple Fire (Sverkajushiy Purpurnyj Ogonek) 🌍 Origin: A modern variety developed by Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. It is the result of crossing the famous Rebel Starfighter (Zvezdnyi Istrebitel) with Night Star (Nochnaya Zvezda). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vining). Grows into slender vines around 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall in a … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Sofia’s Sweet Caramel (Sladkaya Karamel Sofii) is an indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season bicolor heart bred by Sofia Saakova. Most of the 11 growers here praise its sweet flavor and looks. The main caveats are soft fruit in extreme heat and occasional segregation into Temptation. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Shlem (Pink Helmet) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial variety released by the highly respected Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Pink Helmet”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) tall in a greenhouse. Like many classic oxheart varieties, it has a “wispy” or … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozda 🌍 Origin: An excellent heirloom variety that gained popularity through seed-sharing networks in Ukraine and Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vining). Highly productive. Grows very well in greenhouses when pruned to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, red, elongated tomatoes. The shape can vary slightly on the same bush—ranging from … Read more
Quick Summary of Razbitoe Serdechko (Broken Heart) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety favored by collectors. The name translates to “Broken Heart”, referencing the slightly asymmetrical or uniquely shaped pink oxheart fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) but often reported as staying relatively short (about 1.5 m / 5 ft). Like many classic oxheart varieties, … Read more
Quick Summary of Raketa Zholtaya (Yellow Rocket) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety from the seed company “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season. Reaches about 2 meters (6.5 ft) by the end of the season. Important Note: This plant has an incredibly frail, wispy, and “weeping” structure. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Russkaya Krasavitsa (Russian Beauty) 🌍 Origin: Officially included in the Russian State Register of breeding achievements in 2007. A highly sought-after pink oxheart variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. Reaches about 1.5 meters (5 ft) in height. Requires staking and pruning. It has remarkable disease resistance, officially noted for resisting Fusarium wilt … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Spam F1 (Pink Spam) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial F1 hybrid from the Russian seed company “Semko”. (Note: The name “Spam” here is just a quirky commercial marketing name and has nothing to do with canned meat!) Interesting Fact: Several Russian collectors have been saving seeds from this hybrid for … Read more
Quick Summary of Work Release Paste 🌍 Origin & “Lost in Translation” Story: This is a famous large Italian/US heirloom. However, when it was introduced to the Russian tomato community, the name was awkwardly auto-translated as “Rabochiy Vypusk Pasty” (which translates back literally as “Industrial Production of Macaroni”). The bizarre name caused a lot of … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Tyulpan (Pink Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A stunning collector’s variety of unknown exact origin, widely circulated among Russian and European tomato enthusiasts. Sometimes grown under the translated name “Tulip Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and late-season. Reports on its growth habit vary: some growers note a wispy, fragile structure (up to 1.5m … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Med (Pink Honey) 🌍 Origin: An absolute legend of Russian tomato breeding. Developed by the famous Siberian seed company SibSad (Siberian Garden). It is one of the most widely grown and discussed large pink tomatoes in Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Great Debate): The seed packet lists it as a determinate, … Read more