Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banan Krasnyi (Red Banana) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian variety. The name translates directly to “Red Banana”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally a compact determinate (bush) plant growing about 2-2.5 feet (60-80 cm) tall, though some seed lines seem to produce indeterminate vines. Extremely sturdy and known for being highly forgiving … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Berberana F1 🌍 Origin: A highly disease-resistant commercial F1 hybrid, popular in Europe and Russia for greenhouse production. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but with short internodes, keeping the plant compact and manageable without having to constantly reach for the greenhouse ceiling. Produces strong, bushy dark green foliage. 🛡️ Disease Resistance: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Baklazhan (Eggplant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Eggplant,” given because of the huge, elongated oval shape of the fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 7 feet (2.2m) in a greenhouse. It is extremely reliable and resilient, setting fruit easily without dropping blossoms even in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Akademik Sakharov 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato named after the famous Soviet physicist and dissident, Andrei Sakharov. The specific strain discussed in this thread carries a remarkable backstory: the seeds were saved and evacuated by a grandmother fleeing the Donbas region conflict. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very vigorous, and tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amurskaya Zarya (Amur Dawn) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety, often sold by the SeDeK seed company. The name translates to “Amur Dawn,” referring to the Amur River region in the Russian Far East. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) tall, but it spreads … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Andromeda F1 🌍 Origin: A highly successful Russian commercial F1 hybrid. It comes in three color variations: Red, Pink, and Orange. Usually sold by the Russkiy Ogorod (RO) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Compact, sturdy, and semi-spreading, reaching up to 70 cm (27 inches). Extremely resilient against harsh weather … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Adamovo Yabloko (Adam’s Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Adam’s Apple”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 1.8m (6 ft) tall even in open ground. Known for being incredibly disease-resistant and tough. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, very smooth, firm, and thick-walled. The shape … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Agatha (Агата) 🌍 Origin: A classic, highly respected Soviet heirloom. It was officially entered into the USSR State Register of Breeding Achievements back in 1987. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Generally stays short and compact when grown outdoors (40–60 cm / 16–24 inches), but can reach 1–1.2 m (3 – 4 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Anya (Аня) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety (likely released by the SeDeK seed company and listed in the Russian State Register). “Anya” is a common affectionate diminutive of the name Anna. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, falling into the micro-dwarf / compact bush category. It only grows to about 40 cm … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Aly Mustang (Scarlet Mustang) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety released by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. The name translates to “Scarlet Mustang.” 📈 Expectation vs. Reality: The seed packet promises giant 20–25 cm (8–10 inch) cigar-shaped fruits and 5 kg (11 lbs) yields per plant. In reality, most growers … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amish Paste 🌍 Origin: A legendary American heirloom tomato, famously included in Carolyn Male’s classic book, “100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden.” This thread reviews how the variety performs when grown overseas in Eastern Europe (Russia & Belarus). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous, tall, almost liana-like vine with … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alye Svechi (Scarlet Candles) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Scarlet Candles” due to its elongated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly vigorous. Growers warn that this bush is a monster, easily reaching 2 to 3 meters (6.5–10 ft) tall, requiring serious staking. 🍅 … Read more