Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Topol (Топол) 🌍 Origin: A massive Russian heirloom variety (originally popularized by seed vendor V. Redko). The name translates to “Poplar tree”, fitting for its towering height. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), regular leaf, and extremely vigorous. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches over 220 cm (7.2 ft). Growers note that it … Read more
Quick Summary of Turban Bayran 🌍 Origin & The Name Mystery: This variety is famous on Russian forums not just for its taste, but for its highly debated, mysterious name. “Turban Bayran” is widely believed to be a mangled translation. 🔍 The Etymology Detective Work: Forum members speculate that the original name might have been … Read more
Quick Summary of Tatiana (Tatyana) 🌍 Origin & The Name Confusion: If you are looking for seeds of the “Tatiana” tomato, be aware that there are two completely different varieties circulating under this exact name. This forum thread highlights both! 🍅 Variant 1: The Commercial “SeDeK” Tatiana: An early-season, determinate (bush) variety. It grows very … Read more
Quick Summary of Tlacolula 🌍 Origin: An old North American heirloom. The variety gets its name from the city of Tlacolula de Matamoros in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the first seeds supposedly originated. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and powerful, yet it features distinctive upright, silvery, and somewhat wispy/carved foliage. This allows for good airflow and … Read more
Quick Summary of Tolstyi Jack (Fat Jack) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial Siberian variety originally introduced by “Sibsad” (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “Fat Jack”. 🌿 The “Red vs. Black” Mystery: This forum thread highlights a fascinating seed mix-up! While the original Tolstyi Jack is a short, red determinate, a rogue “Black” (brown/purple) version … Read more
Quick Summary of Tegucigalpa 🌍 Origin: A globally known heirloom variety named after the capital city of Honduras. Highly valued by seed savers for its incredible reliability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but with a very slender, elegant (wispy) vine structure. Because the plant isn’t overly bushy, growers successfully prune it to 4-5 stems to … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Shar (Sweet Globe) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Altai Seeds) company. The name translates to “Sweet Globe” or “Sweet Sphere.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It produces large, grayish-green leaves. The foliage is so dense that the fruits tend to hide completely under … Read more
Quick Summary of Thessaloniki (Saloniki) 🌍 Origin: A famous Greek heirloom that is highly respected and widely grown by Russian and Eastern European gardeners, who often refer to it locally as Saloniki or Fesaloniki. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though its height heavily depends on the climate. In the colder Russian outdoors, it typically reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Gigant (Siberian Giant) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the well-known “Gavrish” seed company. The name appropriately translates to “Siberian Giant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It produces an extremely vigorous and massive vine. Growers report it reaching up to 3 meters (nearly 10 ft) tall when pruned to … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Kozyr (Siberian Trump Card) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Sibsad” (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “Siberian Trump Card,” implying it’s a reliable, winning choice for a gardener. 🌿 Plant Habit (Take Note!): There is a known discrepancy with this variety. The official seed packet … Read more
Quick Summary of Syzran Ladies’ Fingers (Syzranskie Damskie Palchiki) 🌍 Origin & Name: An heirloom variety from Syzran, a region in Russia historically famous for its legendary tomatoes. The name translates to “Syzran Ladies’ Fingers”. This specific line was sourced from private collector Alla Savinova. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.5 – 1.7 … Read more
Quick Summary of Super Runner (Supergonets) 🌍 Origin & Name: A Russian commercial dwarf variety from the SeDek seed company. The name “Supergonets” loosely translates to “Super Runner” or “Super Messenger”, implying speed and earliness. 🌱 Seed Viability Phenomenon: A massive point of interest for seed savers: one forum grower successfully germinated a commercial packet … Read more