Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Goldman’s Italian-American 🌍 Origin: Originally discovered at a roadside stand in Italy and popularized in the US by heirloom tomato expert and author Amy Goldman. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and generally a mid-to-late season producer. Very productive vine. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, pear-shaped or bell-shaped tomatoes with very deep ribbing … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italyanskiy Riflenyi (Italian Ribbed) 🌍 Origin: A “working name” for a variety circulated through Russian seed swaps online. As growers noted, it is highly likely a strain of the famous Costoluto Genovese. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Mid-season maturity with very good yields. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, heavily ribbed (fluted) fruits … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispanskiy Gigant (Spanish Giant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian collector’s variety circulating under the “working name” Spanish Giant. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and a reliable, heavy yielder. It is a late-season variety. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large red beefsteaks. They are mostly oblate (flattened and ribbed), though the plant occasionally throws wide, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Inzhirnye (Fig) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian heirloom variety. The name “Inzhirnye” translates to “Fig” or “Fig-shaped”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Sturdy vines that typically reach about 4.5 feet (1.4 m). Highly productive and sets fruit reliably even in less-than-ideal weather. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunning pink, deeply ribbed (pleated) beefsteaks. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Inzhir Rozoviy (Pink Fig) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the seed company Gavrish. It is part of their popular “Fig” series, which also includes Inzhir Krasniy (Red Fig) and Inzhir Zheltyy (Yellow Fig). The red version is widely considered to be a renaming of the Italian heirloom Abruzzo. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Verace 🌍 Origin: Heirloom from Italy. It is famously grown there specifically to make a traditional, extremely thick sauce of the exact same name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. A very tall and vigorous vine that easily reaches 6.5 feet (2 m) and keeps climbing. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive crimson-red beefsteaks. These … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zapotec Pink Ribbed 🌍 Origin: A famous indigenous heirloom originally cultivated by the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico. Renowned for its deeply pleated, almost ruffled appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A vigorous, heavy-vined plant that easily reaches 5.9 feet (1.8 m) in a greenhouse setting. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deeply ribbed, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zebra 🌍 Origin: Circulated among Eastern European growers simply under the name “Zebra”. Given the massive advertised size and bicolor stripes, it is highly likely this is a localized strain of “Big Zebra” or a similar large striped heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Can be grown successfully outdoors in open ground, though … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zoloto Maharadzhi (Maharaja’s Gold) 🌍 Origin: A collectible Eastern European heirloom variety. The name translates to “Maharaja’s Gold.” It is widely circulated by prominent Russian seed collectors like Valery Redko and the Brizhan family. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though its height varies wildly depending on the environment. In a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Texas Star 🌍 Origin: A massive, highly regarded American heirloom bicolor tomato that has become a huge favorite among Russian and Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall/vine). Regular leaf. A vigorous plant that can easily reach up to 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large oblate (flat-round) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zarevo (Glow) 🌍 Origin: A very rare Russian heirloom variety popularized and distributed by the well-known tomato seed collector V. Kolyakov. The name translates to “Glow” or “Blaze”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, powerful, and vigorous plant that performs exceptionally well in greenhouses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, round beefsteaks … Read more
Quick Summary of Zarya (Dawn) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zarya 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian heirloom known for producing exceptionally large fruits. The name translates to “Dawn”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous and powerful vine that can reach 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5 – 2 m) in height, or even taller in a … Read more