Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Taymyr 🌍 Origin: An ultra-early commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Biotechnica” seed company. It is named after the Taymyr Peninsula in the extreme north of Siberia, hinting at its exceptional cold tolerance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Originally bred to be an ultra-compact determinate (dwarf/tree-type) bush, reaching only 30 cm (12 inches) in … Read more
Quick Summary of Teshchin Yazyk (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom variety originating from Ukraine. The hilarious name translates to “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”, a playful nod to the long, slightly pointed, “sharp” shape of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-sized plant (often growing as a compact indeterminate), highly productive, and well-suited for greenhouse cultivation. 🍅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Tolstyi Botsman (Fat Boatswain) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The rather unique name translates to “Fat Boatswain”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Intended for growing outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striped bicolor tomatoes (red with golden/yellowish streaks). The largest fruits … Read more
Quick Summary of Tamara 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. It is well-documented in North America via Tatiana Kouchnareva’s TOMATObase. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Det vs. Indet Debate): There is some conflicting information regarding its growth habit. Commercial Russian vendors (like Redko) list it as a determinate, and some growers report it stopping around … Read more
Quick Summary of Timofeich (Тимофеич) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian commercial variety, originally distributed by the GISOK seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. The bush is described as very powerful, easily growing over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse setting. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, slightly oblate (flattened) beefsteaks. Growers … Read more
Quick Summary of Tie Feen (Tiffan) 🌍 Origin & The Name Mystery: Known in Russian collections as Tie Feen (Ти Феен), forum members suspect this is actually a localized mispronunciation of the American heirloom “Tiffan”. Tatiana Kouchnareva’s database lists Tiffan as a potato-leaf pink beefsteak from Dorothy Beiswenger (MN). 🌿 Plant Habit & Genetics: Indeterminate, … Read more
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 Topklipsa 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable commercial Russian heirloom. Growers note that it is virtually identical to another popular variety called Slavyanka. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly tall (easily reaches the greenhouse roof), but it has a very distinct “slender vine” habit. It doesn’t grow wide or bushy, which allows for … Read more
Quick Summary of Dark Brown Honey (Temno-korichnevyi Myod) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive dark-fruited heirloom variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Performs very well in a greenhouse environment, especially when pruned and maintained to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Produces lovely dark brown/mahogany, heart-shaped tomatoes (oxhearts). The fruits are medium to large, weighing up … Read more
Quick Summary of Tyulenka Rozovaya (Pink Tyulenka) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Gavrish” seed company. The charming name translates to “Little Pink Seal”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very powerful. Unlike typical oxhearts that often have wispy, “weeping” foliage, this plant has thick, sturdy stems and a robust structure. 🍅 Fruit … Read more