Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of The Very Best (Samye Luchshie) 🌍 Origin & Name: A deeply historical heirloom variety. The name translates directly to “The Very Best” (Samye Luchshie). According to historical records, seeds were given by a resident of Kattakurgan (Uzbekistan) to the famous Soviet tomato breeder I.M. Maslov in 1984. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to … Read more
Quick Summary of Snow Leopard (Snezhnyi Bars) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian commercial variety produced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Snow Leopard”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly adaptable but behaves differently depending on the environment. In open ground, it stays as a compact determinate bush around 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) tall. … Read more
Quick Summary of Heart of Compassion (Serdtse Dobroty) 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European heirloom. The name translates beautifully to “Heart of Compassion” (Serdtse Dobroty). Distributed by well-known private seed collectors like Valentina Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a late-season variety, requiring a longer growing period to reach full maturity. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Siberian Giant Pink (Sibirskiy Velikan Rozovyi) 🌍 Origin: A classic large-fruited Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Siberian Giant Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), robust vine reaching about 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse environment. 🍃 Leaf Type Alert: Forum growers note that this variety can sometimes show genetic segregation … Read more
Quick Summary of Solntse Severa (Sun of the North) 🌍 Origin: Distributed by a well-known (and somewhat secretive) Russian seed collector, Kolyakov. The name translates to “Sun of the North”. 🧐 The Naming Irony: As forum growers quickly point out, the name is quite misleading! One would expect a “Northern Sun” to be a yellow … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Malakhit (Siberian Malachite) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety from Siberian Garden (SibSad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In open ground, it usually reaches 1.2-1.4 meters (4-4.5 ft), and slightly taller in greenhouses. The bush is regular, not overly spreading. Growers note it exhibits excellent disease resistance (particularly against leaf mold / … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Kenguru (Kangaroo Heart) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Kangaroo Heart”, reflecting the shape and massive size of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5 – 1.8 meters (5-6 ft). The bush is strong, healthy, and has moderate foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful, perfectly … Read more
Quick Summary of Smilyanskiy Rudasa 🌍 Origin & History: A rare Eastern European heirloom with a great backstory. It was bred by Ukrainian breeder A.P. Rudas. The seeds in this thread took a fascinating journey: bought at a market in Hungary, brought to Germany, and then shared with Russian growers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). … Read more
Quick Summary of Sozvezdie Vesov (Constellation Libra) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from Siberian Garden (SibSad). The name translates to “Constellation Libra” (often just sold as “Libra” / “Vesy”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 1.7m (5.6 ft). The bush is not overly vigorous or densely leafed. Growers recommend pruning and training it to … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Telenka (Calf’s Heart) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom circulated by well-known seed collectors (the seeds in this thread originate from V. Redko). The name translates directly to “Calf’s Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Like many classic oxhearts, it possesses “wispy foliage” (a frail-looking, drooping, sparsely leafed structure). It can be … Read more
Quick Summary of Family Variety from Zurab Kukhianidze 🌍 Origin & History: An authentic old Georgian family heirloom. The 15-year-old seeds were originally saved by the father of a forum member’s husband (Zurab Kukhianidze) in Georgia. The Russian tomato community successfully germinated these old seeds, saved the strain from extinction, and affectionately nicknamed it “Zurabchik”. … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Bochonok (Sweet Barrel) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Sweet Barrel”, which perfectly describes its shape and flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.8-2 meters (6-6.5 ft). Pro Tip: The official description notes it is prone to excessive vegetative growth, so it requires strict pruning and … Read more