Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Solnechnyi (Sunny) 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare Russian heirloom variety popularized by the well-known tomato collector Vladimir Anderson. The name translates to “Sunny”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season, and very tall. It is a highly vigorous and unpretentious plant that can easily reach 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets … Read more
Quick Summary of Heart of Ashgabat (Сердце Ашхабада) 🌍 Origin & Variations: A famous old Soviet-era heirloom (Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan). Interestingly, modern seed networks circulate two distinct shapes under this name: a classic pointed orange oxheart, and a flattened-round orange beefsteak. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 1.5 – 1.8 meters … Read more
Quick Summary of Slastena (Sweet Tooth) 🌍 Origin & The Name Mix-Up: The name “Slastena” translates to “Sweet Tooth”. In Russia, there are actually two different varieties circulating under this name. The one highly prized by heirloom collectors is an old, large-fruited indeterminate variety. However, commercial seed companies registered a completely different, small-fruited determinate (bush) … Read more
Quick Summary of Cuore di Dronero 🌍 Origin: A magnificent traditional Italian heirloom (translates to “Heart of Dronero”). It has become highly prized among Russian growers under the translated name “Serdtse Dronero”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very tall, and vigorous. It easily reaches the greenhouse ceiling and will keep growing along the roof. Despite the … Read more
Quick Summary of Slavyanka (Slavic Woman) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial/heirloom variety (originally distributed by GISOK seeds). The name translates beautifully to “Slavic Woman” or “Slavic Girl”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and highly vigorous. Growers note that it can grow massive (“like a baobab tree”) and will keep setting fruit relentlessly from … Read more
Quick Summary of Magia Serbia (Serbian Magic) 🌍 Origin: A very rare and visually stunning variety. Despite its name (which translates to Serbian Magic), it was reportedly sourced from Romania. Information about it online is very scarce. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter side, usually growing up to 1.5 – 1.6m (5 ft). … Read more
Quick Summary of Skifeya (Scythian Fairy) 🌍 Origin & Fascinating History: This variety has an incredible backstory. The seeds were discovered by a Russian collector in a remote Siberian village near Abakan, right next to the ruins of Zinkhir—the oldest stone city in the world, once belonging to the ancient Scythian civilization. The local village … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Pustyni (Desert Heart) 🌍 Origin: A stunning modern variety developed by Vitaly Alifirov, a well-known breeder from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The name translates to “Desert Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The bush is compact, not overly leafy (“well-behaved”), and highly disease-resistant. It sets fruit reliably from bottom to top without … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Buyvola (Buffalo Heart) 🌍 Origin & Name Confusion: There are actually two distinct varieties circulating among Russian growers under the translated name “Buffalo Heart” (Serdtse Buyvola). 1) The Siberian version (SibSad): A pink, smooth oxheart that is usually determinate or semi-determinate. 2) The European version: An imported French/Spanish variety (Corazon de … Read more
Quick Summary of Sto Pudov (A Hundred Poods) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial variety (originally released by the seed company Aelita). The name “Sto Pudov” translates to “A Hundred Poods” (a ‘pood’ is an old Russian unit of weight equal to 16.38 kg), hinting at the massive, heavy yields this variety produces. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Serafima 🌍 Origin: An experimental variety developed by the well-known Latvian tomato breeder Valdis Puliņš. “Serafima” is a traditional Eastern European female name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but tends to stay on the shorter side for an indet (growers report heights between 1.3m – 1.7m / 4.2 – 5.5 ft in greenhouses). … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskie Shangi (Siberian Shangi) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “SibSad” (Siberian Garden). “Shangi” refers to traditional Siberian flat, open-faced savory tarts/pastries, which describes the shape of these tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 1.5m (5 ft). Vigorous and beautiful vines. Growers report that it … Read more