Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Sgt. Pepper’s Raspberry Points is a mid-season, indeterminate anthocyanin variety developed from the famous Sgt. Pepper lineage. It produces a massive wall of 3.5-5.3 oz (100-150 g) raspberry-pink fruits with dark purple antho shoulders. The shapes are wonderfully unpredictable, ranging from ribbed flattened hearts with pointy “beaks” to blunt plums. Growers love … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kumquat Pink Opal 🌍 Origin: A stunning Russian stabilization project. It was selected out of a segregation of the Indigo Kumquat variety by breeders Mira Almakaeva and Olga Degtyareva. Currently at the F5 generation and showing excellent stability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but tends to be on the shorter, bushier side, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Strawberry Sergeant 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. It is a cross between Mrs. Schlaubaugh’s Famous Strawberry and Sgt. Pepper’s. The Russian name is “Klubnichniy Serzhant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plants are quite sturdy and strong. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Pink fruits with dark anthocyanin splashes on … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Klyuv Pelikana (Pelican’s Beak) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating and actively developing cross between Rebel Starfighter VT16 and Black Beauty. The name translates to “Pelican’s Beak”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Appears to be a manageable indeterminate, reaching about 4.5 feet (1.4 m) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striking dark anthocyanin shoulders that bleed into … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kino 🌍 Origin: A forum-exclusive Russian variety. It started as an accidental cross between Vater Rhein and Siberian Tiger discovered by a grower in 2017. After several years of growing it out and stabilizing it to the F7 generation, the community officially named it “Kino” (which means “Cinema” or “Movie”) in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispanskiy Shokolad (Spanish Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: An unofficial “folk” variety that originated from seed swaps on Russian social media. The name translates directly to “Spanish Chocolate”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching up to 6.5 feet (2 m). Growers report mixed fruiting habits. Some get a long, continuous harvest, while others … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ibiza Elena’s Plum 🌍 Origin: A specific plum-shaped selection/variation of the known Ibiza variety, stabilized and circulated by a Russian grower named Elena. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. A highly productive workhorse with a long fruiting season. Growers recommend running it as a 3-stemmer for optimal yields. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful plum/paste … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izumrudnaya Parcha (Emerald Brocade) 🌍 Origin: A modern, highly sought-after collectible variety bred by the Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. The name translates to “Emerald Brocade.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and mid-early season. It displays classic oxheart genetics: the vines are very skinny, frail-looking, and have sparse, weeping foliage. Don’t panic, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ibiza (Ibiza Elena) 🌍 Origin: Bred by Elena from “Tomato Eden.” It is the result of a cross involving the variety Banana Singapore. In seed trading circles, it is frequently listed as “Ibiza Elena” or “Ibiza Elena’s Beefsteak” to distinguish it from other similarly named varieties. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Scotsdale Road 🌍 Origin: A stunning novelty anthocyanin (blue/black) variety. Like many modern antho lines, its exact lineage is often compared to Brad Gates’ creations due to the distinct color patterns. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The vines are notably thin and wispy, reaching about 5.5 feet (1.7m) in a greenhouse setting. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dvoynaya Zhizn Kolobka 🌍 Origin: A fascinating commercial Russian variety developed by the Gavrish seed company. The quirky name translates to “The Double Life of Kolobok” (Kolobok is a round, runaway dough boy from a famous Slavic fairy tale, much like the Gingerbread Man). 🌿 Plant Habit: It truly lives a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blue Bayou 🌍 Origin: Created by legendary American independent breeder Tom Wagner (famous for Green Zebra). It has become highly popular overseas with Eastern European exotic seed collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). One of its most striking features is the foliage—the stems and leaves exhibit a distinct blue/purple tint, especially … Read more