Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Siberian Giant (Sibirskiy Velikan) 🌍 Origin: A classic commercial Siberian variety (this is the traditional red version, not to be confused with Siberian Giant Pink). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and powerful. It grows to about 1.5 – 1.7 meters (5-5.5 ft) tall and performs well in both greenhouses and open ground. … Read more
Quick Summary of Desdemona’s Heart (Serdtse Dezdemony) 🌍 Origin & Name: An heirloom variety sourced from private collector Tamara Yashchenko. The name is a nod to Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, adding a dramatic flair to this beautiful oxheart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though it behaves more like a vigorous semi-determinate in many gardens. It typically reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Saratovskie (Saratov) 🌍 Origin & Name: A Russian heirloom named after the city of Saratov on the Volga River. Ironically (and amusingly), local growers from Saratov note that this variety is completely unknown in the city itself! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. In a greenhouse, it easily exceeds 2 … Read more
Quick Summary of Siberian Miracle (Sibirskoe Chudo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety. The name translates directly to “Siberian Miracle”. 🔍 The Shape Mystery (Seed Segregation): This variety is famous on Russian forums for its extreme genetic inconsistency depending on the seed vendor. Seeds from SibSad (Siberian Garden) typically produce round/oblate fruits. However, seeds from … Read more
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 White Sugar (Sakhar Belyi) 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European heirloom variety. The name translates directly to “White Sugar” (Sakhar Belyi). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but often behaves as a mid-sized sprawling bush in open ground, reaching about 1.6 meters (5.2 ft). It is a mid-to-late season variety. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-sized … 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 Bull’s Heart (Cuor di Bue / Coeur de Boeuf) 🌍 The Global Oxheart: This thread is a massive masterclass on the world’s most famous heirloom tomato. Known as Bychye Serdtse in Russia, Cuor di Bue in Italy, Coeur de Boeuf in France, and Coracao de Boi in Portugal. The forum admin officially … Read more
Quick Summary of Severnoe Siyanie (Northern Lights) 🌍 Origin: This is the Russian-grown lineage of the famous American heirloom “Northern Lights” (translated directly into Russian as Severnoe Siyanie). It has been widely circulated and adapted by Russian seed savers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). In a greenhouse, it easily reaches up to 2 meters (6.5 … 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 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