Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Tiger Plum (Sliva Tigrovaya) 🌍 Origin & Name: An Eastern European striped heirloom, also known in international circles as Plum Tigris. Translates from Russian directly as “Tiger Plum” (Sliva Tigrovaya). It is sometimes confused with “Striped Plum”, though growers note they are genetically different. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly versatile. When grown outdoors … Read more
Quick Summary of Superekzotik (Super Exotic) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Eastern European/Russian commercial heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a very vigorous vine, with growers reporting heights anywhere from 1.7 m to almost 2.5 m (5.5 to 8 ft) in a greenhouse. The foliage is relatively sparse/airy, allowing good light penetration. 🍅 … 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 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 Slivovaya Kaplya (Plum Drop) 🌍 Origin: This thread reveals a classic seed industry scandal! The commercial seed company Russkiy Ogorod (Russian Garden) sells this variety as an expensive “F1 Hybrid” called Slivovaya Kaplya (Plum Drop). However, clever growers have figured out that it is actually just the American open-pollinated variety Indigo Kumquat … Read more
Quick Summary of Stan Ley 🌍 Origin: A bit of a mystery! Cultivated and popularized by Russian seed collector Alexey Kulik, who lists its origin as the USA. The name is likely a transliteration of “Stan Ley” (or Stan Lee). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter side. Outdoors in open ground, it reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Sirenevoe Ozero (Lilac Lake) 🌍 Origin: A stunning dark heirloom variety from Eastern Europe. The name translates to “Lilac Lake.” Note: You may also see it sold under the name Buzkove Ozero, which is simply the Ukrainian translation of the exact same name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In a greenhouse, it typically … Read more
Quick Summary of Sweet Cream 🌍 Origin: An artisan elongated cherry/plum variety, closely related in genetics and appearance to famous varieties like Blush and Candy Sweet Icicle. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In a greenhouse, it typically reaches 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) and can be pruned to multiple stems. The plant has … Read more
Quick Summary of Solar Flare (Solnechnaya Vspyshka) 🌍 Origin: Known in Russia as “Solnechnaya Vspyshka,” this is the famous Solar Flare variety originally bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (USA). However, this thread reveals a fascinating mystery: many seeds circulating among Russian vendors turned out to be heavily crossed or genetically unstable! 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Solnechnoe Zatmenie (Solar Eclipse) 🌍 Origin: An original breeder’s variety created by Nikolai Zhigalin. It is a stunning cross between Sart Roloise and Dirty Curty Striped. The Russian name translates to “Solar Eclipse”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but relatively compact. In a greenhouse, it typically grows up to 1.5 meters (~5 ft). … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Icicle (Russian: Сосулька чёрная) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial heirloom variety originating from Ukraine/Russia, known natively as “Chornaya Sosulka”. It has gained worldwide fame among collectors as “Black Icicle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and highly productive. It easily reaches up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Like … Read more
Quick Summary of Virginia Sweets (Russian: Сладости Вирджинии) 🌍 The “Full Circle” Journey: Virginia Sweets is a well-known American bicolor heirloom. However, watching it grow in the harsh climates of Russia and Siberia offers fascinating insights! In Eastern Europe, the name is often literally translated as “The Sweets of Virginia” or “Virginia’s Candies,” leading to … Read more