Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Romovaya Baba (Rum Baba) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Rum Baba” (a famous rum-soaked sponge cake dessert), perfectly hinting at the extreme sweetness of this tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5 meters (5 ft) and higher. Growers note that … Read more
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Quick Summary of Rhoades Heirloom 🌍 Origin: A classic American heirloom variety. In the Russian tomato community, it is translated directly as “Relikviya Rouds”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Typically grows to about 1.8 meters (6 ft) in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Growers report excellent results when pruned to 2 stems and planted in a sunny … Read more
Quick Summary of Pink Siberian Tiger 🌍 Origin: A famous anthocyanin variety that has become an absolute superstar in the Russian tomato community (where it is known as “Rozovyi Sibirskiy Tigr”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though some growers note it acts more like a semi-determinate, reaching about 1.5 – 2 meters (5 – 6.5 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Striped Roman (Rimskiy Polosatyi) 🌍 Origin: A famous American heirloom known in the Russian tomato community as “Rimskiy Polosatyi”. 🍅 The Great Debate (Striped vs. Speckled): This forum thread perfectly captures the classic confusion surrounding this variety. As noted by growers (and Tatiana’s TOMATObase), there are essentially two circulating lines: Striped Roman … Read more
Quick Summary of Dwarf Antho Pink Panther 🌍 Origin: A stunning anthocyanin dwarf variety. In the Russian community, it is known as “Rozovaya Pantera Anto, Gnom”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-season dwarf. Unlike most typical sturdy/stocky Dwarf Tomato Project varieties, this one has thin, graceful, wispy foliage. It grows up to 1 meter (about 3.3 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Sofia’s Red Comet (Ryzhaya Kometa Sofii) 🌍 Origin: A magnificent modern breeding line created by Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. The name translates to “Sofia’s Red Comet” (or literally “Ginger/Red-haired Comet”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 1.8m – 2m (6 – 6.5 ft). Mid-early ripening. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: The breeder’s description … Read more
Quick Summary of Pineapple Striped (Polosatyy Ananas) 🌍 Origin: A stunning bicolor heirloom obtained from an amateur tomato collector in Bulgaria. In Russian collections, it circulates under the translated name Polosatyy Ananas. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. Typically grows to about 1.6m (5.2 ft) tall. Performs best when planted in a prime, sunny … Read more
Quick Summary of Striped Pepper (Pertsevidnyy Polosatyy) 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian striped paste variety, though its origins are muddy. The name translates exactly to “Striped Pepper-shaped”. Warning: This variety suffers from a massive identity crisis on the commercial seed market. Different seed companies (SeDek, Gavrish, Nash Sad) sell completely different tomatoes under this name! … Read more
Quick Summary of First Mate (Pervyy Pomoshchnik) 🌍 Origin: A stunning tricolor/bicolor heirloom. In the Russian tomato community, it circulates under the direct translation “Pervyy Pomoshchnik” (First Mate). 🌿 Plant Habit: An indeterminate (tall) variety, though some growers describe it as a “short indeterminate” as it often tops out around 1.5–1.8m (5–6 ft) in the … Read more
Quick Summary of Streak Lightning (Polosa Molnii) 🌍 Origin: A stunning striped and anthocyanin (purple-splashed) variety. In Russian collections, it circulates under the translated name Polosa Molnii. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.4–1.8m (4.5–6 ft). Seedlings can look remarkably spindly and fragile (wispy foliage), but the plant gains moderate vigor once planted out. Avoid … Read more
Quick Summary of Dwarf Orion’s Belt 🌍 Origin: A beautiful release from the international Dwarf Tomato Project (DTP). 🌿 Plant Habit: True dwarf (tree-type). The plant is very compact, reaching only about 50-60 cm (20-24 in) in height. It features the classic DTP wide, light-green rugose (wrinkled) foliage. Perfect for container gardening, patios, or small … Read more
Quick Summary of Easter Egg (Paskhalnoe Yaitso) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial/heirloom variety in Russia and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Ukraine). The name translates perfectly to “Easter Egg”, reflecting its beautiful shape and colorful stripes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, extremely tall (easily exceeding 1.7 – 2 m / 5.5 – 6.5 ft) and vigorous. Performs … Read more