Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Hong Cai Bao (Khon-Tsai-Bao) 🌍 Origin: An exotic striped cherry variety originating from China. The name is transliterated from Russian catalogs as Khon-Tsai-Bao, or more commonly in international seed exchanges as Hong Cai Bao. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. It performs exceptionally well outdoors in open ground and boasts … Read more
Quick Summary of Huan U (Topaz) 🌍 Origin: An exotic cocktail/cherry variety originating from China. Often circulated among collectors under multiple names: Huan U, Topaz, Honey Topaz, or Pearlescent. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly vigorous, and tends to produce a ton of suckers. Can easily reach 3 meters (10 ft) in a greenhouse. Extremely … Read more
Quick Summary of Hazel Mae 🌍 Origin: A well-known American heirloom originating from Ohio. Prized for its massive bi-color fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Needs a long, warm season to perform well. In regions with short or cool summers, yields can be disappointingly low unless seeds are started very early indoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Humph (Хм) 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare variety originating from the USA, introduced to Russian growers in 2015 by seed collector V. Popenko. In Russian, it is translated/transliterated as “Хм” (Hmm / Hmph). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It is prone to putting out many suckers and can easily … Read more
Quick Summary of Hippie Zebra 🌍 Origin: A stunning Green-When-Ripe (GWR) bi-color variety. Highly popularized in Eastern Europe through collector V. Popenko’s catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft). It performs well in both greenhouses and open ground, showing excellent resistance to blossom drop during heatwaves or cold snaps. Note: … Read more
What is the Hillbilly Tomato? 🌍 Origin: The Hillbilly tomato is a famous American heirloom beefsteak variety originating from the Appalachian region (West Virginia). Known for its massive size and stunning bi-color appearance, it has become a favorite among collectors. Interestingly, this US heirloom is also widely grown by Eastern European gardeners under translated names … Read more
Quick Summary of Feyerverk (Firework) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Firework” (or Fireworks), referencing its striking visual appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing around 1.8m (6 ft) tall. Growers note that the foliage is usually Regular Leaf (RL). It requires good support but can be somewhat sensitive to … Read more
Quick Summary of Williams Striped 🌍 Origin: A well-known heirloom variety originating from the USA. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). There is often conflicting information from commercial seed vendors who describe it as a compact bush (up to 1 m / 3.3 ft). However, real growers consistently report it reaching 1.6 m (5.2 ft) and … Read more
Quick Summary of Utomlennoe Solntse (Weary Sun) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful heirloom variety originating from Ukraine. The name translates to “Weary Sun” (a reference to a famous vintage Russian tango song). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and vigorous. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches 1.8 – 2 meters (6 – 6.5 ft) in height. Pro … Read more
Quick Summary of Ulybka Sandry (Sandra’s Smile) 🌍 Origin: A mysterious variety with a fascinating history. Originally acquired by a Latvian collector at a seed swap in Germany under the name “Cassandra”. Since the real Cassandra tomato is a completely different red variety, the name was rejected during local registration. It was officially renamed “Ulybka … Read more
Quick Summary of Tunido (Тунидо) 🌍 Origin & The American Connection: An interesting “lost” variety. A Russian grower notes that her old, hand-packed seeds stated the variety originated in the USA. Given its appearance, it is highly likely that “Tunido” is a localized Russian name for an American striped paste tomato (such as Striped Roman … Read more
Quick Summary of Tolstyi Botsman (Fat Boatswain) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The rather unique name translates to “Fat Boatswain”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Intended for growing outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striped bicolor tomatoes (red with golden/yellowish streaks). The largest fruits … Read more