Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Sofia’s Sweet Caramel (Sladkaya Karamel Sofii) is an indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season bicolor heart bred by Sofia Saakova. Most of the 11 growers here praise its sweet flavor and looks. The main caveats are soft fruit in extreme heat and occasional segregation into Temptation. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA … Read more
Quick Summary of Severe Melon of the Volga Germans (Surovaya Dynya) 🌍 Origin: A highly exotic and rare heirloom variety. The name translates to “Severe Melon of the Volga Germans”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vining). Like many heart-shaped varieties, it has a “slender” or “wispy” appearance right from the seedling stage, but don’t let … Read more
Quick Summary of Pink Furry Boar 🌍 Origin: A famous American creation by breeder Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms), highly popular among Russian collectors for its unique appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining), growing to about 1.7 m (5.5 ft) in a greenhouse. It boasts fantastic disease resistance (stays green late into the season) and … Read more
Quick Summary of Russkiy Kazak (Russian Cossack) 🌍 Origin: Originally a US-bred variety (likely by Tom Wagner) that became highly popular among Russian seed collectors (like V. Redko and V. Popenko) under the translated name “Russkiy Kazak”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to indeterminate. Generally stays relatively compact, with most growers reporting a medium height of … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Flamingo (Pink Flamingo) 🌍 The Great Name Controversy: “Pink Flamingo” is one of the most fiercely debated names in the Russian tomato community. Several different seed companies and private collectors released entirely different varieties under this exact same name, leading to endless confusion. 🧬 The Different Variants: If you buy or … Read more
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