Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: A compact yellow cherry tomato known for its delicate, toy-like foliage and outstanding resistance to late blight. Unlike sugary cherries, it boasts a savory, meaty flavor reminiscent of a full-sized slicer. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-5) S Sweet (Svetlana) Pro | 8,792 posts 📍 Belgorod region (USDA … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A mid-early, determinate variety producing large, perfectly round, bright orange tomatoes with sweet, low-acid flesh. Highly regarded for its taste, but watch out for commercial seed packets (SibSad) that frequently contain pink heart-shaped off-types. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-5) S Sweet (Svetlana) Pro | 8,792 posts 📍 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A large, sweet, deep pink beefsteak slicer. There is significant confusion in the seed market between a commercial determinate hybrid version and a soaring indeterminate heirloom strain traded among gardeners, but both produce massive, meaty fruits. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-6) S Sweet (Svetlana) Pro | 8,792 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A compact, early determinate variety producing sweet, yellow-orange elongated hearts. Known for setting fruit reliably even in cool, wet weather and boasting wispy, weeping foliage. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-4) S Semechka Pro | 23,540 posts 📍 Krasnoyarsk suburbs (USDA Zone 3) D decorshtor (Irina) Beginner | … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mongolian Dwarf is a unique, extreme micro-dwarf that grows like a creeping ground cover rather than a traditional bush. While it rarely exceeds 12 inches (30 cm) in height, it can sprawl over 24 inches (60 cm) wide. It requires zero pruning or staking and is highly prized for setting early fruit … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Gardener’s Dream (Mechta Ogorodnika) is a determinate, compact red tomato marketed as an early producer. While its fresh flavor is widely considered average, it boasts incredible storage life—allowing some growers to eat fresh tomatoes in January—and works perfectly for juicing and salads. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Matroskin is a rugged, low-maintenance dwarf tomato that produces beautiful red-and-pale-yellow striped fruits with a slight point. Given its compact size, it is a fantastic candidate for containers or the front of a high tunnel. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 8 Experience) R Rodebielesumer (Elena) 1,832 Posts 📍 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Morkovnyi (Carrot) is an early-season, determinate bush variety famous for its striking, finely cut, carrot-like foliage. Staying compact at around 20-32 inches (50-80 cm), it is an excellent choice for outdoor growing and early harvests. The fruits are medium-sized, red, slightly ribbed, and usually weigh around 5-9 oz (150-250 g). While everyone … Read more
🍅 Quick take: The name Michurinets refers to two completely different tomato strains circulating among growers, both featuring potato-leaf (PL) foliage. Strain 1 (The Early Dwarf): A short, rugose tree-type (determinate) bush that produces small, early 3 oz (80-90 g) red tomatoes. Excellent for short-season climates. Strain 2 (The Brandywine Cousin): An indeterminate PL heirloom … Read more
🍅 Quick take: The name Malinovka causes massive confusion in the tomato world because there are two completely different, unrelated varieties sharing the name. Strain 1 (Commercial “Russian Garden” brand): A short, 24-28 inch (60-70 cm) determinate bush that produces small 2.5 oz (70 g) crack-resistant, dark pink plum/paste tomatoes. Perfect for canning. Strain 2 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Marusya is an early, highly productive determinate paste tomato from Russia. Producing incredibly dense, meaty, and dry red plum/egg-shaped fruits in the 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g) range, it is an absolute favorite for whole-peeled canning and making thick sauces. The bushes stay compact at around 20-32 inches (50-80 cm), require minimal pruning, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mano is a super compact, early-season determinate bush that thrives in containers. Maxing out around just 16 inches (40 cm), it produces sweet, red cocktail-sized tomatoes weighing 1.4-2.1 oz (40-60 g). Because of its miniature footprint, growers often use it as an understory crop beneath tall vines in the greenhouse. Full summary … Read more