Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlatava (Zlatova) 🌍 Origin: A popular Eastern European commercial variety, frequently sold by the Russian seed company Elkom and the Lithuanian company Seklos. Spelling varies between Zlatova and Zlatava. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but highly manageable and not overly aggressive. A unique quirk of this variety is that it pushes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Mandarin (Golden Mandarin) 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety popularized by private seed collector Valya Redko. The name translates to “Golden Mandarin” (or Golden Tangerine), which perfectly matches its bright color and size. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and well-behaved. Typically stays around 20 to 32 inches (50-80 cm) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zyryanka 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The name “Zyryanka” references a town/river in northern Siberia, signaling its hardy genetics. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Mid-season maturity. A very vigorous, strong, and wide-spreading plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, perfectly round/oblate tomatoes. They are … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zemlyak (Countryman) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. The name “Zemlyak” translates to “Countryman” or “Fellow Countryman”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It has a very wide, sprawling growth habit. It requires virtually no maintenance and can be grown without pruning (suckering). 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Zebra 🌍 Origin: A legendary American variety bred by Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds) in 1983. It is arguably the most famous green-when-ripe tomato in the world. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Can be a bit of a slow starter and sometimes grows spindly outdoors, but yields are generally reliable. It … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zasolochniy Delikates (Pickling Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the famous Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Pickling Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Seed packets claim it is a determinate (bush) type reaching 3.3 feet (1 m). However, growers report that when planted in a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Honey 🌍 Origin: A US-bred variety that gained massive popularity among European and Russian growers through local seed catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A true workhorse with an incredible harvest window, pumping out fruit right up until the first frost. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Cocktail-sized beauties weighing up to 2.1 oz … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltaya Mishen (Yellow Target) 🌍 Origin: A unique collector’s variety. Some growers report sourcing it from Chinese seed banks, while others got it from famous Russian collectors like V. Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Despite some early descriptions calling it mid-sized, it is a highly vigorous, sprawling vine that easily … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dragotsennaya Zhemchuzhina (Precious Pearl) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates beautifully to “Precious Pearl”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but stays relatively compact. Exhibits medium vigor and maxes out around 4 feet (1.2 m) tall by the end of the season. Mid-early maturity. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small, bright red, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Detskiy Sladkiy “Slivka” (Children’s Sweet Plum) 🌍 Origin: Сommercial variety exclusively released by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Children’s Sweet ‘Plum’”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Super-determinate, low-growing bush. Officially listed at 20 inches (50 cm), but can grow slightly taller and wider in a greenhouse. Requires zero pruning/suckering! 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Desert (Dessert) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety famously released by the “Manul” agricultural company. “Desert” translates directly to “Dessert”, hinting at its sweet flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An early-season, well-behaved plant that doesn’t aggressively take over the greenhouse. Highly productive. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Officially described as “very small,” but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jessica 🌍 Origin: An indeterminate heirloom variety originally from Argentina. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Vigorously grows with very healthy, dark green foliage. Responds well to being pruned to 3 main stems in a greenhouse setting. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Dark (brown/black) cocktail-sized tomatoes shaped like little pears with thin necks. Average … Read more