Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vishnya Zimnyaya (Winter Cherry) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Winter Cherry”. Intended for outdoor growing in middle and northern climates. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The seed packet claims it is a stout, tree-type dwarf that requires zero pruning, but growers report it grows as a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vesennyaya Kapel (Spring Drop) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Spring Drop” (referencing a drop of melting snow in spring). Grower’s Note: There are two known strains circulating among collectors. One produces small pear-shaped fruits with a little beak (spout), originating from the Russian breeder Brizhan. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Mt. Vesuvius (Piennolo del Vesuvio) 🌍 Origin & History: This is a legendary Italian heirloom storage tomato (Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio). Traditionally grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, they are famous for being harvested on the vine, tied into large bunches (piennolo), and hung from ceilings to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Val’s Green Striped 🌍 Origin: A rare green-striped tomato, originally introduced by Val McMurray of British Columbia, Canada. 🌱 Plant Habit: An indeterminate vine, highly productive, growing up to 5 ft (1.5m) tall in a greenhouse. Best pruned to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit & Yield: Small to medium round fruits weighing 2.5 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Yellow Vernissage 🌍 Origin: Bred by the well-known Ukrainian breeder Ruslan Dukhov, part of his famous “Vernissage” series of striped tomatoes. 🌱 Plant Habit: A massive, sprawling, highly vigorous indeterminate vine. It requires aggressive pruning and sturdy trellising, otherwise, it will completely take over your greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit & Yield: A classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Volgograd Early 323 🌍 Origin: A classic, historic commercial variety released in 1973 by the Volgograd Experimental Station of the VIR (Vavilov Institute). It is a cross between a local Russian variety and the American Bush Beefsteak. 🌱 Plant Habit: An extremely compact determinate (almost micro-dwarf in scale). The bushy, heavily branched … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banzai 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety sold commercially by companies like Gavrish, though some growers have been saving their own family strains of this tomato since the 1990s. 🌿 Plant Habit: The commercial packet lists it as a 5 ft (1.5 m) plant, but growers consistently report it behaves as a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Velue Strieé 🌍 Origin: A stunning French heirloom novelty tomato. The name roughly translates to “Striped Velvet”, perfectly describing its unique appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: A semi-determinate to indeterminate plant with the classic “angora” trait—the foliage and stems are covered in dense, soft fuzz, making it look silvery or frosted. Pro … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bonner Beste 🌍 Origin: A historic commercial heirloom originally from Germany (the name translates to “Bonn’s Best”). It has been widely adapted and heavily grown by Russian and Eastern European gardeners for its extreme reliability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous vine. Produces heavy trusses (clusters) of fruit. It is highly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Burkovskiy Ranniy (Burkov’s Early) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial release, originally bred by VNIIR (Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry) and popularized by the Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush habit). A true shorty and very compact. No pruning or suckering needed. It’s perfect for container gardening, balconies, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Boni MM (Boney M) 🌍 Origin: A very famous commercial Russian variety, primarily distributed by the Gavrish seed company. Named in honor of the popular disco group Boney M. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate rugose dwarf (tree-type). Extremely compact, usually topping out around 40-50 cm (1.5 ft). Highly prized because the seedlings … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Betta (Бетта) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian dwarf/bush variety widely praised for its ultra-early production. 🌿 Plant Habit: A true dwarf/tree-type (штамб). The plants are very compact and sturdy, typically reaching only 16-20 inches (40-50 cm). They feature broad, rugose-type foliage. Despite their sturdy trunks, they usually require staking once loaded … Read more