Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Kesidi (Sweet Casady) 🌍 Origin: A very popular elongated striped variety. Known globally as “Sweet Casady” (originally bred by Tom Wagner), it is widely grown and traded among Russian and Eastern European collectors under the translated name “Sladkiy Kesidi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and extremely vigorous! Growers describe the foliage as … Read more
Quick Summary of Märchenzauber (Fairy Tale Magic) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful modern variety originating from Germany. The name translates directly to “Fairy Tale Magic.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vining) and early ripening. It produces lovely, cascading trusses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large cherry or small plum tomatoes weighing up to 50 g (1.7 oz). They … Read more
Quick Summary of San Marzano 🌍 Origin: The legendary, world-famous Italian heirloom originating from the Campania region in Italy. It is considered the gold standard for tomato paste and sauces worldwide. 🌿 Plant Habit: Varies heavily depending on the specific line/biotype you grow. It can range from a compact 60 cm (2 ft) bush (Nano/Dwarf … Read more
Quick Summary of Sgt. Pepper’s 🌍 Origin: A highly famous anthocyanin (blue/purple) cross bred in the USA (by Jason Haynes). It is named after the iconic Beatles album. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. This variety is famous for its extremely “wispy”, slender, and weeping foliage. In the seedling stage and in the garden, it looks incredibly … Read more
Quick Summary of Russo Sicilian Togetta 🌍 Origin: A beautiful traditional heirloom variety, highly prized for its deeply ruffled, classic Italian appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). Highly productive in a greenhouse when pruned to 2 stems, but also demonstrates extreme resilience when grown outdoors in harsh conditions. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, oblate (flattened), … Read more
Quick Summary of Rubin Zolotoy (Ruby Gold) 🌍 Origin: A historic American heirloom (Ruby Gold) that became highly popular among Russian and Ukrainian seed collectors (notably popularized by A.I. Kulik) under the translated name “Rubin Zolotoy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: A very powerful, vigorous indeterminate (vining) plant. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches the ceiling (over … Read more
Quick Summary of Work Release Paste 🌍 Origin & “Lost in Translation” Story: This is a famous large Italian/US heirloom. However, when it was introduced to the Russian tomato community, the name was awkwardly auto-translated as “Rabochiy Vypusk Pasty” (which translates back literally as “Industrial Production of Macaroni”). The bizarre name caused a lot of … 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 Pantano (Pantano Romanesco) 🌍 Origin: A classic traditional Italian heirloom variety. It is widely known internationally as Pantano Romanesco, though some seed swappers circulate it simply as Pantano. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but praised for being very sturdy and not prone to getting leggy or stretching. It performs decently outdoors in … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Sugar (Purpurnyy Sakharnyy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety sold in Russia by the “Dom Semyan” (House of Seeds) company. The packet claims it is an “original variety native to Latin America,” but it appears to be a ribbed dark variety highly prone to fasciation. The name translates to “Purple Sugar”. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of First Mate (Pervyy Pomoshchnik) 🌍 Origin: A stunning tricolor/bicolor heirloom. In the Russian tomato community, it circulates under the direct translation “Pervyy Pomoshchnik” (First Mate). 🌿 Plant Habit: An indeterminate (tall) variety, though some growers describe it as a “short indeterminate” as it often tops out around 1.5–1.8m (5–6 ft) in the … Read more
Quick Summary of Stump of the World (Pen Mira) 🌍 Origin: This is the famous American heirloom from the Ben Quisenberry collection! In the Russian tomato community, it circulates under the direct literal translation “Pen Mira” (Stump of the World). It’s fascinating to see how highly regarded this US classic is among Russian growers. 🌿 … Read more