Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Amber,” referring to its bright yellow-orange color. Note: It is sometimes sold under variations like “Yantarnyi 530”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush/tree-type). It is highly compact, rugose, and very sturdy. It does not strictly require pruning or suckering, making … Read more
Quick Summary of Jarson 13 (Ochre Pear) 🌍 Origin & Breeding: A highly sought-after amateur variety bred by a Polish breeder known as Jarson. It was created by crossing two legendary Russian heirlooms: Malakhitovaya Shkatulka (Malachite Box) and Yellow Khurma (Persimmon). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) with regular foliage. It performs exceptionally well outdoors, reaching … Read more
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Quick Summary of Yustina (Justyna) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded cocktail-sized heirloom variety popular in Eastern European collections. The name is Justyna (often transliterated as Yustina). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) with medium vigor and regular foliage. It responds exceptionally well to minimal pruning (growers recommend pruning suckers only up to the first truss, then … Read more
Quick Summary of Yuzhniy Zagar (Southern Tan) 🌍 Origin: A very famous commercial/heirloom variety from Siberian breeders (Sibirskiy Sad). The name translates to “Southern Tan”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but usually remains quite compact (1-1.2m outdoors, up to 2m in a greenhouse). It features classic “wispy” (weeping) foliage — the seedlings look skinny, frail, and … Read more
Quick Summary of Exotic Fruit 🌍 Origin: A vigorously growing heirloom variety traded in Eastern European collections under the English name “Exotic Fruit”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) and very powerful. The plants are highly vigorous and respond very well to multi-stem pruning. Growers successfully train them to 3 or even 4 stems without sacrificing … Read more
Quick Summary of Eros 🌍 Origin: A well-known novelty paste tomato, often considered the “brother” of the famous Auria variety, but with yellow-orange fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). Known for having “wispy foliage” (thin, delicate-looking vines) despite its tall and vigorous growth. Easily reaches the greenhouse roof. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Elongated, cylindrical (phallic-shaped) fruits, … Read more
Quick Summary of Elfie 🌍 Origin: A classic heirloom variety. The name “Elfie” is a traditional female name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, requires staking. Best grown in a greenhouse in cooler climates, pruned to 2 stems. Yields can vary depending on the region: growers in Central Russia report excellent harvests, while those in Siberia note … Read more
Quick Summary of Ela 03 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line. It is a cross between the variety Kiwi and K/20 (Kozula 20, described in Polish as czekoladowo-wiśniowy, meaning “chocolate-cherry”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season variety. The bush is relatively manageable, reaching a height of about 1.5 meters (5 ft). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, … Read more
Quick Summary: Abrikosovye ot Gulzhanat (Gulzhanat’s Apricot) 🌍 Origin: A rare amateur heirloom variety tracing back to a collector named Gulzhanat. The name translates directly to “Apricot from Gulzhanat.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very tall (easily reaches the roof of a standard greenhouse). Despite its height, growers note it performs well even when planted … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Sveta (Wonder of the World) 🌍 Origin: A very popular, beautiful Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Wonder of the World”, though it is sometimes visually compared to a small lemon. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and strongly growing plant (reaching over 2 meters / 6.5 ft in greenhouses). … Read more
Quick Summary of Chukhloma (Orange Icicle/Paste) 🌍 Origin: A highly successful Russian commercial variety from the Gavrish seed company. It is the orange sibling to the red variety Khokhloma. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall) and vigorous, easily exceeding 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Growers note its distinct foliage: the leaves are very … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Zemli Orange 🌍 Origin: An orange variant/strain of the famous Russian heirloom “Chudo Zemli” (Wonder of the Earth). Some growers note a strong visual resemblance to the Fox Nose (Liskin Nos) variety, though they behave differently in the garden. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. When grown in a … Read more