Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kolovyi 🌍 Origin: An old, preserved Ukrainian heirloom variety. The name “Kolovyi” roughly translates to “Stake” (as in a wooden tomato stake), implying the plant requires sturdy support. Also sometimes circulated in seed swaps as “Kolovyi Kubanskiy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally considered indeterminate, though outdoors in open ground it often tops … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kyzyl Tau 🌍 Origin: Modern heirloom bred by the famous tomato breeder Vitaly Alifirov from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The name “Kyzyl Tau” translates from Turkic languages to “Red Mountain.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very productive and vigorous plant that performs exceptionally well in a greenhouse when pruned to 2 stems. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Korolevskoe Serdtse (Royal Heart) 🌍 Origin: A stunning Russian heirloom. The name perfectly translates to “Royal Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An absolute workhorse that performs exceptionally well, especially in greenhouse setups. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful oxheart-shaped fruits. The skin is a glowing orange with striking pink marbling. They … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Strawberry Sergeant 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. It is a cross between Mrs. Schlaubaugh’s Famous Strawberry and Sgt. Pepper’s. The Russian name is “Klubnichniy Serzhant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plants are quite sturdy and strong. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Pink fruits with dark anthocyanin splashes on … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Klyuv Pelikana (Pelican’s Beak) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating and actively developing cross between Rebel Starfighter VT16 and Black Beauty. The name translates to “Pelican’s Beak”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Appears to be a manageable indeterminate, reaching about 4.5 feet (1.4 m) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striking dark anthocyanin shoulders that bleed into … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kino 🌍 Origin: A forum-exclusive Russian variety. It started as an accidental cross between Vater Rhein and Siberian Tiger discovered by a grower in 2017. After several years of growing it out and stabilizing it to the F7 generation, the community officially named it “Kino” (which means “Cinema” or “Movie”) in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ivanych F1 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Transnistrian commercial F1 hybrid. Developed for ultra-early production and high marketability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, reaching only about 2.3 feet (70 cm) tall. Excellent for open ground or low tunnels. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright pink, round, and uniform. They average about 7 oz … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ivanovskie 🌍 Origin: A regional “folk” heirloom from Russia. The name simply means it originated from or is associated with the Ivanovo region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but on the shorter side, usually topping out around 5 feet (1.5 m). Great for greenhouses or open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italian Hearts (Italianskie Serdechki) 🌍 Origin: A variety circulated among Russian tomato collectors under the name “Italianskie Serdechki”. The exact pedigree is unknown, but it is a widely grown, stable open-pollinated oxheart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. An early-season variety known for being highly adaptable. It sets fruit reliably without dropping blossoms … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izumrudnaya Parcha (Emerald Brocade) 🌍 Origin: A modern, highly sought-after collectible variety bred by the Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. The name translates to “Emerald Brocade.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and mid-early season. It displays classic oxheart genetics: the vines are very skinny, frail-looking, and have sparse, weeping foliage. Don’t panic, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zapotec Pink Ribbed 🌍 Origin: A famous indigenous heirloom originally cultivated by the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, Mexico. Renowned for its deeply pleated, almost ruffled appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A vigorous, heavy-vined plant that easily reaches 5.9 feet (1.8 m) in a greenhouse setting. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deeply ribbed, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Byk (Golden Bull) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom released by the Biotekhnika seed company. The name translates to “Golden Bull”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Regular leaf, but it possesses the classic “wispy” oxheart foliage. The leaves are typically pale green and droopy, making the plant look frail even … Read more