Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Welcome to one of the most unique and comprehensive tomato databases on the English-speaking web. This catalog isn’t based on generic seed packet descriptions—it is built entirely on the real, hands-on experience of everyday gardeners.
For over a decade, thousands of growers have shared their successes, failures, and harvest photos on one of the oldest and largest Russian-speaking gardening forums. We have taken this massive, multi-year knowledge base and carefully translated and summarized the very best of it for you.
What you will find in our catalog:
Whether you are looking for a bulletproof hybrid for a short season, an exotic anthocyanin variety, or the sweetest beefsteak you’ve ever tasted, the collective experience of our gardening community will help you find the perfect seed for your next harvest. Browse our subcategories below to explore!
Quick Summary of Tryufel Krasno-Rozovyi (Red-Pink Truffle) 🌍 Origin: A legendary “folk” heirloom circulated widely among Russian seed savers. It was originally distributed by a grower named Galya-64 around the year 2000. Because it had no official name, it spread across the internet under various names: Galya’s Truffle, Raspberry Truffle, or Folk Truffle (Narodnyi). 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Shar (Sweet Globe) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Altai Seeds) company. The name translates to “Sweet Globe” or “Sweet Sphere.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It produces large, grayish-green leaves. The foliage is so dense that the fruits tend to hide completely under … Read more
Quick Summary of Sigarovidnyi Malinovyi (Raspberry Cigar) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Raspberry Cigar” (or Crimson Cigar), perfectly describing its shape and color. Amazing seed saver fact from this thread: A grower successfully germinated seeds that had expired 13 years prior! 🌿 Plant Habit: … Read more
Quick Summary of Sweet Cherry Iskra (Sweet Cherry Spark) 🌍 Origin: Developed by Russian amateur breeder Nikolay Alexandrov from the city of Chelyabinsk. Fun fact: The breeder himself actually chimed in on this very thread to comment on the grower’s results! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very vigorous, reaching over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. … Read more
Quick Summary of Thessaloniki (Saloniki) 🌍 Origin: A famous Greek heirloom that is highly respected and widely grown by Russian and Eastern European gardeners, who often refer to it locally as Saloniki or Fesaloniki. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though its height heavily depends on the climate. In the colder Russian outdoors, it typically reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskaya Liana (Siberian Liana) 🌍 Origin: An old, established Russian heirloom variety that has been kept in private collections for many years. The name translates to “Siberian Liana” (Siberian Vine), referring to its extremely vigorous, climbing growth habit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vine). The grower notes that it performs best and … Read more
Quick Summary of Serafino 🌍 Origin: Sourced from the collection of well-known Russian seed seller Valentina Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is a low-growing variety, reaching only about 60 cm (2 ft) tall in a greenhouse. Growers note that it does not require pruning (removing suckers), but it absolutely requires staking because the … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Gigant (Siberian Giant) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the well-known “Gavrish” seed company. The name appropriately translates to “Siberian Giant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It produces an extremely vigorous and massive vine. Growers report it reaching up to 3 meters (nearly 10 ft) tall when pruned to … Read more
Quick Summary of Salatnye (Salad) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety circulated among seed collectors. Interestingly, experienced growers suspect it might be a “twin” (the exact same genetics) of another variety known as Podarok Moey Zhene (My Wife’s Gift). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Kozyr (Siberian Trump Card) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Sibsad” (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “Siberian Trump Card,” implying it’s a reliable, winning choice for a gardener. 🌿 Plant Habit (Take Note!): There is a known discrepancy with this variety. The official seed packet … Read more
Quick Summary of Superbanan (Super Banana) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety whose name literally translates to “Super Banana”. It is highly sought after by growers who specialize in preserving and canning. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous plant reaching over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. The manufacturer specifically recommends it … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdechnyi Potseluy (Heart’s Kiss) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the famous “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Heart’s Kiss”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate / semi-determinate, reaching about 1.3 m (4.2 ft) in height. It can be grown outdoors in open ground, but requires proper pruning (usually to … Read more