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 Sladkiy Bochonok (Sweet Barrel) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Sweet Barrel”, which perfectly describes its shape and flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.8-2 meters (6-6.5 ft). Pro Tip: The official description notes it is prone to excessive vegetative growth, so it requires strict pruning and … Read more
Quick Summary of Pudovik 🌍 Origin & Registry: The officially registered name of the famous commercial variety from Siberian Garden (often sold with “Sevryuga” written in parentheses). Unlike “Sevryuga“, the name Pudovik is officially listed in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.7-1.8 m (5.5-6 ft). Growers … Read more
Quick Summary of Sevryuga (and Severyuga / Pudovik) 🌍 The Naming Mystery: This is one of the most famously debated varieties in the Russian tomato community. Commercially, the Siberian Garden company (SibSad) released it under the names Sevryuga (a type of sturgeon fish) and Pudovik, stating they are the same variety. However, old-school seed savers … Read more
Quick Summary of Semko 98 F1 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable commercial F1 hybrid from the Russian agricultural company “Semko”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Compact and semi-spreading, growing only 50-55 cm (20-22 inches) tall. It is highly adaptable and can be grown in open ground, greenhouses, or even indoors on a windowsill. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
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Quick Summary of Sem Gnomov (Seven Dwarfs) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial/amateur variety. The name translates to “Seven Dwarfs”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is very short and compact, growing only up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall. Growers note that it does not require any pruning or suckering. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly round, … Read more
Quick Summary of Santa Maria 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded variety circulated by Russian seed collectors (seeds in this thread originate from V. Popenko). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is highly praised for its exceptional heat tolerance. Growers report it sets fruit perfectly without dropping blossoms (no skipped trusses) even during a 1.5-month-long severe … Read more
Quick Summary of Sasha 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom distributed by the well-known organic gardener and seed saver Kazarin. 🌿 Plant Habit: While sometimes officially positioned as a determinate (bush) variety, growers unanimously report that it behaves as an indeterminate (tall) vine, easily reaching 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) in both greenhouses and open ground. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Sleeping Lady 🌍 Origin: A well-known release from the international “Dwarf Tomato Project”, specifically bred for growing in limited spaces (pots, planters, containers, balconies). 🌿 Plant Habit: A true dwarf. It has a compact growth habit with beautiful, dark, rugose (wrinkled) foliage. While often staying small in containers, growers report it can … Read more
Quick Summary of Sultan 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Siberian seed company “Zolotaya Sotka Altaya” (Golden Hundred of Altai). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It requires regular pruning (suckering) and strong staking to support the weight of the fruit. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, pearl-pink beefsteaks. They are oblate (flat-round) and distinctly ribbed near … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnyi Pudovichok (Sugar Pudovichok) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name implies a heavy, sugar-fleshed tomato (a “pud” is an old Russian weight measure equal to 16 kg). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous grower that can easily reach the … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibiryak 🌍 Origin: A renowned variety bred by P.Ya. Saraev, a legendary Soviet breeder famous for creating extremely cold-tolerant tomatoes. The name “Sibiryak” translates to “Siberian” (a person from Siberia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is compact and small, making it ideal for open ground or container growing. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
Quick Summary of Sara Black (Sara Chernaya) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded dark tomato circulated among Eastern European and Russian collectors (many trace their seed lines back to German or local Ukrainian/Russian sources). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but generally on the shorter side. Depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or in a greenhouse, growers report … Read more