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 (TL;DR): Dikaya Roza (Wild Rose) 🌍 Origin: A hugely popular commercial Russian variety sold by almost every major seed company (Aelita, Sedek, Sibsad, etc.). The name translates to “Wild Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly variable depending on the seed source! Some growers report massive, sprawling indeterminate vines, while others report sturdy determinates … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dr. Lyle 🌍 Origin: A legendary USA heirloom from West Virginia. It was famously introduced to the seed-saving community by Craig LeHoullier, who received it from George Korbel (whose father-in-law was the eponymous Dr. Lyle). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Vigorous and highly productive vines. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive pink beefsteaks that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Joe’s Pink Oxheart 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom from the Ozark Mountains, USA. Popularized and distributed by the well-known American collector Dale Thurber (Delectation of Tomatoes). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Vigorous, healthy vines with the classic “wispy” regular foliage common to many oxheart types. An early-to-mid season producer (around 75 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Drova (Firewood) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Firewood” or “Logs”, perfectly describing the elongated shape of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, tree-type (rugose foliage). Extremely compact, stocky, and sturdy, usually maxing out around 16–24 inches (40–60 cm) tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dikovinka 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial dark cherry variety from the Russian seed company “Aelita”. The charming name “Dikovinka” translates roughly to “A Rare Marvel” or “Novelty”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. An absolute monster of a plant. Extremely vigorous and fuss-free, performing exceptionally well even outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dora 🌍 Origin: A legendary USA variety bred by Keith Mueller. It is the result of a deliberate cross between two iconic heirlooms: Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. Keith named this potato-leaf beauty after his grandmother, Dora. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Mid-season. A solid producer that reaches about 5 feet (1.5m) when … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dvoynaya Zhizn Kolobka 🌍 Origin: A fascinating commercial Russian variety developed by the Gavrish seed company. The quirky name translates to “The Double Life of Kolobok” (Kolobok is a round, runaway dough boy from a famous Slavic fairy tale, much like the Gingerbread Man). 🌿 Plant Habit: It truly lives a … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jovan 🌍 Origin: A rugged, highly productive heirloom from Serbia. Developed/maintained by the well-known Serbian tomato breeder and seed saver, Živojin Antić. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Growers report it is incredibly resilient, producing high yields even during seasons with severe temperature swings and poor weather. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, raspberry-pink oxhearts. … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dzinovski Paradajz Jabucar 🌍 Origin: A well-regarded heirloom from Serbia, sourced from the well-known Serbian breeder Živojin Antić. The name translates roughly to “Giant Apple Tomato” (Paradajz means tomato, Jabucar means apple-type, and Dzinovski means giant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous vines that do exceptionally well in greenhouse conditions. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gerkules (Hercules) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial determinate variety (seeds distributed by ASK). The name translates to “Hercules.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). While commercial packets claim it stays extremely dwarf (10-16 inches / 26-40 cm), growers report it easily grows to nearly 3 ft (80-90 cm) in good garden soil. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grushka Oranzhevaya (Orange Pear) 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Eastern European commercial variety. The name translates directly to “Orange Little Pear”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate / Semi-determinate. It has regular leaf foliage and grows to about 3.3 ft (1 m). It can be staked, caged, or simply allowed to sprawl on the ground … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gumanitarnyi iz SShA (US Humanitarian Aid) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating piece of Cold War/Post-Soviet history! These seeds were originally distributed to Russian citizens in 1995 in commercial packets as part of United States humanitarian aid programs. The original variety name was lost, so Russian seed savers preserved and circulated it under … Read more