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): Mt. Vesuvius (Piennolo del Vesuvio) 🌍 Origin & History: This is a legendary Italian heirloom storage tomato (Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio). Traditionally grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, they are famous for being harvested on the vine, tied into large bunches (piennolo), and hung from ceilings to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Viking 🌍 Origin & Confusion: This thread discusses a large, red heirloom variety originally sourced from Sweden. Important Note: There is an officially registered Russian commercial variety also named “Viking,” but that one produces small yellow tomatoes. The Swedish “Viking” discussed here is completely different. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vesennie Zamorozki (Spring Frosts) 🌍 Origin & Breeder: A famous Russian heirloom bred by Pavel Saraev. Saraev dedicated his life to developing extreme cold-tolerant tomatoes capable of surviving light spring frosts in open ground without protection. The name translates perfectly to “Spring Frosts”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush) variety. A compact, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vanka (Little Ivan) 🌍 Origin & Name: A private Russian heirloom variety that gained popularity through seed collector Anzhelika Manusha. The name “Vanka” is an affectionate, colloquial diminutive of the name Ivan (essentially meaning “Little Ivan” or “Johnny”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but highly praised for not being an overly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Volovye Serdtse (Ox’s Heart) 🌍 Origin & Naming: A classic commercial heirloom from Russia, officially registered in 2000 by “NK-LTD” (Semena NK). Language Note: In Russian, “Volovye” means Ox, and “Bychie” means Bull. While Americans use the term “Oxheart” as a generic shape category, in Russia, Volovye Serdtse (Ox’s Heart) and … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Viagra Tomato 🌍 Origin & Name: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the well-known seed company Gavrish (registered in 2008). Yes, the name is intentionally provocative, and many growers admit to buying it purely for the novelty of having “Viagra” in their garden! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), growing into a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vareniki 🌍 Origin & Name: A fantastic commercial heirloom originating from Northern Kazakhstan. The name “Vareniki” translates to traditional Eastern European dumplings (similar to pierogi). It was named this because the ideal fruit shape is supposed to resemble a dumpling – a plump, half-moon or boat shape, often finishing with a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vinnaya Bukhta (Wine Cove) 🌍 Origin: Popular dark tomato circulating in the Russian heirloom community. The name translates literally to “Wine Cove” (or Wine Bay). Grower’s Note: While some speculate this might have originated from a mistranslation of Wine Jug (Vinnyi Kuvshin), “Wine Cove” is traded as a distinct, highly stable … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vedro s Kusta (A Bucket per Bush) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic family heirloom originating from Barnaul (Siberia, Russia). The name translates literally to “A Bucket from a Bush” or “A Bucket per Bush”, which perfectly describes its massive yield potential. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 6.5 ft (2 m). … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vjerino 🌍 Origin: A treasured family heirloom originating from Bosnia. This variety holds a special place in the heirloom community because the seeds were passed down from a Bosnian woman’s stepdaughter directly to the late Dr. Carolyn Male, a legendary American tomato grower and author. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Velmozha (Nobleman) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety from Russia. The name “Velmozha” translates to “Nobleman” or “Grandee”. It was developed by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) as an improved, determinate version of the famous Budenovka tomato. It is officially listed in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: White Cherry (Belaya Vishnya) 🌱 Plant Habit: A tall indeterminate vine. It exhibits the classic “wispy” or frail-looking foliage that is typical of most oxheart varieties. 🍅 Fruit & Yield: Despite the “cherry” in its name, this is NOT a cherry tomato. It produces large, pale cream/white heart-shaped tomatoes weighing 9 to … Read more