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): Baba Nadya (Grandma Nadya) 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Latvian “folk selection” (family heirloom). It was popularized in the tomato community by the well-known breeder and collector Valdis Pulins. The name translates to “Grandma Nadya”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Reaches about 1.4-1.6 meters (4.5-5.2 ft) in height. Recommended pruning is to 2 main … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zore’s Big Red 🌍 Origin: A renowned heirloom variety. In Russian collections, it is often circulated under the translated name “Bolshoy Krasnyi Zora”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. A notable feature of this specific strain grown by forum members is its Potato Leaf (PL) foliage, which is an interesting trait … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Babushkina Radost (Grandma’s Joy) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded heirloom variety circulated by Russian and Ukrainian private seed collectors (originally sourced from a Ukrainian grape growers’ forum and popularized by Vera Monakhova). The name translates to “Grandma’s Joy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous plant that easily reaches 2 meters … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bolshaya Medveditsa (Ursa Major) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial and heirloom variety (circulated by commercial vendors and private collectors like Kulik). The name translates to “Ursa Major” or “The Great Bear.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous vine that reaches 1.8m to over 2m (6 to 6.5+ ft) depending on … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bochkovoy Zasol (Barrel Pickling) 🌍 Origin & Name: An old heirloom variety originating from the Astrakhan region of Russia. The name translates to “Barrel Pickling” or “Barrel Fermentation.” It is named after the traditional Russian method of fermenting whole vegetables in large wooden barrels for the winter, implying these tomatoes are … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bashkirskiy Krasavets (Bashkir Handsome) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety from the Bashkortostan region. Historically documented in Tatiana’s TOMATObase. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall and vigorous plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Growers report some variation in fruit shape depending on the seed source. Some describe them as bright raspberry-pink, oblate beefsteaks … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychie Serdtse Kanarskoe (Canary Oxheart) 🌍 Origin: The exact history and origin of this variety are unclear. The name translates to “Canary Oxheart.” It is circulated among Russian growers from domestic private seed collections (such as Ananyeva’s line). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Shows average vigor and reaches about 5.5 ft (1.7 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bizon Chernyi (Black Bison) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety, distributed primarily by the “Poisk” seed company as part of their “Vkusnoteka” (Tasty Library) series. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, very vigorous and powerful plant. Growers note it has a tendency to go vegetative (focusing on leaf growth rather than … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Belorusskoe Serdtse (Belarusian Heart) 🌍 Origin & History: A fantastic heirloom with a verified history! In 2006, a tomato grower named Andrey from Minsk (Belarus) bought a massive 900g (2 lb) tomato from an elderly woman at a local market. She had grown it for years but didn’t know the name. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Black John (Blek Dzhon) 🌍 Origin: A dark Russian variety circulated by domestic seed vendors (like Brizhan and L. Myazina). Note: Some growers report older seed lines segregating, producing a mix of Potato Leaf (PL) and Regular Leaf (RL) plants. The original, stable strain should be PL. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Huge Lemon Oxheart (Limonnyi Okskhard) is a tall indeterminate vine that produces exactly what its name promises: massive pale yellow/lemon-colored oxhearts frequently weighing 14-21 oz (400-600 g). Most growers report exceptional yields and a delicate, mild flavor, though opinions are slightly split on whether that mildness leans toward sweet or just plain … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Apricot Brandywine 🌍 Origin: A beautiful variation within the famous Brandywine family, prized among heirloom collectors for its unique coloration and classic flavor profile. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, PL (Potato Leaf). A very vigorous and sturdy plant that can easily reach 6 ft (1.8m+) in a greenhouse. Responds well to being … Read more