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): Brandywine Red 🌍 Origin: A classic red strain of the legendary Brandywine heirloom family, famous among collectors worldwide for its unmatched flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 6.5 ft (2 m) tall. It features the classic Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. The bush is medium in vigor but very densely … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Purple Pear Brandywine 🌍 Origin: A fantastic dark pear/plum variation in the famous Brandywine family. Known for combining the legendary Brandywine flavor with a unique shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very robust and vigorous, usually grown to 2 stems in the greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Dark raspberry/purple pear-shaped fruits. Sizes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Braviy General (Brave General) 🌍 Origin: A rugged commercial variety from the Altai region of Russia, specifically bred for short, cold summers. The name translates to “Brave General”. 🌿 Plant Habit: A compact, short indeterminate. It is very well-behaved and doesn’t require aggressive pruning. Because of its neat, contained growth habit, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Batyanya (Dad) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial Russian variety from “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name “Batyanya” translates roughly to “Daddy” or “Pops”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 5 ft (1.5 m) outdoors and 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. Classic oxheart genetics with very delicate, wispy foliage that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bogatyr Ilyusha 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Hero Ilyusha”, referencing a legendary strongman from Slavic folklore. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can be grown successfully both in a greenhouse and outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, blunt oxhearts … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bulgaria 🌍 Origin: An heirloom variety named after Bulgaria. Often grown by collectors who prioritize flavor over yield. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but tends to be on the shorter side in the greenhouse (around 5 ft / 1.5 m). It has extreme wispy foliage—the plant looks incredibly pale, spindly, and weak, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Budenovka 🌍 Origin: A legendary, classic Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Budenovka”, which was a distinctively pointed, historical Soviet cavalry hat—perfectly describing the shape of these pointed oxheart tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though sometimes acts semi-determinate depending on the seed line), usually reaching about 5-5.5 ft (1.5-1.6 m) tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Large Barred Boar 🌍 Origin: An exotic release from Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (California, USA). It has become highly popular among Russian and Eastern European heirloom collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season variety. Typically grows to about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. It prefers a very sunny, well-ventilated spot … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banan Krasnyi (Red Banana) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian variety. The name translates directly to “Red Banana”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally a compact determinate (bush) plant growing about 2-2.5 feet (60-80 cm) tall, though some seed lines seem to produce indeterminate vines. Extremely sturdy and known for being highly forgiving … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bozhya Korovka (Ladybug) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Ladybug”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly debated! The seed packet claims it is a compact determinate (12-20 inches / 30-50 cm). However, almost all forum growers report it growing huge—up to 5-6.5 feet … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Black Oxheart (Bych’ye Serdtse Chernoe) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial and family heirloom from Russia. Known in Russian as Bych’ye Serdtse Chernoe. Growers often debate how it compares to the American variety Brad’s Black Heart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. It features the classic “wispy, drooping” oxheart foliage, but the main … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Buran 🌍 Origin: A Russian family heirloom passed down through a forum member’s mother. The name “Buran” translates to “Blizzard” or “Snowstorm.” Note: There is also a commercial Dutch F1 hybrid called Buran; growers debate whether this heirloom is a stabilized, dehybridized version of it or a completely separate family seed … Read more