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): 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
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Beefsteak Albi 🌍 Origin: A famous giant heirloom from Russia. This variety is a known champion at the prestigious annual “Minusinsk Tomato Champion” festival in Siberia, where growers compete to raise the heaviest tomatoes in the country. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. An absolute beast of a plant. Growers describe it as … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blazhenstvo (Bliss) 🌍 Origin: A stunning modern variety introduced by Russian breeder and collector Sofia Saakova. The name translates beautifully to “Bliss”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It has proven to be quite resistant to Leaf Mold (Cladosporium), staying healthy late into the season. Note: It is a late-season variety in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bronze Heart of Angel 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and exotic novelty oxheart variety. Known in Russian catalogs as Bronzovoe Serdtse Angela. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An excellent yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Classic blunt oxheart shape. The color is absolutely stunning—a soft ochre, mustard, or bronze hue. The fruits are medium-sized, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brutus 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety originating from the Czech Republic, famous for its massive size. Note: Some commercial seed companies label it as an “F1 Hybrid,” but many growers suspect this is a marketing trick to discourage seed saving, as saved seeds grow out true to type. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Berberana F1 🌍 Origin: A highly disease-resistant commercial F1 hybrid, popular in Europe and Russia for greenhouse production. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but with short internodes, keeping the plant compact and manageable without having to constantly reach for the greenhouse ceiling. Produces strong, bushy dark green foliage. 🛡️ Disease Resistance: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Baklazhan (Eggplant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Eggplant,” given because of the huge, elongated oval shape of the fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 7 feet (2.2m) in a greenhouse. It is extremely reliable and resilient, setting fruit easily without dropping blossoms even in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bochka Meda (Barrel of Honey) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial variety from Russia. The name translates to “Barrel of Honey,” which perfectly describes both its vibrant color and its intense sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant grows vigorous, tall, and quite wide/bushy, requiring good support. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Basajaun 🌍 Origin: A highly prized family heirloom from the Basque Country (Biscay province, Spain). Introduced to the wider heirloom community by Secret Seed Cartel. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though some greenhouse growers report it staying around 5 feet (1.5m). It is a sturdy but slow-growing plant that absolutely requires … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bucălata de Brebu 🌍 Origin: A very rare and highly sought-after heirloom tomato variety originating from Romania. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The vines are vigorous and can easily reach up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in height, requiring sturdy staking. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Classic oxheart shape. The tomatoes are large … Read more