Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka Doliny Roz (Mystery of the Rose Valley) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom whose name translates to “Mystery of the Rose Valley”. As the name implies, its genetics are a bit of a mystery, and it currently circulates in at least two distinct versions among international seed savers. 🌿 Plant Habit: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Runo (Golden Fleece) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian early-season variety popularized by seed companies like “Poisk” and “Gavrish”. The name translates to “Golden Fleece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Typically grows about 20-32 inches (50-80 cm) outdoors, though it can stretch significantly taller if grown in a greenhouse. Requires minimal … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zasolochniy Delikates (Pickling Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the famous Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Pickling Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Seed packets claim it is a determinate (bush) type reaching 3.3 feet (1 m). However, growers report that when planted in a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Boar’s Tooth 🌍 Origin: Exotic variety bred by the famous American tomato breeder Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms (California, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early season. The plant has a slender, wispy footprint but can easily reach over 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. It is well-behaved, disease-resistant, and highly productive. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zoloto Kolchaka (Kolchak’s Gold) 🌍 Origin: A prolific Russian heirloom variety named after a famous historical legend surrounding the lost gold of the Russian Empire. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous, powerful plant that sets heavy clusters of fruit and requires excellent staking to prevent branches from snapping under the … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Sausage 🌍 Origin: A famous novelty variety bred by the legendary American tomato breeder Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds). 🌿 Plant Habit: A strict determinate. The plants are extremely short and bushy with a sprawling, almost trailing habit. They feature very distinct, finely cut, wispy “carrot-like” foliage. Excellent for outdoor … Read more
Quick Summary of Zolotaya Klusha 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotaya Klusha 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety developed by the SibSad (Siberian Garden) seed company. The name translates roughly to “Golden Broody Hen”. 🌿 Plant Habit: A very compact, sturdy determinate bush (dwarf type). It rarely exceeds 2 ft (60 cm) in height, making it … Read more
Quick Summary of Zagadka (The Riddle) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka 🌍 Origin: A classic ultra-early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “The Riddle” or “Enigma”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) tall. It does not require pruning or staking; you can just let it sprawl in … Read more
Quick Summary of Zolotoy Dozhd (Golden Rain) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Dozhd 🌍 Origin: A legendary Russian heirloom heavily discussed in the gardening community. Important: There is a massive mix-up in the commercial seed market. Commercial packets (from companies like Poisk or SeDeK) often contain small pear-shaped cherries. The true forum heirloom (traced back … Read more
Quick Summary of Zlatovlaska (Goldilocks) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlatovlaska (Goldilocks) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial cherry variety introduced by the “Poisk” seed company. It is officially registered for both open field and greenhouse cultivation. The name translates to “Goldilocks”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The foliage is medium-sized, light green, and somewhat wispy (delicate). Outdoors, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltye Dlinnye (Yellow Long) 🌍 Origin: A true, unnamed family heirloom from Russia. It has been passed down and saved by the thread author’s family since her great-grandmother’s time. The name “Yellow Long” is simply a working title. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to indeterminate. Reaches about 5.2 ft (160 cm) in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhiraf (Giraffe) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety bred specifically for extreme long-term winter storage. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and very late-ripening (130-140 days). Highly resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and leaf mold. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Round, yellow/orange fruits weighing around 4-4.5 oz (120-130 g). Because it contains the … Read more