Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Desert (Dessert) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety famously released by the “Manul” agricultural company. “Desert” translates directly to “Dessert”, hinting at its sweet flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An early-season, well-behaved plant that doesn’t aggressively take over the greenhouse. Highly productive. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Officially described as “very small,” but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Giannini 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety with Italian roots, popularized in Eastern Europe by collector Valery Popenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It has a very flimsy, weeping “wispy” foliage structure, which is typical for many high-quality paste tomatoes. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, plum-shaped paste tomatoes with a distinct little … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dyuiymovochka (Thumbelina) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety famously released by the “Poisk” seed company. The name translates to “Thumbelina” (the tiny fairy tale character). ⚠️ The Great Mix-Up: If you buy or trade seeds for this variety, be aware that there are two completely different strains circulating under this name … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Delta 264 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety bred by the Central Siberian Botanical Garden and officially added to the Russian State Register in 1995. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Described officially as semi-spreading with medium foliage. Performs best in a greenhouse environment. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Smooth, glossy, firm red fruits. There … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Kabardinskiy (Kabardian De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A very rare, old amateur “folk breeding” variety. The name references Kabardino-Balkaria, a republic in the North Caucasus region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Produces tall, highly vigorous, and powerful vines. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Despite the “De Barao” name (which is typically a small … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Tsarskiy Krasnyi (Royal Red De Barao) 🌍 Origin: An upgraded, premium offshoot of the famous Russian De Barao family. “Tsarskiy” translates to “Royal” or “Tsar’s”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, aggressive climber (vine-like). Can easily reach 10 feet (3 m) in a greenhouse. Best grown in a greenhouse, as … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Gigant (Giant De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A large-fruited mutation/selection from the legendary Russian “De Barao” family of workhorse canning tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Incredibly vigorous, massive plants that easily exceed 6.5 feet (2 m) even when grown outdoors. Requires strong staking and support. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large plum/oval … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jersey Giant 🌍 Origin: A rare heritage paste tomato originally from New Jersey, USA. It is highly valued among global collectors for its massive, meaty fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A sprawling, late-season, and very vigorous plant. Produces reliably with no skipped trusses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Huge, elongated red paste/plum tomatoes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jalpa 🌍 Origin: A beautiful striped paste tomato popular among Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate. Grows as a very sturdy, compact tree-type bush (shtamb), typically reaching about 24 inches (60 cm) tall outdoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Elongated, red paste tomatoes with striking yellow stripes. Length is about 4-4.7 inches … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dusya Krasnaya (Red Dusya) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety, famously sold by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially listed as a mid-sized plant (3-5 feet), but many growers report it behaving like a sturdy tree-type dwarf or semi-determinate, often staying under 3-4 feet when grown outdoors. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jade Pink Round 🌍 Origin: A very rare heirloom variety. It is extremely hard to find information or grower reviews about it online. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A great choice for growers looking for a reliable, tall plant that produces uniformly sized salad tomatoes. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly round, pink tomatoes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Denezhnyi Meshok (Money Bag) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates directly to “Money Bag,” hinting at its supposed high yield and profitability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially listed as indeterminate, growing up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. However, forum members frequently report getting off-type seeds that grow into … Read more