Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Beduin / Grusha Chernaya (Black Pear) 🌍 Origin & Naming: A highly popular Russian heirloom known alternatively as “Beduin” (Bedouin) or “Grusha Chernaya” (Black Pear). Note: Seed companies sometimes sell them under slightly different names, and it is often compared to the famous Japanese Black Trifele. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bochata (Little Barrels) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Siberian seed company “Semena Altaya”. The name translates to “Little Barrels”, reflecting their blocky, plump shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. Grows to about 90-110 cm (3-3.5 ft). Performs incredibly well out in the garden (open ground), especially in “hot beds” (manure/compost … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Buyan Zheltyi (Buyan Yellow) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety, officially registered in the Russian State Register for the West Siberian region. Also known as “Boets Yellow” (Fighter Yellow). 🌿 Plant Habit: Rugose determinate dwarf (tree-type). Extremely compact, sturdy, and short, typically reaching only 30-60 cm (1-2 ft). Seedlings do not … 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): Banan Rozovyi (Pink Banana) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety available from several seed companies, including Aelita and Siberian Garden (SibSad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Like many elongated paste tomatoes, it has a distinct “weeping” or wispy foliage. As a young seedling, the tops can twist and vine aggressively, which is … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banana Legs (Bananovye Nogi) 🌍 Origin: Originally bred by Tom Wagner (USA) in 1984. It was introduced to the Russian forum community around 2012 by collector Yaroslavna, where it became wildly popular (and highly debated). Interestingly, a commercial Russian seed company later patented it under the translated name “Bananovye Nogi”. 🌿 … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banan Oranzhevyi (Orange Banana) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian variety (widely distributed by seed companies like Gavrish and Aelita). The name translates to “Orange Banana”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mostly indeterminate (growing over 6.5 ft / 2 m in greenhouses), though some growers report shorter determinate strains. It has a characteristic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Casady’s Folly (Безумие Кэсиди) 🌍 Origin: Bred by the famous American tomato breeder Tom Wagner. It is a stunning, elongated, red-and-gold striped paste/plum tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly Debated! The forum community has discovered two distinct genetic lines circulating in Russia: one is a tall, spindly, wispy-leafed indeterminate (often reaching 5-6.5 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Betta (Бетта) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian dwarf/bush variety widely praised for its ultra-early production. 🌿 Plant Habit: A true dwarf/tree-type (штамб). The plants are very compact and sturdy, typically reaching only 16-20 inches (40-50 cm). They feature broad, rugose-type foliage. Despite their sturdy trunks, they usually require staking once loaded … 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): 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