Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dzhan (Jan) 🌍 Origin: A historic Russian heirloom bred by the famous Voronezh amateur breeder N.S. Bykhanov. He named it “Dzhan” (meaning “friend” or “soul” in Turkic languages) in honor of his friends and the legendary Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, medium vigor with somewhat pale green, regular … 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): DaCosta’s Portuguese 🌍 Origin: A highly prized heirloom variety originally sourced from Portugal, widely distributed among private seed collectors globally. Known for producing absolutely massive, deeply colored pink/magenta beefsteaks. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A generative plant type, meaning it focuses its energy on setting heavy fruit rather than pushing massive amounts … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dulsineya (Dulcinea) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. Named after Don Quixote’s beloved muse, Dulcinea. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 5.2-6 feet (1.6-1.8 m) in a greenhouse. Growers recommend pruning it to 1 or 2 main stems/leaders for best production. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Danko 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety (heavily distributed by Siberian Garden / SibSad). Renowned for being an absolute “workhorse” that produces in almost any weather. 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially classified as determinate, staying around 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) tall. However, many growers report it behaving like a vigorous semi-determinate or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gonsiorovski’s Home Heart 🌍 Origin: A legendary family heirloom from Minusinsk, Siberia, maintained by the Gonsiorovski family. It is sometimes sold or traded under the name “Minusinsk Hearts from Gonsiorovski”. The name translates to “Gonsiorovski’s Home Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 6.5 feet (2m). Like many classic oxhearts, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dikaya Roza (Wild Rose) 🌍 Origin: A hugely popular commercial Russian variety sold by almost every major seed company (Aelita, Sedek, Sibsad, etc.). The name translates to “Wild Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly variable depending on the seed source! Some growers report massive, sprawling indeterminate vines, while others report sturdy determinates … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Joe’s Pink Oxheart 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom from the Ozark Mountains, USA. Popularized and distributed by the well-known American collector Dale Thurber (Delectation of Tomatoes). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Vigorous, healthy vines with the classic “wispy” regular foliage common to many oxheart types. An early-to-mid season producer (around 75 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dora 🌍 Origin: A legendary USA variety bred by Keith Mueller. It is the result of a deliberate cross between two iconic heirlooms: Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. Keith named this potato-leaf beauty after his grandmother, Dora. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Mid-season. A solid producer that reaches about 5 feet (1.5m) when … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jovan 🌍 Origin: A rugged, highly productive heirloom from Serbia. Developed/maintained by the well-known Serbian tomato breeder and seed saver, Živojin Antić. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Growers report it is incredibly resilient, producing high yields even during seasons with severe temperature swings and poor weather. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, raspberry-pink oxhearts. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Garetski Rozovyi (Greek Pink) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial/heirloom variety from Bulgaria. The name translates directly from Bulgarian as “Greek Pink” (sometimes spelled Gretski Rozovyi). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Despite being a determinate, it is quite vigorous and tall for a bush-type, reaching about 4 ft (1.2 m) in open … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): German Johnson 🌍 Origin: A legendary American heirloom hailing from Virginia and North Carolina. It is incredibly famous in the US for being one of the four parent varieties used by Radiator Charlie to breed the legendary Mortgage Lifter tomato! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous vine with classic Potato Leaf … Read more