Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigant Kovaleva (Kovalev’s Giant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom popularized by private seed collectors and breeders (like Logunov). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Breeders claim it is a tall, cold-hardy, and highly disease-resistant plant. However, some greenhouse growers report it stays medium-tall and is still susceptible to fungal issues like Leaf Mold. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Galina 🌍 Origin: Commercial/heirloom variety. Note: Do not confuse this with the famous “Galina’s Yellow” cherry tomato from Siberia! This is a completely different, large-fruited red/pink oxheart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), growing very vigorously up to 8 ft (2.5 m) in a greenhouse. Because the vines are so strong, it … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigant Chernomorskiy (Black Sea Giant) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial/heirloom variety from Russia/Ukraine. The name translates directly to “Black Sea Giant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually growing to about 5.5 to 6 ft (1.7 – 1.8 m) in a greenhouse. It is vigorous enough to be pruned to 2 or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Giant Belgium Pink 🌍 Origin: A pink strain/selection of the legendary Giant Belgium heirloom, which originated in Ohio (USA) in the 1930s. The original variety was so sweet and massive that commercial growers reportedly used it to make tomato wine! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a late-season variety that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gopak 🌍 Origin: A Ukrainian commercial/heirloom variety named after the traditional high-energy Ukrainian Cossack dance. However, be aware: there are multiple different strains sold under this name by various seed companies! 🌿 Plant Habit: The strain discussed most positively here is an indeterminate plant that adapts very well to open ground, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Garmoshka (Accordion) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety introduced by the seed company Premium Seeds. The name translates to “Accordion”, which perfectly describes its heavily pleated, ribbed shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically growing well over 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. It has moderate foliage and requires regular suckering … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Herodes 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial heirloom variety originating from the Czech Republic. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Like many classic oxhearts, it has a “wispy” or frail-looking foliage habit. Don’t let the skinny vines fool you—it is highly productive and doesn’t take up much lateral space in a greenhouse. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigant Novikova (Novikov’s Giant) 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian hobby gardener A.I. Novikov. It was introduced to North American heirloom collectors in 2007 by Andrey Baranovski of Minsk, Belarus. According to the original lore, Novikov grew towering vines in his greenhouse and harvested up to 66 lbs (30 kg) from a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Geisha (Гейша) 🌍 Origin: A commercial heirloom variety popular in Ukraine and Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate / Semi-determinate. It grows to about 2.3 ft (70 cm) outdoors, and just over 3.3 ft (1 m) in a greenhouse. Standout feature: It has a very slender, compact footprint, meaning you can plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigantskaya Roza (Giant Rose) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed market. The name translates to “Giant Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, stout “tree-type” bush. It has thick, strong main stems and grows to about 3-3.3 ft (90-100 cm) tall. Highly vigorous and disease-resistant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunningly beautiful! … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grightmire’s Pride 🌍 Origin: A famous heirloom originally from Yugoslavia. It was introduced to the North American heirloom tomato community by Fred Grightmire of Ohio, USA. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching up to 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. It exhibits the classic oxheart “wispy” or weeping foliage (drooping … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Mr. Underwood’s Pink German Giant 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom variety originating from the USA, tracing back to German roots. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows to about 5.6 ft (1.7 m) in a greenhouse. Known for being a very reliable setter that doesn’t drop blossoms or skip trusses. 🍅 Fruit … Read more