Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 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
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Goliath 🌍 Origin: An old, highly productive heirloom originating from the USA. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant is an absolute monster—growers describe it as being “built like a tree.” It grows very tall (easily over 6.5 ft / 2 m) and requires heavy-duty staking, as single trusses can weigh … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vasilina 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Ukrainian collector’s variety. In this thread, one of the seed sources is the well-known Ukrainian breeder and collector Aleksey Kulik. The name “Vasilina” is a traditional Slavic female name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Out in the open ground, it reached about 4 feet (1.2 m), but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vodoley (Aquarius) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). Often sold under the name “Sozvezdie Vodoley” (Constellation Aquarius) or simply “Vodoley” (Aquarius). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It has Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. It is highly recommended for greenhouse growing, where it can easily reach … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Hungarian Heart Shaped 🌍 Origin: A classic heirloom variety. Judging by the name and characteristics, it belongs to the famous family of Hungarian pink oxhearts. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It matures surprisingly early for such a large tomato. It grows well both in a greenhouse and out in the open … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Hungarian Oval 🌍 Origin: A well-known international heirloom variety. In this thread, seeds were sourced from the famous Russian collector V. Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Unlike many wispy oxheart varieties, this one has strong, vigorous vines. It produces heavily and responds well to being pruned to 2 main stems in … Read more