Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kosovo 🌍 Origin: A world-famous heirloom whose seeds were originally brought to the US by a former U.N. worker returning from Kosovo. It is now widely grown and loved globally, including by Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), easily reaching up to 8.2 feet (2.5 m). It displays classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Strawberry Sergeant 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. It is a cross between Mrs. Schlaubaugh’s Famous Strawberry and Sgt. Pepper’s. The Russian name is “Klubnichniy Serzhant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plants are quite sturdy and strong. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Pink fruits with dark anthocyanin splashes on … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italian Hearts (Italianskie Serdechki) 🌍 Origin: A variety circulated among Russian tomato collectors under the name “Italianskie Serdechki”. The exact pedigree is unknown, but it is a widely grown, stable open-pollinated oxheart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. An early-season variety known for being highly adaptable. It sets fruit reliably without dropping blossoms … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): German Pink Strawberry 🌍 Origin: A classic German heirloom that became highly popular among Eastern European collectors under the translated name “Zemlyanika Nemetskaya Rozovaya”. It is often confused or cross-listed with the famous heart-shaped “German Red Strawberry,” but this pink variant is distinct for its rounder shape and Potato Leaf genetics. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zailiyskiy Alatau Red 🌍 Origin: Bred by the famous tomato breeder Vitaliy Alifirov from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Named after the local Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A powerful, heat-tolerant plant that doesn’t drop blossoms during extreme summer heat. Known for being an absolute heavy yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, … Read more
Quick Summary of Zarzhavevshaya Dusha (Rusty Soul) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zarzhavevshaya Dusha 🌍 Origin: A relatively recent artisanal variety developed by the famous Latvian tomato breeder, Valdis Puliņš. The name translates to “Rusty Soul” (or “Rusted Soul”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, incredibly vigorous plant that can easily handle being pruned to multiple … Read more
Quick Summary of Zhenskaya Grud 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhenskaya Grud 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom oxheart variety. The name “Zhenskaya Grud” translates to “Woman’s Breast”, named for its distinct shape. There is also a very similar (or possibly identical) strain circulating under the name “Devichya Grud” (Maiden’s Breast). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhemchuzhinka (Little Pearl) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the GISOK seed company. The name translates to “Little Pearl”. Visually and genetically, it appears to be identical to the well-known western variety Garden Pearl. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It has a trailing/tumbling growth habit, making it an absolute superstar … Read more
.jpg.0b77d63e03fe82135e6c02c4e697e5d6.jpg)
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jasmina 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom variety from Serbia, bred and popularized by the well-known Serbian tomato breeder Živojin Antić. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and powerful plant. Due to the extreme weight of the fruits, providing extra support for the fruit clusters (trusses) is highly recommended to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Egipetskaya Ladya (Egyptian Boat) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian collector’s variety. The name “Egipetskaya Ladya” translates to “Egyptian Boat” or “Egyptian Ship”, which perfectly describes the unique, slightly elongated, boat-like shape of the fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very powerful and vigorous plant with thick stems. It produces … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Rozovyi (Pink De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian commercial heirloom, part of the famous, cold-tolerant De Barao tomato family. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, highly vigorous vine that easily reaches the roof of a greenhouse. Requires aggressive pruning. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Pink, plum-shaped paste tomatoes, usually featuring … Read more
📌 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