Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Elegant 🌍 Origin & Naming Confusion: “Elegant” is a name shared by several completely different tomato strains in the Russian/Ukrainian seed market. This forum thread is highly valuable because it breaks down the differences between the commercial version and the private collector versions. 🍅 Strain 1 (Commercial / SibSad variety): A mid-early … Read more
Quick Summary of Ekzotika (Exotica) 🌍 Origin: A reliable commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Exotica” in English. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining), mid-to-late season. The plant is vigorous, sprawling, and grows to about 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) tall when planted outdoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, perfectly round fruits growing in clusters of 7 … Read more
Quick Summary of Elfin 🌍 Origin: A fantastic red grape/cherry tomato variety. Well-known and distributed by major Russian seed vendors like Gusev and Happy Garden. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) and highly sprawling. It produces a massive amount of suckers. However, it is remarkably low-maintenance: many growers don’t bother pruning the suckers at all and … Read more
Quick Summary of Efemer 🌍 Origin: A very popular, reliable, and trouble-free commercial/heirloom variety from Eastern Europe (Ukraine/Russia/Moldova). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush) type. Typically grows to about 60-70 cm (24-28 inches) outdoors, but can reach 1 m (3.2 ft) in a greenhouse. Requires minimal pruning. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly round, smooth red fruits weighing … Read more
Quick Summary of Ela 09 Red (Czerwony) 🌍 Origin: A fascinating Polish breeding line created by Ela. The lineage is an unnamed American variety (seeds were packed in a “Martha Stewart USA” packet) crossed with Stara Babcina Malinówka (a famous Polish heirloom meaning “Old Grandmother’s Pink”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The breeder notes this is … Read more
Quick Summary of Ela 06 🌍 Origin: A spectacular Polish breeding line. It is a cross between Aurija (a famous elongated paste tomato) and Megagroniasty (a legendary Polish cherry tomato known for its massive multiflora trusses). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, extremely vigorous, and disease-resistant. Growers describe it as growing “like a tree” with very thick, … Read more
Quick Summary of Shalun (Playful) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from Siberian breeders. The name translates to “Playful” or “Mischievous”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, reaching about 2 m (6.5 ft). The plant has a very specific structure: it is highly compact with sparse, open foliage (often described as wispy). It takes up very little space, … Read more
Quick Summary of Shimbleng 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety grown by Russian collectors. The exact origin of the name “Shimbleng” is unknown, likely a phonetic adaptation. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Greenhouse heights vary from 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 ft) depending on conditions. Growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for … Read more
Quick Summary of Shchelkovskiy Ranniy (Shchelkovsky Early) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Shchelkovsky Early”. It was widely distributed by the commercial seed company “Russkiy Ogorod” (Russian Garden). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, compact bush. Seed packets claim a micro-dwarf height of 30–35 cm (12–14 inches), though greenhouse growers report it reaching … Read more
Quick Summary of Shtraukh (Strauch) 🌍 Origin: A commercial heirloom originally from West Germany (FRG). The name “Strauch” translates to “Bush” in German. It is highly valued by Russian and Eastern European growers for its extreme reliability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. In open ground it reaches about 1.8 m (6 ft), … Read more
Quick Summary: Shedevr (Masterpiece) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial variety from the Altai region of Russia. (Note: Do not confuse this with similar-sounding varieties like Slavyanskiy Shedevr or Altayskiy Shedevr). The name translates to “Masterpiece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. It reaches about 1.5 to 1.8 meters (5 to 6 ft) in a greenhouse. … Read more
Quick Summary: Aunt Swarlo’s Delight (Red) 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after new variety developed in England. It is a distinct, separate variety from the original US heirloom Aunt Swarlo’s Polish Plum, though it shares its massive size and shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. The plant is incredibly vigorous, powerful, and produces large, dark green … Read more