Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zasolochniy Delikates (Pickling Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the famous Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Pickling Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Seed packets claim it is a determinate (bush) type reaching 3.3 feet (1 m). However, growers report that when planted in a greenhouse, … Read more
Quick Summary of Zarya (Dawn) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zarya 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian heirloom known for producing exceptionally large fruits. The name translates to “Dawn”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous and powerful vine that can reach 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5 – 2 m) in height, or even taller in a … Read more
Quick Summary of Zagadka (The Riddle) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka 🌍 Origin: A classic ultra-early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “The Riddle” or “Enigma”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) tall. It does not require pruning or staking; you can just let it sprawl in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhritsa (Priestess) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai), a major Russian seed company operating out of Siberia, known for breeding robust and highly productive tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very productive and performs well even in less-than-ideal, shaded spots in the greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhar Goryashchie Ugli (Heat of Burning Coals) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Heat of Burning Coals” or simply “Glowing Coals”. (Note: Do not confuse with “Zhar-Ugli” by Siberian Garden, which is a purple anthocyanin variety). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but growth height varies greatly by … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhigalo (Gigolo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Biotechnica”. Known for its provocative name (Gigolo) due to its distinct, elongated, phallic shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact determinate (tree-type dwarf). Usually grows to about 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). Has thick, rugose foliage that looks like a little … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Evpator F1 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable commercial F1 hybrid produced by the Russian seed company “Gavrish”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Designed specifically for greenhouse and high-tunnel growing. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly smooth, oblate (flattened globe) red tomatoes weighing around 4.5-5.3 oz (130-150 g). 🛡️ Disease Resistance: An absolute tank. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Donald F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, staying very compact. Outdoors in open ground, it tops out at around 20 inches (0.5 m). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, perfectly round, and incredibly firm. It has a highly uniform, “commercial” appearance. 👅 Flavor & Use: Standard … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Diplomat 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety popularized by the famous Siberian seed collector, Tamara Yaschenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A very strong, vigorous vine that performs exceptionally well outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large to extra-large red beefsteaks. They are very meaty and juicy. 👅 Flavor & Use: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Daryonka 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian heirloom. It was popularized and distributed by the famous Altai seed collector, Tamara Yaschenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. Grows to a very manageable height of about 4 feet (1.2 m), making it great for greenhouses without taking over the roof. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oval/plum-shaped … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Domate Piramida 🌍 Origin: A rare Eastern European / Balkan heirloom. The name “Domate Piramida” suggests Bulgarian origins (“Domate” means Tomato in Bulgarian, and “Piramida” means Pyramid). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous plant that grows extremely well in a greenhouse environment. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Long, red, elongated “icicle” or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dyadya Stepa (Uncle Stepa) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial variety. It is famously named after “Uncle Stepa”, an extremely tall, lanky, good-natured policeman from a classic Soviet children’s poem. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-late season. The plant has a thin, vine-like, spindly stem and weeping foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: The … Read more