Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kolokolchik (Bellflower) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian commercial variety. The name “Kolokolchik” translates to “Bellflower” or “Little Bell.” It is deeply cherished on Russian forums, with a specific heirloom strain being passed around in memory of a legendary grower (Esme). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous. In a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kas 15 (Kalman x Albenga) 🌍 Origin: Modern cross from the renowned Polish breeder, Katarzyna (known online as Kasencja). It is a cross between the famous Kalman and Albenga varieties. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Known for being incredibly resilient and disease-resistant. It sets fruit perfectly in both extreme heat and … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Royal Mantle (Korolevskaya Mantiya) 🌍 Origin: Sourced and popularized by Ukrainian breeder D. Terentiev. The Russian name translates to “Royal Mantle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Strong, highly productive vines that perform exceptionally well in greenhouses but can also be grown successfully outdoors. It is known as an absolute workhorse variety. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Goat Bag 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom circulated in Eastern European seed swaps under the translated name “Koziy Meshok” . 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Strong, powerful vines that easily hit 6.5 feet (2 m). It features dense foliage, very sturdy stems, and thick fruit trusses that don’t kink under … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kot Timofey (Tomcat Timofey) 🌍 Origin: Originally sourced from a private Ukrainian seed collector named Manusha. The name “Kot Timofey” translates to “Tomcat Timofey”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but stays relatively manageable. Usually hits around 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) in open ground. It is an incredibly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izumitelnye (Amazing) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom/commercial variety. The name “Izumitelnye” translates directly to “Amazing” or “Marvelous”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Appears to be semi-determinate or a shorter indeterminate, reaching about 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. It is highly valued by growers for its strong resistance to Late Blight. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italiansky Delikates (Italian Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: Sourced from Eastern European seed swaps, specifically popularized by the legendary Ukrainian private seed collector V.F. Siray. The name translates to “Italian Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Grows up to 6.5 feet (2 m) outdoors. It has very short internodes, meaning the plant gets … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ivanushka 🌍 Origin: A very old Russian commercial variety. The name “Ivanushka” is an affectionate diminutive of Ivan (John), a name incredibly popular in classic Russian folklore and fairy tales. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate bush. It stays relatively compact, reaching around 31.5 inches (80 cm) in height, making it a great … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italianskie (Italian) 🌍 Origin: Sourced from various Russian seed collectors (like Petrov and Monakhova). Often compared to or suspected to be a strain of Super Italian Paste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Vigorous indeterminate (tall) vines. Growers recommend pruning to 2 or 3 main leaders. Highly resistant to Late Blight and Blossom End … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ilona 🌍 Origin: A reliable variety named “Ilona”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Vigorous vines that reach around 5 feet (1.5 m) when grown outdoors. Known to be a very heavy yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Classic red, perfectly round tomatoes. They are on the smaller mid-size spectrum, averaging about 3 to 4 oz … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izyuminka 🌍 Origin: Сommercial variety distributed by companies like Aelita. The name translates literally to “Little Raisin,” but in Russian, it is an idiom meaning “Zest” or “Highlight.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It stays very compact, reaching only about 2 feet (50-60 cm) tall. Excellent choice for open ground or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Iyunskiy (June) 🌍 Origin: A legendary ultra-early Russian community heirloom. Note: There is a commercial variety sold by Sedek with the same name, but this thread specifically documents the famous “Forum Iyunskiy” circulated by the grower Sweet from St. Petersburg. 🌿 Plant Habit: Ultra-early dwarf (determinate). A stout, sturdy, compact little … Read more