Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Family Variety from Zurab Kukhianidze 🌍 Origin & History: An authentic old Georgian family heirloom. The 15-year-old seeds were originally saved by the father of a forum member’s husband (Zurab Kukhianidze) in Georgia. The Russian tomato community successfully germinated these old seeds, saved the strain from extinction, and affectionately nicknamed it “Zurabchik”. … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnyi Pudovichok (Sugar Pudovichok) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name implies a heavy, sugar-fleshed tomato (a “pud” is an old Russian weight measure equal to 16 kg). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous grower that can easily reach the … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Golova (Sugar Head) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Sugar Head” or “Sugar Loaf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is sturdy and relatively compact, growing up to 80 cm (about 32 inches) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Lva (Lion’s Heart) 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian tomato breeder Yury Kuzminykh from the Krasnodar Region. The name translates to “Lion’s Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and highly vigorous, but well-behaved (not overly leafy or aggressive). It thrives in a greenhouse and produces best when pruned to 3 stems. It has … Read more
Quick Summary of Magia Serbia (Serbian Magic) 🌍 Origin: A very rare and visually stunning variety. Despite its name (which translates to Serbian Magic), it was reportedly sourced from Romania. Information about it online is very scarce. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter side, usually growing up to 1.5 – 1.6m (5 ft). … Read more
Quick Summary of Skifeya (Scythian Fairy) 🌍 Origin & Fascinating History: This variety has an incredible backstory. The seeds were discovered by a Russian collector in a remote Siberian village near Abakan, right next to the ruins of Zinkhir—the oldest stone city in the world, once belonging to the ancient Scythian civilization. The local village … Read more
Quick Summary of Sto Pudov (A Hundred Poods) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial variety (originally released by the seed company Aelita). The name “Sto Pudov” translates to “A Hundred Poods” (a ‘pood’ is an old Russian unit of weight equal to 16.38 kg), hinting at the massive, heavy yields this variety produces. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Radishchevskie 🌍 Origin: A local “folk” (family) heirloom from Russia. The name likely originates from the village of Radishchevo in the Ulyanovsk region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). It grows as a strong, relatively compact bush, reaching about 1.6-1.7 meters (5.2-5.5 ft) tall in a greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large beefsteaks reaching … Read more
Quick Summary of Russo Sicilian Togetta 🌍 Origin: A beautiful traditional heirloom variety, highly prized for its deeply ruffled, classic Italian appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). Highly productive in a greenhouse when pruned to 2 stems, but also demonstrates extreme resilience when grown outdoors in harsh conditions. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright red, oblate (flattened), … Read more
Quick Summary of Rome (Rim) 🌍 Origin: A very popular, colossal red heirloom variety named after the city of Rome (in Russian: Рим / Rim). Widely circulated among Russian and Ukrainian collectors (originally sourced from A. Kulik). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, late-season, and extremely vigorous. The bushes easily exceed 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Gigant (Pink Giant) 🌍 Origin: An official commercial variety registered in the Russian State Register. Note: It should not be confused with the family heirloom “Ukrainian Pink Giant” (Rozovyi Gigant Ukrainskiy). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but its growth habit is sprawling. It enthusiastically throws out side shoots (suckers) in all directions. … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Tyulpan (Pink Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A stunning collector’s variety of unknown exact origin, widely circulated among Russian and European tomato enthusiasts. Sometimes grown under the translated name “Tulip Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and late-season. Reports on its growth habit vary: some growers note a wispy, fragile structure (up to 1.5m … Read more