Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Californian Tulip 🌍 Origin: The exact origin and breeder are unknown, but it circulates widely in Eastern European seed-saving networks under the name “Kaliforniyskiy Tyulpan”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-season indeterminate. Stays relatively compact, reaching around 5 feet (1.5 m) in open ground or 5.2 feet (1.6 m) in a greenhouse. Unbelievably … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kuum 🌍 Origin: A highly respected Eastern European heirloom variety. While its exact history is a bit muddy, it has earned a legendary reputation among Russian seed collectors as the ultimate “reliable red” workhorse. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), easily reaching 6.5 feet (2 m) or more in a greenhouse. It … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kino 🌍 Origin: A forum-exclusive Russian variety. It started as an accidental cross between Vater Rhein and Siberian Tiger discovered by a grower in 2017. After several years of growing it out and stabilizing it to the F7 generation, the community officially named it “Kino” (which means “Cinema” or “Movie”) in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispolin Malinoviy (Raspberry Giant) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Raspberry Giant” and it is widely distributed by the Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching anywhere from 3.2 to 5.9 feet (1 to 1.8 m) depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispanskiy Shokolad (Spanish Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: An unofficial “folk” variety that originated from seed swaps on Russian social media. The name translates directly to “Spanish Chocolate”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching up to 6.5 feet (2 m). Growers report mixed fruiting habits. Some get a long, continuous harvest, while others … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izmailskiy Rebristyi (Izmail Ribbed) 🌍 Origin: Sourced from Russian collector Valery Popenko. Named after the city of Izmail. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An aggressive, vigorous vine that can easily support 3 to 4 main leaders. Known to be a very heavy yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-sized red fruits weighing about … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Goldman’s Italian-American 🌍 Origin: Originally discovered at a roadside stand in Italy and popularized in the US by heirloom tomato expert and author Amy Goldman. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and generally a mid-to-late season producer. Very productive vine. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, pear-shaped or bell-shaped tomatoes with very deep ribbing … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italyanskiy Riflenyi (Italian Ribbed) 🌍 Origin: A “working name” for a variety circulated through Russian seed swaps online. As growers noted, it is highly likely a strain of the famous Costoluto Genovese. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Mid-season maturity with very good yields. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, heavily ribbed (fluted) fruits … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ispanskiy Gigant (Spanish Giant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian collector’s variety circulating under the “working name” Spanish Giant. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and a reliable, heavy yielder. It is a late-season variety. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large red beefsteaks. They are mostly oblate (flattened and ribbed), though the plant occasionally throws wide, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Inzhirnye (Fig) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian heirloom variety. The name “Inzhirnye” translates to “Fig” or “Fig-shaped”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Sturdy vines that typically reach about 4.5 feet (1.4 m). Highly productive and sets fruit reliably even in less-than-ideal weather. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunning pink, deeply ribbed (pleated) beefsteaks. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Inzhir Rozoviy (Pink Fig) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the seed company Gavrish. It is part of their popular “Fig” series, which also includes Inzhir Krasniy (Red Fig) and Inzhir Zheltyy (Yellow Fig). The red version is widely considered to be a renaming of the Italian heirloom Abruzzo. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Verace 🌍 Origin: Heirloom from Italy. It is famously grown there specifically to make a traditional, extremely thick sauce of the exact same name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. A very tall and vigorous vine that easily reaches 6.5 feet (2 m) and keeps climbing. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive crimson-red beefsteaks. These … Read more