Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Geisha (Гейша) 🌍 Origin: A commercial heirloom variety popular in Ukraine and Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate / Semi-determinate. It grows to about 2.3 ft (70 cm) outdoors, and just over 3.3 ft (1 m) in a greenhouse. Standout feature: It has a very slender, compact footprint, meaning you can plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gostinets 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety released as part of the “Vkusnoteka” (Tasty Collection) line. The name roughly translates to “A Little Gift” or “Treat”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but growers report it being fairly manageable, reaching about 5 ft (1.5 m) in a greenhouse. Requires staking and pruning. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gigantskaya Roza (Giant Rose) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed market. The name translates to “Giant Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, stout “tree-type” bush. It has thick, strong main stems and grows to about 3-3.3 ft (90-100 cm) tall. Highly vigorous and disease-resistant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Stunningly beautiful! … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): General Kornilov 🌍 Origin: Pink heirloom variety from Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Can be kept to a moderate 4 ft (1.2 m) out in the open ground, but turns into an absolute monster “tree” in a greenhouse, easily shooting past 6.5 ft (2 m). Very vigorous. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Tarasenko Hybrid No. 2 🌍 Origin: A legendary Soviet-era variety developed by the famous amateur breeder Feodosiy Tarasenko (Sumy region, Ukraine) in the late 1980s. Note: Despite the name, this is a stabilized, open-pollinated heirloom, NOT an F1 hybrid! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall) and vigorous. Known for its massive, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gulliver – Myazina vs. Siberian Garden 🌍 Origin: Russia. Important Note: There are actually two completely different Russian varieties sold under the name “Gulliver”. One is an early commercial-style plum tomato by breeder L. Myazina. The other is a massive oxheart variety by Siberian Garden (SibSad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gordost Sibiri (Pride of Siberia) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial heirloom released by the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Pride of Siberia”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate / Indeterminate. Typically stays relatively short, often topping out around 3.3–5 ft (1–1.5 m) even in a greenhouse. Does very … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gribnoe Lukoshko (Mushroom Basket) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial heirloom released by Siberian Garden (SibSad). The name translates directly to “Mushroom Basket,” perfectly describing its heavily ribbed, woven-basket-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate / Semi-determinate. Depending on the growing conditions, it can stay bushy and compact around 4 ft … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grapefruit 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial/heirloom variety. The original “true” Grapefruit is a stunning bi-color tomato (yellow/orange with a red blush and red marbling inside). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very tall and powerful plant, easily reaching 6.5–8 ft (2–2.4 m) in a greenhouse. It can be grown outdoors but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Grebeshok 🌍 Origin: An old family heirloom from the town of Kupino in the Novosibirsk region of Siberia. The name translates to “Cockscomb” or “Scallop”, perfectly describing its highly ribbed shape. (See the forum debate below regarding its history). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 5.2 ft (1.6 m). A … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Galaktion 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after modern anthocyanin (antho) variety popular among Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and productive plant that performs exceptionally well both in greenhouses and outdoors. Like most antho varieties, the fruits develop the darkest, most striking purple/black colors when exposed to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vasilina 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Ukrainian collector’s variety. In this thread, one of the seed sources is the well-known Ukrainian breeder and collector Aleksey Kulik. The name “Vasilina” is a traditional Slavic female name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Out in the open ground, it reached about 4 feet (1.2 m), but … Read more