Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bochka Meda (Barrel of Honey) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial variety from Russia. The name translates to “Barrel of Honey,” which perfectly describes both its vibrant color and its intense sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant grows vigorous, tall, and quite wide/bushy, requiring good support. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brusilovskiy 🌍 Origin: Heirloom variety from Russia. Highly praised among Russian collectors for combining massive fruit size with early maturity. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but with famously wispy, spindly foliage. Growers joke that the plant looks like a “skinny, wimpy boy” but somehow manages to support huge yields. It is … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ametist (Amethyst) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato. The seeds in this thread originally came from the well-known Russian seed collector Tamara Yashchenko. The name translates to “Amethyst”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly debated among growers! The original vendor describes it as indeterminate (tall), but many forum members report it acting more … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Akademik Sakharov 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato named after the famous Soviet physicist and dissident, Andrei Sakharov. The specific strain discussed in this thread carries a remarkable backstory: the seeds were saved and evacuated by a grandmother fleeing the Donbas region conflict. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very vigorous, and tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Astana 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European / Central Asian “folk” heirloom (meaning it was passed down through gardeners and named by the community, rather than being a registered commercial seed). Named after Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. 🌿 Plant Habit: Modestly indeterminate. It doesn’t grow into a wild jungle, stopping around … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Andizhanskie (Andizhan) 🌍 Origin: A Central Asian heirloom. The name translates to “From Andizhan,” a major city in Uzbekistan. Uzbek tomatoes are famous across Eastern Europe for their intense sweetness developed under the hot southern sun. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. Very vigorous and highly productive, often out-yielding classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alenkiy Tsvetochek (Scarlet Flower) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “The Scarlet Flower” – a famous classic Russian fairy tale similar to Beauty and the Beast. The specific strain discussed here was sourced from the catalog of Evgeny Fech, a well-known Russian private seed collector. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amurskaya Zarya (Amur Dawn) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety, often sold by the SeDeK seed company. The name translates to “Amur Dawn,” referring to the Amur River region in the Russian Far East. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) tall, but it spreads … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Adamovo Yabloko (Adam’s Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Adam’s Apple”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 1.8m (6 ft) tall even in open ground. Known for being incredibly disease-resistant and tough. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, very smooth, firm, and thick-walled. The shape … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Agatha (Агата) 🌍 Origin: A classic, highly respected Soviet heirloom. It was officially entered into the USSR State Register of Breeding Achievements back in 1987. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Generally stays short and compact when grown outdoors (40–60 cm / 16–24 inches), but can reach 1–1.2 m (3 – 4 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Anya (Аня) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety (likely released by the SeDeK seed company and listed in the Russian State Register). “Anya” is a common affectionate diminutive of the name Anna. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, falling into the micro-dwarf / compact bush category. It only grows to about 40 cm … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Akkordeon Rozovy (Pink Accordion) 🌍 Origin: A visually striking Russian heirloom variety. The name translates exactly to “Pink Accordion,” referring to its heavily pleated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.8–2 meters (6–6.5 ft) in height. A very vigorous and powerful plant that can be grown both in greenhouses and … Read more