Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Krupnyi iz Khakasii (Large from Khakassia) – Real Siberian Heirloom. 🌍 Origin: A beloved family heirloom from the Askizsky District of the Republic of Khakassia (Siberia, Russia). The name literally translates to “Large from Khakassia”. It was widely popularized among collectors by Lyudmila Gladilova from Kazakhstan. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). … 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): 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): Ivanovskie 🌍 Origin: A regional “folk” heirloom from Russia. The name simply means it originated from or is associated with the Ivanovo region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but on the shorter side, usually topping out around 5 feet (1.5 m). Great for greenhouses or open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Ivan Ivanych 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name “Ivan Ivanych” is a traditional and respectful Russian first name and patronymic combination. 🌿 Plant Habit: A mid-sized plant with potato leaf (PL) foliage. It is a very early season variety known for uniform ripening, meaning the fruits tend to flush … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotaya Rapsodiya (Golden Rhapsody) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Golden Rhapsody.” It is famously marketed on its seed packet as having genetic resistance to Late Blight (Phytophthora). 🌿 Plant Habit: The seed packet claims it is a shorter plant, but forum growers consistently report it growing … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zefir v Shokolade (Marshmallow in Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the “Poisk” seed company’s “Vkusnoteka” (Flavor Library) line. The name playfully translates to “Marshmallow in Chocolate”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Usually reaches around 6 feet (1.9 m) in open ground. It sets fruit consistently without dropping blossoms. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zyryanka 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The name “Zyryanka” references a town/river in northern Siberia, signaling its hardy genetics. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Mid-season maturity. A very vigorous, strong, and wide-spreading plant. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, perfectly round/oblate tomatoes. They are … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zastolny (Banquet) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety officially registered in 2007 by the RosSortSemOvoshch seed company. The name “Zastolny” loosely translates to “for the banquet table” or “table-ready”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and low maintenance. Usually stays around 20 inches (50 cm) tall, though older seeds can … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlato (Gold) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates directly to “Gold”. It is specifically bred and marketed for its high carotene and sugar content. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall semi-determinate or indeterminate. Typically reaches about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Seed companies recommend pruning heavily to a single stem, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Kenigsberg (Golden Königsberg) 🌍 Origin: A very famous commercial Siberian heirloom from the SibSad (Siberian Garden) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but heights vary widely from 4 feet (1.2 m) outdoors to 6.5 feet (2 m) in a greenhouse. Standout feature: It has extreme “wispy” foliage. The leaves … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Serdtse (Golden Heart) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial Russian variety sold by major seed companies like Aelita and Sedek. The name translates to “Golden Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact and cold-tolerant. Usually stays around 24 to 32 inches (60-80 cm) tall in open ground, but can … Read more