Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Sprint-Timer 🌍 Origin: A legendary Russian giant heirloom. It gained massive fame when a grower won the 2016 “Minusinsk Tomato Day” (Russia’s famous giant tomato competition) with a Sprint-Timer fruit weighing a whopping 1.878 kg (4.14 lbs)! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate with thick, robust stems. Typically grows up to 1.5 meters (5 … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Kivi (Siberian Kiwi) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Uralskiy Dachnik” (Ural Summer Resident) seed company. The name translates to “Siberian Kiwi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and vigorous. Reaches about 1.5 meters (5 ft) in height. Growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for the best yield. It shows … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Nastasya (Sugar Nastasya) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Gavrish” seed company. The name translates to “Sugar Nastasya” (Nastasya is a traditional, folksy diminutive of the name Anastasia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very vigorous. While the seed packet claims it grows up to 1.5m (5 ft), real … Read more
Quick Summary of Santa Klaus (Santa Claus) 🌍 Origin: This thread reveals a classic seed mystery! There are actually two distinct versions of the Santa Klaus (Santa Claus) tomato circulating in Russia. One is a commercial release from the “Sibsad” seed company, while the other is a treasured family heirloom from the Nizhny Novgorod region. … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Boba (Coeur de Bob) 🌍 Origin: A popular variety known by its French name Coeur de Bob, which translates to “Bob’s Heart” (Сердце Боба). Despite the “heart” in the name, it is a distinctly elongated, pepper-shaped tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate with classic “wispy” (delicate) foliage. Growers recommend pruning it to … Read more
Quick Summary of Solnechnoe Zatmenie (Solar Eclipse) 🌍 Origin: An original breeder’s variety created by Nikolai Zhigalin. It is a stunning cross between Sart Roloise and Dirty Curty Striped. The Russian name translates to “Solar Eclipse”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but relatively compact. In a greenhouse, it typically grows up to 1.5 meters (~5 ft). … Read more
Quick Summary of Black Icicle (Russian: Сосулька чёрная) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial heirloom variety originating from Ukraine/Russia, known natively as “Chornaya Sosulka”. It has gained worldwide fame among collectors as “Black Icicle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and highly productive. It easily reaches up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Like … Read more
Quick Summary of Virginia Sweets (Russian: Сладости Вирджинии) 🌍 The “Full Circle” Journey: Virginia Sweets is a well-known American bicolor heirloom. However, watching it grow in the harsh climates of Russia and Siberia offers fascinating insights! In Eastern Europe, the name is often literally translated as “The Sweets of Virginia” or “Virginia’s Candies,” leading to … Read more
Quick Summary of Sanka Zolotoy (Golden Sanka) 🌍 Origin: A golden-yellow variation of “Sanka”, one of the most famous and widely grown ultra-early commercial heirlooms in Russia and Ukraine. The name translates to “Golden Sanka” or “Sanka Gold”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It grows to about 1 meter (3.3 ft) tall outdoors. It is … Read more
Quick Summary of Solnechnyi (Sunny) 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare Russian heirloom variety popularized by the well-known tomato collector Vladimir Anderson. The name translates to “Sunny”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season, and very tall. It is a highly vigorous and unpretentious plant that can easily reach 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets … Read more
Quick Summary of Heart of Ashgabat (Сердце Ашхабада) 🌍 Origin & Variations: A famous old Soviet-era heirloom (Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan). Interestingly, modern seed networks circulate two distinct shapes under this name: a classic pointed orange oxheart, and a flattened-round orange beefsteak. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 1.5 – 1.8 meters … Read more
Quick Summary of Slivka Bendrika (Bendrik’s Plum) 🌍 Origin: Bred by Alexander Bendrik in Gorodnya (Chernihiv region, Ukraine). It comes in two color variations: Red and Yellow (which often has a deep orange tint). The name translates to “Bendrik’s Plum”. 🌿 Plant Habit: There is some debate about its growth habit. The originator calls it … Read more