Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Work Release Paste 🌍 Origin & “Lost in Translation” Story: This is a famous large Italian/US heirloom. However, when it was introduced to the Russian tomato community, the name was awkwardly auto-translated as “Rabochiy Vypusk Pasty” (which translates back literally as “Industrial Production of Macaroni”). The bizarre name caused a lot of … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Tyulpan (Pink Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A stunning collector’s variety of unknown exact origin, widely circulated among Russian and European tomato enthusiasts. Sometimes grown under the translated name “Tulip Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and late-season. Reports on its growth habit vary: some growers note a wispy, fragile structure (up to 1.5m … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Dlinnyi (Minusinsk Long Pink) 🌍 Origin: An authentic Siberian heirloom from the Minusinsk region. Seeds were preserved in old newspaper rolls since the Soviet era by a gardener in Kazantsevo. It originally spread through the tomato community simply as “Long Pink” and was later dubbed “Minusinsk Pepper-shaped Pink” by growers. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Med (Pink Honey) 🌍 Origin: An absolute legend of Russian tomato breeding. Developed by the famous Siberian seed company SibSad (Siberian Garden). It is one of the most widely grown and discussed large pink tomatoes in Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Great Debate): The seed packet lists it as a determinate, … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Gay (Pink Grove) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Pink Grove” (though English speakers often mistakenly read it as “Pink Guy”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). In a greenhouse, it typically stays compact around 60-70 cm (2 – 2.3 ft), though in very rich, heavily … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovye Torbochki (Pink Pouches) 🌍 Origin: A visually stunning Russian/Eastern European heirloom. The name translates to “Pink Pouches” or “Pink Little Bags”, perfectly describing its unique ribbed, pear-like shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It easily reaches 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets fruit reliably all … Read more
Quick Summary of Rugantino F1 (and the “Chocolate” Controversy) 🌍 Origin: A highly acclaimed commercial F1 hybrid developed by the Dutch breeding company Rijk Zwaan. It is a “Cor de Boeuf” (Bull’s Heart) ribbed/pleated type. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, extremely vigorous, and tall. Growers describe it as a “monster” that will grow to the roof … Read more
Quick Summary of Early Love (Rannyaya Lyubov) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian variety. The name translates to “Early Love”. The most highly regarded strain of this variety traces its roots back to Syzran (a Russian city famous for its historical, exceptionally tasty heirloom tomatoes). 🌿 Plant Habit & Leaf Type: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 1.7 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovaya Bomba (Pink Bomb) 🌍 Origin & History: This is a highly sought-after community heirloom with a fascinating backstory. It originally appeared in a Russian grower’s garden as an off-type (segregation) of the famous Pink Sgt. Pepper. Instead of producing typical heart-shaped fruits, this rogue plant produced massive oblate beefsteaks. The Russian … Read more
Quick Summary of Rio Grande 🌍 Origin: A world-famous commercial paste variety originally developed for hot climates, but widely adapted and heavily grown by Russian and Eastern European gardeners for winter canning. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Grows compactly to about 70-90 cm (2.3 – 3 ft) tall. Excellent for open ground and field growing. … Read more
Quick Summary of Romovaya Baba (Rum Baba) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Rum Baba” (a famous rum-soaked sponge cake dessert), perfectly hinting at the extreme sweetness of this tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5 meters (5 ft) and higher. Growers note that … Read more
Quick Summary of Red Robin 🌍 Origin: A very famous and beloved micro-dwarf variety worldwide. Fun fact from Russian growers: Commercial Russian seed companies often rename and sell this exact variety under the names “Snegirek” (Gavrish seeds) and “Krasny Karlik” (Red Dwarf). If you grow them side-by-side, they are identical twins! 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf … Read more