Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Finik (Date) Tomato Series 🌍 Origin: A hugely popular Russian commercial series (which includes Yellow, Orange, Red, and Striped variants), commonly sold by “Russian Ogorod” (often as an F1 hybrid) and heirloom vendors like “Batatovy Kusty”. The name “Finik” translates to “Date”, referencing their shape and intended sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate … Read more
Quick Summary of Florentino 🌍 Origin: Originally distributed by the Russian seed company “Biotekhnika”. It is a heavily ribbed, European-style tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5 – 2 meters (5 – 6.5 ft) depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. Uniquely, it forms flower trusses very frequently—every two leaves. … Read more
Quick Summary of Fokus-Pokus (Hocus Pocus) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Hocus Pocus”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Early season and indeterminate. It is a striking “Angora” type plant with silvery-green, heavily fuzzy (woolly) foliage. This dense fuzz makes the plant highly unattractive to insect pests. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Giante Friulano (Friulian Giant) 🌍 Origin: An Italian heirloom variety from the Friuli region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Possesses absolutely incredible disease resistance and cold tolerance. Growers report it staying perfectly green and healthy even through late autumn frosts, completely shrugging off severe fungal pressures. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, ribbed plum or … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 17/2 (Raspberry Pouch) 🌍 Origin: A Polish breeding line resulting from a cross between Malinowa Sakiewka and Bordo. The name “Malinowa Sakiewka” translates to “Raspberry Pouch,” which perfectly describes its shape and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful raspberry-pink tomatoes in the shape of a truffle (or … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 8 (Favorite 8) 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line created by crossing Garmosha with Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 8”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-season and indeterminate. It reaches a very manageable height of about 1.5 meters (5 ft), making it somewhat more compact than typical wildly growing indeterminates. … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 9 (Favorite 9) 🌍 Origin: A unique Polish breeding line created by crossing Rebelpik Sakiewka with Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 9”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striking, uniquely shaped tomatoes: they look like elongated truffles (pears) with a pronounced little beak (point) at the blossom … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 7/2 Potato Leaf 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line resulting from a cross between Kuban Black Pepper and Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 7/2”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A powerful, well-foliaged plant with a dense canopy of large Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. It shows excellent disease resistance and … Read more
Quick Summary of Feyerverk (Firework) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Firework” (or Fireworks), referencing its striking visual appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing around 1.8m (6 ft) tall. Growers note that the foliage is usually Regular Leaf (RL). It requires good support but can be somewhat sensitive to … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 4 (Favorite 4) 🌍 Origin: A highly impressive Polish breeding line. The name translates to “Favorite 4”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Features a very thick, strong, and sturdy stem. It demonstrates excellent disease resistance and robust growth. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive, uniform beefsteaks. The skin is red, but the dense interior flesh … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 17/1 (Favorite 17/1) 🌍 Origin: A new Polish breeding line resulting from a cross between Malinowa Sakiewka and Bordo. The name translates to “Favorite 17/1”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Growers note that the line might still be slightly segregating. It can present with either Regular Leaf (RL) or Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. … Read more
Quick Summary of Fidelio 🌍 Origin: A famous variety released by “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). According to the breeder’s history, it was developed by adapting a variety originally brought from the island of Cuba to the harsh Siberian climate. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), often exhibiting the classic “weeping” or wispy foliage typical of oxheart varieties. … Read more