Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Topklipsa 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable commercial Russian heirloom. Growers note that it is virtually identical to another popular variety called Slavyanka. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly tall (easily reaches the greenhouse roof), but it has a very distinct “slender vine” habit. It doesn’t grow wide or bushy, which allows for … Read more
Quick Summary of Siegel’s Dark Stripes 🌍 Origin: A beautiful dark striped heirloom variety. Known in Russian collections as Temnye Polosy Sigelya. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Performs very well in a greenhouse environment and responds nicely to being pruned to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened) fruits with a striking red-brown/mahogany base covered … Read more
Quick Summary of Tuxhorn’s Red and Yellow 🌍 Origin: A stunning, large heirloom tomato originally from the United States. It goes by the full name Tuxhorn’s Red and Yellow, though it’s often affectionately shortened to just “Tuxhorn”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though outdoors in cooler climates, it may only reach about 1 – 1.2 … Read more
Quick Summary of Dark Brown Honey (Temno-korichnevyi Myod) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive dark-fruited heirloom variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Performs very well in a greenhouse environment, especially when pruned and maintained to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Produces lovely dark brown/mahogany, heart-shaped tomatoes (oxhearts). The fruits are medium to large, weighing up … Read more
Quick Summary of Tlacolula 🌍 Origin: An old North American heirloom. The variety gets its name from the city of Tlacolula de Matamoros in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the first seeds supposedly originated. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and powerful, yet it features distinctive upright, silvery, and somewhat wispy/carved foliage. This allows for good airflow and … Read more
Quick Summary of Tolstyi Jack (Fat Jack) 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial Siberian variety originally introduced by “Sibsad” (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “Fat Jack”. 🌿 The “Red vs. Black” Mystery: This forum thread highlights a fascinating seed mix-up! While the original Tolstyi Jack is a short, red determinate, a rogue “Black” (brown/purple) version … Read more
Quick Summary of Rena’s Turban (Tyurban Reny) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive heirloom variety known for its distinct shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly productive. It responds well to being pruned and grown in two stems, especially in a greenhouse environment. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Produces firm, pink, pear-shaped tomatoes (often described as … Read more
Quick Summary of Tyulenka Rozovaya (Pink Tyulenka) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Gavrish” seed company. The charming name translates to “Little Pink Seal”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very powerful. Unlike typical oxhearts that often have wispy, “weeping” foliage, this plant has thick, sturdy stems and a robust structure. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
Quick Summary of Tarasenko Rozovyi (Tarasenko Pink) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian/Ukrainian variety (originally sold by the “Vassma” seed company), though forum members debate its true lineage, noting its strong resemblance to De Barao Tsarskiy or Budenovka. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It easily grows over 1.6 meters (5 ft 3 in) … Read more
Quick Summary of Turboreaktivnyi (Turbojet) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad). The name literally translates to “Turbojet”, reflecting its insanely fast growth and ripening speed. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An extremely compact micro-dwarf/bush type, usually topping out at just 40-50 cm (1.3-1.6 ft). It requires absolutely no … Read more
Quick Summary of Tasmanian Chocolate 🌍 Origin: A highly popular release from the international Dwarf Tomato Project. Russian growers affectionately refer to varieties from this project as “Gnomes.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Dwarf / Determinate (tree-type). It has a stout, strong main stem (shtamb) and typically grows 50-80 cm (1.6-2.6 ft) tall outdoors, though it can … Read more
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Quick Summary of Tikla Sundari 🌍 Origin: A rare and exotic heirloom variety originating from India. Its name translates beautifully to “Fragrant Beauty”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A vigorous vine that reaches up to 1.8 meters (6 ft) in height. Growers recommend pruning and maintaining the plant in 2-3 main stems for optimal yield … Read more