Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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Quick Summary of Sem Gnomov (Seven Dwarfs) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial/amateur variety. The name translates to “Seven Dwarfs”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is very short and compact, growing only up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall. Growers note that it does not require any pruning or suckering. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly round, … Read more
Quick Summary of Santa Maria 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded variety circulated by Russian seed collectors (seeds in this thread originate from V. Popenko). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is highly praised for its exceptional heat tolerance. Growers report it sets fruit perfectly without dropping blossoms (no skipped trusses) even during a 1.5-month-long severe … Read more
Quick Summary of Sasha 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom distributed by the well-known organic gardener and seed saver Kazarin. 🌿 Plant Habit: While sometimes officially positioned as a determinate (bush) variety, growers unanimously report that it behaves as an indeterminate (tall) vine, easily reaching 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) in both greenhouses and open ground. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Sleeping Lady 🌍 Origin: A well-known release from the international “Dwarf Tomato Project”, specifically bred for growing in limited spaces (pots, planters, containers, balconies). 🌿 Plant Habit: A true dwarf. It has a compact growth habit with beautiful, dark, rugose (wrinkled) foliage. While often staying small in containers, growers report it can … Read more
Quick Summary of Sultan 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Siberian seed company “Zolotaya Sotka Altaya” (Golden Hundred of Altai). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It requires regular pruning (suckering) and strong staking to support the weight of the fruit. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, pearl-pink beefsteaks. They are oblate (flat-round) and distinctly ribbed near … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnyi Pudovichok (Sugar Pudovichok) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name implies a heavy, sugar-fleshed tomato (a “pud” is an old Russian weight measure equal to 16 kg). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous grower that can easily reach the … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibiryak 🌍 Origin: A renowned variety bred by P.Ya. Saraev, a legendary Soviet breeder famous for creating extremely cold-tolerant tomatoes. The name “Sibiryak” translates to “Siberian” (a person from Siberia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is compact and small, making it ideal for open ground or container growing. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
Quick Summary of Sara Black (Sara Chernaya) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded dark tomato circulated among Eastern European and Russian collectors (many trace their seed lines back to German or local Ukrainian/Russian sources). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but generally on the shorter side. Depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or in a greenhouse, growers report … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Golova (Sugar Head) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Sugar Head” or “Sugar Loaf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is sturdy and relatively compact, growing up to 80 cm (about 32 inches) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Skorospelyi (Siberian Early) 🌍 Origin: A true, historic Soviet commercial variety officially registered in 1959 by the West-Siberian Vegetable and Potato Selection Experimental Station. The name translates to “Siberian Early-Ripening”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, usually growing 30-50 cm (12-20 inches) tall. It produces a lot of suckers and … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Piruet (Siberian Pirouette) 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Siberian variety specifically valued for its commercial-grade shelf life and suitability for long-term storage. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, cylindrical (plum/paste type), smooth, and very dense. They typically have 2 to 3 seed locules (cavities). Because of its structural integrity, it … Read more
Quick Summary of Smuglyanka (Dark-Skinned Girl) 🌍 Origin: This thread highlights a classic naming conflict! There are two completely different tomatoes sold in Russia under the name Smuglyanka (which translates to “Dark-Skinned Girl,” a famous Russian term of endearment and song). 🌿 Version 1 (Breeder N. Borzykh): A moderately tall, mid-season indeterminate. It is notably … Read more