Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Stolypin 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial variety introduced by the seed company “Aelita.” It is officially listed in the Russian State Register of Varieties (added in 2012). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An early to mid-season variety that stays compact but produces heavily. It is widely grown outdoors in open … Read more
Quick Summary of Sanka 🌍 Origin: A massively popular Russian commercial variety. “Sanka” is an affectionate, folksy nickname for Alexander. It is widely considered a staple “workhorse” tomato across Eastern Europe. 🌿 Plant Habit: Ultra-early determinate (bush) type. Very compact, typically reaching 40-60 cm (16-24 inches) in height. The main stem thickness at the base … 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 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 San Marzano 🌍 Origin: The legendary, world-famous Italian heirloom originating from the Campania region in Italy. It is considered the gold standard for tomato paste and sauces worldwide. 🌿 Plant Habit: Varies heavily depending on the specific line/biotype you grow. It can range from a compact 60 cm (2 ft) bush (Nano/Dwarf … Read more
Quick Summary of Superbomba (Superbomb) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety famous for its massive fruits. The name simply translates to “Superbomb”. 🌿 Plant Habit: The commercial seed packet claims it is a determinate, compact bush (0.8-1.5 m / 2.5-5 ft). However, experienced growers consistently report that it behaves more like an indeterminate or vigorous … Read more
Quick Summary of Raketa Zholtaya (Yellow Rocket) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety from the seed company “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season. Reaches about 2 meters (6.5 ft) by the end of the season. Important Note: This plant has an incredibly frail, wispy, and “weeping” structure. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Klyk (Pink Fang) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian heirloom tomato originating from private breeder Yu. Petrov. 🌿 Plant Habit: A tall determinate. Grown outdoors or in containers, it reaches about 1 meter (3.3 ft). In a greenhouse, it can stretch slightly taller. According to the original breeder, this variety is … 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 Podarok Moey Zhene (My Wife’s Gift) 🌍 Origin: A stunning Russian variety. The name translates beautifully to “My Wife’s Gift”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. The bush is surprisingly well-behaved—not overly sprawling, with moderate sucker production. It performs excellently when trained to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deeply pleated, ribbed … Read more
Quick Summary of Palenka F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian F1 hybrid produced by the “Semco” (Семко) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. It is strongly recommended for greenhouse growing (especially polycarbonate greenhouses). While the packet suggests pruning to 1 stem, many growers successfully train it to 3 stems with massive … Read more
Quick Summary of Striped Pepper (Pertsevidnyy Polosatyy) 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian striped paste variety, though its origins are muddy. The name translates exactly to “Striped Pepper-shaped”. Warning: This variety suffers from a massive identity crisis on the commercial seed market. Different seed companies (SeDek, Gavrish, Nash Sad) sell completely different tomatoes under this name! … Read more