Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Superbanan (Super Banana) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety whose name literally translates to “Super Banana”. It is highly sought after by growers who specialize in preserving and canning. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous plant reaching over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. The manufacturer specifically recommends it … Read more
Quick Summary of Sugar Gem F1 (Samotsvet Sakharnyi F1) 🌍 Origin & Name: Another popular commercial hybrid from the Russian SeDek seed company’s “Gem” (Samotsvet) series. The name translates to “Sugar Gem”. Note: Some Ukrainian private collectors sell “de-hybridized” open-pollinated (OP) versions under similar names. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and incredibly vigorous. Growers consistently … Read more
Quick Summary of Super Balcony Orange (Superbalkonnyi Oranzhevyi) 🌍 Origin & Name: Sourced from the collection of Ukrainian tomato breeder Denis Terentyev. The name translates to “Super Balcony Orange”. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Paradox): Despite the word “Balcony” in its name, which usually implies a tiny micro-dwarf, this variety is actually an indeterminate (tall) vine! … Read more
Quick Summary of Lilac Plum (Sirenevaya Sliva) 🌍 Origin: Sourced from the famous Ukrainian tomato breeder and seed collector Aleksey Kulik. The name translates to “Lilac Plum”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. Growers note that the bush is very powerful and can easily support being pruned to 3 main stems to maximize … Read more
Quick Summary of Sweet Kiss (Sladkiy Potseluy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian cherry variety produced by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. The name translates directly to “Sweet Kiss”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly adaptable. In open ground, it behaves as a robust semi-determinate, growing to about 80 cm (31 inches). However, inside a greenhouse, it … Read more
Quick Summary of Pink Plum (Sliva Rozovaya) 🌍 Origin & Name: A Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Pink Plum”. Veteran growers note it is virtually identical to a famous variety bred specifically for harsh climates by the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (compact). In open ground, it typically … Read more
Quick Summary of Sweet Carneros Pink 🌍 Origin: Bred by the famous Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms (USA, California). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Growers note that the plant is incredibly healthy, vigorous, and highly productive. It makes a highly decorative addition to any greenhouse or garden. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small, round, pink cocktail-sized … Read more
Quick Summary of Temptation (Spokusa) 🌍 Origin & Name: A commercial variety originating from Ukraine/Eastern Europe. The name “Spokusa” directly translates to “Temptation” or “Seduction”. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Foliage Mystery): The true strain of this variety is a vigorous indeterminate (tall) vine with a very unique visual trait: it has unusually small, sparse leaves … Read more
Quick Summary of Tiger Plum (Sliva Tigrovaya) 🌍 Origin & Name: An Eastern European striped heirloom, also known in international circles as Plum Tigris. Translates from Russian directly as “Tiger Plum” (Sliva Tigrovaya). It is sometimes confused with “Striped Plum”, though growers note they are genetically different. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly versatile. When grown outdoors … Read more
Quick Summary of Solokha 🌍 Origin & Name: A popular Eastern European variety. “Solokha” is a female name, famously known as the lively, mischievous village witch in Nikolai Gogol’s classic tale “The Night Before Christmas”. 🔍 The “Two Strains” Mystery: Forum discussions reveal there are at least two distinct genetic lines circulating under this name: … Read more
Quick Summary of Superekzotik (Super Exotic) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Eastern European/Russian commercial heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a very vigorous vine, with growers reporting heights anywhere from 1.7 m to almost 2.5 m (5.5 to 8 ft) in a greenhouse. The foliage is relatively sparse/airy, allowing good light penetration. 🍅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Santa Cruz 🌍 Origin: Often circulated by Russian seed collectors (like V. Popenko). It is widely positioned in the community as an “improved De Barao” (referencing the legendary Eastern European canning variety). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall), easily reaching 2.5 meters (8+ ft). Growers describe the bush as a “monster”—very vigorous … Read more