Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotaya Kanareyka (Golden Canary) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular European variety. The name translates to “Golden Canary”, which perfectly describes its bright yellow color and bird-like “beak” on the blossom end. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and relatively low maintenance. It can easily reach 6.5 feet (2 m) in a greenhouse. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Klyk (Golden Fang) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato sourced and popularized by seed collector Valya Redko. The name translates to “Golden Fang”, which perfectly describes its shape and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Mid-season. It has the classic “wispy” foliage often seen on oxhearts and large paste varieties. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Orekh (Golden Nut) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety popular in Russia and Ukraine. The name translates to “Golden Nut”, referencing its color and size. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, typically listed at 20 to 24 inches (50-60 cm) tall, though well-fed plants can reach 3 feet (90 cm). … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Runo (Golden Fleece) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian early-season variety popularized by seed companies like “Poisk” and “Gavrish”. The name translates to “Golden Fleece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Typically grows about 20-32 inches (50-80 cm) outdoors, though it can stretch significantly taller if grown in a greenhouse. Requires minimal … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zasolochniy Delikates (Pickling Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the famous Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Pickling Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Seed packets claim it is a determinate (bush) type reaching 3.3 feet (1 m). However, growers report that when planted in a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zoloto Kolchaka (Kolchak’s Gold) 🌍 Origin: A prolific Russian heirloom variety named after a famous historical legend surrounding the lost gold of the Russian Empire. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous, powerful plant that sets heavy clusters of fruit and requires excellent staking to prevent branches from snapping under the … Read more
Quick Summary of Zagadka (The Riddle) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka 🌍 Origin: A classic ultra-early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “The Riddle” or “Enigma”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) tall. It does not require pruning or staking; you can just let it sprawl in … Read more
Quick Summary of Zolotoy Dozhd (Golden Rain) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Dozhd 🌍 Origin: A legendary Russian heirloom heavily discussed in the gardening community. Important: There is a massive mix-up in the commercial seed market. Commercial packets (from companies like Poisk or SeDeK) often contain small pear-shaped cherries. The true forum heirloom (traced back … Read more
Quick Summary of Zlatovlaska (Goldilocks) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlatovlaska (Goldilocks) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial cherry variety introduced by the “Poisk” seed company. It is officially registered for both open field and greenhouse cultivation. The name translates to “Goldilocks”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The foliage is medium-sized, light green, and somewhat wispy (delicate). Outdoors, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltyi Shar (Yellow Globe) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety. The name translates exactly to “Yellow Globe”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), easily exceeding 6.5 ft (2 m). Performs great outdoors (requires heavy staking) and in greenhouses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright yellow, perfectly round globes weighing around 5.3 oz (150 g). 👅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Yellow Cherry Potato Leaf 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom/collector’s variety circulating among Eastern European growers. Not typically available in commercial seed catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Features distinctive, large potato-leaf (PL) foliage. A very vigorous and resilient plant that produces right up until the first heavy frosts. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhigalo (Gigolo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Biotechnica”. Known for its provocative name (Gigolo) due to its distinct, elongated, phallic shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact determinate (tree-type dwarf). Usually grows to about 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). Has thick, rugose foliage that looks like a little … Read more