Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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
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 Siberian Troika (Sibirskaya Troyka) 🌍 Origin & Name: A well-known commercial variety from the Russian Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. The name translates to “Siberian Troika” (a traditional Russian carriage drawn by a team of three horses). 🌿 Plant Habit: A sturdy, compact determinate (tree-type/semi-dwarf) bush. It typically grows to about 60-100 … Read more
Quick Summary of Scabitha 🌍 Origin: An exotic novelty variety bred by Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small, predominantly round tomatoes weighing up to 100g (3.5 oz). They are red, heavily adorned with striking gold and … Read more
Quick Summary of Sadovaya Zhemchuzhina (Garden Pearl) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial variety in Russia (from the SeDek company). It is also officially registered and widely sold in Western Europe (particularly Germany) under the name Gartenperle. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, trailing (cascading) type. It only grows to about 40-50 cm (16-20 inches) in height … 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 Sibiryachka Tosya (Siberian Girl Tosya) 🌍 Origin: A robust, early-season Russian determinate variety. The charming name translates to “Siberian Girl Tosya” (Tosya is a traditional Russian diminutive name). 🌿 Plant Habit: An ultra-compact determinate (bush). It grows to a maximum height of about 50 cm (20 inches). It is completely fuss-free, requiring … Read more
Quick Summary of Spiridon 🌍 Origin: A rugged, ultra-early commercial heirloom developed by the West-Siberian Vegetable Experimental Station. Designed to produce early yields in short, cold summers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, specifically a “tree-type” dwarf (known as shtamb in Russian). The plants are extremely compact, short, and have a very thick, sturdy central stem. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Skazochnyi Angel (Märchenengel / Fairytale Angel) 🌍 Origin: A modern, highly decorative variety of German breeding. Part of the “Klewerhof Fairytale” (Klewerhof Märchen) series. The original German name is Märchenengel, which translates to Fairytale Angel (Skazochnyi Angel in Russian). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but moderately tall, reaching about 140 cm (4.5 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Ryabinovye Busy (Rowan Beads) 🌍 Origin: A Russian variety popularized by the famous tomato collector V. Popenko. The name translates to “Rowan Beads”, a poetic reference to how the heavy cascades of bright red cherry tomatoes resemble clusters of rowan berries. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (dwarf) and trailing/cascading (often referred to as … 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. In open ground or containers, it grows to about 1 meter (3.3 ft). In a greenhouse, it can stretch slightly taller. According to the original breeder, this variety … Read more
Quick Summary of Red Robin 🌍 Origin: A very famous and beloved micro-dwarf variety worldwide. Fun fact from Russian growers: Commercial Russian seed companies often rename and sell this exact variety under the names “Snegirek” (Gavrish seeds) and “Krasny Karlik” (Red Dwarf). If you grow them side-by-side, they are identical twins! 🌿 Plant Habit: Micro-dwarf … Read more