Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Yantarnaya Rossyp (Amber Placer) 🌍 Origin: A modern Russian commercial variety bred by the “Tsentr Ogorodnik” / “Poisk” seed company and officially entered into the Russian State Register in 2018. The name roughly translates to “Amber Placer” or “Scattering of Amber”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, compact, and sturdy (tree-type). It has a … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Amber,” referring to its bright yellow-orange color. Note: It is sometimes sold under variations like “Yantarnyi 530”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush/tree-type). It is highly compact, rugose, and very sturdy. It does not strictly require pruning or suckering, making … Read more
Quick Summary of EM-Chempion (EM-Champion) 🌍 Origin: A famous Russian commercial variety released by Sibirskiy Sad (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “EM-Champion”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush), reaching about 60–70 cm (24–28 inches) outdoors. It has very sparse, thin, downward-hanging leaves (often described as “wispy” or “weeping willow” type). Because of this, it can … Read more
Quick Summary of Chelnok (Shuttle) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial variety. The name “Chelnok” translates to “Shuttle” (as in a weaving shuttle), referring to its elongated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: A true tree-type determinate (compact bush). Usually maxes out at just 40-45 cm (16-18 inches) tall. No pruning or suckering is required! The seedlings … Read more
Quick Summary of Fitous 🌍 Origin: A highly resilient and dependable Russian variety. The name is “Fitous” (Фитоус). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It grows compactly to about 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) tall and features sparse/wispy foliage. It is incredibly rugged, requiring minimal care, and thrives even in poor soil and low-water conditions. Perfect for … Read more
Quick Summary of Francuzskiy Grozdevoy (French Cluster) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial Russian heirloom, originally popularized by the “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad) seed company, with various lines kept by private collectors. The name translates to “French Cluster”. 🌿 Plant Habit: There are two distinct lines circulating among growers. One is a determinate (bush) topping out … Read more
Quick Summary of Turboreaktivnyi (Turbojet) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad). The name literally translates to “Turbojet”, reflecting its insanely fast growth and ripening speed. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An extremely compact micro-dwarf/bush type, usually topping out at just 40-50 cm (1.3-1.6 ft). It requires absolutely no … Read more
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: Determinate, tree-type dwarf. It has a stout, thick central stalk and typically grows 1.5–2.5 ft (50-80 cm) tall outdoors, though it can reach over … Read more
Quick Summary of Tyazheloves Sibiri (Siberian Heavyweight) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Sibsad” (Siberian Garden). The name translates to “Siberian Heavyweight.” 🌿 Plant Habit (Take Note!): The seed packet claims it is a determinate (bush) tomato, but grower experiences vary wildly depending on the seed batch. Many growers report … Read more
Quick Summary of Super Runner (Supergonets) 🌍 Origin & Name: A Russian commercial dwarf variety from the SeDek seed company. The name “Supergonets” loosely translates to “Super Runner” or “Super Messenger”, implying speed and earliness. 🌱 Seed Viability Phenomenon: A massive point of interest for seed savers: one forum grower successfully germinated a commercial packet … Read more
Quick Summary of Siberian Crown (Sibirskaya Korona) 🌍 Origin & Name: A robust commercial variety from the Russian seed company Semena Altaya (Seeds of Altai). The name translates to “Siberian Crown”. 🔍 Shape Discrepancy: The official seed packet often describes this variety as an oxheart (heart-shaped). However, growers report that it actually produces round-cuboid (blocky) … Read more
Quick Summary of Pink Early Ripener (Skorospelka Rozovaya) 🌍 Origin & Name: A commercial Russian variety. The name translates directly to “Pink Early Ripener” or “Pink Early Bird” (Skorospelka Rozovaya). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (compact bush), moderately branching, reaching a height of 50-70 cm (20-27 inches). Excellent for open ground and temporary film tunnels. 🍅 … Read more