Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Basket on the Window (Lukoshko na Okoshke) is an ultra-early super-determinate (micro-dwarf) tomato bred specifically for containers, balconies, and small garden spaces. The original red variety produces round 0.7-1 oz (20-30 g) cherries on tiny 16-inch (40 cm) bushes that theoretically require no pruning or staking. However, growers note they do need … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Liqueur F1 is an early-season, indeterminate orange cocktail tomato from Russian breeder Lyubov Myazina. While the packet says the fruits average 1 oz (25 g), greenhouse growers report them easily doubling in size to 1.5-1.8 oz (45-50 g). The vine is well-behaved with sparse foliage and responds great to being pruned to … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lampochki (which translates to “Lightbulbs”) is an early-season, indeterminate potato leaf (PL) cherry tomato. It produces gorgeous clusters of sweet, meaty yellow pear-shaped cherries. It was grown side-by-side with the famous commercial variety “Honey Drop” to see if it was just a renamed clone, but proved to be vastly superior—ripening earlier, tasting … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Leningrad Giant is an early-season, determinate beefsteak tomato bred specifically to produce massive slicers in short, cool northern summers. The compact bush stays under 3 feet (80 cm) but manages to pump out heavy yields of pink fruits averaging 10.5 oz (300 g), with some growers pulling 1.5 lb (685 g) whoppers. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lyana Rozovaya (Pink Lyana) is a very early, determinate pink tomato designed for outdoor growing. The compact bush stays around 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) tall and produces uniform, meaty, 3-3.5 oz (90-100 g) fruits that are perfect for whole-fruit canning. While the seed packet claims it needs zero pruning, most growers highly … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Luch (which translates to “Ray” or “Beam”) is an early-season, determinate paste tomato. It is highly praised for being extremely low-maintenance—thriving outdoors with zero pruning required. The compact bush produces very thick-walled, meaty, elongated tomatoes that are noticeably sweet. Because it ripens so early and handles cold well, it is a favorite … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ledenets (which translates to “Lollipop” or “Hard Candy”) is an early-season, very low-maintenance small plum tomato originally from the Russian seed company Biotekhnika. It produces massive amounts of 1.5-1.8 oz (40-50 g) elongated red fruits. Outdoors in cold climates, it behaves like a compact 20-inch (50 cm) bush, but under cover, it … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Labrador Improved (Labrador Uluchshenniy) is an early-season, no-prune determinate bush tomato. Growers praise it for being extremely reliable, heavily yielding, and having a great old-fashioned acidic tang that beats anything you can buy at the store. It thrives outdoors and produces early harvests. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Longhorn is an indeterminate, early-to-mid-season oxheart originating from the US. It produces stunning elongated hearts in a deep purple-pink color with olive-green shoulders. Averaging up to 10.5 oz (300 g), the fruits are practically seedless, incredibly meaty, and boast a rich, sweet, and complex flavor. Growers rave about its massive yields and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lopatinskie is a highly productive, large-fruited variety that is the subject of a massive seed-source split in the gardening community. Growers buying commercial packets (usually from Siberian Garden / SibSad) often get a short determinate bush producing red fruits. Meanwhile, seeds passed around by private collectors usually result in a tall indeterminate … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lariska’s Heart (Lariskino Serdtse) is an indeterminate, early-producing pink oxheart that sets beautiful, firm fruits weighing up to 10.5 oz (300 g). Growers praise it for its dense, sweet, nearly seedless flesh and its impressive ability to set fruit consistently all the way up the vine. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lyana is a very common determinate bush variety popular across Eastern Europe, heavily marketed as an early, reliable producer for outdoor growing. Available in Red, Pink, and Raspberry variants, it produces uniform, slightly faceted fruits perfect for canning. While some growers swear by it as their absolute earliest, most dependable workhorse, others … Read more