Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary: Koreyskiy Dlinnoplodniy (Korean Long) 🌍 Origin: An heirloom variety known in Russian collector circles. The name translates to “Korean Long-Fruited” (or simply Korean Long). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant features a delicate, wispy “weeping” foliage structure common to many elongated/oxheart types. It easily reaches 5.5 to 6 feet (1.6-1.8 m) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Kenigsberg (Königsberg) 🌍 Origin: A famous Russian commercial heirloom bred by amateur Siberian breeders and popularized by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. Named after the historical Prussian city of Königsberg (modern-day Kaliningrad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Reaches about 5 to 6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). It is bred to thrive in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italianskie (Italian) 🌍 Origin: Sourced from various Russian seed collectors (like Petrov and Monakhova). Often compared to or suspected to be a strain of Super Italian Paste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Vigorous indeterminate (tall) vines. Growers recommend pruning to 2 or 3 main leaders. Highly resistant to Late Blight and Blossom End … 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): Green Sausage 🌍 Origin: A famous novelty variety bred by the legendary American tomato breeder Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds). 🌿 Plant Habit: A strict determinate. The plants are extremely short and bushy with a sprawling, almost trailing habit. They feature very distinct, finely cut, wispy “carrot-like” foliage. Excellent for outdoor … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Cheerful or Jolly Gnome (Veselyi Gnom) 🌍 Origin: Bred by the well-known Russian tomato breeder L.A. Myazina. 🌱 Plant Habit: A compact, tree-type determinate (about 16-28 inches / 40-70 cm tall). It has thick, sturdy stems and broad rugose leaves. It does not require pruning (suckering) and is highly recommended for container/patio … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banan Zholtyi (Yellow Banana) 🌍 The Controversy: This variety is sold in Russia by the “Poisk” seed company under the name “Yellow Banana.” However, Russian growers who ran side-by-side grow-outs have universally concluded that this is simply a repackaged, renamed version of the famous American heirloom Banana Legs (originally bred by … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskoe Vytyanutoe Serdtse (American Elongated Heart) 🌍 Origin & The Naming Mystery: This is where international tomato collecting gets tricky! In Russia, two very similar names circulate: Amerikanskiy Vytyanutyi (American Elongated) and Amerikanskoe Vytyanutoe Serdtse (American Elongated Heart). Many suspect it is the exact same North American heirloom that suffered from … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskiy Dlinnoplodnyi 🌍 Origin & Name: Translated as “American Long-Fruited” (or simply “American Long”). Despite the name, it was introduced and popularized in Eastern Europe by breeder/collector A. Kulik. Many forum growers suspect it is a genetic duplicate (synonym) of the Russian heirloom Siberian Cossack. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An … Read more
Quick Summary of Blush 2.0 🌍 Origin: Bred by the renowned American breeder Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds) and released in 2019. It is a cross between Lucky Tiger and Green Zebra Cherry. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but very compact. It is noticeably shorter and sturdier than the original Blush, making it an outstanding choice for … Read more
Quick Summary of Faworyt 9 (Favorite 9) 🌍 Origin: A unique Polish breeding line created by crossing Rebelpik Sakiewka with Malinowa Sakiewka. The name translates to “Favorite 9”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striking, uniquely shaped tomatoes: they look like elongated truffles (pears) with a pronounced little beak (point) at the blossom … Read more