Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Humph (Хм) 🌍 Origin: A relatively rare variety originating from the USA, introduced to Russian growers in 2015 by seed collector V. Popenko. In Russian, it is translated/transliterated as “Хм” (Hmm / Hmph). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It is prone to putting out many suckers and can easily … Read more
Quick Summary of Khokhloma 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial variety named after the traditional Russian folk painting style (“Khokhloma”). It is the red “sister” variety to the orange “Chukhloma” tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous, easily exceeding 2.0 m (6.5 ft) in height. Performs best in greenhouses but can be … Read more
Quick Summary of Hippie Zebra 🌍 Origin: A stunning Green-When-Ripe (GWR) bi-color variety. Highly popularized in Eastern Europe through collector V. Popenko’s catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft). It performs well in both greenhouses and open ground, showing excellent resistance to blossom drop during heatwaves or cold snaps. Note: … Read more
Quick Summary of Costoluto Fiorentino 🌍 Origin: A famous, classic Italian heirloom originating from Florence, Italy. The name translates to “Ribbed from Florence”. Very popular among Eastern European growers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. In a greenhouse, it easily surpasses 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. Generally displays good disease resistance. Note: … Read more
Quick Summary of Florentiyskaya Krasavitsa (Florentine Beauty) 🌍 Origin: A visually striking Russian/Eastern European collectible variety. The name translates to “Florentine Beauty”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can be grown in greenhouses or open ground. Be careful with nitrogen, as it has a tendency to put out too much vegetative growth early on, which can … Read more
Quick Summary of Fantaziya (Fantasia) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Agrosemtoms” seed company. The name translates to “Fantasia” or “Fantasy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Early-ripening (90-95 days) and indeterminate. It is highly adapted to northern regions and adverse weather conditions. It also boasts excellent disease resistance, specifically to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Calabash (Фиолетовая тыква) 🌍 Origin: A very old and famous heirloom variety known globally as Purple Calabash. It is renowned for its unique, deeply ribbed shape resembling a miniature pumpkin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The plants are extremely rampant and vigorous. Growers report them aggressively pushing out suckers from every possible … Read more
Quick Summary of Fedora 🌍 Origin: An heirloom variety circulated among European collectors. These specific seeds were sourced from a grower in Germany in 2015. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall-growing). Shows moderate resistance to Leaf Mold (Cladosporium), rated a 3 out of 5 by growers. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Heart-shaped (oxheart) tomatoes that exhibit prominent “green … Read more
Quick Summary of Finik (Date) Tomato Series 🌍 Origin: A hugely popular Russian commercial series (which includes Yellow, Orange, Red, and Striped variants), commonly sold by “Russian Ogorod” (often as an F1 hybrid) and heirloom vendors like “Batatovy Kusty”. The name “Finik” translates to “Date”, referencing their shape and intended sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate … Read more
Quick Summary of Florentino 🌍 Origin: Originally distributed by the Russian seed company “Biotekhnika”. It is a heavily ribbed, European-style tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5 – 2 meters (5 – 6.5 ft) depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. Uniquely, it forms flower trusses very frequently—every two leaves. … Read more
Quick Summary of Giante Friulano (Friulian Giant) 🌍 Origin: An Italian heirloom variety from the Friuli region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Possesses absolutely incredible disease resistance and cold tolerance. Growers report it staying perfectly green and healthy even through late autumn frosts, completely shrugging off severe fungal pressures. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, ribbed plum or … Read more
Quick Summary of Feyerverk (Firework) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Firework” (or Fireworks), referencing its striking visual appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing around 1.8m (6 ft) tall. Growers note that the foliage is usually Regular Leaf (RL). It requires good support but can be somewhat sensitive to … Read more