Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Italian Hearts (Italianskie Serdechki) 🌍 Origin: A variety circulated among Russian tomato collectors under the name “Italianskie Serdechki”. The exact pedigree is unknown, but it is a widely grown, stable open-pollinated oxheart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indet. An early-season variety known for being highly adaptable. It sets fruit reliably without dropping blossoms … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zilbert 🌍 Origin: A fascinating case of mixed-up heirloom history! There was once a pink Soviet beefsteak named Zilbert bred in the Ural mountains. However, the variety circulating today under the name “Zilbert” is actually a dark mahogany/black heirloom originating from Germany. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. An incredibly resilient workhorse that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltyi Volynshchik (Yellow Bagpiper) 🌍 Origin: An heirloom variety traced back to the legendary German tomato collector Reinhard Kraft. The Russian name translates to “Yellow Bagpiper”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Reaches over 6.5 ft (2 m) tall. The bush is sturdy but not overly sprawling. Outstanding weather resistance – it … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gibrid Tarasenko No. 7 (Tarasenko Hybrid 7) 🌍 Origin: Bred by the legendary Soviet/Ukrainian breeder Feodosiy Tarasenko. Crucial Note: Despite having “Hybrid” in its name, this is a fully stabilized, open-pollinated (OP) heirloom variety. You absolutely can (and should!) save seeds from it. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It grows very … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brown Flesh Jumbo 🌍 Origin: Originally from Canada. It was introduced to the RU heirloom community under the translated name Gigantskaya Korichnevaya Plot. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and sun-loving. Outstanding heat tolerance! Even in extreme summer heat waves, it continues to set fruit without dropping blossoms. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vesennyaya Radost (Spring Joy) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Spring Joy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It has a massive root system and thick foliage. Despite being a tall indet, it does exceptionally well … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vinnaya Bukhta (Wine Cove) 🌍 Origin: Popular dark tomato circulating in the Russian heirloom community. The name translates literally to “Wine Cove” (or Wine Bay). Grower’s Note: While some speculate this might have originated from a mistranslation of Wine Jug (Vinnyi Kuvshin), “Wine Cove” is traded as a distinct, highly stable … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Pink Brandywine 🌍 Origin: The undisputed king of American heirlooms. Legendary Amish origins, with the Sudduth’s Strain being widely considered the original, purest, and best-tasting lineage. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous vines. It has classic, robust Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. Typically performs much better and more reliably in greenhouses/hoophouses in cooler … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bogema (Bohemia) 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European/Ukrainian Open-Pollinated (OP) heirloom. Name translates to “Bohemia”. Crucial Note: Do not confuse this collector’s heirloom with the commercial Russian hybrid “Bogema F1” or the commercial dwarf variety sold under the same name! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous vine. Performs very well both in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Barskiy 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Eastern European heirloom variety circulated among private seed collectors. The name “Barskiy” translates to “Lord’s” or “Noble’s,” implying a grand, high-status tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, very robust and sturdy vine with thick stems and large, non-drooping leaves. Can easily reach 2.5 meters (8+ ft) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Anastasia Ushakova 🌍 Origin: A fantastic Russian heirloom variety highly prized for its reliability and beautiful shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and incredibly vigorous. It has a very long fruiting period, producing right up until the frost. Standout feature: Exceptional heat tolerance. Growers in hot, southern climates report that it … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Apelsin (Orange) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial Russian heirloom. The name translates literally to “Orange” (the citrus fruit), perfectly describing its appearance. Distributed by major Russian seed companies like SeDeK, Aelita, and Poisk. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally considered indeterminate (or semi-determinate depending on conditions), mid-season. Growth height varies from 1 … Read more