Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Favorite Holiday (Lyubimyi Prazdnik) is a heavy-yielding Russian pink oxheart originally released by Siberian Garden. While the commercial seed packet claims it is a short 30-inch plant, growers consistently report it behaving like a tall, wispy-leafed vine reaching 5 feet (1.5 m) or more in a greenhouse. It produces massive, meaty, heart-shaped … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Labrador is a rugged, ultra-early determinate bush tomato that tops itself at about 1.6 to 2.6 feet (50-80 cm) and requires absolutely no pruning. It pumps out a heavy, concentrated yield of 2.5-7 oz (70-200 g) red slicers. Growers across cold climates praise it as the ultimate season-beater, famous for producing ripe … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lavender Lake is a massive, highly productive indeterminate beefsteak. It produces stunning terracotta/red-brown fruits with subtle green striping and deep crimson flesh, weighing a hefty 17.5-28 oz (500-800 g). Growers report it as an exceptional and very early producer, though the seeds can sometimes be notoriously finicky to germinate. Full summary ↓ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Limonchik (Little Lemon) is a highly productive, indeterminate orange tomato that sets fruit in massive, heavy trusses. Despite the name, the most popular strain (from vendor V. Redko) is bright orange and round, not yellow or lemon-shaped. Growers rave about its meaty texture, extreme yields, and reliability, though some note it requires … Read more
🍅 Quick take: The Legend tomato discussed here is a determinate red slicer, but growers report highly inconsistent traits. While some get a tall potato leaf plant with large 10.5 oz (300 g) fruits, others get a rugged, dark-foliage plant with flat fruits. Despite the seed mix-ups, growers who harvested it absolutely praise its standout … 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: Lev Minusinskiy (Minusinsk Lion) is a striking, heavily ribbed, indeterminate heirloom from the famous Minusinsk region of Siberia. Producing large, meaty beefsteaks often weighing well over 10.5 oz (300 g), growers praise its rich, sweet flavor and excellent shelf life. While the flesh is thick and dense, some slices may reveal hollow … 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: Landshuter Riese is an indeterminate German heirloom that produces massive, incredibly tender pink oxhearts. Originally from Lower Bavaria and popularized by legendary seed collector Reinhard Kraft, this tall vine is praised for its long harvest window, excellent disease resistance, and nearly seedless, sweet flesh. While it can be a bit slow to … 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: Linnie’s Oxheart (also known as Linnaeus Heart) is a highly praised indeterminate USA oxheart variety that produces gorgeous, brick-red to brownish fruits weighing 7 to 14 oz. Known for its meaty texture, almost seedless flesh, and exceptionally sweet, rich flavor, it has become a permanent staple for many growers. The thread below … Read more