Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vinson (Vinson Watts) 🌍 Origin & Name Confusion: This variety circulates in Eastern Europe simply as “Vinson”. However, based on the description (large pink beefsteaks with Potato Leaf foliage), it is almost certainly the legendary American heirloom Vinson Watts, brought over and shortened in translation. Vinson Watts is a famous heirloom … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Viking 🌍 Origin & Confusion: This thread discusses a large, red heirloom variety originally sourced from Sweden. Important Note: There is an officially registered Russian commercial variety also named “Viking,” but that one produces small yellow tomatoes. The Swedish “Viking” discussed here is completely different. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vanka (Little Ivan) 🌍 Origin & Name: A private Russian heirloom variety that gained popularity through seed collector Anzhelika Manusha. The name “Vanka” is an affectionate, colloquial diminutive of the name Ivan (essentially meaning “Little Ivan” or “Johnny”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but highly praised for not being an overly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vareniki 🌍 Origin & Name: A fantastic commercial heirloom originating from Northern Kazakhstan. The name “Vareniki” translates to traditional Eastern European dumplings (similar to pierogi). It was named this because the ideal fruit shape is supposed to resemble a dumpling – a plump, half-moon or boat shape, often finishing with a … 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): Vedro s Kusta (A Bucket per Bush) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic family heirloom originating from Barnaul (Siberia, Russia). The name translates literally to “A Bucket from a Bush” or “A Bucket per Bush”, which perfectly describes its massive yield potential. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 6.5 ft (2 m). … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vjerino 🌍 Origin: A treasured family heirloom originating from Bosnia. This variety holds a special place in the heirloom community because the seeds were passed down from a Bosnian woman’s stepdaughter directly to the late Dr. Carolyn Male, a legendary American tomato grower and author. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Yellow Vernissage 🌍 Origin: Bred by the well-known Ukrainian breeder Ruslan Dukhov, part of his famous “Vernissage” series of striped tomatoes. 🌱 Plant Habit: A massive, sprawling, highly vigorous indeterminate vine. It requires aggressive pruning and sturdy trellising, otherwise, it will completely take over your greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit & Yield: A classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blauwerk 🌍 Origin: A beautiful, compact variety circulating among Eastern European collectors. The name “Blauwerk” suggests German origins. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is a very short, compact plant that only reaches about 20–24 inches (50–60 cm) in height. It is an early-season variety that requires almost zero pruning, making … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Barbaris F1 (Barberry) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian cherry hybrid. The name translates to “Barberry”. Warning: There seem to be multiple, highly inconsistent versions of this seed sold by different companies (like Sib-Sad). Some packets produce red, round, tiny 0.4 oz (12 g) cherries, while others produce elongated, pink 1.4 oz … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Betalux 🌍 Origin: A very popular ultra-early Polish commercial variety. 🌿 Plant Habit: Note that there are two versions of “Betalux” circulating in the seed trade: a standard determinate, and a tree-type super-determinate (micro-dwarf). The super-determinate version is an absolute dwarf, growing very compact but producing slightly smaller fruits. It requires … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bugay Rozovyi (Bugay Pink) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the Siberian Garden (Sib-Sad) seed company. “Bugay” is Russian slang for a large, muscular, towering man. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. Reaches 5–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m) in height. It is an absolute workhorse variety with fantastic heat tolerance—it will continue … Read more