Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brutus 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety originating from the Czech Republic, famous for its massive size. Note: Some commercial seed companies label it as an “F1 Hybrid,” but many growers suspect this is a marketing trick to discourage seed saving, as saved seeds grow out true to type. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Baklazhan (Eggplant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Eggplant,” given because of the huge, elongated oval shape of the fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 7 feet (2.2m) in a greenhouse. It is extremely reliable and resilient, setting fruit easily without dropping blossoms even in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brusilovskiy 🌍 Origin: Heirloom variety from Russia. Highly praised among Russian collectors for combining massive fruit size with early maturity. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but with famously wispy, spindly foliage. Growers joke that the plant looks like a “skinny, wimpy boy” but somehow manages to support huge yields. It is … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Akademik Sakharov 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato named after the famous Soviet physicist and dissident, Andrei Sakharov. The specific strain discussed in this thread carries a remarkable backstory: the seeds were saved and evacuated by a grandmother fleeing the Donbas region conflict. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very vigorous, and tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Astana 🌍 Origin: An Eastern European / Central Asian “folk” heirloom (meaning it was passed down through gardeners and named by the community, rather than being a registered commercial seed). Named after Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. 🌿 Plant Habit: Modestly indeterminate. It doesn’t grow into a wild jungle, stopping around … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Andizhanskie (Andizhan) 🌍 Origin: A Central Asian heirloom. The name translates to “From Andizhan,” a major city in Uzbekistan. Uzbek tomatoes are famous across Eastern Europe for their intense sweetness developed under the hot southern sun. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. Very vigorous and highly productive, often out-yielding classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amurskaya Zarya (Amur Dawn) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety, often sold by the SeDeK seed company. The name translates to “Amur Dawn,” referring to the Amur River region in the Russian Far East. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 50–60 cm (20–24 inches) tall, but it spreads … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Azhur F1 (Ажур F1) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian F1 hybrid, commonly sold by the SeDeK seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush), growing to about 80 cm (31 inches) tall. A true workhorse variety. To get the best yield, growers recommend pruning suckers only up to the first flower truss … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Andromeda F1 🌍 Origin: A highly successful Russian commercial F1 hybrid. It comes in three color variations: Red, Pink, and Orange. Usually sold by the Russkiy Ogorod (RO) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Compact, sturdy, and semi-spreading, reaching up to 70 cm (27 inches). Extremely resilient against harsh weather … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Adamovo Yabloko (Adam’s Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Adam’s Apple”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 1.8m (6 ft) tall even in open ground. Known for being incredibly disease-resistant and tough. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, very smooth, firm, and thick-walled. The shape … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Neves Azorean Red 🌍 Origin: A legendary Portuguese/Azorean heirloom brought to the US by Anthony Neves and popularized by Carolyn Male. Interestingly, in Russia, it was initially mistranslated by some seed sellers as “Azorean Red Under a Canopy” because the name Neves sounds exactly like the Russian word for canopy (навес)! … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Azoychka 🌍 Origin & History: A famous Russian heirloom brought to the USA by Kent Whealy (Seed Savers Exchange). Interestingly, Russian growers note that its true original name was “Azochka” (or “Zolotoy Barago”), but it became “Azoychka” in the West due to a transcription error. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though it … Read more