Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Temptation (Spokusa) 🌍 Origin & Name: A commercial variety originating from Ukraine/Eastern Europe. The name “Spokusa” directly translates to “Temptation” or “Seduction”. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Foliage Mystery): The true strain of this variety is a vigorous indeterminate (tall) vine with a very unique visual trait: it has unusually small, sparse leaves … Read more
Quick Summary of Snow Leopard (Snezhnyi Bars) 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable Russian commercial variety produced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Snow Leopard”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly adaptable but behaves differently depending on the environment. In open ground, it stays as a compact determinate bush around 50-60 cm (20-24 inches) tall. … Read more
Quick Summary of Solokha 🌍 Origin & Name: A popular Eastern European variety. “Solokha” is a female name, famously known as the lively, mischievous village witch in Nikolai Gogol’s classic tale “The Night Before Christmas”. 🔍 The “Two Strains” Mystery: Forum discussions reveal there are at least two distinct genetic lines circulating under this name: … Read more
Quick Summary of Santa Cruz 🌍 Origin: Often circulated by Russian seed collectors (like V. Popenko). It is widely positioned in the community as an “improved De Barao” (referencing the legendary Eastern European canning variety). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall), easily reaching 2.5 meters (8+ ft). Growers describe the bush as a “monster”—very vigorous … Read more
Quick Summary of Solntse Severa (Sun of the North) 🌍 Origin: Distributed by a well-known (and somewhat secretive) Russian seed collector, Kolyakov. The name translates to “Sun of the North”. 🧐 The Naming Irony: As forum growers quickly point out, the name is quite misleading! One would expect a “Northern Sun” to be a yellow … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Kenguru (Kangaroo Heart) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Kangaroo Heart”, reflecting the shape and massive size of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5 – 1.8 meters (5-6 ft). The bush is strong, healthy, and has moderate foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful, perfectly … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Bochonok (Sweet Barrel) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Sweet Barrel”, which perfectly describes its shape and flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.8-2 meters (6-6.5 ft). Pro Tip: The official description notes it is prone to excessive vegetative growth, so it requires strict pruning and … Read more
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Quick Summary of Sem Gnomov (Seven Dwarfs) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial/amateur variety. The name translates to “Seven Dwarfs”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is very short and compact, growing only up to 50 cm (20 inches) tall. Growers note that it does not require any pruning or suckering. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Perfectly round, … Read more
Quick Summary of Sasha 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom distributed by the well-known organic gardener and seed saver Kazarin. 🌿 Plant Habit: While sometimes officially positioned as a determinate (bush) variety, growers unanimously report that it behaves as an indeterminate (tall) vine, easily reaching 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) in both greenhouses and open ground. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Sultan 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Siberian seed company “Zolotaya Sotka Altaya” (Golden Hundred of Altai). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It requires regular pruning (suckering) and strong staking to support the weight of the fruit. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, pearl-pink beefsteaks. They are oblate (flat-round) and distinctly ribbed near … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnyi Pudovichok (Sugar Pudovichok) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name implies a heavy, sugar-fleshed tomato (a “pud” is an old Russian weight measure equal to 16 kg). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous grower that can easily reach the … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Golova (Sugar Head) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Sugar Head” or “Sugar Loaf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is sturdy and relatively compact, growing up to 80 cm (about 32 inches) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more