Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Cuore di Dronero 🌍 Origin: A magnificent traditional Italian heirloom (translates to “Heart of Dronero”). It has become highly prized among Russian growers under the translated name “Serdtse Dronero”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, very tall, and vigorous. It easily reaches the greenhouse ceiling and will keep growing along the roof. Despite the … Read more
Quick Summary of Syzranskaya Roza (Syzran Rose) 🌍 Origin: An old, legendary heirloom from Syzran (often considered the tomato capital of the Volga region in Russia). The name translates to “Syzran Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: The true heirloom is indeterminate (tall) and mid-early, with a long and abundant fruiting period. ⚠️ Buyer Beware: Commercial seed … Read more
Quick Summary of Rome (Rim) 🌍 Origin: A very popular, colossal red heirloom variety named after the city of Rome (in Russian: Рим / Rim). Widely circulated among Russian and Ukrainian collectors (originally sourced from A. Kulik). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, late-season, and extremely vigorous. The bushes easily exceed 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Begemot (Pink Hippo) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic Russian heirloom whose name translates to “Pink Hippo”—a very fitting title given the massive, blocky shape and heavy weight of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Reports on its growth habit vary. Some growers experience it as a shorter, compact plant, while others (especially in … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Slon (Pink Elephant) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial Russian variety sold by several major seed companies (GISOK, Aelita, Sibsad). Famous for its reliability and size. 🌿 Plant Habit: Features beautiful Potato Leaf (PL) foliage. Depending on the seed source and climate, it behaves as a tall determinate or semi-determinate. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Work Release Paste 🌍 Origin & “Lost in Translation” Story: This is a famous large Italian/US heirloom. However, when it was introduced to the Russian tomato community, the name was awkwardly auto-translated as “Rabochiy Vypusk Pasty” (which translates back literally as “Industrial Production of Macaroni”). The bizarre name caused a lot of … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Med (Pink Honey) 🌍 Origin: An absolute legend of Russian tomato breeding. Developed by the famous Siberian seed company SibSad (Siberian Garden). It is one of the most widely grown and discussed large pink tomatoes in Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Great Debate): The seed packet lists it as a determinate, … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovaya Bomba (Pink Bomb) 🌍 Origin & History: This is a highly sought-after community heirloom with a fascinating backstory. It originally appeared in a Russian grower’s garden as an off-type (segregation) of the famous Pink Sgt. Pepper. Instead of producing typical heart-shaped fruits, this rogue plant produced massive oblate beefsteaks. The Russian … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozov Dar (Pink Gift) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial heirloom from Bulgaria, produced by the “Florian” seed company. The name translates to “Pink Gift”. It is part of a famous family of Bulgarian pink tomatoes, alongside Rozova Mistika (Pink Mystique) and Rozov Ideal. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season to late-ripening. Unlike … Read more
Quick Summary of Plissirovannyy Serdolik (Pleated Carnelian) 🌍 Origin: The Russian name translates to “Pleated Carnelian,” which perfectly describes its gem-like reddish-brown color and heavily ruffled shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: A vigorous indeterminate (tall) variety. Performs very well in greenhouses when pruned to 2 stems (leaders). 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deep reddish-brown, deeply ribbed (accordion or … Read more
Quick Summary of Mr. Stripey (Polosatiy Gospodin) 🌍 Origin: A world-famous heirloom known in Russia as Polosatiy Gospodin. Note: This is the large, bicolor beefsteak version of Mr. Stripey (not the small Tigerella-type salad tomato that sometimes shares the same name). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall and vigorous. Performs exceptionally well in a greenhouse, where … Read more
Quick Summary of Aunt Swarlo’s Polish Plum Appearance & Shape: Huge, chubby, ribbed red plums/hearts. There is some initial confusion in the thread, but true-to-type fruits are red (not pink) and notably ribbed, rather than smooth. Plant Habit: The plant has classic “wispy” or weeping foliage. Don’t be alarmed if the bush looks frail … Read more