Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Big Rainbow (Bolshaya Raduga) 🌍 Origin: A famous American heirloom originally from Minnesota. In Russia, it is widely grown and traded among collectors under the translated name “Bolshaya Raduga” (Большая радуга). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Usually grows between 1.8 – 2 meters (6-6.5 ft) in a greenhouse, but can be … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bizon Oranzhevyi (Orange Bison) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial variety introduced by the “Poisk” seed company as part of their “Vkusnoteka” (Flavor Library) series. The name means “Orange Bison”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Does well in both greenhouses and out in the garden. It responds great to pruning (a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Babushkin Sekret (Grandma’s Secret) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial Russian variety introduced by the seed company Sibirskiy Sad (Sibsad). The name translates to “Grandma’s Secret”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but relatively well-behaved and not overly tall. Usually tops out around 1.5m – 1.8m (5-6 ft). Has distinctively soft, fuzzy foliage. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bolgarskoe Chudo (Bulgarian Wonder) 🌍 Origin: A highly prized heirloom circulated among Eastern European and Russian seed collectors (like Kulik and V. Redko). Translates to “Bulgarian Miracle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, powerful, and vigorous plant that easily reaches the roof of a greenhouse (2+ meters / 6.5+ ft). It … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Barskiy 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Eastern European heirloom variety circulated among private seed collectors. The name “Barskiy” translates to “Lord’s” or “Noble’s,” implying a grand, high-status tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, very robust and sturdy vine with thick stems and large, non-drooping leaves. Can easily reach 2.5 meters (8+ ft) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zore’s Big Red 🌍 Origin: A renowned heirloom variety. In Russian collections, it is often circulated under the translated name “Bolshoy Krasnyi Zora”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. A notable feature of this specific strain grown by forum members is its Potato Leaf (PL) foliage, which is an interesting trait … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Babushkina Radost (Grandma’s Joy) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded heirloom variety circulated by Russian and Ukrainian private seed collectors (originally sourced from a Ukrainian grape growers’ forum and popularized by Vera Monakhova). The name translates to “Grandma’s Joy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous plant that easily reaches 2 meters … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Belorusskoe Serdtse (Belarusian Heart) 🌍 Origin & History: A fantastic heirloom with a verified history! In 2006, a tomato grower named Andrey from Minsk (Belarus) bought a massive 900g (2 lb) tomato from an elderly woman at a local market. She had grown it for years but didn’t know the name. … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Huge Lemon Oxheart (Limonnyi Okskhard) is a tall indeterminate vine that produces exactly what its name promises: massive pale yellow/lemon-colored oxhearts frequently weighing 14-21 oz (400-600 g). Most growers report exceptional yields and a delicate, mild flavor, though opinions are slightly split on whether that mildness leans toward sweet or just plain … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Apricot Brandywine 🌍 Origin: A beautiful variation within the famous Brandywine family, prized among heirloom collectors for its unique coloration and classic flavor profile. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, PL (Potato Leaf). A very vigorous and sturdy plant that can easily reach 6 ft (1.8m+) in a greenhouse. Responds well to being … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychok Chernyi (Black Steer) 🌍 Origin: Sourced and popularized by a well-known collector (Vitaly / “Señor”) from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The name translates to “Black Steer” or “Black Bull-Calf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, PL (Potato Leaf). This plant is an absolute monster! It grows incredibly vigorous and tall (up to 14 ft … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychiy Lob (Bull’s Forehead) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety released by the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Bull’s Forehead” in English. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though some growers report that it occasionally self-tops (terminates with a flower truss) around 6.5 ft (2m) in the greenhouse. … Read more