Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 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): Alenkiy Tsvetochek (Scarlet Flower) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “The Scarlet Flower” – a famous classic Russian fairy tale similar to Beauty and the Beast. The specific strain discussed here was sourced from the catalog of Evgeny Fech, a well-known Russian private seed collector. 🌿 Plant … 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): Akkordeon Rozovy (Pink Accordion) 🌍 Origin: A visually striking Russian heirloom variety. The name translates exactly to “Pink Accordion,” referring to its heavily pleated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.8–2 meters (6–6.5 ft) in height. A very vigorous and powerful plant that can be grown both in greenhouses and … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Pineapple Pig 🌍 Origin: A stunning striped bicolor variety bred by the legendary American breeder Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, powerful vine that sets very heavy fruits. Requires strong support, as the trusses can break under the weight. Being a “southern” (California) variety, it can … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Altaysky Shedevr (Altai Masterpiece) 🌍 Origin: A highly acclaimed Siberian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Altai Masterpiece,” and it truly lives up to its name among collectors. Often sold by Russian seed company Aelita. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), with a very thick, sturdy main stem and short internodes. Despite … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Andreevsky Syurpriz 🌍 Origin: A renowned Siberian selection. The name translates to “Andreev’s Surprise” (or Andrew’s Surprise). 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially listed as indeterminate and tall (1.6–1.8m / 5.2–5.9 ft) for greenhouses. However, growers note that when planted outdoors in open ground, it often behaves more like a determinate (bush) plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Armyanskie (Armenian) 🌍 Origin: A magnificent heirloom bicolor tomato. The name simply translates to “Armenian”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but generally has a somewhat frail, wispy, or “weeping” bush structure. Despite the delicate foliage, it has incredibly strong fruit stems (pedicels), meaning the heavy trusses rarely need extra support. Throws … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alsou (Алсу) 🌍 Origin: A very famous commercial variety developed by Siberian Garden (SibSad). Named “Alsou”, a beautiful traditional Tatar name meaning “rose-colored water”. It is highly regarded by growers in short-season climates around the world. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tricky! It is technically semi-determinate. If grown outdoors in the open garden, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vela Scarlatta 🌍 Origin: A magnificent heirloom variety (the name translates from Italian as “Scarlet Sails”). It is highly prized by collectors of giant oxheart tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and powerful plant that exhibits intensive, fast growth and produces a massive yield. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Giant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): AH Scorpii 🌍 Origin: A relatively new variety created by the famous American heirloom collector and breeder Dale Thurber (Delectation of Tomatoes). It is a cross between two legendary giant tomatoes: Hoy x Delicious. It is named after AH Scorpii, a red supergiant star in the Scorpius constellation. 🌿 Plant Habit: … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Pineapple Heart (Ananasnoe Serdtse) 🌍 Origin: An unstable exotic selection created by the well-known breeder A.I. Kulik. It originated as a genetic segregation (off-type) of another variety, and growers are still actively stabilizing it. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-early to mid-late season. Because the variety is still segregating, growers report … Read more