Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Marmeladnaya Lampochka (Marmalade Bulb) is an indeterminate, mid-season dark tomato originating from the Siberian gardening club “Tyapka” in the early 1980s. The fruits are pear- or bulb-shaped, turning a matte burgundy color while keeping a characteristic greenish, puckered blossom end. Growers rave about its heavy yields and its namesake “marmalade” or jelly-like … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zlato Skifov (Scythian Gold) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety marketed for its high carotene content. The name “Zlato Skifov” translates to “Scythian Gold”, a nod to the ancient nomadic tribes and their famous gold artifacts. 🌿 Plant Habit: Classified as an indeterminate, but generally behaves more like a semi-determinate. Rarely … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blushing Bride 🌍 Origin: A well-known American heirloom variety. It is widely traded among European and Ru collectors under the direct translation “Zastenchivaya Nevesta” (Shy Bride). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but generally considered very compact and well-behaved for a climbing vine. It is not an aggressive grower and is easy … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Golden Pineapple (Zolotoy Ananas) 🌍 Origin: A renowned American heirloom variety that has become wildly popular among Russian growers under the translated name “Zolotoy Ananas”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An extremely vigorous grower that easily hits 6.5-8 feet (2-2.5 m) in a greenhouse. Requires sturdy trellising and can easily support … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskoe Vytyanutoe Serdtse (American Elongated Heart) 🌍 Origin & The Naming Mystery: This is where international tomato collecting gets tricky! In Russia, two very similar names circulate: Amerikanskiy Vytyanutyi (American Elongated) and Amerikanskoe Vytyanutoe Serdtse (American Elongated Heart). Many suspect it is the exact same North American heirloom that suffered from … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Altayskiy Oranzheviy (Altai Orange) 🌍 Origin: A renowned commercial heirloom from the Altai region in Siberia. The name translates to “Altai Orange”. It is highly sought after by collectors for its incredible texture and flavor. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Some growers report it being a “short” indeterminate, while others see it … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskiy Rebristyi (American Ribbed) 🌍 Origin: This is the famous, classic “American Ribbed” heirloom, known and loved in the West (similar to the Costoluto types). It was brought over to Russia and quickly gained popularity among collectors for its stunning appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally indeterminate (tall), though some growers report … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Argentinskaya Slivka (Argentine Plum) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Argentine Plum”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant is very vigorous and powerful, easily reaching over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. It has thick stems and large leaves. Known for excellent disease resistance, particularly … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Amerikanskiy Dlinnoplodnyi 🌍 Origin & Name: Translated as “American Long-Fruited” (or simply “American Long”). Despite the name, it was introduced and popularized in Eastern Europe by breeder/collector A. Kulik. Many forum growers suspect it is a genetic duplicate (synonym) of the Russian heirloom Siberian Cossack. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Abkhaziya Rozovaya (Abkhazia Pink) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic heirloom tomato originating from Abkhazia, a region in the Caucasus Mountains famous for its rich agricultural heritage and outstanding southern tomatoes. The name translates to “Abkhazia Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though it tends to stay somewhat stocky (around 1.5m / 5ft) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Accordion Bi-Color 🌍 Origin: This is a known commercial heirloom variety (likely tracing back to the classic American Pink Accordion or Red Accordion lines). In Russia, it was aggressively marketed and sold by the boutique seed seller D. Gusev as “Accordion Bi-Color”. ⚠️ The “Bi-Color” Controversy: Is it actually a bicolor? … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alpinog (Альпиног) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic yellow heirloom tomato. The seeds in this thread trace back to the collection of Evgeny Fech, a well-known tomato breeder and collector from Russia. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and powerful plant that can easily reach 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. … Read more