Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of the Shokoladka F1 (Little Chocolate) Segregants 🌍 Origin & Context: A fascinating community experiment in de-hybridizing a commercial Russian F1 hybrid called “Shokoladka” (Little Chocolate). Growers planted saved seeds from the F1 generation and documented the resulting F2 and F3 segregations (off-types). 🧬 The Segregating Lines: The hybrid split into three distinct … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherri Uralskoe (Ural Cherry) 🌍 Origin: A private, exclusive Russian variety developed over 6 years by breeder Nikolay Alexandrov. It is not sold in commercial stores. 🌿 Plant Habit: An incredibly vigorous, massive indeterminate plant. If left unpruned, its aggressive suckers will grow sideways for meters and even try to root into … Read more
Quick Summary of Chempion Vesa (Weight Champion) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the seed company Aelita. The name translates to “Weight Champion”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 2 meters (6.5 feet). The bush is very strong, vigorous, and low-maintenance. It can be successfully grown with multiple stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherolla F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid variety, sometimes marketed under the alternative name “Strawberry Tomato”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Reaches about 2 meters (approx. 6.5 feet) in height. It is a vigorous plant that produces long, cascading trusses with excellent fruit set. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deep dark red cherry … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Blossom F1 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial F1 hybrid created by the Japanese breeding company Sakata. Widely grown and discussed in Eastern Europe. 🌿 Plant Habit: The official registry lists it as determinate (bush), but growers consistently report it acting like a vigorous semi-determinate or even indeterminate, reaching 1.2 – … Read more
Quick Summary of Tsitrusovyi Sad (Citrus Garden) 🌍 Origin: A famous Russian commercial/heirloom variety. It circulates under several synonymous names, most notably Chudo Sveta (Wonder of the World), Citrina, and sometimes mistakenly as Anna German. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly vigorous. It is a “multiflora” type, meaning it produces massive, highly complex flower trusses. … Read more
Quick Summary of Howes (Khoves) 🌍 Origin: An extremely rare variety distributed by Ukrainian seed collector Alexei Kulik. It is praised primarily as a long-keeper. 🌿 Plant Habit: Moderate height. Warning for seed savers: The currently circulating seeds show significant genetic instability. Growers report seedlings splitting into both Regular Leaf (RL) and Potato Leaf (PL) … Read more
Quick Summary of Hazel Mae 🌍 Origin: A well-known American heirloom originating from Ohio. Prized for its massive bi-color fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Needs a long, warm season to perform well. In regions with short or cool summers, yields can be disappointingly low unless seeds are started very early indoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Tomatoberry 🌍 Origin & Genetics: Originally released as an F1 commercial hybrid. However, a major point of excitement among forum members is that this variety successfully de-hybridizes! Growers planting F3 and F4 generation seeds saved from previous years report that it repeats its parent characteristics with 100% accuracy. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate … Read more
Quick Summary of Topklipsa 🌍 Origin: A highly reliable commercial Russian heirloom. Growers note that it is virtually identical to another popular variety called Slavyanka. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly tall (easily reaches the greenhouse roof), but it has a very distinct “slender vine” habit. It doesn’t grow wide or bushy, which allows for … Read more
Quick Summary of Tyulenka Rozovaya (Pink Tyulenka) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Gavrish” seed company. The charming name translates to “Little Pink Seal”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very powerful. Unlike typical oxhearts that often have wispy, “weeping” foliage, this plant has thick, sturdy stems and a robust structure. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
Quick Summary of Superbanan (Super Banana) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety whose name literally translates to “Super Banana”. It is highly sought after by growers who specialize in preserving and canning. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a vigorous plant reaching over 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. The manufacturer specifically recommends it … Read more