Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Katinka is a highly resilient, semi-determinate orange cherry tomato. Reaching about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall, it sets massive, forked clusters of sweet, 0.5-0.7 oz (15-20 g) orange cherries. It is highly praised for its exceptional cold tolerance and its ability to resist splitting and cracking during heavy rains and temperature swings. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Orange Klondike (Klondajk Oranzhevyj) 🌍 Origin: A reliable commercial Russian variety, often distributed by major seed companies like Aelita. 🌿 Plant Habit: A true determinate (bush) variety. It stays extremely compact, maxing out around 24-28 inches (60-70 cm) tall. It is an absolute low-maintenance dream because it requires zero pruning or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Zebra 🌍 Origin: A legendary American variety bred by Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds) in 1983. It is arguably the most famous green-when-ripe tomato in the world. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Can be a bit of a slow starter and sometimes grows spindly outdoors, but yields are generally reliable. It … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhigalo (Gigolo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Biotechnica”. Known for its provocative name (Gigolo) due to its distinct, elongated, phallic shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact determinate (tree-type dwarf). Usually grows to about 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). Has thick, rugose foliage that looks like a little … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Agatha (Агата) 🌍 Origin: A classic, highly respected Soviet heirloom. It was officially entered into the USSR State Register of Breeding Achievements back in 1987. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Generally stays short and compact when grown outdoors (40–60 cm / 16–24 inches), but can reach 1–1.2 m (3 – 4 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Alye Svechi (Scarlet Candles) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Scarlet Candles” due to its elongated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and incredibly vigorous. Growers warn that this bush is a monster, easily reaching 2 to 3 meters (6.5–10 ft) tall, requiring serious staking. 🍅 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Defeating Late Blight in Cold, Rainy Climates 🌍 The Problem: Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) is the ultimate tomato killer, especially in cool, rainy regions with heavy morning dew (like USDA Zones 3-5). Many growers harvest green tomatoes thinking they are safe, only to watch them rot indoors. 🧪 Folk Remedies vs. Science: … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Slon (Black Elephant) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Black Elephant”. It is distributed by several seed companies in Russia (like TomAgros and Gisok). 🌿 Plant Habit: Mostly described as a tall determinate or semi-determinate that eventually tops itself (stops growing upward). Height ranges from 1m … Read more
Quick Summary of Tolstyi Botsman (Fat Boatswain) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Semena Altaya” (Seeds of Altai) company. The rather unique name translates to “Fat Boatswain”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Intended for growing outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Striped bicolor tomatoes (red with golden/yellowish streaks). The largest fruits … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkiy Shar (Sweet Globe) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Semena Altaya” (Altai Seeds) company. The name translates to “Sweet Globe” or “Sweet Sphere.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. It produces large, grayish-green leaves. The foliage is so dense that the fruits tend to hide completely under … Read more
Quick Summary of Stolypin 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial variety introduced by the seed company “Aelita.” It is officially listed in the Russian State Register of Varieties (added in 2012). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An early to mid-season variety that stays compact but produces heavily. It is widely grown outdoors in open … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Kivi (Siberian Kiwi) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Uralskiy Dachnik” (Ural Summer Resident) seed company. The name translates to “Siberian Kiwi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and vigorous. Reaches about 1.5 meters (5 ft) in height. Growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for the best yield. It shows … Read more