Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Aurora Blue 🌍 Origin: A beautiful anthocyanin variety popularized by the well-known Latvian tomato breeder and collector, Valdis Puliņš. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 1.7–1.8 meters (5.5–6 ft). Very vigorous and productive, known to keep setting fruit right up until the first frost. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-to-large slicing tomatoes weighing … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi Kubok (Amber Cup) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial heirloom variety (famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company). The name translates to “Amber Cup”. 🌿 Plant Habit: There is a well-known seed mix-up in the market. The original, true strain is Determinate (bush), growing stout and compact around 70–100 cm (2.3–3.3 … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernoe Yabloko (Black Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian commercial/collector’s variety. The name translates to “Black Apple”. It is widely distributed by prominent Russian seed collectors like V. Popenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very tall. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) and requires sturdy trellising. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernaya Lakomka (Black Gourmand) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Poisk” seed company. The name translates roughly to “Black Gourmand” or “Black Sweet Tooth”, highlighting its dessert-like flavor profile. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall indeterminate, typically reaching 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets fruit in clusters and has … Read more
Quick Summary of Chukhloma (Orange Icicle/Paste) 🌍 Origin: A highly successful Russian commercial variety from the Gavrish seed company. It is the orange sibling to the red variety Khokhloma. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (very tall) and vigorous, easily exceeding 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Growers note its distinct foliage: the leaves are very … Read more
Quick Summary of Finik (Date) Tomato Series 🌍 Origin: A hugely popular Russian commercial series (which includes Yellow, Orange, Red, and Striped variants), commonly sold by “Russian Ogorod” (often as an F1 hybrid) and heirloom vendors like “Batatovy Kusty”. The name “Finik” translates to “Date”, referencing their shape and intended sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate … Read more
Quick Summary of Syzran Ladies’ Fingers (Syzranskie Damskie Palchiki) 🌍 Origin & Name: An heirloom variety from Syzran, a region in Russia historically famous for its legendary tomatoes. The name translates to “Syzran Ladies’ Fingers”. This specific line was sourced from private collector Alla Savinova. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.5 – 1.7 … Read more
Quick Summary of Skifeya (Scythian Fairy) 🌍 Origin & Fascinating History: This variety has an incredible backstory. The seeds were discovered by a Russian collector in a remote Siberian village near Abakan, right next to the ruins of Zinkhir—the oldest stone city in the world, once belonging to the ancient Scythian civilization. The local village … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkaya Grozd Shokoladnaya (Sweet Chocolate Bunch) 🌍 Origin: A very popular Russian cherry variety. The name translates to “Sweet Chocolate Bunch”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly productive, with a very long fruiting season. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Round, brown/chocolate-colored cherry tomatoes growing in dense clusters. Despite having excellent storage capabilities, the skin … Read more
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Quick Summary of Slivka Gurman (Gourmet Plum) 🌍 Origin: A stunning novelty striped anthocyanin variety popular among Russian collectors. The name translates to “Gourmet Plum”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but known for being quite slender and well-behaved—it doesn’t produce an overwhelming amount of suckers. It performs very well in cooler greenhouse conditions and is … Read more
Quick Summary of Märchenzauber (Fairy Tale Magic) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful modern variety originating from Germany. The name translates directly to “Fairy Tale Magic.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vining) and early ripening. It produces lovely, cascading trusses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large cherry or small plum tomatoes weighing up to 50 g (1.7 oz). They … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovye Shchechki (Pink Cheeks) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety originally developed by the “Manul” seed company. The name translates to “Pink Cheeks”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Generally grows 0.6-0.8 m (2-2.5 ft) tall outdoors, but can reach 1.5 m (5 ft) in a greenhouse if trained properly. Note: The bush … Read more