Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: Kamennoe Serdtse (Stone Heart) is an indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season pink oxheart. Growers rave about its exceptional yields, reliable blossom set in fluctuating temperatures, and most notably, its extremely dense, heavy fruits that perfectly match the “Stone” in its name. It features a wispy plant habit ideal for greenhouse spacing. Full summary … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Goat’s Udder (Koz’e Vymechko) is a compact, highly resilient heirloom known for its unusually shaped crimson-pink fruits that look like plump icicles or elongated hearts. Weighing 5 to 10.5 oz (150-300 g), these meaty, nearly seedless tomatoes are incredibly versatile. The plants perform exceptionally well outdoors and easily shrug off harsh summer … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Königsberg Heart-Shaped (Kenigsberg Serdtsevidnyi) is a mid-season, indeterminate pink oxheart. Reaching about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, it is a highly reliable producer that rarely drops blossoms. Growers prize it for its incredibly tender, meaty pinkish-red flesh, low seed count, and a rich, sweet flavor that is never bland. Full summary ↓ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: King Penguin (Korolevskiy Pingvin) is a meaty, dark pink, elongated indeterminate tomato. While there is some debate over different seed lines (including a tree-type variant), the strain grown by these forum members is a well-behaved vine reaching about 5 feet (1.5 m). Growers rave about its sweet, low-acid flavor and dense flesh, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Krupnaya Grozd (Large Cluster) is an indeterminate, mid-season red oxheart tomato originating from Eastern Europe. It produces heavy yields of large, meaty, heart-shaped fruits that average around 12 oz (350 g), though some vendor descriptions claim they can reach over 2 lbs (1 kg). Growers appreciate its solid production and great late-summer … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kievlyanka (Woman of Kiev) is a vigorous, indeterminate pink heirloom that produces large, meaty plum or heart-shaped fruits weighing anywhere from 7 oz to 1 lb (200-450 g). Growers praise its dense, sugary “watermelon-like” flesh and rich flavor. While it can start slow and is often considered a mid-late to late-season variety, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Chinese Tree (Kitayskoe Derevo) is an indeterminate red tomato that produces heavy yields of large, meaty plum/paste fruits weighing 5-9 oz (150-250 g). Growers praise it for its excellent sweet flavor, firm texture, and outstanding shelf life. It even retains its taste well when ripened on the counter. Full summary ↓ Growers’ … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Knyaginya (Princess / Duchess) 🌍 Origin: A very popular Russian variety, widely grown as a family heirloom but also distributed commercially by companies like Siberian Garden (Sibsad). The name translates to “Princess” or “Duchess”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but not overly aggressive. It grows at a moderate pace, reaching about … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Knyaz (The Prince) 🌍 Origin: Heirloom paste variety popularized by collector N. Ananyeva. The name translates to “Prince”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Officially listed as indeterminate (tall), but growers frequently report it acting as a semi-determinate by topping itself off around 3.3 feet (1 m). Standout feature: It is incredibly eager to … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Red Butter Heart 🌍 Origin: Originally tracing back to the USA, this variety became incredibly popular in the Russian heirloom community after being distributed by collector V. Redko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall/vine). Exhibits the classic “weeping oxheart” gene with thin, wispy, droopy foliage. Do not be alarmed—the plant is not … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kupets-Molodets 🌍 Origin: A highly productive commercial Russian variety developed and distributed by the Aelita seed company. The name roughly translates to “Fine Merchant” or “Brave Merchant”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The seed packet claims it grows up to 3.3 feet (1 m), but in a greenhouse, it frequently stretches … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kristina Vatcheva 🌍 Origin: A fantastic family heirloom originating from Bulgaria. It gained worldwide popularity in the heirloom community after the grower, Kristina Vatcheva, shared her seeds with collectors in the United States. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and highly vigorous. Typically reaches about 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in a greenhouse … Read more