Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bolgarskoe Chudo (Bulgarian Wonder) 🌍 Origin: A highly prized heirloom circulated among Eastern European and Russian seed collectors (like Kulik and V. Redko). Translates to “Bulgarian Miracle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, powerful, and vigorous plant that easily reaches the roof of a greenhouse (2+ meters / 6.5+ ft). It … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Anna Maria’s Heart 🌍 Origin: A well-known heirloom oxheart variety, highly prized by collectors worldwide for its beauty and reliability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5 meters (5 ft) in open ground. Shows incredible cold tolerance and adaptability, performing exceptionally well even in the short, challenging summers of Siberia. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Barskiy 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Eastern European heirloom variety circulated among private seed collectors. The name “Barskiy” translates to “Lord’s” or “Noble’s,” implying a grand, high-status tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, very robust and sturdy vine with thick stems and large, non-drooping leaves. Can easily reach 2.5 meters (8+ ft) … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychie Serdtse Oranzhevoe (Orange Oxheart) 🌍 Origin & Confusion: A popular commercial Russian variety sold by various seed companies (Russkiy Ogorod, Poisk, Sibsad, etc.). However, growers report massive variations depending on the seed vendor. It is often confused with varieties like Liskin Nos (Fox Nose), Oranzhevoe Serdtse (Orange Heart), and Korol … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bolshaya Medveditsa (Ursa Major) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial and heirloom variety (circulated by commercial vendors and private collectors like Kulik). The name translates to “Ursa Major” or “The Great Bear.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous vine that reaches 1.8m to over 2m (6 to 6.5+ ft) depending on … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Huge Lemon Oxheart (Limonnyi Okskhard) is a tall indeterminate vine that produces exactly what its name promises: massive pale yellow/lemon-colored oxhearts frequently weighing 14-21 oz (400-600 g). Most growers report exceptional yields and a delicate, mild flavor, though opinions are slightly split on whether that mildness leans toward sweet or just plain … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Apricot Brandywine 🌍 Origin: A beautiful variation within the famous Brandywine family, prized among heirloom collectors for its unique coloration and classic flavor profile. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, PL (Potato Leaf). A very vigorous and sturdy plant that can easily reach 6 ft (1.8m+) in a greenhouse. Responds well to being … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Banan Rozovyi (Pink Banana) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety available from several seed companies, including Aelita and Siberian Garden (SibSad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Like many elongated paste tomatoes, it has a distinct “weeping” or wispy foliage. As a young seedling, the tops can twist and vine aggressively, which is … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychok Chernyi (Black Steer) 🌍 Origin: Sourced and popularized by a well-known collector (Vitaly / “Señor”) from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The name translates to “Black Steer” or “Black Bull-Calf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, PL (Potato Leaf). This plant is an absolute monster! It grows incredibly vigorous and tall (up to 14 ft … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bychiy Lob (Bull’s Forehead) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Siberian variety released by the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Bull’s Forehead” in English. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though some growers report that it occasionally self-tops (terminates with a flower truss) around 6.5 ft (2m) in the greenhouse. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bolshoy Oranzhevyi Khrebet (Big Orange Ridge) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Big Orange Ridge”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Requires pruning/training (growers typically prune to 2 or 3 stems). It can experience slow fruit set during unfavorable early-season weather but compensates heavily once conditions stabilize. Demonstrates good … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Big Zac 🌍 Origin: Bred in the USA by Minnie Zaccaria. It is famous worldwide among competitive growers for producing record-breaking giant tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and noted for producing exceptionally thick stems. It can easily exceed 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, oblate … Read more