Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Batyanya (Dad) 🌍 Origin: A famous commercial Russian variety from “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name “Batyanya” translates roughly to “Daddy” or “Pops”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing up to 5 ft (1.5 m) outdoors and 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. Classic oxheart genetics with very delicate, wispy foliage that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bogatyr Ilyusha 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Hero Ilyusha”, referencing a legendary strongman from Slavic folklore. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can be grown successfully both in a greenhouse and outdoors in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, blunt oxhearts … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Budenovka 🌍 Origin: A legendary, classic Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Budenovka”, which was a distinctively pointed, historical Soviet cavalry hat—perfectly describing the shape of these pointed oxheart tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (though sometimes acts semi-determinate depending on the seed line), usually reaching about 5-5.5 ft (1.5-1.6 m) tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Black Oxheart (Bych’ye Serdtse Chernoe) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded commercial and family heirloom from Russia. Known in Russian as Bych’ye Serdtse Chernoe. Growers often debate how it compares to the American variety Brad’s Black Heart. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. It features the classic “wispy, drooping” oxheart foliage, but the main … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Buran 🌍 Origin: A Russian family heirloom passed down through a forum member’s mother. The name “Buran” translates to “Blizzard” or “Snowstorm.” Note: There is also a commercial Dutch F1 hybrid called Buran; growers debate whether this heirloom is a stabilized, dehybridized version of it or a completely separate family seed … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Beefsteak Albi 🌍 Origin: A famous giant heirloom from Russia. This variety is a known champion at the prestigious annual “Minusinsk Tomato Champion” festival in Siberia, where growers compete to raise the heaviest tomatoes in the country. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. An absolute beast of a plant. Growers describe it as … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Blazhenstvo (Bliss) 🌍 Origin: A stunning modern variety introduced by Russian breeder and collector Sofia Saakova. The name translates beautifully to “Bliss”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It has proven to be quite resistant to Leaf Mold (Cladosporium), staying healthy late into the season. Note: It is a late-season variety in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bronze Heart of Angel 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and exotic novelty oxheart variety. Known in Russian catalogs as Bronzovoe Serdtse Angela. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An excellent yielder. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Classic blunt oxheart shape. The color is absolutely stunning—a soft ochre, mustard, or bronze hue. The fruits are medium-sized, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Brutus 🌍 Origin: A well-known commercial variety originating from the Czech Republic, famous for its massive size. Note: Some commercial seed companies label it as an “F1 Hybrid,” but many growers suspect this is a marketing trick to discourage seed saving, as saved seeds grow out true to type. 🌿 Plant … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Baklazhan (Eggplant) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name translates to “Eggplant,” given because of the huge, elongated oval shape of the fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 7 feet (2.2m) in a greenhouse. It is extremely reliable and resilient, setting fruit easily without dropping blossoms even in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Bochka Meda (Barrel of Honey) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial variety from Russia. The name translates to “Barrel of Honey,” which perfectly describes both its vibrant color and its intense sweetness. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plant grows vigorous, tall, and quite wide/bushy, requiring good support. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Basajaun 🌍 Origin: A highly prized family heirloom from the Basque Country (Biscay province, Spain). Introduced to the wider heirloom community by Secret Seed Cartel. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though some greenhouse growers report it staying around 5 feet (1.5m). It is a sturdy but slow-growing plant that absolutely requires … Read more