Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Izyumnyi (Pink Raisin) 🌍 Origin & Name Confusion: An underrated but fantastic Russian variety originally from breeder T.Y. Yashchenko. Note: Do not confuse “Rozovyi Izyumnyi” (Pink Raisin – large beefsteak) with “Rozovyi Izyum” (Pink Raisin – cherry tomato). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but a moderate grower (not overly tall), with strong … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Begemot (Pink Hippo) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic Russian heirloom whose name translates to “Pink Hippo”—a very fitting title given the massive, blocky shape and heavy weight of its fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Reports on its growth habit vary. Some growers experience it as a shorter, compact plant, while others (especially in … Read more
Quick Summary of Work Release Paste 🌍 Origin & “Lost in Translation” Story: This is a famous large Italian/US heirloom. However, when it was introduced to the Russian tomato community, the name was awkwardly auto-translated as “Rabochiy Vypusk Pasty” (which translates back literally as “Industrial Production of Macaroni”). The bizarre name caused a lot of … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Tyulpan (Pink Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A stunning collector’s variety of unknown exact origin, widely circulated among Russian and European tomato enthusiasts. Sometimes grown under the translated name “Tulip Pink”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and late-season. Reports on its growth habit vary: some growers note a wispy, fragile structure (up to 1.5m … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Dlinnyi (Minusinsk Long Pink) 🌍 Origin: An authentic Siberian heirloom from the Minusinsk region. Seeds were preserved in old newspaper rolls since the Soviet era by a gardener in Kazantsevo. It originally spread through the tomato community simply as “Long Pink” and was later dubbed “Minusinsk Pepper-shaped Pink” by growers. 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rio Grande 🌍 Origin: A world-famous commercial paste variety originally developed for hot climates, but widely adapted and heavily grown by Russian and Eastern European gardeners for winter canning. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Grows compactly to about 70-90 cm (2.3 – 3 ft) tall. Excellent for open ground and field growing. … Read more
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Quick Summary of Rhoades Heirloom 🌍 Origin: A classic American heirloom variety. In the Russian tomato community, it is translated directly as “Relikviya Rouds”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Typically grows to about 1.8 meters (6 ft) in a polycarbonate greenhouse. Growers report excellent results when pruned to 2 stems and planted in a sunny … Read more
Quick Summary of Pink Siberian Tiger 🌍 Origin: A famous anthocyanin variety that has become an absolute superstar in the Russian tomato community (where it is known as “Rozovyi Sibirskiy Tigr”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, though some growers note it acts more like a semi-determinate, reaching about 1.5 – 2 meters (5 – 6.5 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Striped Roman (Rimskiy Polosatyi) 🌍 Origin: A famous American heirloom known in the Russian tomato community as “Rimskiy Polosatyi”. 🍅 The Great Debate (Striped vs. Speckled): This forum thread perfectly captures the classic confusion surrounding this variety. As noted by growers (and Tatiana’s TOMATObase), there are essentially two circulating lines: Striped Roman … Read more
Quick Summary of Robs 🌍 Origin: A fantastic commercial Russian variety originally distributed by the “Elkom” seed company. Fun fact about the name: Growers eventually figured out that it isn’t named after a guy named Rob! “ROBS” is actually an acronym for ROzovoye Byche Serdse (Pink Oxheart). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 2 … Read more
Quick Summary of Pineapple Striped (Polosatyy Ananas) 🌍 Origin: A stunning bicolor heirloom obtained from an amateur tomato collector in Bulgaria. In Russian collections, it circulates under the translated name Polosatyy Ananas. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. Typically grows to about 1.6m (5.2 ft) tall. Performs best when planted in a prime, sunny … Read more
Quick Summary of Podarok Moey Zhene (My Wife’s Gift) 🌍 Origin: A stunning Russian variety. The name translates beautifully to “My Wife’s Gift”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season variety. The bush is surprisingly well-behaved—not overly sprawling, with moderate sucker production. It performs excellently when trained to 2 stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Deeply pleated, ribbed … Read more