Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Shuntukskiy Velikan (Shuntuk Giant) 🌍 Origin: A robust, traditional Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Shuntuk Giant” (likely originating from the Shuntuk area in Southern Russia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and surprisingly low-maintenance. It is highly praised for its incredible cold tolerance, setting fruit successfully even during unusually cold and … Read more
Quick Summary of Shtambovyi Krupnoplodnyi (Tree-Type Large-Fruited) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “Tree-Type Large-Fruited”, referring to its sturdy, thick-stemmed growth habit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, compact, and true “tree-type” (stout stem, rugose foliage). It grows up to 60 cm (24 inches) tall. A major bonus for growers: it remains … Read more
Quick Summary of Chendler (Chandler) 🌍 Origin: A collectible variety popularized by the famous Eastern European tomato collector A. Kulik. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but can remain relatively compact depending on growing conditions. When grown outdoors in open ground, it reached about 1.1 meters (approx. 3.6 feet). Noted for being low-maintenance and highly disease-resistant, … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Plod (Miracle Fruit) 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety originating from Ukraine. The name translates to “Miracle Fruit” or “Wonder Fruit.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, producing tall and quite vigorous, powerful bushes. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful oval-shaped (or blunt plum-shaped) red tomatoes. The fruits look like heavy “little bombs.” Average … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Tyulpan (Black Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. Note: There appear to be a few variations circulating among collectors under this name (some from Brizhan, some from Panova), ranging from 150g up to 500g, but they all share the dark coloration and excellent taste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Gigant (Black Giant) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian heirloom. Some experienced growers note it is practically identical to the well-known variety Cherniy Slon (Black Elephant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5 – 2 meters (5-6.5 ft). Some growers report it can terminate its own growth (top itself out) … Read more
Quick Summary of Gigant Lary (Giant of Lara) 🌍 Origin: A large-fruited heirloom variety originating from Hungary (Венгрия). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), powerful and vigorous bush reaching over 1.8 meters (6+ feet) in height. Regular leaf foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, heavy pink beefsteaks with slight ribbing/gathering at the shoulders. The skin is not … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Zemli (Wonder of the Earth) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian heirloom/commercial variety. The name translates to “Wonder of the Earth”. Important Note: There are two distinct strains circulating under this name. The original Siberian strain (“SibSad” company) produces large, flat-round (oblate) pink beefsteaks. Meanwhile, a popular Ukrainian line produces beautiful … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Sada (Garden Wonder) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety prized by collectors. The name translates directly to “Garden Wonder” (or “Miracle of the Garden”). Some growers note a striking resemblance to the famous Minusinsk red flat-round heirlooms. 🌿 Plant Habit: Vigorous, tall indeterminate. It can be a bit slow to get … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Altaya (Altai Miracle) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the Siberian seed company “Semena Altaya” (Altai Seeds). The name translates directly to “Altai Miracle”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall indeterminate. The bush is described as having sparse or wispy foliage (not heavily foliated), which is a common and normal trait for … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Tyumeni (Tyumen Miracle) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian heirloom from Tyumen, a city in Siberia. The name translates to “Tyumen Miracle.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and huge. Plants easily reach 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse and produce a massive “squall” of fruits, often described as looking like … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Slon (Black Elephant) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Black Elephant”. It is distributed by several seed companies in Russia (like TomAgros and Gisok). 🌿 Plant Habit: Mostly described as a tall determinate or semi-determinate that eventually tops itself (stops growing upward). Height ranges from 1m … Read more