Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Wherokowhai is an indeterminate(?), rugose potato-leaf release from the Dwarf Tomato Project that pumps out stunning yellow-and-red bicolor beefsteaks. While it’s classed as a dwarf, growers warn it can grow like an absolute monster (over 5 feet tall in a greenhouse). The community raves about its intensely sweet, complex, and fruity … Read more
At a Glance Fruit: Massive pink hearts, frequently throwing 2+ lb megablooms. Very meaty with almost no seeds. Flavor Profile: Outstanding “old-school” true heirloom flavor—sweet, aromatic, and rich. Growth Habit: Indeterminate vines, relatively compact (around 5’3″), setting fruit continuously until frost. Season: Surprisingly early for such a massive fruiting variety. History: A rescued Russian family … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lyubov Irana (Love of Iran) is a mid-late season, indeterminate pink beefsteak tomato. It is known for producing massive, uniform slicers weighing anywhere from 10.5 oz to over 2 lbs (300 g to 1 kg) with a rich, classic tomato flavor. While most growers report huge yields and beautiful fruit with no … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Summer Apricot (Letniy Abrikos) is a moderately tall indeterminate vine that produces massive, bright orange beefsteaks weighing anywhere from 14 oz to over 2 lbs (400 g – 1 kg). Known for its tender, melt-in-your-mouth flesh and very few seeds, it is widely considered an excellent fresh-eating slicer, though its flavor can … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Korol King-2 (King King-2) 🌍 Origin: A fantastic Russian heirloom variety famously circulated by collectors like Valentina Redko and Vera Monakhova. The name literally translates to “King King”. There are two known variations in circulation: the original “Korol King” and the updated “Korol King-2”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Depending on … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Klyk (Golden Fang) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato sourced and popularized by seed collector Valya Redko. The name translates to “Golden Fang”, which perfectly describes its shape and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Mid-season. It has the classic “wispy” foliage often seen on oxhearts and large paste varieties. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zilbert 🌍 Origin: A fascinating case of mixed-up heirloom history! There was once a pink Soviet beefsteak named Zilbert bred in the Ural mountains. However, the variety circulating today under the name “Zilbert” is actually a dark mahogany/black heirloom originating from Germany. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. An incredibly resilient workhorse that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dr. Lyle 🌍 Origin: A legendary USA heirloom from West Virginia. It was famously introduced to the seed-saving community by Craig LeHoullier, who received it from George Korbel (whose father-in-law was the eponymous Dr. Lyle). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Vigorous and highly productive vines. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Massive pink beefsteaks that … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): German Johnson 🌍 Origin: A legendary American heirloom hailing from Virginia and North Carolina. It is incredibly famous in the US for being one of the four parent varieties used by Radiator Charlie to breed the legendary Mortgage Lifter tomato! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous vine with classic Potato Leaf … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Costoluto Fiorentino sel. Canestrino di Lucca 🌍 Origin & The Great Seed Mix-Up: A fascinating piece of seed history! Commercial Italian vendors sometimes sold seeds under this long, combined name. However, as Russian growers quickly discovered in this thread, these are actually two different Italian varieties. 1) Costoluto Fiorentino: A small, … Read more
Quick Summary of Sensei 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad). The name translates directly to “Sensei” (Master/Teacher). 🌿 Plant Habit: A semi-determinate or compact indeterminate. It stays very manageable, growing to about 1 meter (3.2 ft) outdoors in open ground, and up to 1.3–1.5 meters (4–5 ft) … Read more
Quick Summary of Virginia Sweets 🌍 The “Full Circle” Journey: Virginia Sweets is a well-known American bicolor heirloom. However, watching it grow in the harsh climates of Russia and Siberia offers fascinating insights! In Eastern Europe, the name is often literally translated as “The Sweets of Virginia” or “Virginia’s Candies,” leading to some funny linguistic … Read more