Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Syzranka 🌍 Origin: A famous old family heirloom from Syzran, a city on the Volga River famously known as the “Tomato Capital of Russia.” The name translates to “Girl from Syzran.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter, more compact side. It typically grows to about 1.6 meters (5.2 ft) tall. … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Mordovii Rozovoe (Heart of Mordovia Pink) 🌍 Origin: An old, unregistered family heirloom originating from the Republic of Mordovia, Russia. Note: Russian breeder Dmitry Gusev sells a “Red” version of this tomato, but the strain featured here is the highly prized Pink/Raspberry version. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. It reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Stolypin 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian commercial variety introduced by the seed company “Aelita.” It is officially listed in the Russian State Register of Varieties (added in 2012). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An early to mid-season variety that stays compact but produces heavily. It is widely grown outdoors in open … 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 Sladkoe Chudo (Sweet Miracle) 🌍 Origin: A highly prized Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Sweet Miracle.” Warning: This thread reveals that many commercial seed companies sell incorrect, off-type seeds under this name. The “true” variety described here was circulated among collectors (originating from N. Berezhnova). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, reaching about … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibiryachka Tosya (Siberian Girl Tosya) 🌍 Origin: A robust, early-season Russian determinate variety. The charming name translates to “Siberian Girl Tosya” (Tosya is a traditional Russian diminutive name). 🌿 Plant Habit: An ultra-compact determinate (bush). It grows to a maximum height of about 50 cm (20 inches). It is completely fuss-free, requiring … Read more
Quick Summary of Snegir (Bullfinch) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety (often sold by the “Biotechnica” seed company). The name translates to “Bullfinch,” a winter bird with a bright red breast, which perfectly hints at this variety’s cold tolerance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The seed packet claims it stays very compact at 45–50 cm … Read more
Quick Summary of Samokhval (The Boaster) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (Sibsad). The name translates to “The Boaster” or “Show-off.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Mid-season, indeterminate plant. Reaches heights of 1.2–1.7 meters (4 to 5.5 ft) depending on whether it is grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Tibeta (Heart of Tibet) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian collector’s variety (seeds originally distributed by breeder Gusev). The name translates to “Heart of Tibet”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. It exhibits classic oxheart traits, meaning the bush is not overly vigorous and has delicate, “wispy” foliage. Outdoors it grows to about … Read more
Quick Summary of Sanka 🌍 Origin: A massively popular Russian commercial variety. “Sanka” is an affectionate, folksy nickname for Alexander. It is widely considered a staple “workhorse” tomato across Eastern Europe. 🌿 Plant Habit: Ultra-early determinate (bush) type. Very compact, typically reaching 40-60 cm (16-24 inches) in height. The main stem thickness at the base … Read more
Quick Summary of Solar Flare (Solnechnaya Vspyshka) 🌍 Origin: Known in Russia as “Solnechnaya Vspyshka,” this is the famous Solar Flare variety originally bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (USA). However, this thread reveals a fascinating mystery: many seeds circulating among Russian vendors turned out to be heavily crossed or genetically unstable! 🌿 … Read more
Quick Summary of Sprint-Timer 🌍 Origin: A legendary Russian giant heirloom. It gained massive fame when a grower won the 2016 “Minusinsk Tomato Day” (Russia’s famous giant tomato competition) with a Sprint-Timer fruit weighing a whopping 1.878 kg (4.14 lbs)! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate with thick, robust stems. Typically grows up to 1.5 meters (5 … Read more