Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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 Cherniy Baron (Black Baron) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. Important Note: There is significant seed confusion (off-types/mix-ups) on the market depending on the seed company (e.g., Aelita vs. Johnsons). 🍅 Phenotype 1 (The True Baron): From some “Aelita” seed batches, growers get the correct variety—a mid-season indeterminate producing beautiful, oblate (flattened-round) … 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 Cherry Strawberry F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid produced by the Russian seed company SeDek. Its Russian name is “Cherri Klubnichnyi” (Strawberry Cherry). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush), reaching about 1.2-1.4 meters (4-4.5 ft) in height. It can be grown both in open ground and greenhouses but requires staking and pruning … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernomor (Black Sea Man) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial variety (produced by SeDek). The name translates to “Black Sea Man” or “Chernomor” (a character from Russian fairy tales). 🌿 Plant Habit: The seed packet claims it is a semi-determinate (1.3-1.5 m / 4.2-5 ft) variety for greenhouses and open ground. However, … 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 Cherry Safari 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive cherry tomato variety actively shared and grown among Russian and Eastern European heirloom collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly versatile. When grown outdoors in open ground, the plants stay relatively compact, reaching about 80-100 cm (2.5-3.5 ft) in height, and only require pruning up to … Read more
Quick Summary of My Dancing Green Fingers 🌍 Origin: A relatively new, highly sought-after cherry variety created by Belgian gardener and collector Bart Praet. It took second place among the best tomatoes at the Tomatofest festival in Brussels (Nos Pilifs farm) in 2021. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plant produces numerous thin stems … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Blossom F1 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial F1 hybrid created by the Japanese breeding company Sakata. Widely grown and discussed in Eastern Europe. 🌿 Plant Habit: The official registry lists it as determinate (bush), but growers consistently report it acting like a vigorous semi-determinate or even indeterminate, reaching 1.2 – … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Defeating Late Blight in Cold, Rainy Climates 🌍 The Problem: Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) is the ultimate tomato killer, especially in cool, rainy regions with heavy morning dew (like USDA Zones 3-5). Many growers harvest green tomatoes thinking they are safe, only to watch them rot indoors. 🧪 Folk Remedies vs. Science: … 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 Chernoe Yabloko (Black Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian commercial/collector’s variety. The name translates to “Black Apple”. It is widely distributed by prominent Russian seed collectors like V. Popenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very tall. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) and requires sturdy trellising. It … Read more