Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Solokha 🌍 Origin & Name: A popular Eastern European variety. “Solokha” is a female name, famously known as the lively, mischievous village witch in Nikolai Gogol’s classic tale “The Night Before Christmas”. 🔍 The “Two Strains” Mystery: Forum discussions reveal there are at least two distinct genetic lines circulating under this name: … Read more
Quick Summary of Superekzotik (Super Exotic) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Eastern European/Russian commercial heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). It is a very vigorous vine, with growers reporting heights anywhere from 1.7 m to almost 2.5 m (5.5 to 8 ft) in a greenhouse. The foliage is relatively sparse/airy, allowing good light penetration. 🍅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Kenguru (Kangaroo Heart) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name translates to “Kangaroo Heart”, reflecting the shape and massive size of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5 – 1.8 meters (5-6 ft). The bush is strong, healthy, and has moderate foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Beautiful, perfectly … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Telenka (Calf’s Heart) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom circulated by well-known seed collectors (the seeds in this thread originate from V. Redko). The name translates directly to “Calf’s Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Like many classic oxhearts, it possesses “wispy foliage” (a frail-looking, drooping, sparsely leafed structure). It can be … Read more
Quick Summary of Sasha 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom distributed by the well-known organic gardener and seed saver Kazarin. 🌿 Plant Habit: While sometimes officially positioned as a determinate (bush) variety, growers unanimously report that it behaves as an indeterminate (tall) vine, easily reaching 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) in both greenhouses and open ground. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Sleeping Lady 🌍 Origin: A well-known release from the international “Dwarf Tomato Project”, specifically bred for growing in limited spaces (pots, planters, containers, balconies). 🌿 Plant Habit: A true dwarf. It has a compact growth habit with beautiful, dark, rugose (wrinkled) foliage. While often staying small in containers, growers report it can … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibiryak 🌍 Origin: A renowned variety bred by P.Ya. Saraev, a legendary Soviet breeder famous for creating extremely cold-tolerant tomatoes. The name “Sibiryak” translates to “Siberian” (a person from Siberia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is compact and small, making it ideal for open ground or container growing. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Golova (Sugar Head) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Sugar Head” or “Sugar Loaf”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The plant is sturdy and relatively compact, growing up to 80 cm (about 32 inches) tall. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Skorospelyi (Siberian Early) 🌍 Origin: A true, historic Soviet commercial variety officially registered in 1959 by the West-Siberian Vegetable and Potato Selection Experimental Station. The name translates to “Siberian Early-Ripening”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, usually growing 30-50 cm (12-20 inches) tall. It produces a lot of suckers and … Read more
Quick Summary of Stan Ley 🌍 Origin: A bit of a mystery! Cultivated and popularized by Russian seed collector Alexey Kulik, who lists its origin as the USA. The name is likely a transliteration of “Stan Ley” (or Stan Lee). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter side. Outdoors in open ground, it reaches … Read more
Quick Summary of Soldatovo 🌍 Origin: A highly prized authentic family heirloom from Minusinsk, Siberia (a region famous worldwide for its giant, hardy tomatoes). Originally sourced from local collector Natalia Shcherbinina. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and highly vigorous. Reaches about 1.8–2 meters (6–6.5 ft) in a greenhouse and about 1.5 meters (5 ft) outdoors. It … Read more
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