Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Sibirskiy Kivi (Siberian Kiwi) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Uralskiy Dachnik” (Ural Summer Resident) seed company. The name translates to “Siberian Kiwi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and vigorous. Reaches about 1.5 meters (5 ft) in height. Growers recommend pruning it to 2 stems for the best yield. It shows … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnaya Nastasya (Sugar Nastasya) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the “Gavrish” seed company. The name translates to “Sugar Nastasya” (Nastasya is a traditional, folksy diminutive of the name Anastasia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very vigorous. While the seed packet claims it grows up to 1.5m (5 ft), real … Read more
Quick Summary of Sanka Zolotoy (Golden Sanka) 🌍 Origin: A golden-yellow variation of “Sanka”, one of the most famous and widely grown ultra-early commercial heirlooms in Russia and Ukraine. The name translates to “Golden Sanka” or “Sanka Gold”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It grows to about 1 meter (3.3 ft) tall outdoors. It is … Read more
Quick Summary of Heart of Ashgabat (Сердце Ашхабада) 🌍 Origin & Variations: A famous old Soviet-era heirloom (Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan). Interestingly, modern seed networks circulate two distinct shapes under this name: a classic pointed orange oxheart, and a flattened-round orange beefsteak. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 1.5 – 1.8 meters … Read more
Quick Summary of Slastena (Sweet Tooth) 🌍 Origin & The Name Mix-Up: The name “Slastena” translates to “Sweet Tooth”. In Russia, there are actually two different varieties circulating under this name. The one highly prized by heirloom collectors is an old, large-fruited indeterminate variety. However, commercial seed companies registered a completely different, small-fruited determinate (bush) … Read more
Quick Summary of Slavyanka (Slavic Woman) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial/heirloom variety (originally distributed by GISOK seeds). The name translates beautifully to “Slavic Woman” or “Slavic Girl”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, tall, and highly vigorous. Growers note that it can grow massive (“like a baobab tree”) and will keep setting fruit relentlessly from … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Barry’s Crazy Cherry – What Growers Report 🌱 Plant: Indeterminate. Seedlings stay short, grow slowly and don’t stretch, so several growers suggest sowing early (one sowed on February 22, another says February would have been fine). Height varies: about 80 cm (31 in) outdoors near Poltava, and up to 2 m (6.5 … Read more
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Quick Summary of Blue Suede Shoes 🌍 Origin: A very popular, highly decorative novelty variety. It is widely grown by Russian collectors under the translated name “Sinie Zamshevye Tufli”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and powerful. It is a sprawling plant that requires plenty of space and strong support. It is highly recommended to leave … Read more
Quick Summary of Syzranskaya Roza (Syzran Rose) 🌍 Origin: An old, legendary heirloom from Syzran (often considered the tomato capital of the Volga region in Russia). The name translates to “Syzran Rose”. 🌿 Plant Habit: The true heirloom is indeterminate (tall) and mid-early, with a long and abundant fruiting period. ⚠️ Buyer Beware: Commercial seed … Read more
Quick Summary of Razbitoe Serdechko (Broken Heart) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety favored by collectors. The name translates to “Broken Heart”, referencing the slightly asymmetrical or uniquely shaped pink oxheart fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) but often reported as staying relatively short (about 1.5 m / 5 ft). Like many classic oxheart varieties, … Read more
Quick Summary of Reyna 🌍 Origin: A rare and exotic long-fruited heirloom variety popular among Russian collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining) and tall, easily reaching 1.8 m (6 feet). The foliage is average, not overly dense. Pro Tip: Most growers highly recommend pruning this variety strictly to two stems to maximize the yield. 🍅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rumyanyi (Rosy) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial and collectible variety. The name translates to “Rosy” or “Ruddy”, perfectly describing its glowing pinkish-red skin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It is a sturdy, compact plant growing about 50-70 cm (20-28 inches) outdoors, and stretching up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) in a greenhouse. … Read more