Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhigalo (Gigolo) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety released by the Russian seed company “Biotechnica”. Known for its provocative name (Gigolo) due to its distinct, elongated, phallic shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Compact determinate (tree-type dwarf). Usually grows to about 16-24 inches (40-60 cm). Has thick, rugose foliage that looks like a little … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Yelisey 🌍 Origin: A highly productive commercial variety from the well-known Russian seed company “Aelita”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). An absolute workhorse of a plant that performs exceptionally well both in greenhouses and outdoors. Height varies from 24-40 inches (60-100 cm) outdoors, up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Rozovyi (Pink De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian commercial heirloom, part of the famous, cold-tolerant De Barao tomato family. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, highly vigorous vine that easily reaches the roof of a greenhouse. Requires aggressive pruning. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Pink, plum-shaped paste tomatoes, usually featuring … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dary Volkhvov (Gifts of the Magi) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name beautifully translates to “Gifts of the Magi” (referencing the Biblical Wise Men). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Performs well in greenhouses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, elongated oval (plum/paste) tomatoes. They … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Tsarskiy Zholtyi (Royal Yellow De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after commercial variety from Ukraine/Russia, part of the premium “Tsarskiy” (Royal) line of the famous De Barao family. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, aggressive climbing vine. It can reach nearly 10 feet (3 m) in a greenhouse, but … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Daryonka 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian heirloom. It was popularized and distributed by the famous Altai seed collector, Tamara Yaschenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate. Grows to a very manageable height of about 4 feet (1.2 m), making it great for greenhouses without taking over the roof. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oval/plum-shaped … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dusya Zholtaya (Yellow Dusya) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety originally released by Siberian Garden (SibSad). It was only on the market for a year or two before disappearing, but was kept alive by private seed collectors! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but stays relatively short and compact. Usually tops out around 3.5-4 … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Domate Piramida 🌍 Origin: A rare Eastern European / Balkan heirloom. The name “Domate Piramida” suggests Bulgarian origins (“Domate” means Tomato in Bulgarian, and “Piramida” means Pyramid). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A tall, vigorous plant that grows extremely well in a greenhouse environment. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Long, red, elongated “icicle” or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dyadya Stepa (Uncle Stepa) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial variety. It is famously named after “Uncle Stepa”, an extremely tall, lanky, good-natured policeman from a classic Soviet children’s poem. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-late season. The plant has a thin, vine-like, spindly stem and weeping foliage. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: The … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Gigant (Giant De Barao) 🌍 Origin: A large-fruited mutation/selection from the legendary Russian “De Barao” family of workhorse canning tomatoes. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Incredibly vigorous, massive plants that easily exceed 6.5 feet (2 m) even when grown outdoors. Requires strong staking and support. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large plum/oval … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jersey Giant 🌍 Origin: A rare heritage paste tomato originally from New Jersey, USA. It is highly valued among global collectors for its massive, meaty fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A sprawling, late-season, and very vigorous plant. Produces reliably with no skipped trusses. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Huge, elongated red paste/plum tomatoes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Jalpa 🌍 Origin: A beautiful striped paste tomato popular among Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate. Grows as a very sturdy, compact tree-type bush (shtamb), typically reaching about 24 inches (60 cm) tall outdoors. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Elongated, red paste tomatoes with striking yellow stripes. Length is about 4-4.7 inches … Read more