Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Aisberg (Iceberg) ⚠️ The “Two Icebergs” Mystery: Be aware that there are two completely different varieties circulating under this name. The commercial company “SeDeK” sells an Aisberg that is a short, early determinate with round fruits. However, the much more famous and sought-after heirloom (popularized by breeder V. Syrai) discussed in … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Costoluto Colli Euganei 🌍 Origin: A magnificent family heirloom from the Veneto region in Northern Italy. The name translates to “Ribbed of the Euganean Hills”. The Euganean Hills are a national nature reserve known for their incredibly fertile volcanic soil, mild climate, ancient oak and chestnut forests, olive groves, and endless … Read more
Quick Summary of Yuzhnaya Korona (Southern Crown) 🌍 Origin: A commercial/heirloom variety traded among Eastern European collectors. The name translates to “Southern Crown”. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Visually stunning. They produce large, round, red fruits that are slightly corrugated (ribbed/ruffled) at the shoulders. ⏳ Yield: Exceptionally high. Growers note that the fruiting is “super abundant,” making … Read more
Quick Summary of Purple Calabash (Фиолетовая тыква) 🌍 Origin: A very old and famous heirloom variety known globally as Purple Calabash. It is renowned for its unique, deeply ribbed shape resembling a miniature pumpkin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. The plants are extremely rampant and vigorous. Growers report them aggressively pushing out suckers from every possible … Read more
Quick Summary of Florentino 🌍 Origin: Originally distributed by the Russian seed company “Biotekhnika”. It is a heavily ribbed, European-style tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5 – 2 meters (5 – 6.5 ft) depending on whether it’s grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. Uniquely, it forms flower trusses very frequently—every two leaves. … Read more
Quick Summary of Giante Friulano (Friulian Giant) 🌍 Origin: An Italian heirloom variety from the Friuli region. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Possesses absolutely incredible disease resistance and cold tolerance. Growers report it staying perfectly green and healthy even through late autumn frosts, completely shrugging off severe fungal pressures. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, ribbed plum or … Read more
Quick Summary of Tomawak (Tamawak) 🌍 Origin & History: A fascinating “supermarket rescue” variety! It originally started as a commercial ribbed tomato imported from Spain (or Holland) under the name Tomawak (likely a play on “Tomahawk” due to its ribbed shape). Forum members saved seeds from the store-bought fruit, and it successfully de-hybridized over several … Read more
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Quick Summary of Tikla Sundari 🌍 Origin: A rare and exotic heirloom variety originating from India. Its name translates beautifully to “Fragrant Beauty”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). A vigorous vine that reaches up to 1.8 meters (6 ft) in height. Growers recommend pruning and maintaining the plant in 2-3 main stems for optimal yield … Read more
Quick Summary of Toniman 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety developed by the well-known Serbian tomato breeder Živojin Antić. It was brought into the Russian collector community by dedicated seed savers. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) vine. Grows very well in greenhouses when pruned to 2 stems. Growers report that it adapts beautifully and continues … Read more
Quick Summary of Salatnye (Salad) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety circulated among seed collectors. Interestingly, experienced growers suspect it might be a “twin” (the exact same genetics) of another variety known as Podarok Moey Zhene (My Wife’s Gift). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 2 meters (6.5 ft) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Lva (Lion’s Heart) 🌍 Origin: Bred by Russian tomato breeder Yury Kuzminykh from the Krasnodar Region. The name translates to “Lion’s Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and highly vigorous, but well-behaved (not overly leafy or aggressive). It thrives in a greenhouse and produces best when pruned to 3 stems. It has … Read more
Quick Summary of Skifeya (Scythian Fairy) 🌍 Origin & Fascinating History: This variety has an incredible backstory. The seeds were discovered by a Russian collector in a remote Siberian village near Abakan, right next to the ruins of Zinkhir—the oldest stone city in the world, once belonging to the ancient Scythian civilization. The local village … Read more