Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: O-La-La is a semi-determinate pink tomato from the seed company Siberian Garden (SibSad). When you get the true authentic seed, it produces fantastic, highly uniform 6 oz (180 g) round fruits with a tiny pointed nub and incredibly sweet, juicy flesh. However, this variety comes with two major caveats: the commercial seed … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Orlinyi Klyuv (Eagle’s Beak) is a famous commercial Russian heirloom from Siberian Garden (SibSad). It is an indeterminate, early-to-mid season pink heart/beak-shaped tomato. Like many classic oxhearts, it has a very spindly, wispy (“weeping”) foliage habit that looks frail but pumps out massive yields of large fruits up to 1.3 lbs (600 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Nizhegorodskiy Kudyablik is a very early, determinate multiflora tree-type tomato bred by Siberian Garden. It produces sturdy, compact bushes up to 24 inches (60 cm) tall and requires zero pruning. It yields abundant 1.8-2 oz (50-60 g) bright yellow-orange globes. Growers appreciate its early ripening, good tang-to-sweetness balance, and resilience in short-season … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Nastenka is a highly productive, rugged determinate bush that stays compact around 2-3.2 ft (60-100 cm). Grown heavily for processing and canning, it produces dense, thick-walled pink fruits. Growers report significant shape variations depending on the seed company, ranging from oval plums to blunt hearts. It boasts excellent resistance to poor weather … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mashenka is a highly confusing variety name because multiple Russian seed companies sell entirely different tomatoes under this exact same label. Depending on the vendor, it might be a 7 oz (200 g) red slicer or a massive 1.3 lb (600 g) pink beefsteak. Unfortunately, grower feedback on the forum is largely … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Medovo-Sakharnyi (Honey Sugar) is a yellow/orange determinate tomato known for its exceptionally sweet, sugary flavor. Results are highly mixed: some growers found it to be their sweetest, absolute favorite variety of the season, while others struggled with wimpy vines, dismal yields, and extreme susceptibility to sunscald and BER. Fruit sizes also varied … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Favorite Holiday (Lyubimyi Prazdnik) is a heavy-yielding Russian pink oxheart originally released by Siberian Garden. While the commercial seed packet claims it is a short 30-inch plant, growers consistently report it behaving like a tall, wispy-leafed vine reaching 5 feet (1.5 m) or more in a greenhouse. It produces massive, meaty, heart-shaped … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kazachka (Cossack Woman) is an indeterminate, late-season dark tomato from Siberian Garden (Sibsad). It produces long, braided clusters of brownish-cherry cocktail/plum fruits weighing 1-3 oz (30-80 g). While growers warn that it ripens late and has tender skin that can split when picked, it is highly praised for its massive yields and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kanary (Canaries) is an indeterminate Russian tomato with a bit of an identity crisis. Due to expired seed patents, there are multiple strains floating around the market. The official registry lists it as a mid-season, red round/heart tomato weighing up to 18 oz (500 g). However, a highly popular “rogue” strain circulates … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Kartofelnyi Malinovyi (Potato Raspberry) 🌍 Origin: A commercial heirloom variety distributed by Siberian Garden (SibSad). The name perfectly describes it: it has “potato” style leaves and produces “raspberry” pink fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Reaches about 5.2 feet (1.6 m) in height. Features highly distinctive Potato Leaf (PL) foliage that lacks … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Kubyshka 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety distributed by seed companies like Siberian Garden (SibSad) and Agros. The name “Kubyshka” refers to a traditional, chubby little clay pot used for hoarding coins—a perfect name for a short, stocky plant stuffed with fruit! 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (dwarf). It grows as a sturdy, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Kenigsberg (Königsberg) 🌍 Origin: A famous Russian commercial heirloom bred by amateur Siberian breeders and popularized by the Siberian Garden (SibSad) seed company. Named after the historical Prussian city of Königsberg (modern-day Kaliningrad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Reaches about 5 to 6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). It is bred to thrive in … Read more