Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: K 25-56 is a highly productive, compact determinate bush variety. The plant stays very short, around 16 inches (40 cm), making it great for tight spaces or containers. The fruits are small, dark burgundy-purple tomatoes weighing about 2.5-3.2 oz (70-90 g). Growers report excellent, rich flavor and a very long shelf life, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Long Keeper is a late-season indeterminate variety bred specifically for long-term winter storage. Carrying the alc delayed-ripening gene, these tomatoes are usually picked at the mature green or breaker stage before the first frost and left to ripen slowly indoors. While fresh summer heirlooms easily beat it in flavor, growers agree that … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kamenny Tsvetok (Stone Flower) is a rugged, tree-type determinate bush variety bred for outdoor growing. It is known for producing incredibly dense, rock-solid red fruits that store for a very long time. However, grower reviews are heavily polarized. While some praise its yields and utility for canning/storage, others report that it tastes … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Tsarsky (Royal) 🌍 Origin: A premium, upgraded offshoot of the legendary Russian “De Barao” family. The name “Tsarsky” translates to “Royal” or “Tsar’s”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, towering vine that loves to climb. Shows excellent resistance to Leaf Mold (Cladosporium) and extreme heat, but generally requires a … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Don Juan 🌍 Origin: A very popular, reliable commercial variety, heavily distributed by the “Sedek” seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, often growing as a sturdy tree-type (rugose) bush. It is very compact, typically maxing out around 20–28 inches (50–70 cm) tall. Exceptionally fuss-free and performs incredibly well in open ground. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Gold / Yellow 🌍 Origin: Part of the legendary Russian “De Barao” family. De Barao varieties (which come in Red, Black, Pink, Gold, and Giant) are famous across Eastern Europe for their extreme ruggedness and cold tolerance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A massive, towering vine that can easily reach … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Mt. Vesuvius (Piennolo del Vesuvio) 🌍 Origin & History: This is a legendary Italian heirloom storage tomato (Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio). Traditionally grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, they are famous for being harvested on the vine, tied into large bunches (piennolo), and hung from ceilings to … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Spam F1 (Pink Spam) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial F1 hybrid from the Russian seed company “Semko”. (Note: The name “Spam” here is just a quirky commercial marketing name and has nothing to do with canned meat!) Interesting Fact: Several Russian collectors have been saving seeds from this hybrid for … Read more