Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Cosmic Eclipse 🌍 Origin: A visually stunning novelty release from Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 1.5–1.7 meters (5-5.5 ft) in a greenhouse, slightly shorter in open ground. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Small to medium cocktail-sized round fruits (usually under 100g / 3.5 oz). The … Read more
Quick Summary of the Discussion 💡 The Dilemma: Many growers love the taste of sun-dried tomatoes but absolutely hate the traditional method of storing them submerged in olive oil, finding it too greasy and heavy. ✅ The Solution (Paper Bags): If you dehydrate the tomatoes very thoroughly (removing almost all moisture), they can be stored … Read more
Quick Summary of Bursztyn (Amber) 🌍 Origin: A European heirloom variety. “Bursztyn” translates to “Amber” in Polish, perfectly describing its vibrant orange color. The seeds in this thread trace back to notable Russian and Latvian collectors (D. Gusev, Valdis Pulinsh). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous and productive. Growers report excellent results both in … Read more
Quick Summary of Berkeley Tie-Dye & Berkeley Tie-Dye Heart 🌿 Plant Habit: INDETERMINATE (Tall/Vining). Both the standard and the “Heart” versions are tall, vigorous plants that can easily reach up to 2 m (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. Regular leaf. Be careful not to over-fertilize with nitrogen early on, as they can grow too vegetatively … Read more
Quick Summary of Yantarnyi Kubok (Amber Cup) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial heirloom variety (famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company). The name translates to “Amber Cup”. 🌿 Plant Habit: There is a well-known seed mix-up in the market. The original, true strain is Determinate (bush), growing stout and compact around 70–100 cm (2.3–3.3 … Read more
Quick Summary of Eros 🌍 Origin: A well-known novelty paste tomato, often considered the “brother” of the famous Auria variety, but with yellow-orange fruits. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). Known for having “wispy foliage” (thin, delicate-looking vines) despite its tall and vigorous growth. Easily reaches the greenhouse roof. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Elongated, cylindrical (phallic-shaped) fruits, … Read more
Quick Summary of Sherkhan (Shere Khan) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. Named “Sherkhan” (after the tiger Shere Khan from The Jungle Book) due to its distinctive striped skin. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). The seed packet states a compact height of 60 cm (24 inches). However, greenhouse growers report it can act very vigorously, … Read more
Quick Summary of Shchedraya Slivka Tarasenko (Tarasenko’s Generous Plum) 🌍 Origin: Developed by the legendary Soviet/Ukrainian tomato breeder Feodosiy Tarasenko. The name translates to “Tarasenko’s Generous Plum”. It is considered one of his rarer varieties that didn’t become as widespread commercially as his other famous creations. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-season. The bush is exceptionally … Read more
Quick Summary of Chempion Vesa (Weight Champion) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety introduced by the seed company Aelita. The name translates to “Weight Champion”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 2 meters (6.5 feet). The bush is very strong, vigorous, and low-maintenance. It can be successfully grown with multiple stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernika / Golubika (Blueberry) 🌍 Origin: A striking Russian commercial and collector’s variety. In Russian, it circulates under two synonymous names: Chernika and Golubika (both translate to “Blueberry”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing to 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 ft) tall. The plant is highly ornamental, featuring dark purple-tinged foliage that looks beautiful … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Yurok iz supermarketa 🌍 Origin: A fantastic “supermarket save” from Russia. A gardener bought delicious cherry tomatoes from a store, saved the seeds, and distributed them under the conditional name “Yurok” (named after a forum user Yuri who shared them). It is suspected to be a commercial French strain, possibly from … Read more
Quick Summary of Khokhloma 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian commercial variety named after the traditional Russian folk painting style (“Khokhloma”). It is the red “sister” variety to the orange “Chukhloma” tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous, easily exceeding 2.0 m (6.5 ft) in height. Performs best in greenhouses but can be … Read more