Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Runo (Golden Fleece) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian early-season variety popularized by seed companies like “Poisk” and “Gavrish”. The name translates to “Golden Fleece”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Typically grows about 20-32 inches (50-80 cm) outdoors, though it can stretch significantly taller if grown in a greenhouse. Requires minimal … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zasolochniy Delikates (Pickling Delicacy) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety released by the famous Siberian Garden (Sibsad) seed company. The name translates to “Pickling Delicacy”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Seed packets claim it is a determinate (bush) type reaching 3.3 feet (1 m). However, growers report that when planted in a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltyi Perets (Yellow Pepper) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial/heirloom variety. The name simply translates to “Yellow Pepper,” referencing its bell pepper-like shape and completely hollow interior. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An aggressive and highly productive plant with a very long fruiting season. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Bright yellow, heavily ribbed, bell-pepper … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): De Barao Tsarskiy Krasnyi (Royal Red De Barao) 🌍 Origin: An upgraded, premium offshoot of the famous Russian De Barao family. “Tsarskiy” translates to “Royal” or “Tsar’s”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, aggressive climber (vine-like). Can easily reach 10 feet (3 m) in a greenhouse. Best grown in a greenhouse, as … 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): Dix Doigts de Naples 🌍 Origin: A classic heirloom paste tomato from Italy. It is most commonly found in seed catalogs under its French translation, Dix Doigts de Naples, which means “Ten Fingers of Naples” (in Italian: Dieci Dita di Napoli). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. A very vigorous and highly productive … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Drova (Firewood) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety famously distributed by the “Aelita” seed company. The name translates to “Firewood” or “Logs”, perfectly describing the elongated shape of the fruit. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate, tree-type (rugose foliage). Extremely compact, stocky, and sturdy, usually maxing out around 16–24 inches (40–60 cm) tall. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Giant Italian Paste 🌍 Origin: A classic Italian heirloom paste variety. Very popular among European and Russian seed collectors (like V. Popenko) for its processing qualities. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Can grow exceptionally tall, with some growers reporting vines reaching 10 ft (3 m) in a greenhouse. Like many heart-shaped or … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gusinoe Yaytso (Goose Egg) 🌍 Origin: A very popular commercial heirloom released by the Russian seed company Siberian Garden (SibSad). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly vigorous. It frequently exceeds 6.5 ft (2 m) in a greenhouse. Standout feature: It exhibits “wispy” or drooping foliage, which is common for large paste … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gilbertie Paste 🌍 Origin: Heirloom paste tomato. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Forum members report great success growing it in a greenhouse when pruned to two stems. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, elongated “icicle” shape, weighing up to 5.3 oz (150 g). The fruits are incredibly dense, meaty, and have a high … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Vovchik 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from Russia/Ukraine. The name is an affectionate diminutive for Vladimir (Little Vova). 💡 Editor’s Note (The Famous Mix-Up): This thread is a classic example of a happy accident. The official commercial seed packets describe Vovchik as a regular round/oblate tomato. However, a massive batch of … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Big Girl (Большая девочка) 🌍 Origin: Often circulated among Russian and Ukrainian collectors under the name “Bolshaya Devochka” (Big Girl) or sometimes incorrectly as “Bonnie Magnificent”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Outdoors it stays relatively compact (around 3 ft / 1 m), but in a greenhouse, it easily reaches 5.5 ft (1.7 … Read more