Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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Quick Summary of Starburst Nebula 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Starburst Nebula 🌍 Origin: A stunning and somewhat rare bicolor variety. Known in the Russian heirloom community as Zvezdnaya Tumannost (which literally translates back to Starburst Nebula). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vine). Mid-season ripening. Vigorous plants that easily reach 5 ft (1.5 m) and keep … Read more
Quick Summary of Zoloto Khakasii (Gold of Khakassia) 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zoloto Khakasii 🌍 Origin: A stunning heirloom from the Republic of Khakassia in Siberia. The name translates to “Gold of Khakassia”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall vine), mid-season ripening. Vigorous growth typical of Siberian varieties. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, chubby oxhearts (blunt heart … Read more
Quick Summary of Green Lantern Lights 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Lantern Lights 🌍 Origin: A beautiful Green-When-Ripe (GWR) variety. The Russian name translates literally to “Green Lights of Lanterns”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but usually doesn’t grow overly tall. Outdoors it often stays around 3.2 ft (1 m) tall, while in a greenhouse it … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Gold Medal 🌍 Origin: A classic, highly regarded American heirloom. However, in the Eastern European/Russian seed exchange community, a massive mix-up occurred. There are currently two different tomatoes circulating under the “Gold Medal” name. 🌿 Plant Habit (The Controversy): The true original heirloom is a Regular Leaf (RL) indeterminate plant that … Read more
Quick Summary of Zhenskaya Grud 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhenskaya Grud 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom oxheart variety. The name “Zhenskaya Grud” translates to “Woman’s Breast”, named for its distinct shape. There is also a very similar (or possibly identical) strain circulating under the name “Devichya Grud” (Maiden’s Breast). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to … Read more
Quick Summary of Janet’s Jacinthe Jewel 📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Janet’s Jacinthe Jewel 🌍 Origin: A stunning bicolor variety bred by Brad Gates at Wild Boar Farms (California, USA). It was released around 2010 and named in honor of his wife, Janet. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Height varies greatly depending on growing conditions, usually ranging … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dwarf Firebird Sweet 🌍 Origin: Developed by the all-volunteer Dwarf Tomato Project. It was selected from the “Beauty” family (a cross between Beauty King and Dwarf Wild Fred) and officially named by Craig LeHoullier in 2013. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tree-type dwarf. Reaches about 28-36 inches (70-90 cm) tall. Features the classic … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zhemchuzhinka (Little Pearl) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian variety from the GISOK seed company. The name translates to “Little Pearl”. Visually and genetically, it appears to be identical to the well-known western variety Garden Pearl. 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). It has a trailing/tumbling growth habit, making it an absolute superstar … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltye Grebeshki (Yellow Crests) 🌍 Origin: A very popular Russian heirloom variety. The name “Yellow Crests” comes from the unique shape of the fruits, which often feature a pronounced, sharp, curved point (beak) at the blossom end. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and vigorous. Best grown pruned to 2-3 main stems. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zheltye Torbochki (Yellow Pouches) 🌍 Origin: A highly popular Russian forum variety. The name “Yellow Pouches” is a conditional/working title given by forum members, but it became so popular that it permanently stuck in the heirloom community. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An absolute workhorse of a plant with extremely high … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Yellow Cherry Potato Leaf 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after heirloom/collector’s variety circulating among Eastern European growers. Not typically available in commercial seed catalogs. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Features distinctive, large potato-leaf (PL) foliage. A very vigorous and resilient plant that produces right up until the first heavy frosts. 🍅 Fruit … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Homer Fike’s Yellow Oxheart 🌍 Origin: A cherished American heirloom from West Virginia. It was stewarded by Mr. Homer Fike and his family for decades before being introduced to the commercial seed trade by Gary Ibsen (TomatoFest) in 2006. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous and disease-resistant plant. Like … Read more