Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Shuntukskiy Velikan (Shuntuk Giant) 🌍 Origin: A robust, traditional Russian heirloom. The name translates to “Shuntuk Giant” (likely originating from the Shuntuk area in Southern Russia). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and surprisingly low-maintenance. It is highly praised for its incredible cold tolerance, setting fruit successfully even during unusually cold and … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernaya Ulybka (Black Smile) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety originally distributed by a collector named Monakhova. The name translates beautifully to “Black Smile”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) variety. When grown in a greenhouse, it typically reaches about 1.8 meters (approx. 6 feet) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened round) … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Plod (Miracle Fruit) 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety originating from Ukraine. The name translates to “Miracle Fruit” or “Wonder Fruit.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, producing tall and quite vigorous, powerful bushes. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful oval-shaped (or blunt plum-shaped) red tomatoes. The fruits look like heavy “little bombs.” Average … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Strawberry F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid produced by the Russian seed company SeDek. Its Russian name is “Cherri Klubnichnyi” (Strawberry Cherry). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush), reaching about 1.2-1.4 meters (4-4.5 ft) in height. It can be grown both in open ground and greenhouses but requires staking and pruning … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Tyulpan (Black Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. Note: There appear to be a few variations circulating among collectors under this name (some from Brizhan, some from Panova), ranging from 150g up to 500g, but they all share the dark coloration and excellent taste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Safari 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive cherry tomato variety actively shared and grown among Russian and Eastern European heirloom collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly versatile. When grown outdoors in open ground, the plants stay relatively compact, reaching about 80-100 cm (2.5-3.5 ft) in height, and only require pruning up to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Gigant (Black Giant) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian heirloom. Some experienced growers note it is practically identical to the well-known variety Cherniy Slon (Black Elephant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5 – 2 meters (5-6.5 ft). Some growers report it can terminate its own growth (top itself out) … Read more
Quick Summary of My Dancing Green Fingers 🌍 Origin: A relatively new, highly sought-after cherry variety created by Belgian gardener and collector Bart Praet. It took second place among the best tomatoes at the Tomatofest festival in Brussels (Nos Pilifs farm) in 2021. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plant produces numerous thin stems … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy iz Tuly (Black from Tula) 🌍 Origin: An old folk selection variety from Tula. Interestingly, it gained massive popularity in the USA (often brought by Ukrainian immigrants) before returning to Eastern Europe as a sought-after commercial heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), regular leaf. Very vigorous and unpretentious. If not topped, … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Zemli (Wonder of the Earth) 🌍 Origin: A very famous Russian heirloom/commercial variety. The name translates to “Wonder of the Earth”. Important Note: There are two distinct strains circulating under this name. The original Siberian strain (“SibSad” company) produces large, flat-round (oblate) pink beefsteaks. Meanwhile, a popular Ukrainian line produces beautiful … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernoe Yabloko (Black Apple) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian commercial/collector’s variety. The name translates to “Black Apple”. It is widely distributed by prominent Russian seed collectors like V. Popenko. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and very tall. In a greenhouse, it easily reaches 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) and requires sturdy trellising. It … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernaya Lakomka (Black Gourmand) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety from the “Poisk” seed company. The name translates roughly to “Black Gourmand” or “Black Sweet Tooth”, highlighting its dessert-like flavor profile. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall indeterminate, typically reaching 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 ft) in a greenhouse. It sets fruit in clusters and has … Read more