Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Slastena (Sweet Tooth) 🌍 Origin & The Name Mix-Up: The name “Slastena” translates to “Sweet Tooth”. In Russia, there are actually two different varieties circulating under this name. The one highly prized by heirloom collectors is an old, large-fruited indeterminate variety. However, commercial seed companies registered a completely different, small-fruited determinate (bush) … Read more
Quick Summary of Magia Serbia (Serbian Magic) 🌍 Origin: A very rare and visually stunning variety. Despite its name (which translates to Serbian Magic), it was reportedly sourced from Romania. Information about it online is very scarce. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter side, usually growing up to 1.5 – 1.6m (5 ft). … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Pustyni (Desert Heart) 🌍 Origin: A stunning modern variety developed by Vitaly Alifirov, a well-known breeder from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The name translates to “Desert Heart”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The bush is compact, not overly leafy (“well-behaved”), and highly disease-resistant. It sets fruit reliably from bottom to top without … Read more
Quick Summary of Sladkaya Grozd Shokoladnaya (Sweet Chocolate Bunch) 🌍 Origin: A very popular Russian cherry variety. The name translates to “Sweet Chocolate Bunch”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), highly productive, with a very long fruiting season. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Round, brown/chocolate-colored cherry tomatoes growing in dense clusters. Despite having excellent storage capabilities, the skin … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdtse Buyvola (Buffalo Heart) 🌍 Origin & Name Confusion: There are actually two distinct varieties circulating among Russian growers under the translated name “Buffalo Heart” (Serdtse Buyvola). 1) The Siberian version (SibSad): A pink, smooth oxheart that is usually determinate or semi-determinate. 2) The European version: An imported French/Spanish variety (Corazon de … Read more
Quick Summary of Anthony’s Passionate Heart 🌍 Origin & History: A deeply meaningful American variety released by TomatoFest to honor the legacy of the late chef, writer, and traveler Anthony Bourdain. It was bred by respected tomato breeder Jeff Dawson, who crossed ‘Sungold’ with ‘Amish Paste’. After seven years of stabilization, this distinct red oxheart … Read more
Quick Summary of Serafima 🌍 Origin: An experimental variety developed by the well-known Latvian tomato breeder Valdis Puliņš. “Serafima” is a traditional Eastern European female name. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but tends to stay on the shorter side for an indet (growers report heights between 1.3m – 1.7m / 4.2 – 5.5 ft in greenhouses). … Read more
Quick Summary of Sakharnyi Bizon (Sugar Bison) 🌍 Origin: A famous Russian amateur selection that has become a commercial classic (popularized by companies like Siberian Garden / SibSad). The name translates to “Sugar Bison” and it is considered the forefather of many modern Russian pink varieties. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly debated! Seed packets often list … Read more
Quick Summary of Serzhant Marli 2020 (Sergeant Marley 2020) 🌍 Origin: A highly sought-after, highly productive anthocyanin variety, extremely popular among Russian and Eastern European collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mostly grown in greenhouses. It is a “heavy feeder” but puts its energy directly into fruit production rather than suffering from excessive vegetative growth … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Sofia’s Sweet Caramel (Sladkaya Karamel Sofii) is an indeterminate, mid-early to mid-season bicolor heart bred by Sofia Saakova. Most of the 11 growers here praise its sweet flavor and looks. The main caveats are soft fruit in extreme heat and occasional segregation into Temptation. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA … Read more
Quick Summary of Ukrainian Pink Giant 🌍 Origin: An old, treasured heirloom from Ukraine. It has been passed down in local families since the 1980s. Historically, it is also known locally as Rozovyi Velikan or Rozhevyi Veleten (Pink Giant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (vining). A very vigorous and massive plant that requires strong staking. 🍅 … Read more
Quick Summary of Rozovyi Klyk (Pink Fang) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian heirloom tomato originating from private breeder Yu. Petrov. 🌿 Plant Habit: A tall determinate. In open ground or containers, it grows to about 1 meter (3.3 ft). In a greenhouse, it can stretch slightly taller. According to the original breeder, this variety … Read more