Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Izumrudnaya Parcha (Emerald Brocade) 🌍 Origin: A modern, highly sought-after collectible variety bred by the Russian breeder Sofia Saakova. The name translates to “Emerald Brocade.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and mid-early season. It displays classic oxheart genetics: the vines are very skinny, frail-looking, and have sparse, weeping foliage. Don’t panic, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): German Pink Strawberry 🌍 Origin: A classic German heirloom that became highly popular among Eastern European collectors under the translated name “Zemlyanika Nemetskaya Rozovaya”. It is often confused or cross-listed with the famous heart-shaped “German Red Strawberry,” but this pink variant is distinct for its rounder shape and Potato Leaf genetics. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Illini Gold (Zoloto Illini) 🌍 Origin: An American heirloom variety that is widely circulated in Eastern Europe as “Zoloto Illini” (Gold of Illini). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Usually reaches 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) in a greenhouse, and stays around 5 feet (1.5 m) outdoors. Standout feature: It has very “wispy”, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotaya Rybka (Golden Fish) 🌍 Origin: A classic Russian commercial variety released by Gisok Agro. The name translates to “Golden Fish”. Growers note that its wispy, drooping leaves actually resemble the flowing tails of goldfish! 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-to-late season. Reaches 6-6.5 feet (1.8-2 m). It features delicate, lacy, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Kenigsberg (Golden Königsberg) 🌍 Origin: A very famous commercial Siberian heirloom from the SibSad (Siberian Garden) seed company. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), but heights vary widely from 4 feet (1.2 m) outdoors to 6.5 feet (2 m) in a greenhouse. Standout feature: It has extreme “wispy” foliage. The leaves … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Klyk (Golden Fang) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom tomato sourced and popularized by seed collector Valya Redko. The name translates to “Golden Fang”, which perfectly describes its shape and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Mid-season. It has the classic “wispy” foliage often seen on oxhearts and large paste varieties. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoe Serdtse Ameriki (Golden Heart of America) 🌍 Origin: As the name implies, this variety likely traces its roots back to an American heirloom, but it was popularized and widely distributed among Russian seed collectors under the localized name “Golden Heart of America”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An incredibly vigorous … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zolotoy Byk (Golden Bull) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom released by the Biotekhnika seed company. The name translates to “Golden Bull”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Regular leaf, but it possesses the classic “wispy” oxheart foliage. The leaves are typically pale green and droopy, making the plant look frail even … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Boar’s Tooth 🌍 Origin: Exotic variety bred by the famous American tomato breeder Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms (California, USA). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, mid-early season. The plant has a slender, wispy footprint but can easily reach over 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. It is well-behaved, disease-resistant, and highly productive. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Green Sausage 🌍 Origin: A famous novelty variety bred by the legendary American tomato breeder Tom Wagner (Tater Mater Seeds). 🌿 Plant Habit: A strict determinate. The plants are extremely short and bushy with a sprawling, almost trailing habit. They feature very distinct, finely cut, wispy “carrot-like” foliage. Excellent for outdoor … 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
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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