📑 Table of Contents
Growers’ Notes and Photos
Kazakh Schalavije is a mid-late, large-fruited, and heavy-yielding bicolor.Rumor has it the variety originated in Scotland and was brought there by ethnic Germans from Kazakhstan. I read that the term “Schalavije” refers to the red shoulders on the fruit because a “schalavije” is a red shawl traditionally worn in the winter.
It’s an indeterminate. The vine is highly vigorous, reaching up to 6.5 ft (2 m) tall with dense, regular-leaf foliage. A massive bonus of this variety is that it’s extremely well-adapted to cooler climates. The tomatoes are beautiful, large, and very uniform, starting golden-yellow and blushing with red. The riper it gets, the redder the skin becomes. The flesh inside is orange marbled with red.
These are classic bicolor beefsteaks with slightly ribbed shoulders. They are meaty, sweet, juicy, and very aromatic, weighing anywhere from 12 to 18 oz (350 to 500 g), though some get even bigger. It’s a fantastic slicer for sandwiches and salads. My seeds came from Valdis Pulins. I will absolutely be growing this one again because it’s one of the biggest, tastiest bicolors out there.
An absolute triumph of this variety is its resistance to leaf mold (Cladosporium). Surprisingly, it almost never gets hit by it in my garden.It also holds up really well on the counter (which is super rare for a bicolor) and yields generously. This variety definitely deserves your attention.
Masdevallia said:
It’s heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and pumps out a massive harvest. What else could a gardener ask for?
What about the taste? For me, flavor is the absolute top priority, and then comes yield, disease resistance, etc.
Oksana Evgenievna said:
What about the taste? For me, flavor is the absolute top priority…
It is incredibly tasty! Don’t even doubt it!
I really loved this variety. The fruits are absolutely gorgeous, the flavor is rich, and it’s super meaty.
Murka said:
I really loved this variety. The fruits are absolutely gorgeous…
Masha, what’s with the name watermarked on your photo? It’s already circulating around the internet and made its way to our local growers’ groups. 🤷♀️
Lyudmila D. said:
Masha, what’s with the name watermarked on your photo?
Lyuda, that’s my bad. I made a typo.
.jpg.c7b3d01bfd9b10a01e320caaa5ba1dd5.jpg)
Murka said:
Lyuda, that’s my bad. I made a typo.
I figured it was a typo! 👋 People out here are arguing about the variety’s true name now because of it. 😁
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: A vigorous, regular-leaf indeterminate vine that routinely hits 6.5 ft (2 m) tall in the greenhouse. It boasts exceptional resistance to leaf mold (Cladosporium) and performs reliably well in both hot summers and cool climates.
- 📈 Yield: Exceptionally high for a large bicolor. Growers report it pushes out heavy flushes of uniform beefsteaks, standing up impressively to harsh weather swings without dropping blossoms.
- 👅 Taste: Universally loved for its sweet, rich, and intensely aromatic profile. The flesh is dense, meaty, and very juicy, making it a stellar slicer for sandwiches.
- 📦 Storage: Notably excellent. Unlike most big, sweet bicolors that turn to mush a few days after picking, Kazakh Schalavije holds up surprisingly well on the counter.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Extensively grown and reviewed by gardeners from Zone 3 (Siberia/Urals) to Zone 4/5, as well as in Spain. It earned top marks across the board regardless of the growing zone.
The name “Schalavije” likely stems from the red “shawl” (shoulders) draped over the yellow base of the fruit. In seed-sharing circles, typos on photo watermarks can accidentally birth entirely new (and fake) variety names overnight, as seen in the playful exchange between growers at the end of the thread!
