🍅 Quick take: Ola Polka is a compact, early-season determinate cocktail tomato bred in Poland by Ożarów Mazowiecki. The authentic strain features distinctive potato leaf foliage and produces heavy clusters of bright yellow, juicy globes weighing 1-2.5 oz (30-70 g) with a balanced mild tang. While great as an ornamental container plant or jar-filler for canning, reviews on early season flavor are mixed, and growers warn of regular-leaf off-types circulating in trade. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 & Cool-Climate Trials)
Early variety, only Glacier F1 beat it to harvest in my patch. Determinate, topped out around 28 in (70 cm) for me. Distinct potato leaf foliage, neat, beautiful bush habit. I did not prune or sucker it at all, just tied it up for support. Stayed completely clean and trouble-free.
Fruits are cocktail-sized, bright yellow, running 1-1.75 oz (30-50 g), with a few sizing up to 2.5 oz (70 g). Juicy and tasty, with a very pleasant, mild tang. When canned, they turn out slightly soft, very reminiscent of Minigold. They work great as jar-fillers to pack into the empty gaps around big slicers.
My seeds came straight from Ozarow Mazowiecki, Poland.
Fruits are cocktail-sized, bright yellow, running 1-1.75 oz (30-50 g), with a few sizing up to 2.5 oz (70 g). Juicy and tasty, with a very pleasant, mild tang. When canned, they turn out slightly soft, very reminiscent of Minigold. They work great as jar-fillers to pack into the empty gaps around big slicers.
My seeds came straight from Ozarow Mazowiecki, Poland.
I got my Ola seeds from Gusev. Plant stayed under 20 in (50 cm), regular leaf, dark green, maybe slightly rugose, very compact.
Sowed March 8, planted out April 26, picked the first ripe tomato on July 2. Taste was pretty average, though I honestly was not expecting miracles from an early cropper. When did they even have the time to soak up sunshine and build sugar? Looking for a better candidate for my early crop slot next year.
Sowed March 8, planted out April 26, picked the first ripe tomato on July 2. Taste was pretty average, though I honestly was not expecting miracles from an early cropper. When did they even have the time to soak up sunshine and build sugar? Looking for a better candidate for my early crop slot next year.
My seeds were from Gusev as well. Regular-leaf plant, stayed nice and stocky under lights without stretching.
Put it in solely for early tomatoes. Ripened later than Kazabalakskiy and Iyunskiy, and the flavor just did not impress me. Decided it is not worth keeping for the early slot. There are earlier and far tastier options out there.
Put it in solely for early tomatoes. Ripened later than Kazabalakskiy and Iyunskiy, and the flavor just did not impress me. Decided it is not worth keeping for the early slot. There are earlier and far tastier options out there.
Ola Polka turned out early and very productive in my greenhouse. The tomatoes came out sweet, juicy, with just the right touch of refreshing acidity.
Edited October 30, 2019 by ilja
Edited October 30, 2019 by ilja
Full Summary: Habit, Earliness, Taste and Uses
- 🌿 Plant: Determinate, compact habit staying between 20-28 in (50-70 cm). True-to-type plants feature distinct potato leaf (PL) foliage. Stays stocky, does not require pruning/suckering, and performs well in pots or staked in garden beds.
- 📈 Yield & Earliness: Early-season cropper. However, multiple growers note that ultra-early cold-climate standards like Iyunskiy (June) ripen earlier. Produces heavy loads of cocktail globes weighing 1-1.75 oz (30-50 g), occasionally reaching 2.5 oz (70 g).
- 👅 Taste: Juicy with pleasant mild acidity. When grown under cover, growers report good sweetness, while outdoor early harvests were described as mediocre and unremarkable.
- 🥫 Kitchen Use: Excellent as a whole-can jar filler to pack empty spaces between giant beefsteaks, though skin and flesh soften notably in hot brine.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Four growers, including documented tests from USDA Zone 4 (Moscow Region).
