🍅 Quick take: Sun Blue is an indeterminate anthocyanin variety bearing eye-catching, glowing orange fruits heavily blushed with deep violet-blue shoulders. Fruits run between 3.5 and 6 oz (100-172 g). While plants stretch past 6 ft (1.8 m) in greenhouses and set blossoms continuously without dropping, outdoor uncovered plants stay around 3.6 ft (1.1 m) with modest yields (2-3 fruit per truss). Northern growers report solid classic tomato flavor rather than sweet tropical notes. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-5 Experience)
SUN BLUE VARIETY:
VENDOR DESCRIPTION:
Mid-early, exceptionally productive variety, sets fruit reliably even in adverse weather. Plant reaches up to 6 ft (1.8 m). Fruit is vivid with stunning visual appeal: round-oblate, smooth and uniform, moderately firm, meaty with good shelf life, orange base with deep purple-blue anthocyanin shading at the crown. Fruits weigh 4.5-5.5 oz (130-160 g) with a pleasant, soft fruity flavor.
SEEDLING PERFORMANCE OUTDOORS:
At 3 months from seed and 1 month after transplanting into open ground, the plant rates a 4 out of 5, standing 14 inches (35 cm) tall, with flower clusters forming. No open blossoms or fruit set yet.
Plant update as of July 1st:
Fruit shape:
Ripe fruit:
VARIETY SCORECARD:
Plant structure (stem strength, suckers, etc.): 3/5
First ripe fruit picked: August 15
Fruit appearance: 4/5
Flavor / sweetness: 3/5
Average fruits per cluster: 2-3
Yield: 3/5
Average fruit weight: 6 oz (172 g)
Outdoor plant height: 3.6 ft (1.1 m)
Overall rating: 4/5
Edited August 15, 2016 by Alena
VENDOR DESCRIPTION:
Mid-early, exceptionally productive variety, sets fruit reliably even in adverse weather. Plant reaches up to 6 ft (1.8 m). Fruit is vivid with stunning visual appeal: round-oblate, smooth and uniform, moderately firm, meaty with good shelf life, orange base with deep purple-blue anthocyanin shading at the crown. Fruits weigh 4.5-5.5 oz (130-160 g) with a pleasant, soft fruity flavor.
SEEDLING PERFORMANCE OUTDOORS:
At 3 months from seed and 1 month after transplanting into open ground, the plant rates a 4 out of 5, standing 14 inches (35 cm) tall, with flower clusters forming. No open blossoms or fruit set yet.
Plant update as of July 1st:
Fruit shape:
Ripe fruit:
VARIETY SCORECARD:
Plant structure (stem strength, suckers, etc.): 3/5
First ripe fruit picked: August 15
Fruit appearance: 4/5
Flavor / sweetness: 3/5
Average fruits per cluster: 2-3
Yield: 3/5
Average fruit weight: 6 oz (172 g)
Outdoor plant height: 3.6 ft (1.1 m)
Overall rating: 4/5
Edited August 15, 2016 by Alena
Indeterminate vine, reached around 6 ft (1.8 m). Real showy fruits – vibrant orange splashed with a dusting of purple anthocyanin near the stem. Fruit weight ranged from 3.5 to 6 oz (100-170 g). Grew it in the greenhouse, and it set every single truss without dropping a bloom.
Oksana! Those look gorgeous! How is the taste? Did you get any fruity notes? 🙂
Elena 62 said:
Oksana! Those look gorgeous! How is the taste? Did you get any fruity notes? 🙂
Lena, I didn’t pick up on any real “fruity” flavor… but then again, I am not farming down south in the heat 😄
Sure wish I knew if this is the exact same variety as Orange with Purple Spots (Oranzhevyi s Fioletovymi Pyatnami).
My photo did not survive.
Oksana, did you happen to get your seeds from Redko?
My photo did not survive.
Oksana, did you happen to get your seeds from Redko?
Drosera said:
Sure wish I knew if this is the exact same variety as Orange with Purple Spots (Oranzhevyi s Fioletovymi Pyatnami).My photo did not survive.
Oksana, did you happen to get your seeds from Redko?
Svetlana, no, the seeds were from Kholyavko 🙂 I have never grown Orange with Purple Spots, so I cannot say for sure 🤷
Guess we will have to wait for someone who grew both side-by-side 🙂
Going by the pictures, they looked identical to me. The fruit weights vary just a little, but that depends entirely on growing conditions anyway.
Going by the pictures, they looked identical to me. The fruit weights vary just a little, but that depends entirely on growing conditions anyway.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate vine. Reaches 6 ft (1.8 m) under greenhouse cover, but stays naturally compact around 3.6 ft (1.1 m) when planted out in open garden beds without shelter. Fruits are oblate, smooth, and firm, running 3.5 to 6 oz (100-172 g), with glowing orange skin highlighted by deep purple anthocyanin shoulders.
- 📈 Yield: Environment makes a major difference. In open ground, Alena saw modest trusses of 2-3 fruits and rated overall productivity a 3/5. Under greenhouse cover, cat2008 had complete, unbroken fruit set without dropped blooms.
- 👅 Taste: Moderate and balanced. While vendor seed descriptions promise tropical fruity nuances, northern gardeners in Zone 4 and 5 report an agreeable standard flavor with mild sweetness (3/5), as cooler weather restricts high sugar accumulation.
- 📦 Storage: Firm walls and thick skins typical of anthocyanin lines give this variety excellent shelf life and resistance to transit bruising.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Multiple growers across USDA Zones 3, 4, and 5 comparing outdoor open-dirt results to indoor protected greenhouse growing.
