Growers’ Notes and Photos
I’m sure a lot of people have grown this variety, but for some reason, there’s still no thread for it. So I guess I’ll be the first. It’s a wonderful variety in every way. The bush is short, about 24 inches (60 cm), and it requires zero suckering (just prune below the first flower cluster)..
The bush gets completely loaded with good-sized, egg-shaped fruits, sometimes slightly flattened on the sides. The weight ranges from 3 to 9 oz (80 to 250 g). The clusters have 6-9 tomatoes each, with a rich, sweet-and-sour tomato flavor. The dense, meaty fruits are great for any use. I’ve had this variety in my collection since 1998. Always gives a good harvest. Looove it.
I grew Canopus in 2009 or 2010, unfortunately didn’t take any photos.
My seeds were from the Diantus company (if I’m not mistaken), which was somehow affiliated with the Timiryazev Academy, so it was a reliable source.
My bushes were just like Sveta’s, about 24 inches (60 cm) tall, good yield, normal tomato flavor. The fruit shape was pretty much the same as Sveta’s too.
But the size… The average weight was around 3-3.5 oz (80-100 g), I definitely didn’t have anything larger than 5 oz (150 g).
I also have seeds from SibSad and Semena Altaya, but I just can’t seem to get around to growing them.
My seeds originally came from SibSad. Now I just save my own.
My Canopus seeds.
We’ve had Canopus for 2 years now. The seed catalogs say it’s great for the greenhouse, and best pruned to 2 stems for maximum yield.
We don’t have a tomato greenhouse, so we planted it outdoors in the dirt, DID NOT prune the suckers, It has medium leaf cover, so the tomatoes get plenty of sun, up to 7 blossoms per cluster, fruit set was excellent. Tied it to a single stake, the fruits are firm, flavor is slightly above average. This year it completely passed the drought test, held up like a champ.. Very easy to care for, basically grows itself.
One unique trait of this variety is that the green, unripe fruits are very dark green, especially on the shoulders, with little streaks. You can recognize the bush instantly. The fruits are mostly egg-shaped, but some bulge out on the sides and look like little barrels.
Advantages of this Siberian variety:
– excellent fruit set
– hence the high yield
– very low-maintenance
.jpg.1d2bb23b0d5ed08580f7eac0d390c0e5.jpg)
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: A rugged, highly resilient determinate bush that tops out around 24 inches (60 cm). It is very low maintenance, requiring minimal to no pruning (growers suggest only removing suckers below the first cluster). It handles drought conditions and outdoor growing exceptionally well.
- 🍅 Fruit: Firm, red, egg-shaped to barrel-shaped tomatoes. They typically weigh between 3 and 5 oz (80-150 g), though some can reach 9 oz (250 g). The unripe green fruits have a distinct dark green shoulder with slight striping.
- 📈 Yield: Rated as high. The fruit set is excellent even in tough weather, producing clusters of up to 9 tomatoes.
- 👅 Taste: A classic, sweet-and-sour tomato flavor. The firm, meaty texture makes them versatile for both fresh eating and processing.
