Copper River Tomato Reviews, Photos & Grow Notes

I also grew this variety this past season. I really loved it. Planted it in a polycarbonate greenhouse, it grew to 1.3m (4.2 ft). I pruned it to 2 stems. The abundance was average, but the average fruit weight varied from 300 to 500g (10-18 oz). The skin is thin, but it doesn’t crack, even if it starts to overripen on the bush. The flesh inside is just gorgeous. Bright crimson swirls against a green background. The taste also made me very happy. Sweet and juicy. It’s almost a pity to chop a tomato like this into a mixed salad… it’s strictly for slicing on a platter. I put it on the table, and the guests went crazy… everyone was begging for seeds…

Edited January 16, 2020 by LanYa

On 1/28/2017 at 05:21, Yaroslavna said:
I grew Copper River in a polycarbonate greenhouse, I only had 2 plants.

Natalya Pavlovna, where does this variety feel better—in full sun or with some shading?

On 4/5/2020 at 20:03, T@tk@ said:
Natalya Pavlovna, where does this variety feel better—in full sun or with some shading?

Tatyana, good evening!

I’ve grown Copper River several times. I’m looking at my sketches right now (I draw a layout map of my planted varieties in the greenhouses every year)… and it turns out that every time, these plants were located right against the wall of the polycarbonate greenhouse. This means they were on the sunny side for most of the day. The leaves on the plants didn’t fry, and no shading was required. But again, that is in my specific case, under my conditions.

However, as I can see, we have completely different climates… girls from your area wrote that if you grow this variety on the sunny side, it absolutely must be shaded!!

This year I planted this tomato outdoors without any cover. It seems to me that it feels much better outdoors than it did in the greenhouse. So far, it is growing well, not getting sick, and setting fruit. Due to the coronavirus lockdowns, my seedlings were terribly overgrown before I could plant them, so it only recently started setting tomatoes. As for me, no matter how much you talk about how a tomato grows, it’s better to see it once than to read or hear about it 100 times. Here is a mid-season video of how the tomato is doing right now (at the end of July).

Edited July 27, 2020 by Vladimir Baranov

Regular leaf. The bushes looked incredibly beautiful and sturdy as seedlings. One bush is growing outdoors, the second one is in the polycarbonate greenhouse right against the wall, in the row furthest from the sun. In the greenhouse, it grew to 150 cm (5 ft) and was topped; I picked the first ripe one today (sown April 2). Outdoors—it’s barely a meter tall (3 ft), and no ripe tomatoes yet. I tasted the first tomato from the greenhouse.

Summary: out of all the exotics and noble-blooded bicolors, Copper River is, as of today, the tastiest. The most important thing is that the flavor is never bland. Although the yield is low, I will repeat it for the taste, and perhaps the yield will improve once I grow it from my own saved seeds.

On 8/8/2020 at 16:07, T@tk@ said:
One bush is growing outdoors, the second one is in the polycarbonate greenhouse right against the wall, in the row furthest from the sun…

What if you plant the second bush in the sunniest spot next time? I still haven’t brought myself to sow it yet. I don’t even know which leaf type I ended up getting, potato or regular.

On 8/8/2020 at 17:21, Alisa said:
What if you plant the second bush in the sunniest spot next time?

Alisa, I don’t remember where I read it, but somewhere in the description of this variety it said that it absolutely must be shaded by other tomatoes. But I also share your opinion and think that since this variety has so much potential, it should be experimented with. Next season, I’ll have to try planting 3-4 bushes in different spots. And I’ll definitely try it outdoors again; they say that out in the open air (on “free bread”), it turns out even better.

Copper River.
In my opinion, this is currently the best tricolor out of all the ones I’ve had the chance to grow.
And that’s by every metric.

First, the bush isn’t tall, even in a greenhouse (it’s a so-called semi-determinate). It’s perfect for owners of low hoop houses, small greenhouses, and for growing outdoors.
Second, it is always productive. This variety is a repeat for me, so I am confident in this metric.
Third, it is very tasty. Juicy flesh, truly sweet, bright, and never bland.
Fourth, it is beautiful. A kaleidoscope of colors in a single tomato.

Mid-season variety, tricolor beefsteaks up to 500g (1.1 lbs). Stores decently well. I recommend it to everyone.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Valeriy1968

An excellent tomato, grew outdoors. Tasty, productive, definitely taking it with me into the next season!