Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
“DEAN’S HALEY’S RAINBOW” USA – seeds from V.V. Redko.
Her description: “A variety from Dean Slater, height 4 ft (1.2 m), mid-early. Variegated leaf, fruits are round-plum shaped up to 3.5 oz (100 g), yellow colored with a pink blush, honey-sweet, grow in clusters.”
I kept it to 3 stems, it got to about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall. The fruits were oblate, with slight ribbing and a blush. The clusters are large, tomato weight was 4.6-5.3 oz (130-150 g) on the 1st and 2nd trusses, and higher up they were 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g). The taste was a 4 out of 5, maybe the lack of heat affected it. An absolutely gorgeous variety.
Edited October 17, 2019 by Khrizantema57
Why are the fruits shaped like that?
In the original version they were round-plums with 4 locules.
Did it start segregating into oblate ones later?
Seeds are from the same source.
Edited March 31, 2023 by Zelenaya_jizn
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Segregation
- 🌿 Plant: A tall vine reaching up to 6 ft (1.8 m) when pruned to three stems. The main visual draw of this variety is its stunning variegated foliage.
- 📈 Yield: Produces large clusters of fruits. The tomatoes on the lower trusses weighed around 4.6-5.3 oz (130-150 g), while the upper trusses produced smaller 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g) fruits.
- 👅 Taste: Rated a 4 out of 5 by Khrizantema57, who suspected that an unusually cold summer prevented the fruits from reaching the “honey-sweet” flavor described by the breeder.
- ⚠️ Segregation Issues: There is a major discrepancy in fruit shape among Russian seed vendors. Dean Slater’s original description calls for 4-locule, round-plum shaped tomatoes. However, the seeds currently in circulation are throwing much larger, ribbed, oblate fruits, showing that the line is likely unstable and actively segregating.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Two growers contributed to this thread, located in USDA Zone 4.
