Dzhan (Jan) Tomato Review

I received the seeds for this variety around the year 2000 from the wonderful Voronezh breeder N.S. Bykhanov*. I read his advertisement in a newspaper, wrote him a letter, and received the seeds via COD (Cash on Delivery) mail – there were no online seed shops back then…

The tomato in the photo isn’t the largest one, it’s about 8.1 oz (230 g), there were bigger ones. The flavor is quite unique: the flesh is thick and you can clearly taste the sweetness in it, but the juice (which it has plenty of) leans toward the tart/acidic side. In the middle photo, you can clearly see the variety’s main flaw – the fruits tend to crack (the early ones split, but the later ones were perfectly smooth and not small).

The plant is indeterminate, medium vigor, with regular, somewhat small, light-green leaves. Maybe it needs an extra nitrogen boost? Korol Londona (King of London) also has pale leaves like that. Maturity – early to mid-season.

Seeds from Galochka (they got to me through third parties 😂) Grew outdoors in open ground. I have nothing to add to the variety description, everything matches Galochka’s description perfectly. The only thing is, I didn’t experience those flaws – the leaves were a rich, deep green and the tomatoes didn’t crack at all. No matter how hard I tried, my camera just couldn’t capture the true color of the tomato.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Drakonka

Seeds from Galochka. I liked the variety. Grew 2 bushes outdoors in open ground, and they didn’t disappoint. They immediately split into 2 main stems from the bottom and gave a great yield: 11 lbs (5 kg) and 8.8 lbs (4 kg). Plant height was up to 5 feet (1.5 m). Before fully ripening, the color is red-carrot, turning pure red by the end. Excellent ripening, and despite the high yield and large fruit size, the flavor is definitely there. A soft, sweet-and-sour juicy taste. I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars for taste this year. The leaves, however, were definitely lighter green than the “Konus” variety growing right next to it, you could see the difference immediately.

Edited October 10, 2014 by Rodebielesumer

I forgot to mention that the breeder named this variety in honor of his friends. “Dzhan” (Jan) means friend, I think, in Uzbek.

That’s exactly why I sent its seeds to so many of my friends here. I’m glad you guys liked the variety.

So abundant… Galina, you are an absolute treasure trove of magnificent varieties. Why won’t you start your own garden journal thread???

I remembered this variety recently when the cosmonauts called Dzhanibekov* “Dzhan” (Jan). Galochka-Dzhan (Dzhana) wrote that the translation of this word from Uzbek means “Friend”. This suffix to a name (and other variations) exists in Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and so on… It can loosely be translated as “my soul”, “heart”, “strength”, “life”, etc. All good words.

We are watching clips of the new movie about space right now, and we’ll go see it when it finally reaches us here. The kids are watching the clips, absorbing everything with their eyes and processing all this new information. Only in Russia can you find men like that – strong, grounded men like Dzhanibekov and Savinykh.

Anyway, here is Dzhan again in our garden. 4 stems. 17 fruits in the photo. We use it for fresh slicing, and any extras go into juice. Growing off to the side under cover. Dzhan on the scale, with Rozovyi Bugay (Pink Bull) next to it.

Could anyone tell me, did Bykhanov also have a variety called “Koroleva Ogoroda” (Queen of the Garden)?

Edited January 21, 2018 by guseva_tlt

Quote from guseva_tlt:
Could anyone tell me, did Bykhanov also have a variety called “Koroleva Ogoroda” (Queen of the Garden)?

I know for a fact that Bykhanov had a variety called “Korol Ogoroda” (King of the Garden).

The Dzhan variety seeds were sent to me by our very own Galochka (Esme). It’s a variety bred by Nikolai Semenovich Bykhanov, an amateur gardener and part-time breeder from Voronezh. The fruits have a firm skin, beefsteak-type flesh that is meaty and juicy, with a perfectly balanced flavor and a pleasant tartness in the aftertaste. A very worthy variety. Highly attractive for market sales.

An old family early-season heirloom from Russia, indeterminate, with medium (10.5 oz / 300 g) and large red oblate fruits. Great all-purpose tomato.

Here is how the original breeder described this variety himself:

“With good care and favorable conditions, the bush height can reach 10 feet (3 m) or more. The bulk of the fruits weigh from 7 to 17.5 oz (200 to 500 g), and some individual trusses with fruit can weigh up to 8.8 lbs (4 kg). Average yield per bush is 22-33 lbs (10-15 kg). The fruits are red, smooth, round-elongated, have few seeds, and feature excellent taste qualities. The harvest ripens evenly, from June 25th right up until the frosts. Great for pickling, making juice, tomato paste, and eating fresh. Can be grown outdoors and in greenhouses. When grown in greenhouses, the yield can reach 4-5 lbs/sq.ft (20-25 kg per sq.m). When picked fresh, they store for up to 30-40 days.”