📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Dary Volkhvov (Gifts of the Magi)
- 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety. The name beautifully translates to “Gifts of the Magi” (referencing the Biblical Wise Men).
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. Grows to about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Performs well in greenhouses.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Red, elongated oval (plum/paste) tomatoes. They are incredibly uniform, firm, and can range anywhere from 5.3 oz (150 g) up to a massive 1.1 lbs (500 g) depending on the seed strain and growing conditions!
- 👅 Flavor & Use: Excellent flavor profile. Because they are firm and dense, they are fantastic for market sellers, canning, and have a very long shelf life (excellent keepers).
I grew this one back in 2014 from seeds I got from Yuri Kholyavko. Here is his original description:
GIFTS OF THE MAGI. Mid-season variety with elongated fruits. Plant height is around 5 feet (1.5 m). Fruits are red, elongated-oval in shape, uniform, firm, and store really well (good keepers). They weigh about 7 oz (200 g), boast excellent market appeal, and have top-notch flavor.
My fruits ended up being a bit smaller, around 5.3 oz (150 g). But when Lyuba (Dosya) grew them in 2015, hers looked like they weighed over a pound (500 g) – just absolute monster plum tomatoes! And she grew those from my saved seeds, which had already acclimatized a bit to our local weather. Lord willing, I plan to grow it again this season.
Here are my Gifts of the Magi (first photo),
and here are Lyuba’s (second photo):
👨🌾 Editor’s Cultural Glossary & Grow Tips:
Seed Acclimatization (Landracing): Tatiana mentions that her friend grew massive 1 lb fruits using seeds that Tatiana had already “acclimatized.” In the heirloom tomato community, this is a widely held and practiced horticultural belief. By growing a variety in your specific microclimate and saving seeds from the best-performing fruits, you are essentially creating a localized “landrace.” Over just a few generations, the genetics adapt to your specific soil, temperature, and pest pressures, often resulting in larger yields and bigger fruits than the original imported seeds!
