Growers’ Notes and Photos
Quote: “A very early variety of Belarusian breeding. The plant is determinate, upright, 16-20 inches (40-50 cm) tall. Can be grown outdoors without any pruning. Fruits are round, glossy, bright red, weighing 1-1.4 oz (30-40 g). High flavor qualities. All-purpose, but especially good for whole-fruit canning. Grown outdoors and under cover.”
“One of the absolute earliest, ripening 4-6 days before other well-known early varieties. Yields 35-40 tons/hectare. Fruits are small, 0.9-1.2 oz (25-35 g), round, smooth, bright red. Shows relative resistance to late blight. Fruits have high flavor ratings (4.5 out of 5), all-purpose, perfect for canning whole in small jars at the breaker stage. Included in the National Seed Registry of the Republic of Belarus since 2011.”
I don’t know about the yields in tons per hectare, but I can definitely confirm the rest: it is early, productive, sweet, very delicious in jars, and even better eaten fresh. I will say though, inside my greenhouse, Krokha got a little over 3 feet tall (it was around 3.2-3.6 ft / 1.0-1.1 m).
My daughter-in-law ordered me to grow it again next year 😂!
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: Determinate. Outdoors, it forms a compact 16-20 inch (40-50 cm) upright bush that requires zero pruning. In a greenhouse, it stretches to over 3 ft (1 m).
- 📈 Yield: Exceptionally high for a small bush. Commercial specs list it at 35-40 tons per hectare.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Officially rated a 4.5 out of 5 for flavor. Very sweet when eaten fresh right off the bush. The fruits have a smooth, glossy skin that holds up well.
- 🍅 Fruit Size: Large red cherries / small cocktail tomatoes averaging about 1 oz (25-40 g).
- 🛡️ Disease Resistance: Officially recognized as having relative resistance to late blight, likely aided by its ultra-early ripening which allows it to beat the blight season.
- 🥫 Best Uses: Fantastic for fresh snacking, but especially prized for whole-fruit canning in smaller pint or quart jars.
