Strain 1 (Commercial “Russian Garden” brand): A short, 24-28 inch (60-70 cm) determinate bush that produces small 2.5 oz (70 g) crack-resistant, dark pink plum/paste tomatoes. Perfect for canning.
Strain 2 (Heirloom/Redko lineage): A tall, aggressive indeterminate vine reaching over 6.5 feet (2 m). This one throws large, meaty, dark pink oxhearts with classic sweet flavor. Both are heavy yielders, but you need to know which seed packet you actually bought! Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-6 Experience)
Here is the description from the seed packet: “Mid-season. Ripens heavily all at once. Suited for outdoor growing in southern regions. Determinate bush, 24-28 inches (60-70 cm) tall. Average fruit weight is 2.5 oz (70 g). Mature fruits are a dark raspberry-pink. Excellent flavor. Thanks to its thick skin, it is crack-resistant and ships well. Ideal for whole-peeled canning.”
Photo credit: Marisha.
Marisha! Are your Malinovka seeds from the “Russian Garden” commercial brand or somewhere else? Because there are totally different tomatoes going by that name.
My strain came from Redko. Early season, vine hit about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. It produced rounded oxhearts. Very heavy yielder, super juicy, and sweet 😋
On 10/16/2014 at 10:14 AM, Zulfiya said:
Marisha! Are your Malinovka seeds from the “Russian Garden” commercial brand…
Zulfiya, Marisha’s Malinovka perfectly matches the official “Russian Garden” description. It’s a det bush with 2.5 oz (70 g) fruits. I know there are other Malinovkas floating around (including the ones in the photo albums here), but their descriptions don’t match Marisha’s at all. I try to pay close attention to the seed source!
I have the same one Irina does, though mine only grew a little over 3 feet (1 m) tall out in the open ground. Very heavy yield. It has that classic, sweet pink oxheart flavor.
My Malinovka came from V.V. Redko’s heirloom collection. Very sweet and meaty 😋👍. Excellent variety.
It looks like the genetics of my Malinovka trace back to Redko as well. In the greenhouse, the vines shot up to almost 6.5 feet (2 m) tall. The fruits are large, tender, sweet oxhearts. Both the yield and the taste are absolutely top-notch.
Seeds from V. Redko. Grown in the greenhouse. Started as a single leader but then naturally forked into two. The vine is incredibly powerful with very thick stems. Leaves are larger than average, long, and droopy (wispy). The plant gets super dense at the bottom (70-80% coverage) but stays sparse at the top (~30%).
It responds well to feeding, but it is highly prone to bolting (producing too much vegetative growth/living too well) if you over-fertilize. The plant width on a single leader is about 16 inches (40 cm).
As for the flavor… it tasted like a standard pink oxheart, but honestly a bit bland. It lacked that punchy, bright tomato flavor. I’d rate the taste a 4.6 out of 5. Even with the great yield, I don’t plan on growing it again. Note: the tomato in my photo isn’t fully ripe yet.
Full Summary: A Tale of Two Tomatoes
If you are buying or trading Malinovka seeds, you must verify the lineage, as you will get one of two vastly different plants:
- 🍅 Strain 1: The Commercial Determinate (Russian Garden brand). This is a compact bush that tops out at 24-28 inches (60-70 cm). It produces heavy, concentrated clusters of small 2.5 oz (70 g) dark pink/raspberry plum tomatoes. It has very thick, crack-resistant skin, making it an excellent workhorse for whole-peeled canning and sauce.
- 💖 Strain 2: The Heirloom Oxheart (Redko lineage). This is an aggressive, powerful indeterminate vine that can easily reach 6.5 feet (2 m) in a greenhouse. It has thick main stems but features the classic droopy, wispy foliage typical of oxhearts. It produces large, meaty, dark pink heart-shaped slicers. Be careful with nitrogen, as this strain is highly prone to bolting and producing excessive leaf mass.
- 👅 Taste: The oxheart version is generally praised for its classic, sweet, tender pink tomato flavor, though one grower found it lacked the acidic “punch” needed for a top-tier rating.
