Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3a-6b Experience)
I grew this one this year. The vine isn’t a massive monster, indeterminate, gets to about 6 feet (1.8m) in the greenhouse. Quite tasty, no complaints at all. The color ranges from brown to dark purple, oblate shape, weighing up to 8.8 oz (250g). Seeds were from ElenaO 🙏 I’ll add a sliced photo a little later. I saw a few others growing it too, let’s hear your reviews.
Mine grew in a hoop house under row cover, and I took the cover off in early July. It was a wet, cold summer. Compared to the rest of the varieties, it was pretty productive and really resistant to diseases. Picked them green.
After ripening indoors off the vine, they turned into absolute beauties–a deep dark green color at the stem transitioning to a dark red blossom end. The plant height was just over 3 feet (1m), and the largest tomatoes were about 7 oz (200g) with the exact same shape as Plena’s. Mid-season.
It didn’t reach its full sweetness because of our terrible weather, but it was still delicious 😋
I will definitely regrow it once we finally put up a proper greenhouse.
My seeds were from Kolyakov.
Here is what I got from Kolyakov—couldn’t find a photo of a ripe one. Looks like a seed mix-up, right?
I planted this variety two years in a row, in 2016 and 2017. It’s an absolute favorite! 😋 I grow it outdoors in the dirt, vine height gets to about 5.5 feet (1.7m). It’s productive in any weather and doesn’t get hit by diseases. The tomatoes are beautiful, a rich brown color with greenish-black shoulders. The taste is sweet- you could honestly say they are incredibly delicious, exactly how the internet describes them 👍 Huge thanks to Katya-Zhavoronok for the seeds 🙏
m_Kallista said:
Here is what I got from Kolyakov–couldn’t find a photo of a ripe one. Looks like a seed mix-up, right?
Hi! Yes, I also think that’s a wrong seed / mix-up, because Nibelung has a completely different shape. Here is what mine looked like:
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And I really loved the taste.
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Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant: A manageable indeterminate vine, usually reaching 5.5 to 6 feet (1.7–1.8m) in a greenhouse or outdoors. Known for being unfussy and boasting strong disease resistance.
- 📈 Yield: Excellent and dependable. Sets fruit well regardless of the weather, continuing to produce reliably even during cold, wet, and miserable summers.
- 👅 Taste: Universally praised for its sweet, rich flavor profile. Extremely highly rated by growers for fresh eating.
- 📦 Texture/Usage: Oblate, medium-to-large slicers weighing 7–9 oz (200–250g). They are visually striking, transitioning from deep brown or dark purple at the base to heavily pigmented dark green or black shoulders. Perfect for fresh slicing.
The name “Nibelung” refers to the legendary royal family and race of dwarves from Germanic and Norse mythology (the Nibelungen). They are most famous globally due to Richard Wagner’s epic opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The dramatic, brooding dark colors of this tomato are a perfect fit for a variety bearing such a deeply mythological name.
