Growers’ Notes and Photos
Mid-season, medium-height determinate variety. Grown outdoors, the bush got to about 2.3 ft (0.7 m) tall. The fruits are round, bright orange, averaging 5-7 oz (150-200 g) even though the description claims 9-10.5 oz (250-300 g) and up to 1.1 lbs (500 g). Beautiful, uniform, neat slicers that are pretty firm and have good flavor. Yield was about average.
Lena, what did the foliage look like? Is it potato leaf like the rest of the “Elephants”?
Zulya, I honestly completely missed that detail and didn’t memorize the foliage type. I’m pretty sure it was just regular leaf, though. The seeds came from a standard commercial store pack.
ElenaN said:
The seeds came from a standard commercial store pack.
From the Gavrish seed company?
Yep, Gavrish company, from their “Russian Bogatyr” series.
Gavrish seeds. Regular leaf. The bush got huge for me outdoors, around 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) tall. Not a ton of fruit on it, they sat right around 7 oz (200 g). The flavor was just okay. Overall I wasn’t impressed.
Grew this one in 2016.
It definitely didn’t hit that 1.1 lbs (500 g) mark they claim, mine averaged 5-6 oz (150-180 g).
The flavor wasn’t bad, I’d give it a 4 out of 5.
It didn’t crack on the bush at all, so it gets an A+ for that.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste, and Looks
- 🌿 Plant & Looks: A mid-season determinate variety that produces bright orange, perfectly round, uniform slicers. While one grower had it stay compact around 2.3 ft (0.7 m), another had it push up to 5 ft (1.5 m) outdoors. It has standard regular foliage, distinguishing it from some other potato-leaf “Elephant” varieties.
- 📈 Yield & Quirks: Production is rated as average. A major takeaway from multiple growers is that the commercial packet heavily exaggerates the fruit size—expect flawless 5-7 oz (150-200 g) tomatoes, not the massive 1+ lb beefsteaks promised on the label. A huge bonus is its stellar resistance to cracking on the vine.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Firm and meaty. The flavor reviews are generally middle-of-the-road, ranging from “just okay” to a solid B (4 out of 5). It’s a reliable, pretty tomato, but perhaps not a gourmet flavor standout.
