🍅 Quick take: Oranzhevaya Sosulka (Orange Icicle) is an incredibly productive, indeterminate orange paste tomato. Growers praise it for its firm texture, sweet flavor, and perfect size for canning. Interestingly, a few growers have reported the variety occasionally throwing off a determinate (bush) mutation, though the classic vine is known to be a massive, late-season producer. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-6 Experience)
Got the seeds from Sasha (Taleks). I really loved this variety. Honestly, it’s not exactly an icicle shape but more of a large plum with a slight point. Indet, I pruned it to two main stems. A very heavy yielder. The fruits are perfect beauties, about 3.5 oz (100 g) each. Nicely sweet, very firm, and absolutely fantastic for canning 👍 👍 👍
I’m saving seeds, so if anyone wants some, shoot me a PM 📩
I’m saving seeds, so if anyone wants some, shoot me a PM 📩
Could you tell me how tall the plants got? I’m assuming they get pretty tall. Also, what’s the days to maturity like? Thanks!
Alyona, Orange Icicle is an indet and a very vigorous tall vine. I grew it in the greenhouse, started with 2 stems and then just let it go wild. It reached the roof and started growing horizontally along the top trellis. By that time, most of my other varieties were already done producing. It kept pumping out fruit until the end of September (this was last year). I actually liked these tomatoes way better than Zolotaya Rybka (Golden Fish). They are sweeter and just taste better!
The “Determinate” Mutation Discussion
Decided to grow this one out again from fresh seeds. The only plant I had topped itself at less than 3 ft (1 m) tall. It set two trusses on the main stem and one on a sucker, basically acting just like a det. Has anyone else had this happen, or did my seeds cross?
Alya, you actually sent me seeds of your Orange Icicle a while back, and it behaved like a det for me too. It stayed really short. Did it use to grow tall for you before?
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Canning
- 🌿 Plant: Typically a very vigorous, indeterminate vine that easily reaches greenhouse roofs and climbs along trellises. However, multiple growers have noted a segregating mutation where the plant acts determinate, topping itself at under 3 ft (1 m).
- 📈 Yield: Exceptionally high and long-lasting. In Zone 4 greenhouses, it produces heavily well into late September, outlasting many other varieties.
- 👅 Taste & Shape: Sweet, firm, and meaty. Despite the “Icicle” name, it shapes up more like a large, perfect plum with a small beak. The fruits average around 3.5 oz (100 g).
- 📦 Best Uses: Because of the firm flesh, uniform size, and sweet flavor, growers highly recommend it as a top-tier processing and canning tomato.
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: The “Sosulka” (Icicle) Family & Seed Stability
In Russian tomato breeding, the word Sosulka (Icicle) is frequently used to name elongated, paste-type tomatoes (e.g., Pink Icicle, Black Icicle). While they are supposed to be long and slender, environmental factors or slight genetic drift can make them look like standard plum/roma shapes with a beak.
Regarding the short plants mentioned by stounns and TatianaSh: It’s quite common for some commercial Russian heirlooms or traded seeds to segregate or accidentally cross, resulting in a determinate (bush) plant popping up in an otherwise indeterminate line. If you save seeds, always select from the tall vines to maintain the original genetics!
In Russian tomato breeding, the word Sosulka (Icicle) is frequently used to name elongated, paste-type tomatoes (e.g., Pink Icicle, Black Icicle). While they are supposed to be long and slender, environmental factors or slight genetic drift can make them look like standard plum/roma shapes with a beak.
Regarding the short plants mentioned by stounns and TatianaSh: It’s quite common for some commercial Russian heirlooms or traded seeds to segregate or accidentally cross, resulting in a determinate (bush) plant popping up in an otherwise indeterminate line. If you save seeds, always select from the tall vines to maintain the original genetics!
🍅 Grown Orange Icicle? Did yours grow into a massive vine or a short bush? Share your zone and how it did for you in the comments below, and add your photos!
