Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Chernaya Ulybka (Black Smile) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety originally distributed by a collector named Monakhova. The name translates beautifully to “Black Smile”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) variety. When grown in a greenhouse, it typically reaches about 1.8 meters (approx. 6 feet) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened round) … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Baron (Black Baron) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial variety. Important Note: There is significant seed confusion (off-types/mix-ups) on the market depending on the seed company (e.g., Aelita vs. Johnsons). 🍅 Phenotype 1 (The True Baron): From some “Aelita” seed batches, growers get the correct variety—a mid-season indeterminate producing beautiful, oblate (flattened-round) … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Plod (Miracle Fruit) 🌍 Origin: A rare heirloom variety originating from Ukraine. The name translates to “Miracle Fruit” or “Wonder Fruit.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, producing tall and quite vigorous, powerful bushes. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful oval-shaped (or blunt plum-shaped) red tomatoes. The fruits look like heavy “little bombs.” Average … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Strawberry F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid produced by the Russian seed company SeDek. Its Russian name is “Cherri Klubnichnyi” (Strawberry Cherry). 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush), reaching about 1.2-1.4 meters (4-4.5 ft) in height. It can be grown both in open ground and greenhouses but requires staking and pruning … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernomor (Black Sea Man) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial variety (produced by SeDek). The name translates to “Black Sea Man” or “Chernomor” (a character from Russian fairy tales). 🌿 Plant Habit: The seed packet claims it is a semi-determinate (1.3-1.5 m / 4.2-5 ft) variety for greenhouses and open ground. However, … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Sveta (Wonder of the World) 🌍 Origin: A very popular, beautiful Russian commercial variety. The name translates to “Wonder of the World”, though it is sometimes visually compared to a small lemon. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), vigorous, and strongly growing plant (reaching over 2 meters / 6.5 ft in greenhouses). … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Tyulpan (Black Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. Note: There appear to be a few variations circulating among collectors under this name (some from Brizhan, some from Panova), ranging from 150g up to 500g, but they all share the dark coloration and excellent taste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Safari 🌍 Origin: A beautiful and productive cherry tomato variety actively shared and grown among Russian and Eastern European heirloom collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly versatile. When grown outdoors in open ground, the plants stay relatively compact, reaching about 80-100 cm (2.5-3.5 ft) in height, and only require pruning up to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Gigant (Black Giant) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian heirloom. Some experienced growers note it is practically identical to the well-known variety Cherniy Slon (Black Elephant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5 – 2 meters (5-6.5 ft). Some growers report it can terminate its own growth (top itself out) … Read more
Quick Summary of My Dancing Green Fingers 🌍 Origin: A relatively new, highly sought-after cherry variety created by Belgian gardener and collector Bart Praet. It took second place among the best tomatoes at the Tomatofest festival in Brussels (Nos Pilifs farm) in 2021. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), mid-season. The plant produces numerous thin stems … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherry Blossom F1 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial F1 hybrid created by the Japanese breeding company Sakata. Widely grown and discussed in Eastern Europe. 🌿 Plant Habit: The official registry lists it as determinate (bush), but growers consistently report it acting like a vigorous semi-determinate or even indeterminate, reaching 1.2 – … Read more
Quick Summary: Defeating Late Blight in Cold, Rainy Climates 🌍 The Problem: Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans) is the ultimate tomato killer, especially in cool, rainy regions with heavy morning dew (like USDA Zones 3-5). Many growers harvest green tomatoes thinking they are safe, only to watch them rot indoors. 🧪 Folk Remedies vs. Science: Experienced … Read more