Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Chudo Tyumeni (Tyumen Miracle) 🌍 Origin: A highly productive Russian heirloom from Tyumen, a city in Siberia. The name translates to “Tyumen Miracle.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, vigorous, and huge. Plants easily reach 2 meters (6.5 ft) in a greenhouse and produce a massive “squall” of fruits, often described as looking like … Read more
Quick Summary of Chainaya Roza (Tea Rose) 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the Russian seed company “Siberian Garden” (SibSad). The name translates to “Tea Rose,” hinting at its delicate pink color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Highly variable depending on the seed batch. Some growers report a tall indeterminate plant reaching 1.7 m (5.5 ft), while … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherrikollo F1 🌍 Origin: A commercial F1 hybrid variety from the Russian seed company “Semko Junior”. 🌿 Plant Habit: An extremely vigorous, fast-growing indeterminate. It produces massive, wide leaves and an unbelievable amount of suckers. It requires strict pruning and tying to a trellis, otherwise, it quickly turns the greenhouse into an … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Slon (Black Elephant) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Black Elephant”. It is distributed by several seed companies in Russia (like TomAgros and Gisok). 🌿 Plant Habit: Mostly described as a tall determinate or semi-determinate that eventually tops itself (stops growing upward). Height ranges from 1m … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Medved (Black Bear) 🌍 Origin: Originally an American variety, circulating in Russia under the translated name Chernyi Medved (Black Bear). Some Eastern European growers suspect it is a larger-fruited selection or sibling of the Russian commercial variety Negritenok. 🌿 Plant Habit: Tall indeterminate. Highly vigorous and productive. It can easily support … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernika / Golubika (Blueberry) 🌍 Origin: A striking Russian commercial and collector’s variety. In Russian, it circulates under two synonymous names: Chernika and Golubika (both translate to “Blueberry”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing to 1.5–2 meters (5–6.5 ft) tall. The plant is highly ornamental, featuring dark purple-tinged foliage that looks beautiful … Read more
Quick Summary: Why Do Tomatoes Crack? 🌡️ The Main Culprit: Extreme heat combined with inconsistent moisture levels. When temperatures soar, roots can’t absorb water fast enough during the day, causing the fruit to slightly shrink. 💧 Nighttime Expansion: At night, when temperatures drop and humidity rises, plants greedily absorb moisture from the air and soil. … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Maslyanistyi (Black Buttery) 🌍 Origin: A Russian/Eastern European heirloom variety. The name translates directly to “Black Buttery” (or “Buttery Black”), hinting at its texture and color. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate. In a greenhouse, it easily exceeds 2 meters (6.5 ft), but stays more compact (about 1.2–1.7 m / 4–5.5 ft) when … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Krym (Black Krim / Noire de Crimee) 🌍 Origin: A legendary Russian heirloom from the Crimean Peninsula, introduced to the West in 1990 by Swedish collector Lars Olov Rosenstrom. It is known globally under various names: Black Krim, Noire de Crimee, and Chernyi Krym. 🌿 Plant Habit: Generally indeterminate, though some … Read more
Quick Summary of Chio-Chio-San 🌍 Origin: A highly popular commercial Russian variety, officially registered in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), though some growers successfully prune it into a multi-stem determinate bush. As seedlings, the plants often look weak or “wispy,” which is normal, but they explode with vigor … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo (Wonderwork) 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom variety originally from breeder V. Kolyakov. The name translates directly to “Miracle” or “Wonderwork”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, growing to about 1.3–1.7 meters (4.2–5.5 ft) tall. Performs well in both greenhouses and open ground. It shows excellent heat tolerance and doesn’t drop blossoms during hot … Read more
Quick Summary of Chelnok (Shuttle) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial variety. The name “Chelnok” translates to “Shuttle” (as in a weaving shuttle), referring to its elongated shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: A true tree-type determinate (compact bush). Usually maxes out at just 40-45 cm (16-18 inches) tall. No pruning or suckering is required! The seedlings … Read more