Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
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Quick Summary of Chernaya Russkaya Roza (Black Russian Rose) 🌍 Origin: A beautiful cross between Black Beauty and Russian Rose, bred by the famous Latvian tomato breeder Valdis Pulins. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The bush reaches about 1.7 meters (approx. 5.5 feet) in height. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened round) shape. The color is … Read more
Quick Summary of Borisovna’s Black Heart with a Spout 🌍 Origin: A legendary forum-born heirloom! Discovered by grower Natalya (Borisovna) from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, from a market tomato. It has since spread worldwide. Also known as Black with a Spout, Black Oxheart from Borisovna, or Chernoe Serdtse s Nosikom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching 1.5–2.5 … Read more
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Quick Summary of Cerise Noire du Layon 🌍 Origin: A French dark cherry variety (“Cerise Noire” translates to Black Cherry). Russian growers often note that it appears to be a twin of the popular Russian commercial variety Sladkaya Grozd Shokoladnaya (Sweet Chocolate Bunch). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. Growers note that you … Read more
Quick Summary of Chudo Zemli Orange 🌍 Origin: An orange variant/strain of the famous Russian heirloom “Chudo Zemli” (Wonder of the Earth). Some growers note a strong visual resemblance to the Fox Nose (Liskin Nos) variety, though they behave differently in the garden. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) and extremely vigorous. When grown in a … Read more
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Quick Summary of Dwarf Black Wizard 🌍 Origin: A beautiful dark-striped variety from the dwarf tomato family (often circulated among Russian collectors as “Gnom Chernyi Volshebnik”). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate dwarf (tree-type). It has a very sturdy, strong central stem and light-green rugose foliage. Perfect for small spaces or large containers, though it requires some … Read more
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Quick Summary of Chernyi Shokolad (Black Chocolate) 🌍 Origin: A commercial Russian cherry tomato variety, most notably distributed by the “Poisk” seed company as part of their “Vkusnoteka” (Flavor Library) series. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The bush is vigorous but has somewhat sparse foliage, meaning it doesn’t get overly bushy. Growers successfully prune it … Read more
Quick Summary of Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple) 🌍 Origin: A famous variety discovered in Belgium by Pascal Moreau (originally named Ananas Noire). It is widely grown by Russian collectors under the translated name “Chernyi Ananas”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 ft). It has regular leaf (RL) foliage. It is generally … Read more
Thread Highlights: Late Summer Pumpkin Harvest & Storage Tips 💡 Storage Secrets: Thin-skinned orange pumpkins (like Rouge Vif d’Etampes) do not store well. To prevent rotting, keep storage temperatures around 8°C (46°F) and never wash the pumpkins before storing, as this removes their protective natural coating. 🎃 Acorn Squash Shelf Life: A fascinating report on … Read more
Quick Summary of Chernyi Prints (Black Prince) 🌍 Origin: A legendary Soviet-era heirloom dating back to the 1960s-1970s. Note: There is a massive issue with modern commercial seed companies selling incorrect strains (off-types). The “true” original Black Prince is highly sought after by collectors. 🌿 Plant Habit: The original is indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.5–1.8 … Read more
Quick Summary of Ciondolo Orange 🌍 Origin: A collector’s variety with Italian roots (“Ciondolo” translates to pendant or charm), widely circulated among Russian heirloom growers under the transliterated name “Chiondollo Oranzhevyi”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). The plants are noted for being very sturdy and strong. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, beautiful orange tomatoes shaped like … Read more
Quick Summary of Tsao Fen 🌍 Origin: A collector’s variety sourced from Russian heirloom growers (originating from the Logunov collection). The name suggests Asian origins (often transliterated as Cao Fen or Tsao Fen). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching about 2 meters (6.5 ft) when grown in a greenhouse. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Medium-sized fruits, typically … Read more
Quick Summary of Tsarskiy Lyubimets (Tsar’s Favorite) 🌍 Origin: A popular Russian commercial and collector’s variety. The name translates to “Tsar’s Favorite” or “Royal Favorite”. Note: There appear to be two distinct strains circulating in the community (a red-orange regular leaf version and a raspberry-pink potato leaf version). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching … Read more