Growers’ Notes, Field Logs and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience)
The undisputed showpiece of my greenhouse in 2018! It grew right beside the entryway door, and walking past that kind of dazzling beauty without stopping was completely impossible.
Seeds were from TanyaK. A compact indeterminate, mid-season, high-yielding variety bred by Brad Gates.
The fruits are flat-round, richly variegated: red-pink with deep indigo marbling and metallic golden stripes, with excellent flavor to match. Fruit weight runs 4.2 to 8.8 oz (120-250 g). The plants topped out around 4 ft (1.2 m).
Such a gorgeous variety! I ran two plants in the greenhouse. One segregated, growing out without any anthocyanin whatsoever, just standard stripes.
The second plant, however, was a total stunner! The plant stayed around 3.3 ft (1 m) tall, fruits averaged 7 oz (200 g) with very good flavor. Yield was average. Definitely repeating this looker, but planting it outdoors in open ground next time.
My Persuasion turned out just like Sofiya’s, fully decked out with all the bells and whistles. Hands down the prettiest tomato in my entire patch this year.
Nadia, did your Persuasion seeds also come from TanyaK? Her line originated from Kulik.
I grew it as well, and I suspect our seed source is identical. But my fruits grew out completely round like little apples, just like Lisenok’s photos.
The line is probably still segregating a bit. TanyaK shared the seeds with me. 💐
Nadia said:
My Persuasion turned out… fully decked out with all the bells and whistles. Hands down the prettiest tomato in my entire patch this year.
Truly magnificent! 👍 Nadia, how was the flavor profile? Any specific cultural quirks to watch out for?
Tatka said:
Nadia, how was the flavor profile? Any specific cultural quirks to watch out for?
Zero special demands. Trained it to a single stem, fed it standard fertilizer alongside everything else. The flavor is very well-balanced, sweetness and acidity are dialed in right where they should be.
My Persuasion turned out small-fruited, around 2.1 oz (60 g). But the seed vendor explicitly warned that the line was segregating and that I was receiving a cocktail variant.
Extremely attractive fruits, very tasty, though Rebel Starfighter won my palate over even more. Repeating Starfighter this year instead.
Full Summary: Stature, Coloration, Segregation and Flavor
- 🌿 Plant Stature & Architecture: Compact indeterminate vine topping out at approximately 3.3 to 4 ft (1-1.2 m). Its manageable stature makes it an ideal fit for lower greenhouse margins, front walkway beds, or staked outdoor culture. Prunes easily to 1 or 2 stems.
- 🎨 Fruit Appearance & Anatomy: Oblate to smooth globe-shaped slicers weighing 4.2 to 8.8 oz (120-250 g), averaging right around 7 oz (200 g). The exterior is heavily variegated with iridescent metallic gold striping and jet-black/blue anthocyanin shoulders over a crimson-pink background.
- 🔀 Genetic Stability & Segregation: Bred by Brad Gates, seed lines in early trade have displayed slight variations: growers report occasional off-types without anthocyanin caps, smooth apple-round shapes, and an isolated 2.1 oz (60 g) cocktail-sized selection.
- 👅 Flavor Profile: Very good, well-balanced heirloom profile. Neither overly sugary nor sour, it offers clean, traditional slicing flavor with juicy, firm meat.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Cultivated and compared by veteran gardeners across USDA Zone 4 (Ryazan, Kaluga, Moscow, Tula, and Tatarstan).
Persuasion was developed in California by Brad Gates (Wild Boar Farms), known worldwide for his groundbreaking work stabilizing anthocyanin-striped heirlooms. In Russian seed exchanges, the name is frequently translated literally into Ubezhdenie. Unlike massive, rampant vines such as Pink Siberian Tiger or Pascal de Picardie, Persuasion stays compact (often acting as a semi-determinate around 4 feet / 1.2 m), making it far easier to manage in limited spaces. For the sharpest metallic stripes and deepest purple pigmentation, give it strong morning sun, but avoid excessive shade which can suppress its anthocyanin synthesis.
