{"id":5161,"date":"2026-10-12T15:43:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=5161"},"modified":"2026-10-12T15:43:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T15:43:42","slug":"katya-f1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/katya-f1\/","title":{"rendered":"Katya F1 Tomato Review & Photos: An Early Workhorse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\ud83c\udf45 Quick take:<\/strong> Katya F1 is a very early determinate hybrid<\/strong> by the Russian seed company Semko. It is known as a reliable “workhorse” variety that pumps out 4 oz (110-130 g) red fruits on compact 20-inch (50 cm) bushes. While growers have mixed feelings about its flavor (most agree it’s better for canning than fresh eating), it is praised for its ability to produce early harvests in tough, low-maintenance conditions. One grower even successfully dehybridized it to the F2 generation with double the yield. Full summary \u2193<\/a><\/div>\n

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Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-8 Experience)<\/h2>\n

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Sweet (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (8,792 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Belgorod Region, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Description from the seed packet: Ultra-early determinate tomato hybrid, 75-80 days from germination to first harvest. The plant has medium foliage. The first truss sets above the 5th or 6th leaf with 7-8 fruits. Fruits are round to oblate, red, with no green shoulders, weighing 3.8-4.5 oz (110-130 g), and dense. The taste is good. Resistant to fruit cracking and BER, tolerant to TMV, early blight (Alternaria), and late blight. Yield outdoors is 17.5-23 lbs\/sq m (8-10.5 kg\/m2), and in a greenhouse 28.5-33 lbs\/sq m (13-15 kg\/m2).
\nPhoto credit: Tosya<\/p>\n

\"Katya<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tanyushka04 (Tatiana) \ud83c\udf31 Beginner (18 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It really is a great variety. I’ve been growing it for about 8 years now. Every year it gives a good harvest, no matter what the weather throws at it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Maryana (Marina) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (142 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Here is my Katya. Grew it in the greenhouse, but I want to try it outdoors in the dirt next time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Rodebielesumer (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,832 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Germany\/Luxembourg\/France corner (USDA Zone 8)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I grew 2 hybrids this year from seeds a friend gave me. Katya F1 from Semko. Had two identical twin plants just as a trial, and there was nothing to photograph except bare stalks and a couple of tomatoes.<\/p>\n

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Shell (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Beginner (2 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My Katya F1 from Semko grew outdoors. I really liked the hybrid. It truly is early, sets abundantly, and has good flavor. We ate them fresh. Photo taken July 25.<\/p>\n

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Indya (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,110 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Pskov Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Good afternoon. Can someone tell me, are Katya F1 and Katyusha F1 different tomato varieties?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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m_Kallista (Julia) \u2b50 Pro Grower (9,801 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Neftegorsk, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Indya wrote:<\/strong>
\nGood afternoon. Can someone tell me, are Katya F1 and Katyusha F1 different tomato varieties?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Judging by the descriptions, they are different varieties. Different fruit weights and different DTM (days to maturity).<\/p>\n

Edited January 31, 2016 by Drosera<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olga Sh (Olga) \u2b50 Moderator (2,750 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Tula, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Indya wrote:<\/strong>
\nGood afternoon. Can someone tell me, are Katya F1 and Katyusha F1 different tomato varieties?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Katya has been a favorite of mine for many years, it has never let me down. These are the very first tomatoes we start eating, we also can them in jars, and we pick the last ones at the end of September. This year it was October 3rd (the last ones manage to grow from the suckers at the top). Found a photo of Katya, but the tomatoes are still green here.
\nYes, KATYA and KATYUSHA are different varieties.<\/p>\n

Edited January 31, 2016 by Drosera<\/em><\/p>\n

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Drosera (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,414 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Yekaterinburg, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Katya… A lot of people praise it, but I was disappointed. Over 4 years (2012-15) I never saw a single ripe fruit on the vine outdoors. Yes, it’s productive, but strictly for canning. It throws out a truss on every single leaf, and sometimes two in a row. Last year, when ripening them indoors on the counter, they all developed early blight spots. EVERY SINGLE ONE! I decided to skip Katya this season.<\/p>\n

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Zlato Leto (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (285 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Drosera wrote:<\/strong>
\nKatya… A lot of people praise it, but I was disappointed. Over 4 years (2012-15) I never saw a single ripe fruit on the vine outdoors. Yes, it’s productive, but strictly for canning. It throws out a truss on every single leaf, and sometimes two in a row. Last year, when ripening them indoors on the counter, they all developed early blight spots. EVERY SINGLE ONE!
\nI decided to skip Katya this season.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What are you going to replace it with? I definitely don’t want early blight either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Drosera (Svetlana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,414 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Yekaterinburg, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Zlato Leto wrote:<\/strong>
\nWhat are you going to replace it with? I definitely don’t want early blight either.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With Andromeda \ud83d\ude48<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lena 18 (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (276 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Every year I plant 5 bushes just for an early harvest. They grow in the cucumber greenhouse in practically spartan conditions (the cucumbers get top priority). I prune them up to the first truss, don’t feed them, don’t loosen the soil, and water them rarely. I only spray them once with Ordan fungicide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lena 18 (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (276 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Edited December 20, 2016 by Lena<\/em><\/p>\n

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Lena 18 (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (276 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My photos are uploading kind of weird today \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Just wanted to say and show what a productive and low-maintenance hybrid this is \ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olvia (Olya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Regarding ripening times. I sowed Katya F1 on May 14th, planted it outdoors 10 days later when the true leaves were just emerging. It gave me its harvest in late August, almost entirely ripe fruits. The first tomatoes started blushing in mid-August.<\/p>\n

There are definitely more productive varieties for growing outdoors; Katya F1 is not a leader in that regard. The flavor is average, fits better for processing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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grawicapa (Pavel) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,579 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Ivanovo, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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They grew equally well completely out in the dirt and in a mini hoop house. The fruits started ripening within a few days of each other in the last week of July. Yield in the hoop house was a bit over 4.4 lbs (2 kg), and outdoors about 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) per plant. Average weight was 3.5 oz (100 g).
\nTender, soft, juicy, sweet-tart, but nothing outstanding at all.
\nJust a standard workhorse. Hybrids are created just to give a harvest, not to blow your mind (just my two cents).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Lena 18 (Elena) \ud83c\udf31 Vegetable Grower (276 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Olvia wrote:<\/strong>
\nRegarding ripening times. I sowed Katya F1 on May 14th, planted it outdoors 10 days later when the true leaves were just emerging. It gave me its harvest in late August, almost entirely ripe fruits. The first tomatoes started blushing in mid-August.<\/p>\n

There are definitely more productive varieties for growing outdoors; Katya F1 is not a leader in that regard. The flavor is average, fits better for processing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Like the saying goes, “same seeds, different thumbs.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olvia (Olya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Lena 18 wrote:<\/strong>
\nLike the saying goes, “same seeds, different thumbs.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s not about the thumbs in this case. My goal was to test different varieties and hybrids.
\nI specifically picked varieties that are known to be early and low-maintenance by definition. I practically didn’t weed, there was no water until late July, no pruning, no fertilizer, no staking. My tomatoes outdoors just grew completely on their own, doing whatever they wanted. Katya F1 ended up not being the best based on those results, so naturally, I won’t be repeating it.<\/p>\n

Everything is relative. One person grows the exact same variety year after year and can’t praise it enough, someone else prefers to compare several varieties. Everyone has different approaches and interests.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Elena 62 (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (2,063 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Hi Olya! Did you grow Katya outdoors? How tall was the bush?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olvia (Olya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Elena 62 wrote:<\/strong>
\nHi Olya! Did you grow Katya outdoors? How tall was the bush?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hi Lena! No taller than 20 inches (50 cm).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Elena 62 (Elena) \u2b50 Pro Grower (2,063 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Olvia wrote:<\/strong>
\nHi Lena! No taller than 20 inches (50 cm).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That yield seems really low then. Olya, how many stems did you leave when growing it outdoors? Maybe if you kept a few more it would produce better? They look really lovely and seem early. A friend is sending me seeds, I’m thinking about it. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Eseniya (Lyudmila) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,007 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd South of Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I bought Pink Katya F1. They said it’s an improved version of Katya. Has anyone grown it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Olvia (Olya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (1,829 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Elena 62 wrote:<\/strong>
\nThat yield seems really low then. Olya, how many stems did you leave when growing it outdoors? Maybe if you kept a few more it would produce better? They look really lovely and seem early. A friend is sending me seeds, I’m thinking about it. \ud83d\ude42<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lena, I didn’t touch it or prune it at all, it grew with as many stems as it wanted. I had about 10 plants I think, some had 2 stems, some 3, some 4. It looked very similar to Shell’s photo. You’d be better off looking for Letniy Sad F1 (Summer Garden F1).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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grawicapa (Pavel) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,579 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Ivanovo, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tried to dehybridize Katya this year, the fruits perfectly matched the original on Sept 2, 2017.
\nPlanted outdoors. Katya F2 gave 4.4 lbs (2 kg) from 22 fruits. The F1 original gave 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg) from 16 fruits.
\nI noticed an interesting trait: the F1 hybrid started setting fruit immediately when it was still tiny, while the F2 plant kept focusing on growing the bush. The harvest started 3 weeks later, but the yield ended up being double.
\nThe exact same situation happened with another Semko hybrid called “Slot”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Disease Resistance<\/h2>\n