{"id":7482,"date":"2026-11-11T18:01:40","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T18:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=7482"},"modified":"2026-11-11T18:01:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T18:01:40","slug":"my-40-variety-zone-4-tomato-grow-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/my-40-variety-zone-4-tomato-grow-list\/","title":{"rendered":"My 40-Variety Zone 4 Tomato Grow List: Grower Feedback and Reality Check"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\ud83c\udf45 Quick take:<\/strong> Planning season is in full swing! Grower OlchikD posted her ambitious 40-variety grow list for Zone 4 Moscow, and experienced northern gardeners weighed in with honest feedback. Standout consensus: Volga German Harsh Melon<\/strong> and Rudnevskie<\/strong> earned top praise for taste and yield; Beefsteak Albi<\/strong> proved to be a massive, heavy-bearing monster vine; while famous dwarfs like Uluru Ochre<\/strong> showed frustrating flavor inconsistency from year to year. Read the variety breakdown \u2193<\/a><\/div>\n

2026 Season Grow List Critique: Feedback from USDA Zones 4-5<\/h2>\n
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O<\/div>\n
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OlchikD (Olga) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,790 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Dmitrov District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Here is my planned tomato grow list for the upcoming season. Would love any feedback, tips, or experiences with these!
\nPatio & Micro-Dwarfs:<\/strong>
\nMakovaya Rosinka<\/a> (Poppy Seed Dew), Vilma<\/a>, Sinichka (Tomtit), Multiflora Brown, Inkspot, Laura<\/a> (Micro Dwarf).
\nDwarf Tomato Project:<\/strong>
\nUluru Ochre<\/a>, Isabel’s Treat, BrandyFred, Wild Spudleaf, Striped Antho, Audrey’s Love.
\nCherries:<\/strong>
\nShimofuri<\/a>, Gourmet Plum<\/a> (Slivka Gurman), Ruby Slippers, Torre Canne Regina, M355, Marchenengel Cream.
\nIndeterminates:<\/strong>
\nOgnenny Greben-2 Bordo (Fire Crest 2 Bordeaux)
\nMarizol Maroon
\nJD’s Special C-Tex (Conroe)
\nMalteser Brown
\nAlifirov’s Black Steer (Bychok Cherny Alifirova)
\nDark Bear Hill (Kholm Temnogo Medvedya)
\nZapotec Brown Flesh
\nValdis’ Oxheart (Bychye Serdtse ot Valdisa)
\nGrosse Bordeaux (Grosso Bordo)
\nJupaulia
\nKettlewell
\nAmanda’s Smile
\nLivingston’s Yellow Oxheart<\/a>
\nOld Carolina
\nVolga German Harsh Melon<\/a> (Surovaya Dynya Nemtsev Povolzhya)
\nKiwanis
\nBeefsteak Albi
\nFresa
\nBig Dolly Red
\nRudnevskie
\nMoravac
\nMargaret Curtain
\nButter and Bull Heart
\nRichardson
\nLidiya Borovaya
\nVansky Rozovy (Van Pink)
\nUmrilova’s Large Pink (Bolshoy Rozovy ot Umrilovoy)
\nPilari
\nTiawen German
\nSweetie Flat-Round Red (Slastena Ploskookruglaya Krasnaya)
\nKosovo
\nRiviera Pink Plum
\nSanta Maria Pink Plum
\nKhachmarskie – determinate for early harvest?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Inna5867 (Inna) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,150 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Saratov Region, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Good evening everyone!<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\ntomato grow list…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Olga, grew Marizol Maroon outdoors in 2025 and, to put it mildly, was not impressed at all. Huge producer, but the flavor was awful, way too sour and watery, plus a thick, leathery skin.
\n\"Marizol<\/a>
\nGrosse Bordeaux back in 2024 was very tasty and juicy, but production was low for me. Only photo I have is while scooping out seeds.
\n\"Grosse<\/a>
\nVolga German Harsh Melon, well, honestly, it seems like everybody gets fantastic flavor out of this one. It was super prolific in open ground too.
\n\"Volga<\/a>
\nHad zero luck with Red Doll (Krasnaya Kukla), and Diva was a pass for me too, just not my cup of tea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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ari (Irina) \u2b50 Active Member (1,177 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Moscow\/Kaluga Border, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nBeefsteak Albi<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Olga, out of your whole list, I’ve only grown Beefsteak Albi. What an absolute stunner! It literally grows like a full-sized tomato tree. Massive fruits, pure solid meat through and through.
\nIt naturally loves to split its main leader into two stems. I pruned out all regular suckers but kept both main forks, and the vine carried the entire heavy load without breaking a sweat. Flavor was standard old-school tomatoey.
\n\"Beefsteak<\/a>
\n\"Beefsteak<\/a>
\n\"Beefsteak<\/a>
\n\"Beefsteak<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tata-57 (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (5,980 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd St. Petersburg, Russia (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nValdis’ Oxheart<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Grew it back in 2025, really liked it.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nJupaulia<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Would gladly grow it again.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nOld Carolina<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Total flop in my garden, just ruined my mood all summer, though that was likely down to my specific microclimate.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nBeefsteak Albi<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Total looker, huge producer, pure eye candy. Can’t recall the flavor off the top of my head though.
\nAnd Volga German Harsh Melon was a big hit for me too!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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HATA55 (Natalya) \u2b50 Pro Grower (20,726 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Serpukhov \/ Kaluga Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Olya, haven’t grown many from your list, but these three were absolute standouts for me:
\nVolga German Harsh MelonLidiya Borovaya<\/p>\n

Jupaulia
\nI’d happily repeat all three, but you know how it goes with the urge to try new varieties!
\nAs for Uluru Ochre, it completely blew me away the very first year. Tried growing it twice after that and both times were total duds, no idea why. One year was from saved seeds, the next from freshly ordered seed stock. Real mystery. Guess the stars just aligned that very first season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tatka (Tatyana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (35,369 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nDwarfs: Uluru Ochre, BrandyFred<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Out of your dwarfs, I’ve only grown these two. Both are solid, but Uluru Ochre’s flavor varies from year to year, while BrandyFred was consistently delicious every single season.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nGrosse Bordeaux<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Really good. Gorgeous fruit and great flavor. Planning to grow it again.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nLidiya Borovaya<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another big winner for both taste and production. Wanted to run it again this year, but curiosity for new varieties bumped it off my list.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nSweetie Flat-Round Red<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Appears sensitive to weather shifts. Loved it the first year, but when I repeated it, it was a disappointment.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nVansky Rozovy (Van Pink)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Decent tomato, but lacking that wow-factor.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nMoravac<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Huge yielder, but in my conditions, like most heart varieties, it came out pretty bland.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nJupaulia, Kettlewell<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Nothing special to my palate, just average, middle-of-the-road varieties, though not bland.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nJD’s Special C-Tex<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Solid, dependable variety. Good yield, tasty, handsome fruit. Did well outdoors. Definitely worth repeating.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nValdis’ Oxheart<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Didn’t do anything for me. Didn’t care for the flesh texture, and the taste fell flat both in the greenhouse and outdoors.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nVolga German Harsh Melon<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Good yields, attractive fruit, pleasant taste. Could’ve repeated it to see if I could pull more flavor out of it, but honestly it doesn’t quite measure up to my all-time favorites.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nDark Bear Hill<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Big perks are that it is super early, productive, with firm meaty flesh, and for an early tomato, flavor is quite respectable. But once peak mid-season harvest hits, better varieties eclipse it and you stop reaching for it.<\/p>\n

OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nRudnevskie<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Super variety! Will 100% grow again and almost certain it will stay a permanent must-grow every single year.
\nOlya, are you repeating any favorites from your list, or are these all brand new trials for you?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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T<\/div>\n
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Tatka (Tatyana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (35,369 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Inna5867 wrote:<\/strong>
\nHad zero luck with Red Doll, and Diva was a pass for me too, just not my cup of tea.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That round, small-fruited Diva didn’t impress me either.
\nGot a feeling Red Doll won’t impress me either. In all my years growing tomatoes, I think only one red variety ever turned out genuinely spectacular on flavor: Red Mosquito (Krasny Komar). Can’t recall any other pure reds that stood out like that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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O<\/div>\n
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OlchikD (Olga) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,790 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Dmitrov District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tatka wrote:<\/strong>
\nOlya, are you repeating any favorites from your list, or are these all brand new trials for you?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m repeating Poplar, Volga German Harsh Melon, Kiwanis, and Zapotec. Those were all exceptionally tasty.
\nVansky Rozovy is crazy productive, and I loved the pink beefsteak flavor, but somehow misplaced my saved seeds. Decided to give it another run.
\nKosovo was bland when I grew it years ago as a beginner, but my mom absolutely loves it. For her, it’s always loaded and delicious, and she begged me to save seeds for her, so I had to carve out a spot.
\nUluru Ochre got hit with late blight early out in the open garden, so the first fruits were sour. But I’m giving it another shot: Kiwanis and Volga German proved to me that ochre\/amber varieties taste way richer than straight yellow tomatoes, so I want to give Uluru Ochre a fair second chance since great ochre varieties are still relatively rare.
\nTanya, which yellow varieties actually taste sweet and rich for you?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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O<\/div>\n
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OlchikD (Olga) \u2b50 Pro Grower (3,790 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Dmitrov District, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tatka wrote:<\/strong>
\nDark Bear Hill… super early, productive, firm meaty flesh, and for an early tomato, flavor is quite respectable…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Awesome! It will team up with Butter and Bull Heart (repeating this one too, was my earliest tomato last season and pretty darn tasty) to kick off the early harvest.
\nTanya, what is your take on Osmocote slow-release fertilizer? I used to mix Basacote into my pepper containers with great results, but ran out last year and can’t source it locally anymore. My seed supplier carries Osmocote now. Thinking about grabbing a tub and using it for my patio container tomatoes too.
\nEdited February 8 by OlchikD<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tatka (Tatyana) \u2b50 Pro Grower (35,369 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n
\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n
\ud83d\udcc5 February 8, 2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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OlchikD wrote:<\/strong>
\nTanya, which yellow varieties actually taste sweet and rich for you?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For the most part, yellow tomatoes turn out pretty bland in my soil. A few have a pleasant mild flavor, but I still haven’t found a yellow that blew me away with intense sweetness. Still hunting…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Full Summary: Variety Consensus from Zone 4-5 Growers<\/h2>\n