Quick Summary of Zagadka (The Riddle)
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Zagadka
- 🌍 Origin: A classic ultra-early commercial Russian variety. The name translates to “The Riddle” or “Enigma”.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Determinate (bush). Very compact, growing only 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) tall. It does not require pruning or staking; you can just let it sprawl in the garden.
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Slightly oblate, bright red cocktail-sized tomatoes, weighing around 2.8 – 3.5 oz (80-100 g). Highly reliable for ripening fully on the vine even in short-summer climates.
- 👅 Flavor: Good, solid traditional red tomato flavor. Excellent for fresh snacking and perfect for whole-fruit canning.
Description from the seed packet:
Seed Packet Description:
An ultra-early, highly productive variety (80-85 days from full germination to the first harvest). Suitable for both open ground and greenhouse cultivation. The plant is determinate, reaching 12-16 inches (30-40 cm) in height. The fruits are slightly oblate, bright red, weighing 2.8 – 3.5 oz (80-100 g). The flesh is dense, tender, aromatic, and very tasty. Excellent for fresh eating and home canning.
Photos provided by forum members cat2008 and Lana_s_Kavkaza.
I planted seeds from three different commercial companies: Aelita, Gavrish, and SeDeK. The packet from Aelita claimed that the tomatoes have a long shelf life. That was totally false. Honestly, the tomatoes from the different manufacturers all turned out slightly different from each other. The best ones came from SeDeK. They are highly productive and great for pickling.
Jynx wrote:
The packet from Aelita claimed that the tomatoes have a long shelf life. That was totally false.
Which varieties actually turned out to have a good shelf life for you?
I grew it again from my own saved seeds outdoors in the open ground. I didn’t prune the suckers at all, I just let it sprawl and do its own thing… 😄 The tomatoes were slightly smaller than usual, but every single one ripened fully on the vine.
