Anna Russian size?

[gorbelly]

For anyone who has grown this variety, what was the range of fruit sizes you got and what would you say was the average size?

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

For anyone who has grown this variety, what was the range of fruit sizes you got and what would you say was the average size?

Good heavens I've grown it a lot and spread it around to many places, but remembering size ranges?

First,I fetched Tania's page for it

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Anna_Russian

And saw that it was one of the ones in my heirloom tomato book,and checking that I said around one pound,sometimes a bit smaller.

The ranges that Tania gives from others and the listing for it in the SSE Yearbooks also has a wider range as well,but that doesn't surprise me at all since there are so many variables that go into plant size, yield, as well as the size of fruits.

And I've discussed those variables here at TV many times.

It's a wonderful variety IMO.

Carolyn

[gorbelly]

Thx, Carolyn. I did check Tania's site and your book (always do!).

I ask because Victory says it's 3-8 oz and gives it a pretty late DTM (I take into account that they seem to report their results for their climate, so all their DTMs are generally longer than what other seed companies claim, but they give it a DTM that's only 3 days shorter than Brandywine), while everyone else (not just seed stores, but Tania's site, people's reports on blogs and forums, including this one) says much larger and says it's fairly early. I'm wondering whether there's an issue with their seed or everyone else's, or if there might be different strains out there or they've just had very different results in their conditions. So I'm trying to get an idea from TVers from all different climates what their results were.

It would be great to know if people could remember their seed source as well, although I assume you received yours from Craig or even from his original source.

I want to grow a heart variety for the first time next year, and I figure AR is a good one to start with. If the seed is true, it ticks the boxes for pink, heart, and early-mid... and hopeful large-ish.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Thx, Carolyn. I did check Tania's site and your book (always do!).

I ask because Victory says it's 3-8 oz and gives it a pretty late DTM (I take into account that they seem to report their results for their climate, so all their DTMs are generally longer than what other seed companies claim, but they give it a DTM that's only 3 days shorter than Brandywine), while everyone else (not just seed stores, but Tania's site, people's reports on blogs and forums, including this one) says much larger and says it's fairly early. I'm wondering whether there's an issue with their seed or everyone else's, or if there might be different strains out there or they've just had very different results in their conditions. So I'm trying to get an idea from TVers from all different climates what their results were.

It would be great to know if people could remember their seed source as well, although I assume you received yours from Craig or even from his original source.

I want to grow a heart variety for the first time next year, and I figure AR is a good one to start with. If the seed is true, it ticks the boxes for pink, heart, and early-mid... and hopeful large-ish.

No,I don't think there are different strains at all.I think it gets back to all the variables that I alluded to in my previous post.

Craig got it from Brenda in 1989,he would have done seed production in probably 1990, I can't remember if I got it from him or someone else,but I noted at Tania's page that Neil in IL got it from me in 1993.

What I do remember is that I first listed it in the SSE Yearbook as a RED, well that's what I thought I saw,then changed it to pink the next year,

Updating now. I have my 1993 SSE Yearbook so can answer your questions.

There are many folks who listed it in 1993 and got their seeds from either Craig or myself since I first listed it in 1991 and I got my seeds from Craig in 1990.

Of those who listed it few indicated size in terms of ounces back then, but for Anna several just used the word large to describe the fruit size.

Carolyn

[kchd..]

I am growing Anna Russian this year for the first time. It's a fantastic tomato and has already earned itself a permanent spot in my garden. I've even been contemplating taking cuttings and making more plants this week. My fruit are big, ranging from 6 oz up to a pound, with most on the larger end. It's not late; I'd say mid/early for me. Flavor is wonderful and it makes beautiful fruit. It's hot and humid these days, so I'm not getting as much fruit set, but the plant is otherwise doing very well.

[gorbelly]

Thanks again, Carolyn.

Beautiful pic, kchd. Thanks for the feedback.

Would love to hear from people growing in more northerly areas.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Thanks again, Carolyn.

Beautiful pic, kchd. Thanks for the feedback.

Would love to hear from people growing in more northerly areas.

My upstate NY isn't northerly enough for you?It is half way to Canada you know.

Carolyn

[RJGlew]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Would love to hear from people growing in more northerly areas.

I grow it in Zone 3a using seeds from Pinetree. I have not weighed any of the fruit, but most would be in the 3-8 oz range you mentioned, certainly nothing in the 1lb range for me so far. It ripens later here, at the tail end of our short season.

It is my opinion that Rozovye Gryozy is a similar, but better and more productive variety in my garden.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by RJGlew

I grow it in Zone 3a using seeds from Pinetree. I have not weighed any of the fruit, but most would be in the 3-8 oz range you mentioned, certainly nothing in the 1lb range for me so far. It ripens later here, at the tail end of our short season.

It is my opinion that Rozovye Gryozy is a similar, but better and more productive variety in my garden.

Thanks for the report, RJ. Looks like your experience is consistent with what's reported by Victory, which is located in ME.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Thanks for the report, RJ. Looks like your experience is consistent with what's reported by Victory, which is located in ME.

I addressed the size question in posts I think 3 and 5 here and why sizes can be so variable.And also spoke directly about Victory Seeds and Mike,whom I know very well and he has visisted my home in the past when he and family were here in NYS for a Conference on seed packaging.

Mike Dunton's Victory Seeds is in Oregon,not Maine as you mentioned above, but there are several very good seed vendors in ME as well.

Carolyn

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I addressed the size question in posts I think 3 and 5 here and why sizes can be so variable.And also spoke directly about Victory Seeds and Mike,whom I know very well and he has visisted my home in the past when he and family were here in NYS for a Conference on seed packaging.

Oh, I don't doubt the integrity of Victory Seeds. I've had very good experiences with them. It's just that seed can cross/get mixed up, even if people are very conscientious about it, and maybe what people are reporting out there for their results is seed that was crossed at some point, maybe not. It's interesting to see the variety of trait that can happen with a variety as well, even when its not crossed.

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Mike Dunton's Victory Seeds is in Oregon,not Maine as you mentioned above, but there are several very good seed vendors in ME as well.

Whoops. I knew that. I just had a brain blip for some reason.

[gorbelly]

Of course it's northerly enough! But I'm hoping to get some feedback from people who aren't one of the foremost tomato experts in the country who knows enough about seed and sources to be working with true seed. I'm not sure I can extrapolate to me from that kind of exalted data point!

(Also, more data points are always better )

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Of course it's northerly enough! But I'm hoping to get some feedback from people who aren't one of the foremost tomato experts in the country who knows enough about seed and sources to be working with true seed. I'm not sure I can extrapolate to me from that kind of exalted data point!

(Also, more data points are always better )

Enough with the praise above,please,I'll just go along with your comment that more data points are always better.

Carolyn

[Gerardo]

Anna Russian is very productive and puts out medium hearts for me. I like them. Not late, mid on DTM.

[bower]

I grew it here in the greenhouse and would call it early-midseason. It set quite early, but didn't grow the little nubs until the summer warmth kicked in. Once it started it was a hard worker diligently pumping out the fruit. Variable fruit size , largest less than a pound though.

My seed was from Solana.