Kosovo and Russian 117

[Gardenboy]

I need some advise. Can you tell me if these 2 varieties of oxheart tomatoes are worth growing? I mainly grow beefsteak/slicers and cherry varieties. Are they productive, disease problems? How do they taste vs beefsteak varieties. Any info would be helpful. Thanks as always.

[PaulF]

Having grown as many heart shaped varieties as possible and not having found many not considered excellent, Kosovo and Russian #117 are very good choices, but then I have never met a heart I didn't like.

For me Kosovo has always been very sweet and fairly productive. Fairly productive means to me that depends on the year. Some years we get a ton, some years only half a ton. A Carolyn Male find from a friend and made popular by her many years ago.

Russian #117 is also on the sweet side, very nice appearance and medium in production. Here that means 15-20 tomatoes in the 10-16 ounce range. Another tomato variety made popular by Carolyn.

Another Russian #117 is the bi-color heart, Orange Russian #117. This one can either be the very best tomato in the garden or the biggest spitter of the year. When it is "on" this is the very best tasting and prettiest tomato ever. Three out of four years it is a waste of space. That has been my experience in my garden and your results may vary. That said, I still grow OR#117 as often as I can. Either I get great production of excellent tomatoes or a few duds.

Of course comparing any tomato to another is purely subjective especially generalizing hearts to beefsteaks. Each has varieties that have wide ranging flavors. As to disease problems, I am firmly in the group that says most diseases are cultural in nature rather than inherent. After 50 years of growing tomatoes and twenty-five of that growing heirloom/OPs, a solid mulching program, correct watering and preventative treatment keeps disease at bay more effectively than worrying about varietal attributes. Florida is a whole other problem than here in the mid-west/ great plains. My assertions are base on my small area. I would hope some Foridians will chime in. We have a place in Melbourne Beach and it would take me many years of experimentation to be a successful tomato grower there.

I hope my dissertation helps a little.

[Yak54]

As a lover of pink beef steaks I would have to say that Kosovo is the equal of a lot of them. I've grown it many times in the past and have it on my 2025 "grow again" list. The only thing I can't speak about is how your Florida weather conditions may affect the growth and taste of this variety. My experience here in Ohio has been very good with Kosovo.

[TomNJ]

Kosovo has been my core tomato for years, and is all I am growing this year. It checks every box.

[MrsJustice]

My Kosovo does not make it to the House, once I washed them off with a Holes before picking them off the tall six-foot vines. That is how good they are, Amen!!

I will save the rest for Seeds.

I never tried Russian 117.