Do these look like Rostova? (pics)

[Tomatovator]

I got the seeds for these from a generous Tville member about 2 years ago. They are labeled Rostova. When they get ripe they are red. What do you think, do these look correct for this variety? I'm saving seeds anyway as they are very tasty and large.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Tomatovator

I got the seeds for these from a generous Tville member about 2 years ago. They are labeled Rostova. When they get ripe they are red. What do you think, do these look correct for this variety? I'm saving seeds anyway as they are very tasty and large.

No, they aren't Rostova.

Initially the Rostova, aka Sunset Red Horizon as renamed by Gary at Tomatofest, were correct for the variety as sold by TF and I was sent seeds for the real Rostova and it's a large red beesteak, not the blunt heart ones that you show.

Gary got the seeds from another site where they had introduced Rostova and I assume that others also got true Rostova from their site as well.

Starting a few years ago the ones sold at Tomatofest were not correct as they give blunt heart fruits.

Linda at TGS listed Rostova, but hers were wrong as well, so I sent her the last of the seeds I had from the true Rostova and I hope she can get them into production soon. But since she has to contract out it means at least a year or so more before that can happen.

The true Rostova is a wonderful tasting meaty red beefsteak variety.

[TZ-OH6]

Those do look like Sunset's Red Horizon as it has been sold by Tomatofest for at least the past two years. I suspect that most everyone bought it as SRH but for some reason many have insisted on calling it 'Rostova' because they didn't like that Rostova had been renamed, but as Carolyn said Sunset's Red Horizon is no longer Rostova.

[jwr6404]

Tomatovator
Go to Full Circle Seeds, www.fullcircleseeds.com and you will see some Rostova/SRH from seeds I sent her. She calls them(I don't know why)Red Sunset Horizon. I got my seeds from Tomatofest several years ago before there became controversy/possible discrepancy. Anyway she has a photo posted. Dr carolyn on an earlier thread states they look like those Rostova's she has grown.

[Tomatovator]

Jim, I hope Carolyn takes another look. The tomatoes pictured at Full Circle Seeds sure look like the ones I'm growing. The description says they are beefsteaks but they look like heart-shaped tomatoes to me.

[Tania]

Folks,

The original (correct) Rostova should be a red beefsteak, not a heart-shaped variety.

More historical info can be found here (mostly based on Carolyn's comments that she posted on forums and also sent to me privately via email): http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Rostova

Tania

[jwr6404]

Tania
Your comments caused me to think I had posted Carolyns comment in error. Check on this forum a thread by Tomacco titled "Any one Grown Sunset Red horizon"

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by jwr6404

Tomatovator
Go to Full Circle Seeds, www.fullcircleseeds.com and you will see some Rostova/SRH from seeds I sent her. She calls them(I don't know why)Red Sunset Horizon. I got my seeds from Tomatofest several years ago before there became controversy/possible discrepancy. Anyway she has a photo posted. Dr carolyn on an earlier thread states they look like those Rostova's she has grown.

No, not at all. I have no idea if that's the original picture I looked at but what's shown there now are the typical blunt hearts that are not Rostova at all. And I know I wouldn't have confused what I know to be true Rostova, since I've grown it, with the many pictures I've seen online, like that one, that are blunt hearts and NOT beefsteaks and not Rostova.

[Tomatovator]

Tania, Your website lists TGS as having seeds for Rostova but sounds like they have the wrong one too. They are not listed as beefsteak tomatoes either. Their description reads, "Medium-sized, pink-red oxheart tomatoes..." One would think that someone out there saved seeds from the original beefsteak type and still has some around. Wonder where they are.

[mjc]

This sounds like an interesting variety...but I can't seem to find any 'true' seeds anywhere.

But looking around I found this statement which made go huh?

like many other Russian tomatoes, produces both beefsteak and oxheart shaped tomatoes of an enormous size

Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?

And in several other descriptions I found, it also references both a round beefsteak and a heart shape....but ???

How can something produce both, presumably on the same plant (since that is what some of the descriptions sound like)?

It also seems that the pre2003 seeds were the 'true' Rostova and the post2003 are now the 'hearts'?

[jwr6404]

I'm getting a 3 hr computer class Friday and one of the things I hope to learn is how to post Photo's. If successful I will post pictures of my current SRH/Rostova. I think I got my original seeds in 2004 from Tomatofest.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by mjc

This sounds like an interesting variety...but I can't seem to find any 'true' seeds anywhere.

But looking around I found this statement which made go huh?



Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?

And in several other descriptions I found, it also references both a round beefsteak and a heart shape....but ???

How can something produce both, presumably on the same plant (since that is what some of the descriptions sound like)?

It also seems that the pre2003 seeds were the 'true' Rostova and the post2003 are now the 'hearts'?

I've grown a lot of tomato varieties that originated in the CIS, former USSR, and they're either hearts or beefsteaks, and that's it.

Now sometimes those hearts are very pointy and sometimes more blunt, such as Wes, but they're hearts, not beefsteaks.

I will say that there are some varieties where I do see more than one fruit shape on the same plant and Prue is one of them.

[mjc]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I've grown a lot of tomato varieties that originated in the CIS, former USSR, and they're either hearts or beefsteaks, and that's it.

That's what I thought...

I've seen hearts on the same plant that were not so pointy and others that were....but not 'beefsteak'.