Top 3 Oxhearts

[wildcat62]

Orange Russian 117

[Blackbear]

Black Bear gets a 4th choice …

Danko

[Gardadore]

Like many of you I love Orange Russian 117 but won't have room for it in my garden this summer so will have a friend grow it for me. I too love all heart tomatoes but some just do better than others. The four I always have in my garden are Anna Marie's Heart for flavor and early ripening, Joe's Pink Oxheart - have to wait as it's late but so big and yummy, Orange Minsk Heart, Little Lucky Heart. My newest favorite is Dotson's Lebanese Heart which will be grown for a third year. Other favorites I have no room for this year are Berkeley Tie Dye Heart, Brad's Black Heart, Anna Russian, Kosovo, and Fishlake Oxheart.
New ones for this year (reason why I can't grow some old favorites!) will be: 3 of Karen O's - Midnight Sun, Taiga and Tundra; Reif Red Heart; a large Russian Yellow from Tatarstan the vendor called Bull's Heart; Heart of Ashgebat (orange); Dwarf Purple Heart, Curtis Cheek; and Nizami (orange). Getting excited to add these to my regulars.

[Ginger2778]

Like many of you I love Orange Russian 117 but won't have room for it in my garden this summer so will have a friend grow it for me. I too love all heart tomatoes but some just do better than others. The four I always have in my garden are Anna Marie's Heart for flavor and early ripening, Joe's Pink Oxheart - have to wait as it's late but so big and yummy, Orange Minsk Heart, Little Lucky Heart. My newest favorite is Dotson's Lebanese Heart which will be grown for a third year. Other favorites I have no room for this year are Berkeley Tie Dye Heart, Brad's Black Heart, Anna Russian, Kosovo, and Fishlake Oxheart.
New ones for this year (reason why I can't grow some old favorites!) will be: 3 of Karen O's - Midnight Sun, Taiga and Tundra; Reif Red Heart; a large Russian Yellow from Tatarstan the vendor called Bull's Heart; Heart of Ashgebat (orange); Dwarf Purple Heart, Curtis Cheek; and Nizani (orange). Getting excited to add these to my regulars.

I just loved this post! (Please a typo correction, it should read Nizami). Jessica, I think you are going to have a fabulous season.

[Dee]

I am learning a lot from this thread - so many varieties that are new to me. My wish list keeps growing.

Re: Dotson's Lebanese Heart, is it mid-season or late season?

If anyone has pictures of the oxhearts they have grown, I would love to see them posted!

[Gardadore]

Marsha, thanks for the tip on my typo for Nizami which I have corrected. I did have it right in my list at least! One question since you have grown both: Are both Nizami and Heart of Ashgebot about the same shade of orange or are either of them more yellow when ripe? I am hoping for the fabulous season you are wishing me - pray the weather cooperates as with this virus I will probably be spending more time at home so can really tend to the plants!! Feel very blessed to have sufficient land to grow food on!
Dee, for me Dotson's Lebanese would be M-L. My first year growing it was not great but last year was superb. If it continues to do that well I will have it every year. In 2019 it was prolific with large yummy tomatoes. Will have to save seeds in 2020. You can only give it a try and see how it fares in your zone.

[Blackbear]

just commenting ..

The Dwarf Project : Dwarf Pink Passion is pretty good too

early dwarfy ..container friendly … honorable mention

[Ginger2778]

Marsha, thanks for the tip on my typo for Nizami which I have corrected. I did have it right in my list at least! One question since you have grown both: Are both Nizami and Heart of Ashgebot about the same shade of orange or are either of them more yellow when ripe? I am hoping for the fabulous season you are wishing me - pray the weather cooperates as with this virus I will probably be spending more time at home so can really tend to the plants!! Feel very blessed to have sufficient land to grow food on!
Dee, for me Dotson's Lebanese would be M-L. My first year growing it was not great but last year was superb. If it continues to do that well I will have it every year. In 2019 it was prolific with large yummy tomatoes. Will have to save seeds in 2020. You can only give it a try and see how it fares in your zone.

I didn't grow Nizami this season, because I only wanted one of the 2 but Nizami was a bit more orange, and a bit larger. H of A is still quite an orange color, and both produce quite well.

[Gardadore]

Thanks, Marsha. Orange is my husband’s favorite tomato so am always looking for alternatives to what I have!

[MikeInCypress]

Fish Lake Oxheart is super for me. Early - tasty and productive.

MikeInCypress

[peebee]

OR117 did not impress me when I grew it several years ago; I much prefer KBX for my orange tomato fix. But I might give it another try since so many think so highly of it here. I am growing Anna Russian this season so I'm super excited to see how it tastes.

[Ginger2778]

OR117 did not impress me when I grew it several years ago; I much prefer KBX for my orange tomato fix. But I might give it another try since so many think so highly of it here. I am growing Anna Russian this season so I'm super excited to see how it tastes.

For me, OR117 was watery and bland. Midnight Sun is far far superior as a somewhat similar one, but it's very special because its PL. It's one of KarenO's True North hearts. Such a better taste than OR117 too.

[kath]

Fish Lake Oxheart was always early and wonderful in my garden and definitely my favorite heart. All mine grew out pink- never got a red one but since they supposedly taste exactly the same, I guess that really doesn't matter, lol. As others have also said, in a good year, OR117 was a real winner for beauty, productivity and taste, but definitely later and a monster of of plant. It was a neighbor favorite, too. Trying some True North hearts this season as well as Cherokee Black Heart, Erdie Family Heirloom, Leon Noire, Swoon, and That Russian Tomato.

[peebee]

For me, OR117 was watery and bland. Midnight Sun is far far superior as a somewhat similar one, but it's very special because its PL. It's one of KarenO's True North hearts. Such a better taste than OR117 too.

Ok Marsha you twisted my arm again now I'll have to get my hands on Midnight Sun for next year. I trust your tastebuds

[Zenbaas]

Since some time has passed any updated from everyone on the different varieties they grew last year? Any new favorites? Trying to narrow down/change what I'm planning on growing later this year.

[MissS]

Midnight Sun must have been very good. The critters just loved it and so I did not get a single one. Just some half eaten bits so that I could save some seed.

[Shule]

Taiga would replace Palestinian as my third favorite. I don't grow a lot of oxhearts, yet, though. Next year, I'd like to grow Brad's Black Heart, and some of my Green Giant x Golden King of Siberia F2 seeds. Others sound tempting.

[HL2601]

Last season I added Rosovyi Myod ( Siberian Honey) and Kosovo and was super impressed with both. They are returning this year. Production on both was really high. Kosovo had a bit more acid in its flavor profile to me and it had smaller hearts. Rosovyi Myod was very meaty, sweet and an all around beautiful tomato. This year I have a few of Karen O's True North series including True Colors. That one looks so unique. The song pops into my head every time I tend to it.

[WoodSprite]

I came across this old thread when searching for something. @Tormato and @MissS's comments on the names "Dawson's Russian Oxheart" verses "Orange Russian 117" made me curious so I Googled. As luck would have it, Google brought up an old post (2009) from Carolyn when someone on TV asked if Dawson's Russian Oxheart sold by Marianna's Heirloom was the same as Orange Russian 117.

I was going to post the quote here but think that might be against TV rules so I'll summarize what she said: Jeff Dawson named it Orange Russian #117 and that's how it was first listed in SSE yearbook. She doesn't know who called it Dawson's Russian Oxheart in the 2009 SSE Yearbook but that's not it's correct/original name.

[MissS]

I came across this old thread when searching for something. @Tormato and @MissS's comments on the names "Dawson's Russian Oxheart" verses "Orange Russian 117" made me curious so I Googled. As luck would have it, Google brought up an old post (2009) from Carolyn when someone on TV asked if Dawson's Russian Oxheart sold by Marianna's Heirloom was the same as Orange Russian 117.

I was going to post the quote here but think that might be against TV rules so I'll summarize what she said: Jeff Dawson named it Orange Russian #117 and that's how it was first listed in SSE yearbook. She doesn't know who called it Dawson's Russian Oxheart in the 2009 SSE Yearbook but that's not it's correct/original name.

Just so you know, you are always welcome to mention other sites, quote, or even include a link to another forum. It's just not a problem here.