Siberia Tomato
Price: $3.09
SKU: 340018150 days, determinate — The productive 'Siberia' tomato plants produce very early in the season due to its ability to set fruit in cool temperatures where other varieties will not. Reportedly, it is capable of setting fruit down to 38ºF, however, 'Siberia', like any other tomato, is not actually frost hardy. They are bright red, globe shaped, and weigh up to five ounces each.
'Siberia' was discovered by Ron Driskill, a horticulture teacher at the Jack James Secondary School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on sale at a local nursery. The nurseryman told him that a woman touring Canada from the Soviet Union in 1975 stopped by the greenhouse and supplied ten seeds. The unidentified woman told them that the variety was being trialed in Siberia at that time.
Mr. Driskill saw its potential and became a big promoter of the variety to Northern gardeners, first giving seeds away in exchange for a self-addressed stamped envelope and ultimately starting a small, family operated seed company appropriately named "The Siberia Seed Company." Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
Harvest Timing: Early/Short Season
Genetic Classification: Determinate and Semi-Determinate
References:
- "Tomatoes: New varieties may be good in small garden," by Tom Porter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 12, 1984, page 11.
- "Unusual Gift For Gardeners," Chittenango, New York Bridgeport Times, November 21, 1984, page 11.
This variety, 'Siberia' is not to be confused with the similarly named variety called 'Siberian'. The later, 'Siberian' is a rugose leaf, dwarf-type plant first listed in the 1984 Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook by Will Bonsall who got it from the Edward Lowden Collection in Canada. Edward Lowden was an independent seedsman from Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. It is not known where his seed originated.
Customer Reviews:
By Robert (Coastal Georgia) on November 22, 2023
I live along the Georgia coast in 8b South. I wanted some early varieties for the market but I was concerned that a variety bred for the short growing season of northern lats would not have the disease resistance to deal with 8b South. I could not have been more pleased. I got tomatoes from early May through June on these workhorses and that battled disease like a boss.
By Sharon on March 20, 2020
This is the perfect tomato. I have been growing it for years. This is not the Siberian you get elsewhere. These are blemish and disease free. I use them for everything. I squeeze the seeds out and use it as a paste tomato, i slice it for sandwiches, eat it like an apple or chop for salads. They don't need support and work well in raised beds. If you only grow one this would be my recommendation.
