Cosmonaut Volkov, we have a winner

Cole_Robbie · July 20, 2014

http://i.imgur.com/Ody8rM7.jpg

Cosmonaut Volkov just won its place as my red heirloom to grow for market next year. It looks like Big Beef, but tastes even better, and I really like Big Beef. The plant got huge and is loaded with fruit. I don't have any pics of this one sliced, because I squeezed the seeds out of it to save.

Anna Maria's Heart and Cosmonaut Volkov are my two heirloom winners so far. They will get a place on the market table next year.

mari.beth · July 20, 2014

I had never heard of Cosmonaut Volkov before. It is definitely pretty!

2nd Foundation · July 26, 2014

Awesome! How is the production?...even better than Big Beef? And how has fruit been in the heat? Thanks CR!
~Caroline

Cole_Robbie · July 26, 2014

Production and yield have been very good. My Big Beef is in the high tunnel, so it is hard to compare yields, but I think it would be similar.

MrBig46 · July 26, 2014

I do not have a good experience with tomato Cosmonaut Volkov. It crackles. Photo from last year.
Vladimír

2nd Foundation · July 26, 2014

Yikes! Good to know Mr Big. In my garden I have problems with cracking and splitting, even in green stage, and well mulched for moisture control. (It's just that you can't control those torrential thunderstorms here in the summer.) I've found that certain varieties are more susceptible to cracks and/or splits even in the best conditions. So I try to avoid those when possible. Your photo looks just like the radial cracking on Black Krim, which I have given up on...small fruit size on BK being the second reason. Anyway, thanks for sharing, I love to see this sort of info on here, it really helps others. Thanks as well CR~
Caroline

Cole_Robbie · July 26, 2014

Funny, mine didn't crack when a lot of others in the same row did. The Cherokee tomatoes are really bad about spiral cracking.

AKmark · July 31, 2014

I am growing it this year, mine did not crack either. Taste is ok, but I only grew one plant of it, it was a gift and got crammed in a corner, because I got it late.

Cole_Robbie · July 31, 2014

I have a Chinese tomato next to that plant called Ten Hung Tan Chieh. It is also red, but noticeably smaller. Market customers prefer a larger tomato, so I will grow more of the CV, I like the flavor of it a lot, but I really do prefer the flavor of the Chinese variety.

Cole_Robbie · November 7, 2014

I was reading last night about Vladislav Volkov.

Tania has a link to the wiki article about him on her CV page:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Cosmonaut_Volkov

Here's the article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladislav_Volkov

And here's more about the disastrous Soyuz 11 mission:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_11

Vladislav and his two fellow cosmonauts who perished with him are the only three humans to have ever died outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Fred Hempel · November 7, 2014

Cosmonaut Volkov competes very well here too. Definitely a real winner, and it is tough to compete against all those other red tomatoes!

ScottinAtlanta · November 8, 2014

Cosmonaut Volkov says Spaseeba preekrasna!

Cole_Robbie · December 30, 2015

I just got the new Territorial catalog yesterday. They list Cosmonaut Volkov:
http://www.territorialseed.com/produ...ic-tomato-seed

Whatever they have, it isn't what I have. Mine isn't dark red with green shoulders, and it is most definitely not determinate.

Gerardo · December 30, 2015

I got mine from Fedco and I've grown it since December of last year via successive plantings. When all cylinders are firing it can be outstanding. Minimal cracking and on some barely discernible green shoulders that are gone as it matures. Not as pronounced as in the Territorial one.

I purchased new seed here:
http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organ...ov-tomato.html

The details of the Soyuz-11 mission are sobering.

A great choice for market table, as it fools you into thinking it's just a regular red and then... They will return for more the following week.

Fred Hempel · December 30, 2015

Where did you get yours, CR?

July 20, 2014	#1
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Cosmonaut Volkov, we have a winner http://i.imgur.com/Ody8rM7.jpg Cosmonaut Volkov just won its place as my red heirloom to grow for market next year. It looks like Big Beef, but tastes even better, and I really like Big Beef. The plant got huge and is loaded with fruit. I don't have any pics of this one sliced, because I squeezed the seeds out of it to save. Anna Maria's Heart and Cosmonaut Volkov are my two heirloom winners so far. They will get a place on the market table next year.

July 26, 2014	#3
2nd Foundation Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Central North Carolina 7b Posts: 71	Awesome! How is the production?...even better than Big Beef? And how has fruit been in the heat? Thanks CR! ~Caroline __________________ "If there was any race other than the human race, I'd go join it." ~Thomas Gore "The good thing about science is that it is true whether or not you believe in it." ~Neil deGrasse Tyson

July 26, 2014	#6
2nd Foundation Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Central North Carolina 7b Posts: 71	Yikes! Good to know Mr Big. In my garden I have problems with cracking and splitting, even in green stage, and well mulched for moisture control. (It's just that you can't control those torrential thunderstorms here in the summer.) I've found that certain varieties are more susceptible to cracks and/or splits even in the best conditions. So I try to avoid those when possible. Your photo looks just like the radial cracking on Black Krim, which I have given up on...small fruit size on BK being the second reason. Anyway, thanks for sharing, I love to see this sort of info on here, it really helps others. Thanks as well CR~ Caroline __________________ "If there was any race other than the human race, I'd go join it." ~Thomas Gore "The good thing about science is that it is true whether or not you believe in it." ~Neil deGrasse Tyson

July 31, 2014	#8
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	I am growing it this year, mine did not crack either. Taste is ok, but I only grew one plant of it, it was a gift and got crammed in a corner, because I got it late. Last edited by AKmark; July 31, 2014 at 12:56 PM.

July 20, 2014	#2
mari.beth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 54	I had never heard of Cosmonaut Volkov before. It is definitely pretty!

November 7, 2014	#10
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I was reading last night about Vladislav Volkov. Tania has a link to the wiki article about him on her CV page: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Cosmonaut_Volkov Here's the article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladislav_Volkov And here's more about the disastrous Soyuz 11 mission: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_11 Vladislav and his two fellow cosmonauts who perished with him are the only three humans to have ever died outside the Earth's atmosphere.

November 7, 2014	#11
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Cosmonaut Volkov competes very well here too. Definitely a real winner, and it is tough to compete against all those other red tomatoes!

December 30, 2015	#13
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I just got the new Territorial catalog yesterday. They list Cosmonaut Volkov: http://www.territorialseed.com/produ...ic-tomato-seed Whatever they have, it isn't what I have. Mine isn't dark red with green shoulders, and it is most definitely not determinate.

December 30, 2015	#14
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,594	I got mine from Fedco and I've grown it since December of last year via successive plantings. When all cylinders are firing it can be outstanding. Minimal cracking and on some barely discernible green shoulders that are gone as it matures. Not as pronounced as in the Territorial one. I purchased new seed here: http://www.highmowingseeds.com/organ...ov-tomato.html The details of the Soyuz-11 mission are sobering. A great choice for market table, as it fools you into thinking it's just a regular red and then... They will return for more the following week.