The Siberian Tomato is famous for its earliness, hardiness and productivity — it has even been grown in the Arctic on Baffin Island!
But before we get to that, let’s clear up a little problem. There are 2 tomatoes out there with similar names (Siberian and Siberia) and they are frequently mixed up. So let’s have a bit of history to keep them straight.
The Two Tomatoes
The Siberian Tomato (the tomato we are offering) was introduced to the seed trade in 1967 by Edward Lowden’s seed company in Ancaster, Ontario. The other tomato, the Siberia Tomato (not the one we offer), was introduced in 1984 by Ron Driscoll of Olds, Alberta via his company Siberia Seeds.
History of the Siberian Tomato (the one we are offering)
The Siberian Tomato traces is (Canadian) roots to the master Canadian tomato breeder Prof. T. O. Graham of the University of Guelph (1940s-1960s). Prof Graham was responsible for developing the High Crimson line of tomatoes (see our section on Old Gold/High Crimson tomatoes).
In 1964, Prof. Graham received seeds of an Ukrainian tomato named ‘Maliutka’ (translates as ‘little one’) from the USDA genebank. The USDA received their seeds from the famed N.I. Vavilov Institute (St. Petersburg) in the then USSR. Notes from the Vavilov Institute indicates the tomato came from Ukraine.
When Prof. Graham grew this tomato in Ontario, his research notes indicate this tomato stood out for “its ability to set fruit under cool conditions and to germinate in cool soils” and its early and heavy production.
In 1965, Prof. Graham sent seeds to a few residents in Churchill, Manitoba who had requested seeds of an early maturing tomato. The gardeners in Churchill then sent seeds to gardeners in the Arctic — to Baffin Island! Along the way, the Ukrainian tomato (‘Maliutka’) was renamed ‘Siberian Tomato’ (notes in the USDA genebank indicate that Edward Lowden changed its name).
Description of Siberian Tomato
Fortunate for us, Edward Lowden (the seed seller mentioned above) included the history of the ‘Siberian Tomato’ in his 1967 seed catalogue (see image). We have included the description below:
“Siberian Tomato: Professor T.O. Graham of the University of Guelph received in 1964 from the U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Geneva, N.Y. several tomato introductions, one of which was exceptionally early. Professor Graham saved seed from one plant (out of P.I. 280597 USSR, ‘Maliutka’), which had a total of 83 ripe fruits at Guelph up to September 17, 1964. He described them as small, egg-shaped with good color. This plant had a fantastically heavy set and phenomenal over-all ripening.”
“In the winter of 1964-65, Professor Graham received a request from a resident of Churchill, Manitoba, for a tomato that might enable them to get ripe fruit there. They gave seed to the Bishop of the Arctic. His wife gave seeds to the nurses and others, including the school principal at Pang (Pangnirtung) on Baffin Island [45 km south of the Arctic Circle]. They had great success at Pang and Churchill, and because of the success at Pang, seed is now at Broughton Island, 150 miles still further north [located above the Arctic Circle]. It is certain that no tomato has ever before been so wildly grown with such great success over the eastern Canadian sub-arctic regions.”
Our original seedstock of ‘Siberian Tomato’ came from a long-time seedsaver in British Columbia, Pete Amyoony; he received his seeds directly from Edward Lowden in the 1980s. Pretty cool!
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How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Keep moist. When true leaves appear, transplant to a larger container if needed. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
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Photo Caption 2: Research notes on Siberian Tomato (1960s).
Photo Caption 3: Edward Lowden’s description of Siberian Tomato (1967).
