Content
The Chocolate Hare tomato is an early-ripening, tall variety with large flat-round fruits, the juicy pulp of which is valued for its rich tomato flavor. It is characterized by high productivity and is suitable for growing in beds and greenhouses.
When and how did it appear
The tomato variety was bred in 2016, and the Aelita company is considered its originator. A whole group of breeders worked on the creation of the Chocolate Hare tomato, which included S. Matyunina, O. Karmanova, M. Gulkin and V. Kachainik.
Description and characteristics of tomato Chocolate Bunny
The plant is a spreading tall bush of indeterminate type, stretching up to 160-180 cm. It is covered with dark green leaves of medium size and during the flowering period is covered with simple inflorescences. The first ones are formed above the fifth leaf, the subsequent ones - through each leaf.
Each fruit cluster produces 4-6 tomatoes
The large fruits have a flat-round, slightly elongated shape with ribbing at the stalk and weigh 300-350 g. The tomatoes are covered with a thin, dense, glossy skin that is resistant to cracking. The color of the skin depends on the degree of ripeness of the fruit. In unripe vegetables it is dark green with a small spot, in ripe vegetables it is chocolate-colored. The fleshy, medium-dense flesh is dark red in color.
Ripening and fruiting
The Chocolate Hare tomato is classified as an early-ripening variety with long-term fruiting. Fruit ripening takes 95-110 days.
Tomato yield Chocolate bunny
This tomato variety is characterized by relatively high productivity. When grown in unprotected soil, the yield of the Chocolate Bunny tomato is 8.5 kg/m2. In greenhouse conditions, productivity increases slightly.
Resistance to adverse factors
The Chocolate Bunny tomato is highly adaptable and has good immunity. It easily adapts to cultivation in different regions, is not prone to cracking and is immune to many “tomato” diseases.
Where is it grown?
The Chocolate Bunny tomato is recommended for cultivation in many regions of the Russian Federation. Tomato varieties are successfully cultivated in the Far Eastern, East Siberian, West Siberian, Ural, Lower Volga, Middle Volga, North Caucasus, Volga-Vyatka, Central, Northwestern and Northern regions.
Methods of application
The fruits have a tart, sugary taste, devoid of excess acid.Tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption and are suitable for squeezing juice, pickling, barrel pickling and preparing summer salads, mixed vegetables, first courses, ketchups and sauces.
Due to their large size, Chocolate Bunny tomatoes are rarely canned whole
Advantages and disadvantages
The Chocolate Bunny tomato is a relatively new, but very promising variety with unusually colored fruits that have a pleasant tart taste. It is characterized by consistently high productivity and is suitable for various types of culinary processing.
Thanks to their thick skin, Chocolate Bunny tomatoes are not prone to cracking and tolerate transportation well
Pros:
- pleasant taste;
- versatility;
- early maturation;
- unusual coloring;
- high productivity;
- crack resistance.
Minuses:
- need for a garter.
Planting dates and scheme
Chocolate hare tomato seeds are sown for seedlings in the first half of March. They are first soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then distributed in an even layer in a container filled with well-moistened, loose, slightly acidic soil. Tomato seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil, sprayed with warm, settled water from a spray bottle and covered with a transparent film or glass to create a greenhouse effect.
After about a week, when the first tomato shoots appear, the container with the sprouts is freed from the shelter and transferred to the windowsill. The soil under the seedlings is watered weekly, loosened to a shallow depth and fertilized.
After the first true leaves appear, the tomato seedlings are pruned. Individual cups for replanting plants should be deeper than the previous container, and their diameter should be about 12 cm.
Before planting tomato seedlings in the beds, the Chocolate Bunny must be hardened off
Transfer of seedlings to unprotected soil is carried out from May 15 to June 5. To achieve the declared productivity, planting is carried out according to a 50x40 cm pattern. Organic matter and inorganic fertilizers must be added to the holes. Tomato seedlings are watered abundantly and mulched. Bushes are formed into 1-2 stems, immediately getting rid of deformed flowers.
Care instructions
Although Chocolate Bunny tomatoes are unpretentious varieties, they require minimal care, which involves standard agrotechnical manipulations:
- Regular watering. The soil under the tomato bushes is moistened with warm, settled water as the top layer dries. Do this in the morning (before 9 o’clock) or in the evening (at 17-20 o’clock). Watering on a hot day can cause physiological shock in plants due to the difference in temperature between the water and the surrounding air. Water is poured strictly at the root at the rate of 3 liters for each bush, making sure that the drops do not fall on the foliage. Before fruiting begins, tomatoes are watered weekly, at the stage of fruit ripening - once every few days. Also, the frequency of irrigation is regulated depending on meteorological conditions in a particular region. In the south, the soil under tomato bushes is moistened more often.
- Feeding. To increase productivity at the stage of intensive growth, inorganic fertilizers, for example, phosphate or nitrogen compounds, are added to the soil under tomatoes. At the fruiting stage, tomatoes are fed with organic matter.
- Garter, pinching and bush formation. Plants form 1-2 stems with six flower clusters, promptly getting rid of excess shoots, wilted leaves and dried fragments. The lower plates and part of the crown are thinned out.They are torn off gradually, 1-2 pieces at a time, so as not to cause cracking of the tomatoes. Leaves are removed until all specimens below the first fruit cluster are removed. To support the branches, they are tied to a support installed 8-10 cm from the stem. The stepsons are removed when they stretch to 60-80 mm, leaving stumps of 20-30 mm each.
- Weeding and loosening the soil. 24-48 hours after each rain or watering, the soil in the tomato beds is loosened to provide oxygen access to the roots and prevent stagnation of water, which provokes the development of fungal infections. Weeds are also regularly plucked from the tree trunk circle. To weed the beds less often, the bushes are mulched with straw or sawdust.
Disease and pest control
Although Chocolate Bunny tomatoes are characterized by resistance to most typical diseases, if not properly cared for they are affected by brown rot. A small brown spot appears around the tomato stalks, rotting from the inside. The development of the disease can be prevented by not allowing the soil to become waterlogged and by not feeding the plants with fresh manure. The bushes and soil are treated with Fundazol or Zaslon, and the affected tomatoes are picked and burned.
Brown rot mainly affects fruits
Under unfavorable conditions, the Chocolate Bunny tomato becomes susceptible to Alternaria blight. The disease is caused by a fungus and primarily affects branches and foliage, and occasionally the fruits themselves. It progresses gradually: the lower parts of the bush are the first to suffer - dark round spots appear on them, later merging into large lesions. Dark depressed areas form on the affected fruits, above which white fluff is visible - fungal spores. To combat Alternaria, use Skor, Ridomil Gold or Antrakol.
Alternaria is called brown or dry spot
Conclusion
The Chocolate Hare tomato is a relatively new, highly productive variety of Russian selection, recommended for cultivation in many regions. Its juicy and tasty fruits are suitable for preparing fresh salads and winter preparations.
Reviews from summer residents about the Chocolate Bunny tomato
