Content
Tomato Cherry in chocolate is an early-ripening, high-yielding variety with an extended fruiting period, ending with the arrival of frost. Its small round fruits are colored in an unusual chocolate color and have a rich fruity aroma.
When and how did it appear
The Cherry in Chocolate tomato is one of the new and little-known varieties of Russian selection. It was released in 2022, and its originator is considered to be the Seeds of Altai company.
Description and characteristics of tomato Cherry in chocolate
The plant is a powerful tall bush of indeterminate type. Its strong, erect stems stretch up to 1.3-1.6 m when grown in open ground and up to 2-3 m when planted in a greenhouse. They branch well and are densely covered with medium-sized dark green leaves.
In the light, lighter tomatoes are formed, in the shade - dark ones.
During the fruiting period, numerous small cherry-type tomatoes appear on the bush.Tomatoes weigh no more than 20 g and ripen in whole clusters, each of which contains 25-40 pieces. They have a round shape and an unusual color, ranging from dark red to chocolate brown.
Ripening and fruiting
The Cherry in Chocolate variety is classified as an early ripening variety. Tomatoes ripen in 100-110 days from the moment of mass sprouting. The bushes bear fruit in waves until the onset of frost.
Tomato yield Chocolate covered cherries
The variety is classified as highly productive. The average tomato yield is 7-10 kg/m2.
Resistance to adverse factors
The Cherry in Chocolate tomato is a new and insufficiently tested variety. It is known to be quite resistant to late blight and cladosporiosis.
Where is it grown?
Tomato Cherry in chocolate is demanding in terms of growing conditions. It is grown in open ground only in the southern regions.
Tomatoes of this variety are planted almost everywhere in greenhouses.
Methods of application
Tomato Cherry in chocolate is classified as a universal variety for table use. Its juicy greenish pulp has a pleasant sweetish taste with a slight fruity sourness. Small tomatoes are very good fresh and look impressive in jars. They are used for canning whole fruits, preparing assorted vegetables, decorating cocktails and salads.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tomato Cherry in chocolate is a new, promising variety, suitable for growing both outdoors and indoors.It is characterized by long, wave-like fruiting and can easily be transported.
For preservation, tomatoes are plucked from the bushes at the stage of blanche ripeness.
Pros:
- pleasant taste;
- exotic look;
- versatility;
- early maturation;
- transportability;
- high yield.
Minuses:
- need for stepsoning;
- prone to cracking if improperly watered.
Planting dates and scheme
To ensure that Chocolate Cherry tomatoes have time to ripen, they are grown in seedlings. In March or April, tomato seeds are sown in suitable plastic or wooden boxes filled with moistened purchased substrate or turf soil mixed with humus. Before planting, they are soaked for half an hour in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate (10 g/l of water), washed and dipped in a container with a growth stimulator for at least 30-40 minutes. The treated seeds are sprinkled with a layer of earth no more than 10 mm thick and covered with a transparent film to create a greenhouse effect.
When the first shoots hatch, the cover is removed from the container, and the air temperature in the room is slightly lowered. After 3-4 true leaves are formed on the plants, they are dropped into individual plastic cups. The seedlings are watered regularly and hardened off two weeks before transferring them to open ground.
Tomato seedlings are planted according to a 40×40 cm pattern
Transplantation is carried out approximately 60-65 days after sowing the seeds, when the threat of return frosts has passed. In a bed with loose fertile soil that has low acidity, shallow holes are dug.The seedlings are carefully removed from the cups, trying to maintain the integrity of the earthen ball, planted in prepared holes and buried. The soil around the bushes is carefully compacted and watered abundantly with non-cold, settled water.
Care instructions
Tomato Cherry in chocolate requires standard agricultural technology, which implies:
- Watering. This tomato variety is considered a moisture-loving variety. The ground under the bushes is irrigated daily, making sure that the water consumption is not too great, otherwise the tomatoes will begin to crack. It is optimal to water them using the drip method.
- Fertilizer application. Like other tall varieties, the Chocolate Cherry tomato draws large amounts of nutrients from the soil. Therefore, the bushes are fed with mineral compounds intended for cherry tomatoes. Fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and magnesium are applied in the early stages before the ovaries form. Then the ground under the bushes is sprinkled with wood ash weekly.
- Soil treatment. 1-2 days after each watering, the soil under the tomatoes is loosened to ensure the flow of oxygen to the roots and prevent stagnation of moisture, which provokes the development of fungal diseases. Also, the tree trunk circle is weeded to remove weeds that absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
- Formation of plants. Bushes are formed into 1-2 stems, promptly tearing off wilted leaves, dried out shoots and excess shoots. When the shoots stretch up to half a meter, they are tied to a trellis with synthetic material, wrapping the stem under each internode. Approximately once every 10 days, tomatoes are pruned, getting rid of the shoots growing from the axils of the leaves.
- Hilling. Tomatoes develop additional roots that need to be covered with soil.Bushes are earthed twice per season: when root buds form on the shoots near the surface of the soil and when the lower part of the stem turns slightly blue.
Disease and pest control
Although the Chocolate Cherry tomato is immune to the main diseases of the Solanaceae, under unfavorable conditions it can be affected by fungal infections. In order to prevent planting, it is recommended to treat with Fitosporin.
Fitosporin is a universal biofungicide for the treatment and prevention of bacterial and fungal diseases of tomatoes
Conclusion
Tomato Cherry in chocolate is a new early-ripening variety of Russian selection, producing unusually colored tomatoes with a pronounced fruity aroma. It is characterized by long and abundant fruiting, but is not yet very popular among gardeners.
Reviews from summer residents about cherry tomatoes Cherry in chocolate
