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Now there are many varieties of tomatoes. Along with the “classic” ones, varieties and hybrids of the most unusual shapes and colors are widely represented. This category also includes the Candy Sweet Icicles tomato, which immediately attracts attention not only with its funny name, but also with its original appearance. It is appreciated mainly for its outstanding taste.
History of selection
The Candy Sweet Icicle tomato variety is the achievement of Brad Gates, a well-known private breeder from California in the USA. He does not cooperate with any agricultural companies, preferring to work alone.
Gates “specializes” in unusual varieties of tomatoes, distinguished not only by their original and attractive appearance, but also by their excellent taste. The variety Candy Sweet Icicles meets all the criteria that the breeder considers to be of paramount importance.
This is one of Gates' latest achievements. At home, gardeners became acquainted with the tomato about five years ago.It appeared in Russia quite recently, in 2018. It is, logically, not yet listed in the State Register, but the variety is definitely very interesting and promising.
The originality of the color of the tomato skin is one of the breeder’s “tricks”
Description of the tomato variety Candy Sweet Icicles with photo
Candies Sweet icicles are a variety of mid-season tomatoes. They begin to be collected after 100-110 days from the moment the planted seeds germinate. According to other sources, this takes 90-100 days, then the variety is classified as mid-early. Probably, such differences are due to the characteristics of the local climate and the method of cultivation (in open or closed ground).
Characteristics of tomato Candies Sweet icicles
Determinate variety. This means that the bush, having reached the height “programmed” by the breeder, stops growing. They turn out to be low: 0.5-0.7 m when planted in open ground and 1-1.2 m in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
The plants are not particularly compact, but not spreading either. The leaves are small, thin, and have a typical tomato shape. The foliage of the bush is average.
The variety is characterized by cluster fruiting. The fruits are small - weighing 30-50 g, 5-6 cm long. The skin is red-orange, closer to the stalk this shade is “diluted” with golden-yellow strokes and stripes. The shape of the tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles is plum-shaped, but due to the pronounced sharp “spout” they resemble pepper.
Tomatoes form and ripen in “clusters” of 8-12 pieces
The skin is quite strong, but not thick and rough. When eating, it is practically not felt. The fruits rarely crack.
The pulp has a dense texture, juicy, with a pronounced “tomato” aroma. But Tomatoes Candy Sweet Icicles are remembered, first of all, by their taste - it is very rich, unusually sweet, with a slight tart aftertaste. There are 2-3 seed chambers inside, there are few seeds, they are small.
Tomato yield Candies Sweet icicles
There is no exact data regarding yield. On average, this indicator for growing tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles in a greenhouse is estimated at 9-12 kg/m², in open ground - 8-9 kg/m².
Gardeners who have experience growing the variety talk about very good harvests, noting that the bushes are literally strewn with clusters of fruits
Resistance to diseases and pests
The breeder does not mention in the description the “innate” immunity of the variety to any of the diseases typical for the crop. But the experience of gardeners suggests that plants get sick relatively rarely, even without preventive treatments. There is no particular “interest” in them from pests either.
Methods of application
The fruits have a universal purpose. Thanks to their original taste, they are very good fresh – both in salads and “just like that.”
Home canning is no worse: due to their small size, Candy Sweet Icicle tomatoes are ideal for whole-fruit pickling and pickling. The preparations turn out very beautiful, the tomatoes retain their bright color, shape, pulp consistency and richness of taste.
Tomatoes Candies Sweet icicles were conceived as a salad variety intended for fresh consumption
Advantages and disadvantages
The undoubted advantages of Candy Sweet Icicles tomatoes include:
- suitability for cultivation in open and closed ground;
- the ability to withstand heat and cool weather without much damage to yourself and the crop;
- good immunity;
- consistently high productivity;
- relatively small dimensions of the bushes;
- original appearance and outstanding taste of the fruit;
- versatility of crop purpose.
Tomatoes Candies Sweet icicles can be removed unripe, they ripen quickly at home
It was not possible to identify any significant objective deficiencies during the entire cultivation period. Relative minus: Sweet icicles candies are a variety, not a hybrid, of tomatoes. Therefore, it can theoretically be propagated by independently collected seeds. But in practice, this is almost impossible - there are very few seeds in the fruits, they rarely ripen, remaining mostly in an “emergency” state.
Features of cultivation
Despite the external “exotic” appearance, the agricultural technology of Candy Sweet Icicles tomatoes is standard. Requirements for the landing site are the same.
Hardening off seedlings before planting helps them quickly adapt to a new location.
The recommended method of growing them is seedlings. It takes about two months to form seedlings suitable for planting in the garden. At this point they have 4-6 true leaves and reach a height of 15-18 cm.
Thanks to the small size of the plants, you can place six tomato bushes Candies Sweet Icicles per 1 m².The scheme does not change regardless of whether they are planted in open or closed ground. You will definitely need support - the stems and emerging brushes need garter.
Watering tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles requires moderate watering. They cannot tolerate constant waterlogging of the soil. Root rot develops quickly and plants die. In a greenhouse, tomatoes are watered once every 3-4 days, spending 8-10 liters of water per bush. In hot weather, the intervals are reduced to two days, sometimes even daily watering is required. In open ground, the frequency and intensity of precipitation are taken into account.
Watering is combined with loosening and weeding, but you can avoid these activities by immediately filling the bed with mulch
Due to the high productivity, the soil in the garden bed where it is planned to plant Candy Sweet Icicles tomatoes must be fertilized beforehand. Plants prefer a nutritious, but loose substrate. When digging the soil, humus (8-10 l/m²) and complex nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (50-70 g/m²) are added.
Tomatoes planted in the ground are fed three times:
- 10-12 days after transplanting to the garden bed;
- immediately after flowering (at the moment of formation of fruit ovaries);
- after harvesting the first tomatoes.
For the first time, it is recommended to use a solution of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, then use complex store-bought fertilizers designed specifically for tomatoes.
To achieve maximum productivity, it is recommended to form Candy Sweet Icicles tomato bushes into 2-3 stems.In addition to the main one, 1-2 more shoots are left from the most powerful and developed stepsons. Others should be removed as needed, approximately once every 10-15 days.
Pest and disease control
Tomatoes Candies Sweet icicles have good immunity. The experience of gardeners shows that with proper agricultural technology, they are practically not affected by fungal diseases typical of the crop and do not suffer from pest attacks.
However, for prevention, before planting, you can pickle tomato seeds Candy Sweet icicles in a solution of any fungicide for 15-20 minutes. Treatments with the same preparations (of the bushes themselves and the soil in the garden bed) once every 10-15 days are recommended if cool, rainy weather, which promotes the activation of pathogenic microflora, persists for a long time.
The concentration of the working solution and the frequency of treating tomatoes with fungicides are indicated in the instructions of the drug manufacturer
Any universal insecticides or insectoacaricides are used against pests (if they are noticed on “neighboring” tomato bushes or during seasons of their “mass” invasion).
Conclusion
Tomato Candy Sweet icicles cannot yet be called a very popular and widespread variety. But gardeners who decide to grow it for the sake of experiment do not regret it. Despite their apparent “exotic” appearance, caring for tomatoes is not difficult. And their outstanding taste and original appearance are successfully complemented by good yield.
Reviews from gardeners about tomato Candies Sweet icicles
