You won’t surprise anyone with the variety of new colors of vegetables. The Black Prince tomato managed to combine the unusual almost black color of the fruit, an amazing sweetish taste and the ease of growing the crop.
Characteristics of the variety
This variety is not new to the tomato market; it was bred in China; permission to grow it in the Russian Federation was received back in 2000. The tomato is intended for cultivation in temperate climatic conditions - the territory of the Russian Federation and neighboring countries. But not so long ago a hybrid (F1) was bred, so before buying this tomato you should carefully study the description of the variety on the packaging. Seeds of the original variety can be used for sowing, although it is advisable to skip the next season, but hybrid ones may disappoint with the result.
The height of the tomato bush itself is on average about 1.5 m, but being an indeterminate plant, it can reach 2 meters. When all the fruits are formed, the top should be pinched (broken off) so that all the juices and nutrients of the bush go not to growth, but to the development of the tomato. The trunk is strong, forms simple brushes, the leaves are ordinary, light green in color. The first ovaries with an abundant number of stalks are formed above the 9th leaf, following every 3 leaves. Usually 5-6 flowers are left on the ovary to make the tomatoes larger in size.
Resistance to diseases is above average, and resistance to late blight is high.This tomato variety is mid-season; it takes about 115 days from the appearance of the first shoots to ripe tomatoes. It is a self-pollinating plant.
Tomato fruits are fleshy and juicy. The skin is thin, but has a dense structure; the color changes from bottom to top, from soft red to purple, and even black. The average weight of tomatoes is 100-400 grams; with proper care of the crop, Black Prince tomatoes reach a weight of more than 500 grams. The average weight of ripe tomatoes per bush is 4 kg. Due to its large size and delicate structure, it does not tolerate transportation and long-term storage. This variety is recommended to be consumed fresh for salads or after heat treatment in hot dishes, as a dressing. Black Prince tomatoes are considered dessert tomatoes; their sweetness will satisfy the taste of even a child. This variety is undesirable for canning, as it can lose its integrity, but for tomato paste, adjika or ketchup, it is quite suitable, especially since it does not lose its properties even after heat treatment. Juicing is not recommended due to the high solids content.
Growing tomato Black Prince
The variety can be grown in open ground, under film or in greenhouses for an early harvest. It takes about 10 days from sowing to the first sprouts, but they quickly catch up in growth with the crops that sprouted earlier. Sow tomato seeds in the first ten days of March in wide trays, in fertile, loose soil at a distance of 2x2 cm, to a depth of no more than 2 cm. It is necessary to preheat the soil in the oven to destroy harmful microbes and living creatures. After watering, cover with glass or cling film for a greenhouse effect; after sprouts appear, you can remove it.The temperature should not fall below 25°C.
As soon as 2 true leaves appear, it is necessary to pick the tomato - transplant the plants into separate cups. Experienced gardeners recommend diving several times before the final transplant to a permanent place, each time increasing the volume of the container. Tomatoes are transplanted into open ground in mid-May, into separate holes, into which phosphorus fertilizer is placed in advance and cultivation continues.
This variety of tomato loves moisture; it should be watered abundantly at the root or use drip irrigation. During the entire cultivation of tomatoes, it is necessary to frequently fluff up the soil and fertilize approximately every 10 days. The lateral shoots are planted so that the bush grows into one stem. Due to the height of the plant, the Black Prince tomato variety requires fastening, and it is also necessary to support the branches with fruits so that they do not break.
Disease resistance levels are slightly above average, but prevention is better than treatment or even losing the entire crop. Initially, for general immunity from diseases, you can disinfect the seeds themselves. The following preventive measures are suitable for an adult plant:
- solution of copper sulfate to get rid of late blight;
- potassium permanganate from tobacco mosaic;
- To prevent brown spotting, add ash under each bush.
The Black Prince tomato is unpretentious in cultivation, and large juicy fruits with an unusual color will be a highlight on the table of any housewife.
Tried it once in Krasnodar. I do minimal processing, but this variety was the first to get sick. The taste is not outstanding, the yield is not high, some of the fruits simply rotted within a couple of days. I won’t plant it again and don’t recommend it. The black bunch is much cooler in every way, and bears fruit until November...
The Black Prince has a noticeably darker leaf than other tomato varieties, with carved, sharp, elongated edges.The seeds are noticeably different from other varieties - large, greenish, with fibers. After soaking, for example in potassium permanganate before planting, these fibers cause the soaked seeds to become not just wet, but slimy until they dry out. The greenish color of the seeds is due to the greenish tint of the juice. When cut, the middle of a ripe tomato has brown flesh, but greenish juice and seeds. There are a lot of fake seeds on sale now. Personally, I have already encountered this problem at the Timiryazevsky Nursery Northern Branch. Now I have discovered the same fake in seeds at the Pitersky Wholesale Trade Center House of Seeds. The seeds are small, yellow, smooth. Be carefull.