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Once upon a time, a fresh tomato in the middle of winter seemed exotic. Nowadays, store shelves are filled with tomatoes all year round. The variety of colors, sizes, shapes is simply impressive. But there is no difference in taste; basically it is mediocre. And how can you demand from a tomato that lived in greenhouse conditions that it compare in taste to a vegetable grown in the wild in the summer?
What are the best tomatoes?
The farmer has increased requirements for tomatoes planted with his own hands. You won't get by with ordinary taste here. The tomato should be such that just its appearance makes your mouth water.
Sugar-packed, with a lot of dry substances that give a rich taste, the tomato just begs to be served on the table. This is exactly what all the “sugar” tomatoes from SEDEk are like. Bred at different times, they differ not only in color, but also in terms of ripening. One thing is constant: the rich, sweet taste of the vegetable. Tomatoes of the “sugar” series belong to the beefsteak group and have all the advantages of beef tomatoes:
- rather large size;
- a large number of seed chambers;
- rich taste, dominated by sugars;
- good yield;
- resistance to tomato diseases.
Let's talk in more detail about one of the representatives of sweet tomatoes - the Brown Sugar tomato.This tomato stands out from the entire series not only because of its unique color, but also because it contains a large amount of anthocyanins. This vegetable has special benefits for the body. Let's make a detailed description and characteristics of the Brown Sugar tomato variety and admire its photo.
Brown Sugar tomato was developed by SEDEk. It was registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2009, like other tomatoes in this line of varieties: White Sugar and Red Sugar. In 2010, pink sugar was added to them, and in 2015, raspberry sugar F1. These tomatoes can be grown in all climatic zones of our country.
Features of the variety:
- it belongs to the indeterminates and does not stop its growing season as long as weather conditions allow; the gardener will have to take care that all the tomatoes that set ripen;
- the originators position this variety as mid-season, but, according to reviews from those who planted it, it is rather mid-late, since the first fruits ripen only 4 months after germination;
- You can grow brown sugar tomato variety in open ground, but it works better in a greenhouse;
- when grown in greenhouses, the Brown Sugar tomato can grow up to 2 m, and with good care up to 2.5 m, so a garter will be required. This tomato variety shows the best results when grown in 2 stems, so pinching is a mandatory procedure for it.
- the tomato brush is simple, up to 5 fruits are tied in it, the first inflorescence is laid under the 8th or 9th leaf;
- the fruits of this variety can have either a cuboid or flat-round shape, the color of the tomatoes is very beautiful - reddish-brown, the weight of each fruit reaches 150 g in the first cluster, on the rest they are slightly smaller;
- The purpose of tomatoes is universal: they are good in salads, for making sauces, juices and any preparations for the winter;
- the fruits have many seed chambers and, as a result, more tasty pulp and few seeds.
To give a complete picture of the plant and complete the description of the Brown Sugar tomato variety, it must be said that it is cold-resistant, ripens almost to frost, giving a good yield - from 6 to 8 kg per square meter. m.
Tomato agricultural technology
Brown Sugar tomato seeds can be bought in almost any store, but collected from plants grown in your garden, they will already be adapted to certain growing conditions, the main one of which is the composition and structure of the soil. Plants grown from their own seeds will develop better and produce a consistently high yield, they resist diseases well, and finally, the germination rate of such seeds, unlike store-bought ones, is much higher.
The tomato is a facultatively pollinated plant, that is, only nearby flowers are pollinated by pollen. But in hot weather the situation changes; neighboring plants may also be pollinated. Often, gardeners grow different varieties of tomatoes in close proximity, so as not to collect seeds from a tomato that has been cross-pollinated with another variety, that is, a hybrid, you must adhere to the following rules:
- choose a strong Brown Sugar tomato plant that fully meets the varietal characteristics in advance and take good care of it;
- select for seeds the fruit from the lower cluster that most closely matches the varietal description; the flowers on the remaining flower clusters have a high probability of cross-pollination, since they bloom at the time when bees and bumblebees are most active, and no one will prevent them from flying into the greenhouse;
- the fruit is picked at full ripeness or slightly unripe, but in no case overripe - the strongest seeds in it can germinate, but the result will be weak offspring.
The isolated and dried seeds need to be sown for seedlings. For tomato variety Sugar brown, seedlings should be 60 days old at the time of planting. For planting in greenhouses under polycarbonate, seeds should be sown at the end of February, in film greenhouses - at the beginning of March, and for open ground - closer to the end of March.
Rules for obtaining good seedlings
For tall varieties of tomatoes, including brown sugar, it is very important that the seedlings do not stretch out, otherwise this will affect the yield. To prevent this from happening, you must strictly adhere to the following rules:
- carry out complete processing and germination of seeds - dressing, soaking in a biostimulant solution;
- sow seeds in fertile, loose soil, similar in composition to the soil in your garden;
- Reduce the temperature for emerging seedlings for several days; it should not be above 16 degrees during the day;
- provide the maximum amount of light for the entire growing time of tomatoes;
- a week after germination, increase the temperature and maintain it within 23 degrees during the day and slightly cooler at night;
- do not water too often, but also do not let the soil dry out completely;
- pick up the sprouts when they are just about to produce the third leaf;
- do not let brown sugar tomato plants go hungry and provide 2 or 3 feedings using a weak solution of complete mineral fertilizer;
- keep not only the “head” but also the “legs” of the tomatoes warm; to do this, insulate the window sill so that the soil temperature is not below room temperature;
- maintain some distance between the pots of tomatoes. Competing for light, the seedlings will inevitably stretch out.
- Accustom the plants to the open air gradually so that by the time of planting they are acclimatized.
Care after disembarkation
The soil in the beds and in the greenhouse is prepared in the fall. Organic matter is added, but not fresh manure, which fattens the tomatoes and grows tops instead of fruits. Phosphorus fertilizers should also be applied in the fall; they are poorly soluble; they will be converted into a form convenient for plants by melt water. But nitrogen and potassium fertilizers are applied during spring loosening of the soil.
Acidic soils require liming. This is done in the fall, but not at the same time as adding organic matter, otherwise it will lose a lot of nitrogen.
Planting scheme for tomato plants Brown sugar - from 40 to 50 cm between plants and about 50 cm between rows. The soil under tomatoes planted in a greenhouse must be immediately mulched to ensure their comfortable existence.
Further care includes the following:
- moderate watering until the fruits are full - once a week, but with complete moistening of the entire root layer; when the fruits begin to fill, the frequency of watering increases to 2 times a week. To ensure that the dry matter content in brown sugar tomato fruits remains high, you cannot overdo it with watering, otherwise they will become watery and greatly lose their taste.
- fertilizing with a complete complex fertilizer intended for tomatoes; their frequency depends on the fertility of the soil in the greenhouse; plants are usually fed once every 10–14 days;
- formation of plants into 2 stems; To do this, remove all the stepsons, except one, located under the first flower brush - from it the second shoot is formed;
- preventive treatments against late blight.
You can watch the video about the benefits of the Brown Sugar tomato variety:
I planted Brown Sugar in 2019, I really liked it, it was sweet, it grew outside, there were a lot of fruits, one of our favorites!!!