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Some people grow tomatoes exclusively for fresh consumption to enjoy their exceptional tomato taste. For some, the taste of fresh tomatoes and the suitability of tomatoes for harvesting are equally important. And some people are happy to grow tomatoes of different colors, shapes and sizes, so that they can then enjoy their diversity and prepare colorful cocktails and salads from them.
In this sense, the direction in tomato breeding called cherry tomatoes is very interesting. These tiny tomatoes, weighing no more than 20-25 grams, taste more like fruits than vegetables, and it’s not for nothing that they are often used to decorate various dishes and prepare desserts. Cherry tomatoes contain two to three times more sugars and solids than regular tomatoes. But their demands on growing conditions are also at the level of exotic fruits - cherry tomatoes adore the sun, warmth and increased nutrition. In the middle zone, these tomatoes will most likely acquire their unique sweet taste only in greenhouse conditions. One of the most typical cherry varieties produced in Russia is the Red Cherry tomato, a description of the variety and characteristics of which you can find in this article.
History of the variety
The Red Cherry tomato was obtained by breeders of the famous Russian seed farming company Gavrish back in the early 90s of the 20th century. In 1997, this tomato variety was successfully included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia. It is recommended for cultivation in any region of our country in open or closed ground conditions.
For the Gavrish company, this variety was one of the first cherry tomatoes that they presented to the public, so its name immediately determines its belonging to this dessert group of tomatoes. From the same series, you can also find Yellow Cherry tomato from manufacturers with very similar characteristics, but with yellow fruits.
And many people still sometimes confuse it with various cherry hybrids, such as Winter Cherry. Therefore, it should be clarified that the Red Cherry tomato is precisely a variety and seeds obtained from fruits grown with one’s own hands can be used in the future for sowing while maintaining all the original parental qualities.
Also, this variety should not be confused with small-fruited tomatoes, such as Balcony miracle, Pinocchio and others. Similar varieties of tomatoes were bred more for decorative purposes and for growing in rooms and on balconies. Moreover, their fruits are large in size - 30-40 grams, and the plants themselves have completely different characteristics than cherry varieties.
Description of the variety
Red Cherry tomato seeds can be purchased in packages of the manufacturer, the Gavrish company: in the “Seeds from the author” or “Lucky seeds” series.
Plants of this variety are typically indeterminate, have unlimited growth and, in favorable conditions, can grow up to 3 meters in height. The bushes branch to an average degree, not too many leaves grow, and the growth power of the shoots is average. It is best to form these tomatoes into two, maximum three stems.
Small, dark green, rather smooth leaves have a traditional tomato shape; there are no stipules. The inflorescence belongs to the intermediate type. The first flower cluster is planted above 8-9 leaves, the next inflorescences - every 2-3 leaves.
In terms of ripening time, the Red Cherry tomato can be safely classified as one of the earliest cherry varieties. The fruits begin to ripen 95-100 days after full germination.
When picking tomatoes at the stage of technical maturity and ripening them indoors, the taste of the fruit will be far from perfect.
Considering this point, the Red Cherry tomato has a great advantage - due to the early ripening time, almost the entire crop will most likely have time to fully ripen on the bushes even in regions with short summers.
Tomato yields are quite low for conventional varieties, but cherry tomatoes in general do not have high yields. On average, one bush can harvest 1.0-1.5 kg of tomatoes per season; with enhanced agricultural technology, this amount can be increased to 2-2.5 kg.
Disease resistance in cherry varieties is quite high, but red cherry is especially susceptible to cladosporiosis, and can be affected by tobacco mosaic virus and fusarium under unfavorable conditions.Therefore, when growing this tomato variety, mandatory preventive treatments are required. It is advisable to use biological preparations such as phytosporin, gliocladin, trichodermin, and phytolavin for these purposes.
Characteristics of tomatoes
The fruits of the Red Cherry tomato ripen on the bushes traditionally in the form of long clusters, each of which can contain from 10 to 40 tomatoes.
Tomatoes are round in shape, with smooth skin.
When ripe they have a rich red hue.
Despite their obvious name, tomatoes are, of course, larger than cherries. The average weight of one fruit is 15-20 grams. Rather, the mature clusters of this variety resemble bunches of grapes.
The fruits have 2-3 seed chambers, the flesh is dense and at the same time juicy.
Taste qualities are rated “good” and “excellent”.
For some reason, it is the taste characteristics of this tomato that cause the most discrepancies in the reviews of gardeners. Some consider them one of the sweetest cherry tomatoes, while others refuse to grow them precisely because of the “sour” taste of tomatoes. Either there is a large percentage of misgraded seeds, or the accumulation of sugars in the fruits of this variety very much depends on the growing conditions. Indeed, as mentioned earlier, the taste of cherry tomatoes largely depends on three factors:
- Good sunlight.
- Sufficient amount of heat.
- Stability and variety of fertilizing.
If at least one of these factors is not up to par, the taste of the Red Cherry tomato can greatly disappoint you.
Tomatoes of this variety are often used fresh, as a treat for children, for decorating a variety of summer salads, or canned in jars of any size.
They are of little use for storage and transportation, since the skin of the fruit is thin, and they quickly begin to bleed juice.
Reviews from gardeners
Reviews from gardeners who grew the Red Cherry tomato on their plots are very contradictory. Some admire the taste and beauty of this variety of tomatoes, while others frankly do not recommend this variety for cultivation.
Conclusion
The Red Cherry tomato, despite conflicting reviews, is worthy of at least trying to grow it. And then evaluate from your own experience how well its characteristics correspond to the declared ones.
