Classic tomato variety of English selection - “Black Russian”: description and recommendations for growing

Tomato “Black Russian”: description of the variety

The variety belongs to the old classic ones, bred by English breeders.
Recommended for growing in glass greenhouses and film greenhouses; in warm regions, tomatoes can be planted in open ground. The collected fruits are well stored; they can be picked at the technical ripeness stage for ripening at room temperature. Black Russian is a mid-season, high-yielding variety. The bush is indeterminate, tall and spreading, with abundant green mass. In the greenhouse the plants reach a height of 1.8 m; in open beds the bushes are more compact, up to 1.2 m high. They require pinching and fastening to a strong support. The leaf is dark green, medium-sized. The fruits ripen in clusters of 3-5 pieces. Productivity depends on growing conditions; it can reach 4-5 kg ​​per bush.

Advantages and disadvantages Among the main advantages of the variety:

• very tasty delicacy fruits;
• good yield;
• low maintenance requirements;
• Tomatoes are well stored and can be transported.

Among the disadvantages is the need to form a bush.

You can compare the yield of this variety with others in the table:

Read on our website: the most common diseases of tomatoes in greenhouses and ways to combat them. Which tomatoes are resistant to most diseases and immune to late blight? What methods of protection against late blight exist?

General characteristics of the tomato Funtik f1 and description of the fruits of the hybrid variety

Many gardeners organize tomato yield competitions.

If a summer resident wants to surprise his neighbors, he should pay attention to the Funtik f1 tomato. These are large tomatoes that give a very good harvest

Their taste is simply excellent. Despite the fact that tomatoes are quite large, they have a universal purpose and are suitable for various uses. But still, Funtik tomatoes have gained the greatest popularity as an ingredient in salad. Their delicate sweet taste makes them an ideal addition to summer vegetable appetizers.

Funtik is a hybrid, so only original seeds purchased from the manufacturer should be used for cultivation. In this case, you can get ideal fruits with good weight and excellent taste. The Funtik variety was specially bred by Russian specialists. It has universal characteristics, so it is suitable for both open ground and greenhouses. The yield will be high in any case.

Description of the variety

This hybrid is classified as an indeterminate type. This suggests that the plant can have unlimited growth, so it should be pinched at the top. It is advisable to do this when the tomato reaches the 2 meter mark.

If you do not carry out the pinching procedure, the plant can stretch above 2.5 meters. In greenhouse conditions, the tomato can be even larger. But this has a bad effect on yield, since the tomato gives a lot of energy to the greens instead of saturating the fruits.

The plant grows very tall, but not too spreading, so the planting pattern for the bushes can be quite dense. You can place 6 tomatoes per 1 m².

Hybrid Funtik produces a large number of fruits. They are formed on brushes, of which there can be up to 12 pieces on each bush. There are 6 large tomatoes in one bunch.

The big advantage is that the plant produces all its fruits at once. This is convenient for those who grow tomatoes for canning. The productivity of the Funtik hybrid is very high. With proper agricultural technology, gardeners harvest up to 10 kg of delicious tomatoes from each bush.

The highest yield is observed with proper care of tomatoes. They must be well fertilized, weeded and moderately watered. As for spraying against diseases, it will not be superfluous for preventive purposes. But the manufacturer assures that this hybrid is highly resistant to late blight, verticillium and tobacco mosaic.

Fruit characteristics

The characteristics and description of the variety indicate that these tomatoes have a universal purpose and can be suitable for any type of use.

The tomatoes turn out quite large. Their average weight is 230 g. The color of the fruit is red, and the taste is sweet and very pleasant. Large tomatoes are not very convenient to preserve as a whole, but Funtik fruits are quite suitable for juice, sauce or tomato paste. In addition, they are considered an excellent addition to summer vegetable salad.

The fruits of this variety have a fairly dense skin, so they can be easily transported even over long distances without the risk of losing their presentation. Moreover, tomatoes are stored in a cool place for a very long time. If you harvest in August, you can enjoy the pleasant taste of fresh tomatoes until mid-autumn.

Reviews about the Funtik tomato are extremely positive.

Veronica, Shakhty: “Excellent tomato, I have never seen such a productive tomato. To the envy of all my neighbors, I collected 10-12 kg per bush! The fruits are very tasty, aromatic, fleshy and elastic. Do not crack during ripening and storage. They can lie there for a long time!”

Marina, Moscow region: “I grew it in a greenhouse. The bushes were not sick, the yield was as stated by the manufacturer. I used tomatoes mainly for pasta and salads. In general, it was not possible to preserve it; the fruits grew too large!”

Characteristics

• The fruits are large, weighing from 300 to 400g.
• The shape is flat-rounded or heart-shaped, with slight ribbing at the stalk.
• During ripening, the fruits change color from light green to a beautiful burgundy-chocolate.
• Tomatoes have a large number of seed chambers, the pulp is juicy, fleshy, and has a pleasant sweet taste.
• High content of sugars, amino acids and vitamins.

Juicy, fleshy fruits are ideal for fresh consumption; they are used to prepare salads, purees, and sauces. Ripe fruits produce a sweet, thick juice of an unusual color.

You can compare the weight of the fruits of this variety with others in the table:

What fruits

The bush is beautiful when it is full of fruit. The berries gradually turn from light green to chocolate red. Black tomato has a subtle sweet taste. There is no characteristic acid.

The berry is different:

• large size: 200-300 g;
• weak ribbing;
• round, slightly depressed shape;
• a large number of chambers with seeds;
• dense, rough skin.

The pleasant taste of the fruit is determined by a large amount of mono and poly sugars. The high content of vitamin B, provitamin A, and choline make tomatoes healthy. The color of tomatoes is determined by anthocyanin. The intensity of the color depends on the light. The brighter the sun's rays, the darker the skin.

The substance itself is an excellent antioxidant. Regular inclusion of fruits in the menu improves immunity, relieves swelling, and cleanses blood vessels.

Features of cultivation

Seeds are sown in the second half of March. Before planting, they can be treated with a growth stimulator for better germination. The soil is made up of a mixture of garden soil and humus.

Advice: It is preferable to use the soil in which the grown seedlings will be planted in the future. It is taken from the beds where legumes, cabbage, and herbs grew. Do not use soil from eggplants or peppers.

The seeds are sown with a slight depth, the plantings are sprayed with water, covered with film and placed in a warm place. After emergence, tomatoes need bright sunlight or artificial light, moderate watering with warm water and a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees. When the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are picked and fed with liquid complex fertilizer.

Transplantation begins in the second half of May-early June. The soil is mixed with humus, wood ash is laid out in the holes (1 tablespoon per plant). For 1 sq. m can accommodate 3 plants. They need to be watered sparingly, only with warm, settled water. Tomatoes are sensitive to fertilizing. Before flowering, nitrogen-containing complexes are preferred; after the formation of ovaries, the bushes are fed with magnesium sulfate or sprayed with an aqueous solution of superphosphate.

To improve the quality of the fruit, tomatoes are formed into 2-3 stems, removing the lateral stepsons above the third cluster. Pinching off excess flowers on the racemes, as well as removing the lower leaves, will help speed up the formation of ovaries. Be sure to tie it to stakes or trellises.

On our website you will find a lot of useful information on how to properly grow tomato seedlings. Read all about planting seedlings at home, how long after planting the seeds sprout and how to water them correctly. And also how to grow tomatoes in twists, upside down, without soil, in bottles and using Chinese technology.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

The rules for growing tomatoes are common:

• sowing for seedlings on March 15-20;
• planting in a permanent place in early May (in open ground - after late spring frosts);
• applying fertilizing during planting (2 tablespoons of double superphosphate under the plant);
• timely watering (after the soil has completely dried, 5 liters per bush);
• mulching beds;
• formation into 2 stems;
• stepsoning;
• lightening of the ovaries;
• obligatory garter of stems and brushes;
• removal of leaves before the ovary fills;
• Nitrogen application is recommended before flowering;
• then feed with mineral complexes every 10 days;
• stop applying a month before the harvest ripens;
• ventilate the greenhouse;
• Remove ripe fruits in a timely manner.

See also

Lunar sowing calendar for gardeners and gardeners for [god] year and planting tableRead

It is necessary to regularly monitor the temperature in the greenhouse. When the temperature rises above 30 ⁰C, the pollen is sterilized and the tomato does not set fruit.

Diseases and pests

Old varieties of tomatoes are sensitive to viral and fungal diseases. Preventive measures will help protect them. Before planting, the soil is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

In the intervals between waterings, the soil is loosened; to prevent root rot, it can be mulched with humus or peat. During the late blight epidemic, plantings are treated with copper-containing preparations.

Insect pests can be controlled using industrial insecticides, as well as home remedies: infusion of celandine or onion peels, ammonia solution or laundry soap.

Large-fruited, easy-to-care tomatoes of the Black Russian variety are perfect for home gardens. Seeds for subsequent plantings can be collected independently from ripened fruits.

Description of the Black Bunch variety, its characteristics, yield, growing region

The Black Bunch tomato, the seeds of which are sold on behalf of , is not on the list of tomatoes registered in the state register of the Russian Federation. It is almost impossible to find official information about it; to study the characteristics of the variety, one has to rely mainly on the reviews of gardeners who have tried this variety. More precisely, a hybrid: it is known that the tomato appeared during breeding work, and it was assigned the index “F1”, meaning that it is a first-generation hybrid, and the seeds from its harvest are unsuitable for sowing.

At the same time, even here there are some absurdities: experienced vegetable growers assure that the seeds of the tomatoes they grow, when sown, produce exactly the same plants and fruits, without changing their properties. And, in addition, often the marketing information located on the packaging of seeds is far from completely true. Therefore, the Black Bunch should be considered a tomato for experimenters; at least you should not engage in mass planting of this hybrid in your gardens.

The Dutch scientists who developed this hybrid had the goal of obtaining tomatoes that were maximally enriched in anthocyanins: these are biologically active substances with very high antioxidant activity. It is the presence of anthocyanins in high concentrations that gives many plant products an almost violet color, which is even called anthocyanin. There is evidence that the new hybrid was obtained by free pollination of flowers of various cultivated varieties with pollen from wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Islands.

This tomato is grown both in greenhouses and in open areas, depending on the climate of the region. And they tried to plant it, it seems, everywhere, but the hybrid reveals its true bouquet only in warm climates. Many gardeners are prejudiced when buying Dutch seeds, since there is information that some seeds are genetically modified. However, there appears to be no information about this specific hybrid in the literature.

The Black Bunch tomato is indeterminate, grows as a bush up to one and a half meters high, with a powerful root system. Usually it is formed into two or three stems, but some gardeners leave four, or even let the branching bush “free float”. According to the timing of ripening, according to information about the seeds, it is classified as early ripening

But this information must also be treated with caution: many sources indicate that the fruits can be ready for harvest 75 days after emergence, which is not true. In fact, the fruits ripen approximately this time after the seedlings are planted.

As with all indeterminate varieties, it is necessary to tie up the bushes

According to the name, the fruits on the bushes are formed in clusters, each of which contains at least a dozen tomatoes. They have a round shape, practically no ribbing, and by the time they are technically ripe they become soft and acquire a so-called eggplant color. Fully ripe fruits are dark purple, almost black, with a very strong shine. However, all the fruits on the bushes are not capable of turning completely black, and they are usually collected red-brown with black sides. During storage, unripe tomatoes “reach”, but the taste becomes imperfect.

In each cluster the fruits ripen simultaneously, and within the bush they are spread out. They are small, the weight of each tomato is from 30 to 70 g. The fruits are quite fleshy, contain only two seed chambers, and the flesh is bright red in color. Tasters rate the taste as average, sweet and sour, reminiscent of the taste of plums. There is almost no aroma. The application is universal, but it should be remembered that during thermal processing the beautiful color of the fruit disappears and becomes brownish.

Since the number of ovaries on the bushes is quite large, the average yield of the variety is not too low and is about 6 kg/m2

The collected fruits are capable of long-term storage, but they must be transported with care, because they are quite soft and the skin is thin. Like most Dutch hybrids, Black Bunch should be highly disease-resistant, but experienced vegetable growers assure that this expectation is usually not met.

Video

We invite you to watch a video about varieties of black tomatoes:

Growing conditions

Far North tomatoes require compliance with certain conditions when growing:

• Temperature. Maximum yield can be achieved if the tomatoes are provided with a constant temperature of 20-26 °C during the day and at least 16 °C at night. If the thermometer rises above the required level or falls below, then the bush stops developing, the same thing happens with sudden changes.
• Humidity. Tomatoes are drought-resistant. The humidity level must be at least 70%. To set 1 kg of fruit, 120 liters of water per bush are required. Air humidity does not affect the growth and development of the bush in any way.
• Light. Tomatoes need enough light. Daylight hours are 12-14 hours. When growing seedlings, it is worth extending daylight hours with the help of special lamps.

The bed for tomatoes is prepared in the fall. They are grown in one place for 2-3 years in a row, but with the obligatory application of organic fertilizers. The best predecessors of tomatoes are:

• cabbage;
• cucumber;
• onion;
• zucchini

You cannot plant tomatoes after its relatives of the nightshade family - pepper, eggplant, physalis, potatoes. After them, the crop is planted no earlier than 3 years later.

Origin and development of black varieties

The first black tomatoes were obtained by domestic scientists back in the 50s of the last century. To obtain the shade, red Solanaceae varieties were crossed with wild varieties.

Photo of black tomatoes

Now new “black” tomatoes appear every year. However, the presence of such a variety still causes surprise and genuine delight among many.

Attention!

There is an opinion that black tomatoes are genetically modified. However, this is absolutely not true. They are obtained as a result of ordinary crossing. This is confirmed by registration in the register of achievements in the field of selection.

Advantages and disadvantages of black tomatoes

The most important advantage is the pronounced and rich taste and aroma.

The pulp contains many acids of organic origin and sugars.

The next reason why you should give preference to black-fruited tomatoes is the health benefits.

Due to the presence of anthocyanins, which are coloring substances, in black tomatoes, consumption of the fruit brings the following benefits to the body:

1. strengthening protective properties;
2. antitumor effect;
3. beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels;
4. reduction of swelling;
5. improvement of visual acuity due to the content of vitamin A precursor in tomatoes.

Black tomatoes for open ground - video

A varied diet with black tomatoes leads to an increase in the tone of the whole body, increased performance, and improved overall well-being.

Among the disadvantages, it is worth highlighting only the presence of very thin and delicate skin in some varieties, due to which the fruits do not hold their shape well enough.

Therefore, not all black-fruited tomatoes can be preserved in their entirety, but you can prepare tomato pastes and juices from them. This is a conditional drawback, because of which you should not refuse to grow them. The benefits of black tomatoes far outweigh their disadvantages.

The best varieties of black tomatoes: descriptions and photographs

The popularity of black-fruited tomato varieties among Russian gardeners is growing every year. The fruits of these plants are not only beautiful, but also healthy. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that color the skin and flesh in shades of purple, black or brown. Biologically active substances of this kind are considered the strongest antioxidants. They have a bactericidal, immunostimulating and general strengthening effect, improve the condition of cell membranes, inhibit the aging process of the body, and normalize vision.

Just 10-12 years ago, the varieties of black tomatoes whose seeds were sold on the domestic market could be counted on one hand. Today, a gardener can choose from a variety of options that have a wide variety of agrotechnical and consumer characteristics (earliness, size, shape and color of fruits, their taste and purpose). However, modern black-fruited tomatoes have one common property: they all have an indeterminate type of bush growth. This means that in central Russia, the Leningrad region, Siberia and other regions with cool summers, unfortunately, it makes no sense to cultivate these tomatoes in open ground.

Many summer residents grow small-fruited varieties of such plants specifically for the use of beautiful tomatoes in home canning. In order not to be disappointed, it is important to understand that the fruits of black varieties of tomatoes in marinade lose their brightness of color, acquiring a more “blurred”, brownish tint.

Chokeberry varieties are found in all tomato groups. They are early ripening (“Black Chocolate”, “Black Gourmet”, hybrid “Black Bunch F1”), medium ripening (tomato variety “Black Prince”) and late (tomato variety “De Barao black”). There are both small-fruited varieties (“Black Moor” and “Black Chocolate”) and giant tomatoes (“Black Russian” and “Black Elephant”). The shape of the fruit varies from round (tomato variety “Black Prince”) to pear-shaped and elongated plum-shaped.

What are the features of black tomatoes?

In general, black tomatoes are not too different from the rest of the tomato crop. The bush form, the color of ripening fruits, leaves, all this exactly corresponds to the characteristics of other tomatoes.

The dark color is obtained by mixing red and violet.

Lycopene and carotenoids give tomatoes their traditional red hue, and anthocyanins give vegetables their purple color (for example, eggplants, beets, and others).

There are differences in taste:
black varieties of tomatoes are sweeter, as they contain a higher sugar content.

Growing, care, beneficial properties of black tomatoes - video

Characteristics and description of the Brandywine Black tomato

The Brandywine Black variety is almost a hundred years old (it was bred in 1920), therefore, it can safely be considered a relic. The creator of this tomato is Merrell Darrell from Oklahoma.

The very first Brandywine Black tomato had a rich black color, and the leaves were very similar to potato leaves. Subsequent leaves were already more “tomato-like” - of a regular type. For every 300 potato bushes there are about 10.

Today you can also find Brandywine Black with regular leaves. In this case, the variety will be considered unstable. Let's look at this tomato variety in more detail.

Basic properties

The variety is intended for cultivation in greenhouse conditions. The bushes grow up to 1.5 m high. Brandywine Black is an early chokeberry variety. The fruits have a flat, round shape.

The “shoulders” of this tomato are ribbed and green, but after full ripening they become as black as the fruits. The weight of the latter reaches 350 grams. The taste is very sweet, the smell is aromatic.

Used both for commercial purposes and among home gardeners. Brandywine Black can be used to make salads, preserve fruits, and make juices.

How is it grown?

The most optimal time for planting Brandywine Black is early spring. Then, after 2-3 months, the bushes can be transplanted into open ground. The entire planting process can be divided into the following stages:

Preparation of material for planting

It is best to plant the highest quality seeds. How to detect them and separate them from the rest:

1. In 1 l. Approximately 100 g of salt is diluted with water;
2. Everything is thoroughly mixed until completely dissolved;
3. The seeds are placed in the liquid;
4. After 10 minutes, the seeds begin to float to the top. They are all hollow, so you need to get rid of them;
5. Those that remain at the bottom are dried.

Landing

Seedlings are grown in small boxes into which soil is first filled. First, small indentations about 2 cm in diameter are made in it. Then 1-2 seeds are planted in each hole.

Immediately after planting Brandywine Black, the ground is watered abundantly for better germination of seedlings. Then you need to cover the box with plastic wrap and send it to a well-lit room.

Seeds should grow at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees and above. In order for the seedlings to grow as quickly as possible, it is important to take into account that good lighting must be provided for at least 15 hours a day.

Transplantation into open ground

Brandywine Black can be planted in the garden in the spring, immediately after the frosts have stopped. If this is not taken into account and the variety is planted too early, it may not cope with the low temperature and die.

Preparing the soil

High-quality soil is needed for the fastest growth of bushes, and it must be properly prepared. Therefore, it is important to add all the necessary fertilizers to it in advance. So, in the spring, sand and peat are added to the soil.

The soil must be constantly fed with a nutrient solution, which must include superphosphate and potassium. You can also add humus based on turf ash to the soil.

Before transplanting Brandywine Black, you need to carefully dig up the area so that the soil is not too dense. It is not recommended to water the soil before transplanting, as this will lead to the formation of a crust.

Reviews

Irina Nikolaevna, 71 years old, Kirov

“Last year I planted the Brandywine Black variety. Of all the others, it was its fruits that turned out to be the largest and most delicious. Others grew up handicapped due to the not-so-hot summer.

I would also like to note the taste of this tomato. It is very sweet and I mainly use it to make tomato juice. All my family are very happy. I recommend"

A remedy that makes plants grow by leaps and bounds! Just water your plants with this Read more…

Anton Petrovich, 46 years old, Moscow

“I ordered Brandywine Black for the first time last year. For all its properties I give it a solid A (and I have already transplanted about 20 different varieties).

The taste is delicious, the harvest is always plentiful, the fruits are large and there are almost no spoiled ones. It’s difficult to grow, I don’t argue, but it’s worth it.”

osortah.ru

Some information about black tomatoes

I noticed an interesting trend - many gardeners are initially quite skeptical about chocolate tomatoes, considering growing them fun. But having planted a black tomato and seen the result with their own eyes, having tasted the delicious fruits, they will never refuse to plant such varieties, and the reviews about “chocolate” tomatoes are the best.

• The most important thing is the color. True, I’ll say right away that black tomatoes are just a name, since the fruits are very different: dark burgundy, brown, chocolate, with a purple tint, brown, in a word, their color scheme is much darker than ordinary red and pink tomatoes. This color is due to the presence of a special group of substances in tomatoes, including anthocyanins - plant pigments.
• Pronounced tomato taste and aroma. This is explained by the large amount of sugars and various acids in the fruits of such tomatoes.
• Black tomatoes are simply a storehouse of vitamins and antioxidants, and it is unacceptable to miss such a vegetable, which only brings benefits to the body.

Anthocyanins, which are contained in black tomatoes, help strengthen the immune system, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, have an anti-cancer effect, and help reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol.

Don't forget about lycopene, which is also found in chocolate tomatoes, vitamin A, and other beneficial substances.

So, such tomatoes not only look unusual, but will also delight you with their excellent taste, and will also bring benefits.