Everyone is used to the fact that the color of tomatoes varies from light pink to rich red, so unusual color options are of interest. In particular, this applies to black tomatoes. Such fruits immediately attract attention. Will they taste as weird?
In this article you will learn interesting and useful information about one of these varieties - the Black Elephant tomato.
Characteristics and description of the variety
The name “black” is a bit exaggerated for this variety. The color of the fruit is red-brown with a green tint when ripe . The dark spot is concentrated at the stalk. The fruits of this variety can be distinguished not only by color, but also by their flat, round shape.
Black elephant tomatoes
The weight of a ripe fruit is usually 200-300 g, but in some cases reaches 400 g. The plants have large green leaves, similar in shape and size to potato leaves. The bushes are medium-high: about 160 cm. Productivity is high: the average value is 4 kg, but can reach 9 kg per 1 sq.m.
"Black Elephant" is known for its unusual taste. Ripe tomatoes are juicy and fleshy. A large amount of sugar makes the fruits sweet, with a sour, tart taste.
Black elephant is consumed both fresh and after processing.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any variety, “Black Elephant” has advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Original color. Thanks to this shade, any dish with “Black Elephant” will look fresh and interesting.
- Unusual taste combining sweetness and acidity.
- High yield.
- Tomato grows both in greenhouse conditions and in open ground (but only in the southern territories of the country).
- It can be consumed not only fresh and in salads, but also processed into ketchup or juices, maintaining its wonderful taste.
Minuses:
- Plants require careful care: pinching, shaping and thinning bushes
- Not resistant to late blight (one of the most common plant diseases).
- Ripe fruits do not last long.
Area of application of fruits
Black elephant is consumed mainly fresh in salads. Thanks to its sweet taste and aroma, it gives unique properties to the dish. Pairs perfectly with salad sauces.
Due to their large size, tomatoes are not suitable for canning whole: they do not fit through the neck of the jar. But the fleshy pulp produces thick juice and tomato paste. The variety is great for making sauces and ketchup.
Interesting! Little secrets of growing delicious tomatoes
Rules for growing Black Elephant tomatoes
Despite the fact that this variety is relatively unpretentious, it is important to follow some rules in order to grow high-quality and tasty vegetables.
First you need to prepare the seedlings. This is done in the first ten days of March. Tomato seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting . This disinfects them. For the same purpose, you can pour boiling water over the prepared soil.
The soil is suitable both purchased and prepared independently. Such soil should include humus, peat, leavening agents in the form of sand or sawdust and leaf soil to increase the nutritional value of the material. The composition may differ slightly from what is proposed. The main thing is that the soil is loose and nutritious.
Prepared seeds are sown in seedling boxes filled with soil. They are planted in depressions of 1-2 cm, the gap between them should not exceed 2 cm. The trenches from the depressions are placed at a distance of 3-4 cm. The seedlings are sprinkled with soil, and the finished seedlings are covered with film or covered with glass to retain heat. Place the boxes in a warm place with a temperature of 25-26 degrees.
When the first shoots appear, it is important to provide the seedlings with plenty of light. It is transferred to the greenhouse in May-June. It depends on the air temperature: if the temperature does not drop below 10 degrees at night, it’s time to replant.
When transplanting the “Black Elephant” into a greenhouse, they are guided by several rules:
- the depth of the holes for planting must be at least 35 cm;
- the distance between the bushes must be at least 50 cm so that the plant can develop freely and the gardener can care for it;
- distance between rows – 1 m;
- When planting, a support is immediately placed near each bush so that the seedling is formed correctly during the period of active growth.
Tomatoes should be watered at the root on average once every 10 days. The frequency of watering depends on how hot the summer is and how quickly the soil drains. After watering, it is important to weed so that the soil absorbs water faster and more efficiently.
You can feed the plants with both mineral and organic fertilizers until the fruits appear. It is also recommended to cover the soil with mulch (chopped grass) to retain moisture.
We must not forget about pinching bushes. This is the name for removing excess shoots from plants so that nutrients are directed not towards growth, but towards the formation of fruits. Formation of 2-3 stems is allowed. We must not forget about thinning the foliage, in particular the lower ones, since the water that lingers on them causes burns on the plant when it evaporates. For the same reason, tomatoes are watered not by sprinkling, but at the root.
Important! Remember to ventilate the greenhouse and provide sufficient light to the tomatoes to prevent fungus and rot.
If you follow all the rules, then already on the 60th day from the moment of planting in a greenhouse or open ground, “Black Elephant” will delight you with ripe fruits. It is important to regularly collect ripe fruits to prevent them from rotting.
Planting and care
Planting seeds to obtain seedlings begins in the spring 15-20 days before planting in the ground. A mixture of 2 parts peat, 1 part turf soil, humus, 500 g of ash and 2 matchboxes of superphosphate is placed in small containers. The soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried in the oven. The seeds are also pre-treated with potassium permanganate, shed with plain water and deepened into moist soil by 1 cm. The distance between plants is 3-4 cm.
The containers are covered with polyethylene and left at a temperature of 25-27 degrees. After 3-5 days, shoots appear. After 7-10 days, you can plant the plants in open ground. 15-20 days after planting the seeds, flower stalks will appear.
To root the plants, first make holes 35-40 cm deep. The seedlings are laid out in a horizontal position so that adventitious roots are formed that will better nourish the shrub. The distance between specimens is 0.5 m, between rows – 1 m.
Related article:
The best varieties of black tomatoes
Further care consists not only of watering once every 7-10 days and loosening, but also of removing stepchildren. The foliage is also thinned out, leaving 2-3 shoots. When the plants become tall enough, they are tied to trellises. Before fruit set, the crop is regularly fed with nitroammophoska or mullein infusion.
Prevention of diseases and pests
The black elephant is susceptible to many diseases and pests, and therefore requires careful care.
To prevent the appearance of fungus, treat the bushes weekly with antifungal agents. Copper-containing preparations are suitable for prevention. In addition, do not neglect ventilating the greenhouse, mulching the soil, as well as pinching and thinning the bushes.
Diseases characteristic of the Black Elephant variety
Late blight. A common disease that manifests itself in the formation of dark spots on the fruits and leaves of plants. The entire plant is affected, and the tomatoes become unfit for consumption.
Prevention of late blight consists, first of all, in careful care of plants in order to increase its immunity. In addition, it is necessary to isolate tomatoes from other plants susceptible to this disease (in particular, potatoes). In the fall, do not forget to collect all plant debris, and in the spring, carefully dig up the soil.
The fight against the disease consists of immediately removing damaged fruits and shoots and treating the plant with anti-phytophthora preparations. Chemical agents are the most effective, but if the plant is already bearing fruit, then it is better to stop at biological products.
Verticillium wilt affects the leaves of the bush. They begin to turn yellow and curl, but do not die, thereby inhibiting the development of the plant.
This disease is a fungal disease. There are no effective drugs to combat it, so special attention is paid to prevention. It consists of sterilizing the soil before planting, as well as carefully caring for the plant. If the tomato does become infected, the bush must be immediately pulled out and burned.
Femosis provokes the formation of brown spots on the fruits, and subsequently their rotting.
Prevention of this disease also involves careful care of the plant. The tomato should be fed with nitrogen and organic fertilizers, but you should not overdo it. If you notice signs of the disease, you need to fight it with special drugs or medicine based on copper oxychloride. If therapeutic measures do not help, then the infected plant must be immediately removed and burned.
Streakiness is expressed as small yellow stripes on the plant. Causes shedding of flowers and shoots.
Methods to combat streakiness include disinfecting seeds before planting seedlings. After the seedlings need to be watered with a solution of potassium permanganate 2-3 times with an interval of 3 weeks. The planted plants are fed with a solution of succinic acid 4 times: after picking, when the plant has taken root, and then after 10, 20 and 30 days.
Affected plants should also be removed.
In addition, the “Black Elephant” is subject to an invasion of insects: whiteflies, slugs, mole crickets, spider mites, gnawing cutworms, and wireworms. The best method of control is mechanical collection of insects, so as not to use chemicals again. Insecticidal preparations (against insects) can only be used before the fruit appears.
Features of growing the variety
The agricultural technology for growing a particular variety depends on its characteristics, in particular on the timing of fruit ripening, on the type (determinant or not), on the type of early ripening, etc. The orange elephant is no exception - it has its own characteristics:
- seeds for seedlings should be prepared and sown two months before planting the sprouts in the ground - approximately March-early April (depending on the climatic conditions of the region);
- They can be planted in open ground in the third decade of May - early June (depending on the weather). It can be planted in closed ground earlier;
- It is better to fertilize the soil in advance: add organic matter before digging in the fall; complex mineral fertilizers are better in the spring;
- do not make dense plantings; plant bushes at a distance of 50x50 cm, preferably using the square-cluster method;
- regular watering, but avoid excessive waterlogging;
- if the soil is acidic, it must be deacidified by adding chalk, lime, etc.;
- heavy, clayey soils should be diluted with a mixture of sand and manure or compost, loosened more often, and not over-moistened;
- remove weeds in a timely manner and mulch the soil between tomato bushes;
- in open ground, it is best to place the beds from north to south - this way the tomatoes will be better and longer illuminated and warmed by the sun;
- It is better to tie up the bushes so that they do not break under the weight of the fruit, fall to the ground and begin to rot there;
- tied bushes, planted at the right distance, are better ventilated and easier to care for and water.
The Orange Elephant has no special care requirements. It is enough to create the most necessary, uncomplicated and unburdensome conditions for him and he will respond gratefully to them and give him delicious fruits.
Orange elephant tomatoes, judging by numerous reviews and photos, are completely undemanding, easy to care for, but incredibly tasty, very healthy, and beautiful. Anyone who raises colorful Elephants on their plot will not regret it and will be satisfied. Don't be afraid to experiment with unusual varieties of tomatoes - they give excellent results.
Reviews
Marina Kh., Kaliningrad: “Great variety. Super reliable. It bears fruit well both in greenhouses and in open ground. The taste is very good, although not too sweet, with sourness. The juice from it is good, but I add red varieties, because... not very beautiful. I’ve been planting it for many years as a safety variety.”
Nataly, Moscow: “I planted the Black Elephant variety for the first time last season. I really liked it! It was the most delicious (we tasted Watermelon, Brown Sugar and his).”
Maria, Smolensk: “I really love this variety! I definitely plant it every year. Grows in a greenhouse up to 1.5 m, very productive. Resistant to any weather disasters, healthy. I also like the taste, although I like sweet tomatoes, and Black Elephant is sour, but its taste is unusual, I can’t even describe it. The salad is juicy and meaty, just what you need.”
Photo of the bush
Advantages and disadvantages
The plant grows well both in a greenhouse and in open ground. Differs in productivity. The tomato attracts attention with its original appearance of fruits with excellent taste. Tomatoes have medicinal properties due to the significant content of antioxidants that help cleanse the body. Normalizes appetite and promotes weight loss. It has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and helps prevent cholesterol plaques. The high content of vitamin A in fruits has a positive effect on vision. It is a kind of aphrodisiac, stimulating sexual function. Anthocyanins contained in fruits help strengthen the immune system. Tomatoes are very useful in the treatment of prostate adenoma due to their high lycopene content.
The disadvantages include:
- Mandatory formation, pinching and thinning of bushes.
- Lack of resistance to late blight.
- According to reviews of individual summer residents, Black Elephant is a tomato that does not have high shelf life.
