Tomato Dark Galaxy: characteristics and description, reviews, photos, variety yield

The group of hybrid tomato plants is becoming increasingly popular. There are reasons for this. Hybrid tomatoes are more likely to bear fruit even in less favorable conditions. They ideally resist pathogenic microbes that can lead to serious problems in the growth and development of fruits. But not all hybrids are created equal. Reliable ones include a variety of tomato called Dark Galaxy, which has been grown by farmers for many years.

Despite the fact that the Dark Galaxy, according to the description and reviews, appeared not so long ago and was bred by breeders from the United States of America. The tomato has become popular and in demand in Russia. A huge number of domestic farmers appreciated the advantages of this tomato plant and recognized it as one of the best representatives of hybrids.

Description of variety and characteristics of fruits

The Dark Galaxy variety appeared in seed catalogs in 2012. We can safely say that this is an unusual representative of the tomato culture. Among others, it is distinguished by the appearance of the fruit and its amazing taste; in addition, it is worth emphasizing the following characteristics:

average size of a determinate variety;
dark galaxy grows in open ground or can be planted under film cover;
It is mandatory to carry out pinching, forming a couple of stems;
Spreading bushes, despite their average height, need a garter, which simplifies the care of the bushes and reduces the chances of developing diseases. A garter is also necessary due to the weak stem of the crop.

Tomato bushes of the Dark Galaxy variety, according to the description, are characterized by simple inflorescences and active development of clusters that can produce 6-7 fruits. The bushes produce a small amount of foliage, medium in size and dark green in color. The crop is characterized by high productivity.

Advice. The chances of high fruiting rates increase when gardeners adhere to planting rules and do not plant bushes densely.

After germination, it is enough to wait up to 110 days for the appearance of ripe fruits, which are characterized by:

medium size, 70-100 g;
unusual colors reminiscent of a galaxy (where the name comes from). When tomatoes ripen, they become chocolate-colored with small purple areas in the shoulder area;
the flesh has a rich red color;
the taste is sweet if the farmer followed the correct optimal watering regime;
The pulp is protected by a dense skin, which does not seem tough when eating the fruit.

The fruits of the Dark Galaxy variety, taking into account the characteristics, characteristics and reviews of many gardeners, can be called universal due to their fresh use and processing purposes. For commercial purposes, tomatoes of this type for growing became popular almost immediately, because they can easily be transported and retain their taste perfectly even during long-term storage.

Fact! Dark Galaxy tomatoes are known to be ideal for diabetics and people with allergies who abstain from eating red tomatoes. The composition of Dark Galaxy tomatoes is pleasantly surprising; it contains a lot of lycopene and a beneficial compound called beta-carotene.

How to sow and care

Seeds are planted at the end of March. Before sowing, they are treated with a weak solution of manganese to prevent them from being damaged by fungus or other pests. Seeds should not be planted deep into well-fertilized soil. Humus or peat is suitable as a fertilizer. After the seeds hatch and the first adult leaves appear, it is necessary to start picking in order for the plant to get stronger.

Landing rules

Farmers, when considering the Dark Galaxy tomato variety, should rely on the recommendations of professionals and plan sowing for the end of March. Pre-sowing treatment is required. To reduce the likelihood of developing fungal diseases or pest attacks that can destroy plants, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A good alternative is saline solution.

Sowing is carried out in universal soil with the addition of peat. Garden soil can be used only after it has been heat treated and additional fertilizer in the form of humus. The place for the seeds should be shallow, no deeper than a centimeter or one and a half. You need to wait until the tomato seedlings hatch, provide them with enough light on a well-lit windowsill or under a phytolamp. The first true leaves are picked. This helps the tomato to sprinkle.

To strengthen the seedlings, you should wait 65 days. During this time, seedlings must be quite stable for successful transplantation into the OG. An additional measure to achieve better rooting of seedlings in a new location is the hardening procedure. It should be done seven days before the transplant.

Containers with seedlings should be kept for several hours a day in a sunny place, protected from cold winds or drafts. A square meter of plot can be occupied by 5 or 6 Dark Galaxy tomato bushes. The planting site is dug up, fertilized and, if necessary, treated with potassium permanganate, which prevents crop diseases.

Advice! Each bush can be additionally fertilized with compost, but a complex mineral product in liquid form is preferable.

Plant characteristics

The bush is medium-sized, determinate and belongs to rare varieties of tomatoes. The plant is recommended for cultivation in open ground, but there are cases of growing Dark Galaxy F1 tomatoes in a greenhouse. The bush requires shaping and pinching. Also, due to the thin stem, it is recommended to tie the tomatoes to a support.

The inflorescences are simple and about 7 tomatoes are formed on one cluster. The leaf is dark green and medium in size. The crop has very good productivity. The tomato is average in terms of ripening. Ripe tomatoes are obtained on the 110th day.

Care process

The first thorough watering is carried out after replanting, then the plants are watered as the soil dries. Lighter soil may require frequent watering, while loamy soil sometimes requires irrigation to be reduced to once every 10 days. In many ways, farmers, according to reviews, need to water Dark Galaxy tomatoes taking into account the amount of precipitation, as well as the period of development of the crop. At the time of flowering, the irrigation regime is reviewed, it becomes more frequent, but at the same time they try to avoid oversaturation of the soil.

The stages of bush development provide key clues in terms of fertilization. Ideally, you need to alternate organic matter with mineral material. But during the flowering period, after which the stage of ovary formation begins, it is worth emphasizing the use of material with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. If a gardener notices problems with bush growth or foliage, a product with magnesium should be used to prevent the development of a deficiency of this component, which negatively affects the tomato plant.

You may be interested in: Dates for planting tomato seedlings in open ground and greenhouses according to the garden calendar Favorable days for planting tomatoes for seedlings in 2022 according to the lunar sowing calendar Favorable days for picking tomatoes in 2022 after germination: timing of picking tomato seedlings in the table by day

Important. A prerequisite is to create ideal air circulation. At the first stages of plant development, you should remove several lower leaves and loosen as carefully as possible so as not to harm the tomatoes. Over time, loosening is carried out more carefully.

Features of cultivation and storage

From the beginning of May to the beginning of June they are transplanted to open areas. Since April they have been planted under film. Make sure that the seedlings are at least 55 days old.

The beds are prepared for planting in advance; the following products are added and dug per 1 m2:

compost 1 bucket;
wood ash 1 cup;
superphosphate 20-25 g;
potassium sulfate 5-10 g.

Placement is carried out at a distance of 40-50 cm. No more than 4 bushes are planted per 1 m2.

The sun is shining or the weather is unstable, but tomatoes need a certain set of care points:

Moderate watering, the amount of water per bush is within 6-8 liters.
Watering is reduced 2 weeks before mass harvesting.
Fertilizing is mandatory at least 2 times a month.
Formation into 2-3 shoots, periodic pinching.

Pests and diseases

The main thing for a farmer to prevent attacks from pests is to carry out weeding on time. Gardeners who do not have such an opportunity use a good layer of mulch, which is known to be a reliable human assistant in weed control.

The Dark Galaxy variety, given its characteristics and features, is well resistant to diseases such as tobacco mosaic and powdery mildew. Farmers rarely have to deal with late blight. And other diseases are often saved by proper care and the use of preventive agents in the form of various decoctions and weak disinfecting solutions.

Varieties of blue tomatoes

"Indigo Rose" is a late-ripening tomato. Determinant. Grows in a greenhouse up to 1.5 m, in open ground up to 1 m. Blue-black tomatoes are round, weighing up to 70 g, universally used. The flesh is pink-red. It tastes sweet. Resistant to late blight.

“Amethyst Jewel” or “Amethyst Jewel” is a medium-ripening tomato. Indeterminate. Grows to approximately 1.2 m in open ground and 1.5 m in a greenhouse. The blue-pink fruits have the shape of a steak weighing up to 200 g. The flesh is pink and sweet.

Tomato “Amethyst Jewel”, or “Amethyst Jewel”.

Tomato "Blue Beauty"

“Blue Beauty” is an anto-tomato of medium ripening. Indeterminate. Grows up to 1.5 m. The fruits are beefsteak-shaped, weighing about 150 g, with sweetness. The flesh is red. Resistant to major diseases.

“Dancing with the Smurfs” or “Dancing with the Smurfs” is an anto-tomato of medium ripening. Indeterminate. Grows up to 1.8 m in a greenhouse, in open ground - up to 1.5 m. The fruits are round, small, weighing up to 30 g. The pulp is red, very sweet. Resistant to late blight.

Tomato “Dancing with the Smurfs”, or “Dancing with the Smurfs”.

Tomato "Blue Pear".

“Blue Pear” is a medium-ripening tomato. Indeterminate. Grows up to 1.5 m in open ground and slightly higher in a greenhouse. The fruits are pear-shaped, weighing up to 150 g. The pulp is red.

'P+20 Beauty King' is a medium-ripening tomato. Indeterminate. It grows up to 1.7 m. The fruits are slightly flattened, weighing up to 200 g. They have a golden-orange color with a pronounced purple “tan.” On the cut - yellow.

Tomato 'P+20 Beauty King'.

Tomato "Black Bunch F1".

“Black Bunch F1” - medium ripening, indeterminate. Grows up to 1.8m. The fruits are round, weighing up to 70 g. When cut, they are pink. It tastes like a sweet plum.

“Blue Stream”, or “Blue Bayou” - medium ripening, indeterminate. Grows up to 1.7 m. The fruits are round, weighing up to 150 g. When cut, they are pink-red. The stem and leaves have a blue tint.

Tomato "Blue Stream", or "Blue Bayou".

Tomato “Wooly Kate”.

"Wooly Kate" yellow and red - medium late tomatoes. Determinant. The bush is about 0.7 m high. The fruits are pubescent, weighing about 80 g. When cut, they are yellow or red, according to the variety. The taste is tomato. The stems and leaves have a bluish tint.

“Dark Galaxy” is a mid-late, indeterminate anto-tomato. Grows up to 2 m. The fruits are round, with purple strokes and gray specks on a red background, weighing up to 150 g. Red when cut. Regular tomato taste. Resistant to diseases.

“Red Charcoal” is an indeterminate tomato, grows up to 1.5 m. Round fruits weighing up to 200 g. Red when cut. The taste is normal, tomato.

Tomato "Dark Galaxy" Red Charcoal tomato.

“Chernichensky cherry” is a medium-late, indeterminate tomato. Grows up to 1.5 m. Fruits weighing about 50 g are red-black when cut.

"Blueberry" is a mid-season, indeterminate tomato. It grows about 1.5 m. The fruits weighing about 50 g are red when cut. The pulp is sweet with a slight sourness. The leaves have a purple tint. Resistant to diseases.

Tomato "Chernichensky cherry".

Blueberry tomato.

The Mystery of the Newly Discovered Dark Galaxy

The unexpected discovery of a massive Milky Way-sized system made mostly of dark matter changes theories about how galaxies form.

Author: Joshua Sokol

Among the more than 1,000 galaxies in the Coma Cluster, a massive collection of matter some 300 million light-years away, there is at least one galaxy that shouldn't exist.

Dragonfly 44 is a dim galaxy, with about one star for every hundred in our Milky Way. But it takes up about the same amount of space as the Milky Way. In addition, according to data published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters at the end of August, Dragonfly is comparable in mass to our galaxy. It's a strange combination: it's so dark, so wide, so massive, and some astronomers think it will force us to reconsider our theories of galaxy formation or help us understand the properties of dark matter, the mysterious material that interacts with normal matter through gravity.

The discovery happened almost by accident. Astronomers Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University and Roberto Abraham of the University of Toronto tested theories about how galaxies form by looking for structures that are invisible even with sophisticated telescopes: faint, thin and extended objects in the starry sky. Their team created the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, a group of modified Canon lenses that focuses light onto commercial camera sensors. This system was configured to cut out any stray light within the star cluster that might be hiding the dim object.

You've been on board a ship for several months and suddenly someone shouts: Earth! But this land is not on the map.

The plan was to study the faint streaks of light from nearby galaxies. But the famous Coma cluster - a cluster of giant structures that long ago inspired astronomer Fritz Zwicky to present a hypothesis about the existence of dark matter - attracted the attention of researchers. “Basically, we just couldn't resist taking a look at Kom,” says Abraham. “You can think of this discovery as a result of a lack of discipline.” They planned to study the intracluster Coma light, a faint glow found between galaxies within a cluster.

Instead, they found 47 persistent faint spots, each about the diameter of the Milky Way. However, according to generally accepted models of galaxy formation, anything this big shouldn't be this dim.

In theoretical models, clumps of dark matter fill the universe along with light. First, dark matter clouds coalesce into relatively dense structures. The gas and fragments of other galaxies are then compressed at the center under the influence of gravity. They stretch into a disk and turn into luminous stars - what we eventually see in telescopes. This whole process is quite predictable for large galaxies such as our Milky Way. Having data on the dark matter halo or the number of stars, you can establish another factor with an accuracy that is a multiple of two.

Dark Galaxy Dragonfly 44. The scale corresponds to a distance of 10 kiloparsecs or approximately 33,000 light years (Pieter van Dokkum, Roberto Abraham, Gemini Observatory / AURA)

“This is not just dogma. There are no known exceptions to this rule,” says Jeremy Ostriker, an astrophysicist at Columbia University.

After Abraham and van Dokkum realized that they appeared to be observing 47 exceptions, they began searching the literature. They found that similar fuzzy clumps had been on the verge of discovery since the 1970s. Van Dokkum believes that astronomy's transition from photographic plates - which may be better suited to capturing expanded, blurry objects - to modern digital sensors may have hidden them from further study.

Abraham and van Dokkum first noticed these spots in the spring of 2014. Since then, similar "ultra-diffuse galaxies" (UDGs) have been discovered in other galaxy clusters, such as the Virgo and Fornax clusters. And in the Coma cluster, according to one study, there may be more than a thousand of them, including 332 almost as large as the Milky Way.

At the same time, the Dragonfly team is working on the theory that these dim galaxies are exceptions that contradict existing theory, failed galaxies. Dark matter creates the rudiments of a spiral disk and stars, but for some reason the luminous structure does not develop in them.

This version appeals to experts like Ostriker, who considers van Dokkum's previous records to be highly credible. “There are plenty of other people who could have discovered this if they had been more skeptical,” Ostriker said. “The easiest way to explain this mystery is to accept that it is correct.”

However, not everyone agrees with this version. Although UDGs can be large, they are not necessarily massive. One idea is that these UDGs could be lightweight galaxies that appear swollen because they are caught in the gravitational ebb and flow of the Coma cluster.

Michelle Collins, an astronomer at the University of Surrey, argues that "the only place where we see extreme things is in the group of galaxies around the local cluster." The scientist cites his experience of observing faint, "dwarf galaxies" that are often seen orbiting larger ones like the Milky Way - "they're just structures that are being torn apart." This means that most UDGs are simply large dwarf galaxies in the process of breaking apart.

Another idea is that galaxies can "breathe." In late 2015, Karim El-Badri, then a student at Yale University, suggested that galaxies can expand and contract. During this process, gas first enters the galaxy, forming massive stars—the “inhalation.” Such stars quickly end their lives in the form of supernova explosions, which scatter gas beyond the galaxy - “exhale”. The gas then cools and gravity pulls it back toward the center. In a lonely galaxy, this rhythm can continue indefinitely. But in the harsh conditions of the Coma Cluster, where hot gas fills the space between the structures, the gas can leave the entire galaxy in a bloated state when it "exhales."

The Dark Twin of the Milky Way Ultradiffuse Galaxy Dragonfly 44 has almost the same mass as the Milky Way, but its mass is almost entirely dark matter (all figures are approximate). The Milky Way is 1 trillion solar masses. Dragonfly 44 - 1 trillion masses of the sun Milky Way - 90 percent of the mass is dark matter Dragonfly 44 - 99.9 percent of the mass is dark matter Milky Way - 100 to 400 billion stars Dragonfly 44 - 1 to 4 billion stars

Another version, proposed in March 2016 at Harvard University by astrophysicists Nicola Amorisco and Avi Loeb, is that UDGs are ordinary galaxies that rotate rapidly. “It’s very natural in our scenario,” says Loeb.

This idea complements the standard theory of galaxy formation, which posits that gas fills a halo of dark matter to create a galaxy. As less material becomes available, the galaxy begins to rotate. The amount of rotation is determined by the size of the final galaxy. In the absence of sufficient rotation, gravity pulls the galaxy into a more compact shape. But structures with high rotation potential can spin themselves into a large, lightweight disk.

According to this model, UDGs are natural examples of very fast tops. In this case, the elongated disks would not be dense enough to form as many stars as a slower rotator like the Milky Way, which would explain why they appear so dim.

These ideas, according to Abraham, may explain the emergence of some UDGs. "It's likely there's a combination of reasons at play here," he said. But according to his team's latest data, collected from 33.5 hours of observations with the 10-meter Keck II telescope in Hawaii, there is no evidence that the Dragonfly 44 galaxy is rotating. In addition to this, they point out that the total mass of the galaxy - about a trillion of the mass of the suns - is large enough that the structure does not rupture like a dwarf galaxy, and is heavier than periodically inflating galaxies.

Many of the properties that dark matter should have... these galaxies do not exhibit

This mass value is the real stumbling block, says Philip Hopkins, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology who is writing several papers on UDG. It comes from two different observations of parts of Dragonfly 44. First, the movements of stars in the inner regions of the galaxy indicate that it is a heavy zone filled with dark matter. Second, the outskirts of the galaxy are home to a number of globular clusters—opaque, ancient collections of stars. Just as the number of stars in a galaxy is usually related to the amount of dark matter, observations show that the more globular clusters of stars there are in a galaxy, the greater the mass of the dark matter halo. Dragonfly 44 corresponds to the Milky Way in this respect. Other UDGs also appear to have many globular clusters.

So even if it turns out that these UDGs do not have heavy dark matter halos, researchers still have to explain why they have so many more globular clusters than they should according to existing ideas. “There’s something weird about it all,” says Hopkins, “but at the same time it’s really cool.”

The discovery generated enough interest to secure a team of researchers valuable observing time on the Hubble Space Telescope to study the globular clusters inside Dragonfly 44. “The thing that I find fun is that we are using mankind's most powerful telescope in space to study the reflections of multiple lenses “says Abraham. To fully understand the relationship between dark matter and globular clusters, we will need to evaluate the motions of the clusters - and to do this we will have to wait until the James Webb Telescope launches in 2022.

Peter van Dokkum, an astronomer at Yale University and a member of the team that discovered Dragonfly 44.

In parallel, they want to find and study even more galaxies similar to Dragonfly 44, preferably located further from the cluster, free from the cluster environment and located closer to us. The question of whether they exist elsewhere, and if so, in what form, remains open. “To understand what UDGs are, we need to look for them outside galaxy clusters and see what they look like there,” says Loeb. There are already several candidates, says van Dokkum, and they are now being studied by the Keck and Hubble telescopes.

For theorists like Ostriker, this is an exciting prospect. If the motions of stars in a galaxy like Dragonfly 44 can be studied more closely, it will be possible to test current theories about dark matter and form new ideas about how this missing mass might be redistributed. The leading theory about cold dark matter suggests that it should accumulate at the center of the galaxy. Right now, the dark matter-dominated galaxies we can study are near-dwarf galaxies and do not exhibit these characteristics. "Many of the properties that dark matter should have... these galaxies do not exhibit." Ostriker says. “We don’t know how these things are formed and we need to change our point of view.”

Our Milky Way's dark twin must resolve this discrepancy. In a universe of other galaxies the size of the Milky Way, stars and gas may outweigh dark matter in the central regions by a factor of five to one. Therefore, it is incorrect to explain gravitational attraction by dark matter alone. But Dragonfly 44's center is 98 percent dark matter, meaning studying the galaxy's central mass would provide unprecedented insight into its properties, Ostriker says.

The method by which we can explain UDG is not yet entirely clear, Abraham admits, but there is hope that some of the current interpretations will be confirmed over the next few years of observation. “In astronomy, the most effective thing is still to be a researcher. On the Dragonfly issue, we are all like Leif Eriksson (the Scandinavian navigator who visited North America five centuries before Christopher Columbus - ed.),” he says. — You’ve been on board a ship for several months and suddenly someone shouts: Earth! But this land is not on the map.”

Original: TheAtlantic

Tomato varieties of unusual shape

In this category, the favorites are ribbed tomatoes, as well as “cream”, “pears” and “pepper”. They surprise with their atypical fruit shape and rich taste.

Popular varieties:

Pink Accordion - bred in Mexico, has taken root well in the greenhouses of Russian gardeners. According to reviews, it is a sweet tomato with an unusual internal structure and appearance.

The bushes are tall, up to 1.3 meters. The tomatoes are ribbed, corrugated when cut, almost hollow. In the ripe stage it is a rich pink color. The weight of the fruits reaches 500-600 grams, ideal for preparing stuffed dishes;

The best sweet yellow varieties of tomatoes On their plots, gardeners, in addition to traditional red tomatoes, grow varieties with yellow colored fruits. In them...

Tomande is an interesting variety with ribbed fruits of bright crimson color. They grow on bushes up to 300-500 grams, when cut they resemble a luxurious rosebud. The variety came to Russia from the USA and is cultivated in greenhouses. Not particularly suitable for salads; it is better to use it for making juice and pasta. The pulp is fleshy, rich in taste;
Mushroom basket is a variety known to Russian gardeners, famous for its productivity and unusual appearance of the fruit. Grows well in greenhouses, as well as in garden beds without shelter. Plants up to 90-100 cm in height, medium foliage. The tomatoes are large, up to 500 grams. Usually the largest fruits ripen in the lower tier; tomatoes weighing 200-300 grams go higher. The fruits are clearly ribbed, red, and have many hollow chambers inside. They look great sliced and used as garnish for dishes.
Burgess Stuffing is an indet, very tall variety (up to two meters or more). They are grown specifically for the use of fruits in decoration and stuffing. Tomatoes are cube-shaped, very reminiscent of sweet bell peppers. There is no pulp inside, the thick-walled shell is fleshy and sweet. Color – crimson-red;

Black pear - the tomato surprises with its shape and color. The harvest is harvested in approximately 110-115 days, the tomatoes are dense, pear-shaped, with beautiful glossy skin. Weight is small, up to 40-70 grams. When fully ripe, the color is dark burgundy with brown spots. The fruits are tasty in pickling and marinades;
Emerald pear is another green-fruited variety that is tasty and sweet. In greenhouses it grows over two meters and is highly resistant to late blight and rot. The “pear” fruits are dense and weigh about 100 grams. The color of the fruit when fully ripe is unusual – green with dark “shoulders”. Taste – fruity, pleasant aroma;
Ocean F1 – cherry tomato, intended for cultivation on ridges and in shelters. Differs in extended terms of delivery of tomatoes. Small, 20-30 gram tomatoes of rich red color ripen on the branches. Pleasant taste and productivity - these characteristics of the hybrid attract summer residents;
Amethyst Cream Cherry is a rare variety of multi-colored cherry. The bushes are powerful, tall, up to two and a half meters. The fruits ripen quickly, reaching a weight of approximately 18-20 grams. The color is original: cream with brown-violet streaks in the area of the stalk. This variety is known for the excellent keeping quality of tomatoes. Suitable for preservation, also used in salads, for decorating culinary dishes;
Honey candy F1 is a hybrid from Russian breeders, from the group of raceme tomatoes. Fruitful, at the ripening stage the bushes are strewn with small “cream” fruits of yellow-orange color. Needs shaping and tying to supports.

On a note!

Many varieties of cherry tomatoes are grown for fresh consumption. Their fruits are sweet, like candy, and young children love them very much.

Also known are the cherry varieties Honey Drop, Cranberry in Sugar, Porpora, Blosem F1, Ira, Pinocchio.