Tomato Dark Chocolate: dark-fruited cherry tomatoes with excellent taste

Cherry is a special variety of tomatoes, which is distinguished by its small fruit size and excellent taste. In 2013, Agrofirm Poisk LLC filed an application to register a new variety called Dark Chocolate. The new variety is part of the popular Vkusnoteka series. In 2015, the new product was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia and received permission for cultivation in all regions of the country. Recommended for cultivation in film greenhouses of private farms. Not a hybrid.

Description of tomato variety Dark Chocolate with photo

Tomato Dark Chocolate is a variety of cherry tomatoes from the Vkusnoteka series. It was bred by agricultural specialists in 2013, and after 2 years it was included in the register of breeding achievements. Recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia, mainly under film cover or in greenhouses.

Main characteristics of the variety:

• indeterminate (grows throughout the season);
• tall (150-170 cm);
• mid-season (120-130 days).

The Black Chocolate tomato bush is quite tall and compact, the degree of foliage is average. The leaves are of a typical shape, medium in size, rich green in color with a corrugated surface. The flowers are small, light yellow, arranged in inflorescences of an intermediate type. The first appears above the 7-8 leaf. A large number of Dark Chocolate tomatoes are formed on each brush - up to 10-12 pieces.

Description of fruits

These tomatoes got their name due to the unusual color of the fruit. Dark burgundy tomatoes resemble large grapes or plums. Cherry fruits are small in weight - only 25 g; they reach 3-4 cm in diameter. The surface is glossy, without wrinkles or ribbing.

The taste has fruity notes, mainly bright sweet tones with delicate sourness. Tomatoes are quite juicy, so they are especially pleasant to eat fresh. Each tomato has 2 seed chambers. The seeds can be collected and stored - they will sprout next year, since Dark Chocolate is a variety, not a hybrid.

Tomatoes of the Dark Chocolate variety attract with their miniature size and original color.

Description of the tomato variety Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is an indeterminate variety; the bush grows up to 1.5–1.7 m. The formation and timely tying of shoots is mandatory. Leaves are of normal size and color. Medium-early ripening variety: fruit ripening begins approximately 3.5 months after emergence.

The fruits are borne on elongated racemes, which contain about ten tomatoes that ripen at the same time. The first cluster is tied after the 7th or 8th leaf. Ripe fruits are purple-brown with a green tint at the stalk, medium-sized, smooth, almost round. The weight of a tomato is about 25 g; these are so-called cocktail-type tomatoes. The fruits are medium dense and contain two seed nests. Cracking on bushes is not typical for tomatoes.

Almost all tomatoes within a cluster ripen at the same rate

Characteristics of tomato Dark chocolate

The first Dark Chocolate tomatoes appear 3.5 months after planting the seeds, that is, at the end of June. Peak fruiting occurs in mid-July (4 months after the first shoots).

Tomato yield Dark chocolate and fruiting

The yield of this variety is quite high - if you follow agricultural technology, you can get 3 kg from 1 bush. According to reviews from summer residents, in productive years you can remove 4-5 kg ​​from 1 plant.

*Dark chocolate tomato bushes are very light-loving, so no more than 3 plants can be planted per 1 m2.

Yields are primarily affected by growing conditions - the best results can be achieved if:

• plant bushes in a greenhouse;
• distribute them at a distance of at least 40-50 cm from each other so as not to thicken the plantings;
• water abundantly;
• regularly feed with superphosphates or complex mineral fertilizer (but not organic matter).

Important! Experienced gardeners recommend removing all the stepsons that go above the flower brush. The bush can be formed into 1 or 2 stems, leaving the strongest shoots. Otherwise, they will stretch out and the yield will decrease.

Area of ​​application of fruits

Tomatoes Dark chocolate is recommended to be used only fresh. They are great as an appetizer for meat dishes. They go well in salads, for preparing vegetable mixes, juices, and sauces. Can be used for preservation (lecho, adjika and other preparations).

However, the fruits are not suitable for whole-fruit canning - they have a very thin skin that bursts during long-term storage. Therefore, tomatoes are most often eaten immediately after harvest.

Resistance to diseases and pests

In general, Dark Chocolate tomatoes rarely suffer from diseases and pests. But as a preventative measure, it is recommended to treat with a fungicide, insecticide or folk remedies. It is better to do this a week before transferring the seedlings to the greenhouse or 7 days later.

Agricultural technology

To grow tomatoes, you need to sow seeds for seedlings. This procedure is carried out in mid-March. After 2 months, the seedlings are ready for transplanting. Planting pattern: 40 cm between bushes, 60 cm row spacing. After transplantation, the plants are tied up and formed into 1 - 2 stems. Although some vegetable growers grew the crop with 3 - 4 stems. Stepping is mandatory. Volume brushes need to be removed in time so that the remaining ones have time to mature. Watering is carried out as needed, but the soil should not be allowed to become waterlogged or overdry. Mineral fertilizers are used for feeding.

Amazing Dark Chocolate can grow and bear fruit well only in protected soil. The plant shows good productivity with sufficient care. In principle, agricultural technology is simple and corresponds to the culture as a whole. The variety is valued for its unusual color, fruity taste and yield. In addition, the dark pulp is very healthy as it contains anthocyanin. The harvest is not suitable for storage and processing. But tomato growers speak highly of the variety, and even in small quantities, they plan to plant it in subsequent years. Fortunately, you can always collect the seeds yourself by choosing the most beautiful tomatoes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Dark chocolate tomatoes produce tasty, beautiful fruits with an original color and a pleasant aroma. This is a very productive variety, and it can be grown in most regions of Russia.

Tomatoes Dark chocolate can be removed green and sent for ripening in a dark place

pros

• good yield;
• original coloring;
• very pleasant taste and aroma;
• can be sent for ripening.

Minuses

• needs to be tied up and pinched;
• after long-term transportation, the skin may crack;
• not suitable for whole fruit canning.

Characteristics of the variety

The fruits of the Dark Chocolate tomato are characterized by an excellent taste: they have a balanced content of organic acids and sugars, and fruity notes are discernible in the taste. Their use is universal: they can be consumed fresh, including for decorating various dishes, and for all kinds of preparations for the winter. It is possible to produce a dried product.

The color of tomatoes indicates an increased content of anthocyanins in the pulp, that is, this variety also has healing properties.

The yield of the variety is not very high: up to 5 kg of tomatoes can be harvested per square meter (according to the State Register, the average yield is 4.7 kg/m2). From a single bush the yield is about 2 kg. The variety has increased resistance to most diseases, but requires preventive treatments against late blight.

The fruits have a perfectly round shape and unusual coloring.

The main advantages of the variety are:

• excellent taste;
• disease resistance;
• tolerance to increased and decreased temperatures;
• good yield for cherry tomatoes;
• versatility of use.

Features of cultivation

Seeds can be planted for seedlings in early March (in the south - at the end of February). The seedlings will grow at home for 50-60 days, after which they are transferred to a garden bed or greenhouse. To grow Dark Chocolate tomatoes, it is advisable to use only fertile soil. You can make it yourself by taking garden soil with peat in equal quantities and adding a few pinches of wood ash. You can also add compost and humus (in equal proportions) with turf soil (take 2 times more of it).

The soil mixture, compiled independently, must be shed with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or a 3% hydrogen peroxide composition. The seeds are first checked for germination in 5% salt: if any grains float, they are immediately removed.

Standard instructions for growing seedlings:

1. Seeds are planted immediately in separate containers or in wooden boxes to a depth of 1.5 cm with an interval of 3 cm.
2. Moisten, cover with film with holes, place in a warm place at a temperature of 25 degrees.
3. Illuminated with a lamp for 12-13 hours and watered regularly.
4. Dive after 2-3 leaves appear, gradually reduce the temperature to room temperature.
5. A week before transplanting, seedlings are hardened at a temperature of 16-18 degrees.

Dark chocolate tomatoes are transferred to open ground in mid-May, and to a greenhouse - 1 week earlier. Planted in a line or in a checkerboard pattern, maintaining a distance of 40-50 cm between bushes and 60 cm between rows. It is important to immediately moisten the soil well, adding water for 3 days in a row.

It is best to grow Dark Chocolate tomatoes in a greenhouse

Further care is carried out as follows:

1. Watering regularly, 2 times a week.
2. Mulching the soil with hay or straw to retain moisture.
3. Fertilize every 2 weeks. To do this, use superphosphate mixed with an infusion of wood ash or a complex mineral fertilizer. It is advisable to alternate root and foliar feeding.
4. A garter to the trellis is required.
5. Pruning is carried out regularly, the bush is formed into 1 or 2 stems.

Advice! During flowering, it is recommended to spray Dark Chocolate tomato bushes with a mixture of whey (1 liter) with 15 drops of alcoholic iodine per 10 liters of water. This supplement promotes rapid formation of ovaries.

Pest and disease control

As a preventive measure against fungal diseases, Dark Chocolate tomato bushes can be treated with any fungicide at the end of May:

• Bordeaux mixture;
• "Topaz";
• "Ordan";
• "Tattu."

You can also use a universal remedy that helps cope with both infections and insects. Take a package of dry yeast or 2 tbsp. l. ordinary (50 g) and dissolved in 10 liters of water. Add 2 tbsp. l. sugar, infuse for several hours in a warm place. This product can be used to treat bushes 1-2 times a month.

If the insect infestation is too active, you will need to spray the Dark Chocolate tomatoes with insecticides:

• "Fitoverm";
• "Aktara";
• "Confidor";
• "Green Soap"

Solutions of baking soda, soap shavings, wood ash, infusion of onion peels, garlic and other recipes are used as folk remedies. Treatment is carried out in the late evening, in the absence of rain and wind.

Important! If you spray plants with chemicals, the fruits can be collected only after the waiting period (usually 5-10 days), which is always indicated in the instructions.

Diseases

Tomatoes "Chocolate Bunny" and "Dark Chocolate" do not like chemical fertilizers. A change in color from chocolate to brown, pink, and the appearance of spots on the skin indicate a decrease in the content of anthocyanin necessary for these varieties in the soil and an imbalance in the acid-base balance.

Agronomists advise sowing mustard and peas between rows or scattering freshly cut tops of these crops between the bushes. Weekly alternating feedings help: one week with a solution of chicken manure, another with crushed chalk, ash at the rate of a matchbox per bush.

With simple agricultural technology, the tomato varieties “Dark Chocolate” and “Chocolate Bunny” give a rich harvest. Chocolate cherry tomatoes will not only decorate the table, but also support health and diversify children's and dietary menus.