Amethyst Jewel is a tomato variety developed by plant breeder Brad Gates. The fruits have a non-standard color, shape and exotic taste, for which the tomato has received recognition from gardeners.
| Height | Landing location | Ripening time | Fruit color | Fruit size | Origin | Fruit shape |
| Tall | Greenhouse, Open ground | Mid-early | Purple | Average | Variety | Round |
Description and characteristics of the variety
Indeterminate variety of tomatoes, reaching 180 m in height. Medium-early, medium-leaved plant with spreading bushes. The original name of the variety is tomato 'Amethyst Jewel'. Recommended for cultivation in central regions due to suitable climatic conditions.
The fruits are slightly flattened and round in shape. The tomato skin is quite durable, which prevents cracking. A distinctive feature is the color of the fruit - technically ripe tomatoes have a dark purple color, and fully ripe tomatoes have an almost black area near the stem with rays smoothly transitioning to a bright pink top. In cross section the fruits are pink in color.
The peculiarity of the variety is not only that the tomatoes have a non-standard coloring, but also that the stems can also have a bluish tint. Therefore, you should not immediately be afraid that the plant is sick.
Benefits of tomatoes
It is worth mentioning the features of the tomato variety Amethyst Jewel:
- Suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground.
- The bushes are spreading, with medium foliage. When cultivated in open beds, it does not grow higher than 1.5 meters.
- In a greenhouse they bear fruit in 110-117 days (average ripening period).
- High level of productivity. The brush bears 5-6 fruits. You can harvest up to 10 kg of tomatoes from a bush.
- Resistance to long-term storage and transportation. After being picked from the bush, tomatoes can ripen in boxes for 1-2 months.
- They bear fruit for a long time, until September - in open ground and even longer - in greenhouses.
- Resistant to most diseases - fusarium, late blight. Sometimes they can be affected by gray mold.
- Versatility.
You will be interested in: Natalia Puzenko’s grapes: breeding rules, pruning, seedlings, varieties, tips and recommendations for caring for the vineyard
Features of cultivation
Seeds are sown in seedling pots 60-65 days before planting in the ground. The variety is unpretentious to soil indicators. Sprouts for seedlings are kept in a well-lit room. Formed plants also require sunlight: the more of it, the darker the fruits will be. It is recommended to keep the sprouts at a temperature of 23˚C until the first shoots appear.
To grow a large stem, place 2 seedlings in seedling pots. In the process of development, they grow together, forming one powerful trunk.
After 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, they are picked - transplanted into a larger container with a new soil mixture. Such seedlings are placed in a room with a temperature of 17˚C during the day and 19˚C at night. Such manipulations contribute to the proper development of the first bunch of tomatoes. If you do not follow these rules of agricultural technology, the yield may decrease.
Preparing seedlings
Seeds should be sown 60-67 days before planting tomatoes in the garden. The grains germinate well and amicably.
First, the seeds are disinfected (if they were obtained independently) by soaking them in the prepared solution. It can be prepared by adding 1 g of manganese or 0.5 g of soda or aloe juice (50 ml by 50 ml) to 100 ml of water.
The soil is prepared in advance. You can purchase it in a special store. Otherwise, the ground will be disinfected. To do this, just heat it in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 °C, or pour boiling water or a strong solution of potassium permanganate on it. The seeds are laid out in rows on moist soil and covered with a thin layer of soil on top, then the soil is lightly moistened.
When shoots appear, the covering material is removed. After the first leaves sprout, the seedlings are planted in cups.
Experts recommend placing two seedlings in one glass. When they grow to 13-15 cm, the stems are tied with nylon thread. Gradually they grow together, and the tip of the weak one is pinched off. As a result, a bush with a powerful stem will be formed.
To prevent the soil from drying out, you need to cover it with polyethylene or glass. Before germination, the container should be in a warm room, at a temperature of 23.
After the sprouts appear, the protection is removed
As soon as leaves form, carefully move the seedlings into small containers
To grow strong bushes, you need to place 2 shoots in each glass. When their height reaches 13-15 cm, the stems are tied with nylon thread. They grow together, and the upper part of the weak plant is pinched. The result is 1 bush with a strong stem.
For proper development of seedlings, you need to keep the pots in a bright room. The temperature there should remain 23-24 degrees throughout the day. It can be reduced after 1.5-2 weeks. Then the first brushes of the Amethyst Jewel will develop correctly.
When moving seedlings, you need to protect them from drafts and temperature changes. Seedlings should be in an upright position and covered with polyethylene.
After transplanting tomatoes, you need to slightly moisten the soil. The bushes should be located at a distance of 51-56 cm from each other. The optimal distance between the beds is 70-80 cm.
The holes are made in a checkerboard pattern to make it easier to monitor the condition of the plants and fix them.
Planting and care
60-65 days after preparing the seedlings, the seedlings can be moved to their place of permanent growth. Drafts and too low or high temperatures should be avoided - this will adversely affect the fruiting of the bushes.
The plant is characterized by medium foliage, so it is recommended to leave 70-80 cm between bushes for passage.
Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology will allow the gardener to significantly increase the yield and taste of fruits. Caring for the variety includes a number of activities.
- Timely watering. It should be done as the soil dries out. It is best to water with warm water early in the morning or in the afternoon.
- Stepsonning. To get rid of excess vegetation, it is recommended to trim the stepsons. This will allow all the plant’s forces to be directed to feeding the fruits, and not to maintaining the leaves in shape. This also allows the fruits to be fully saturated with sunlight and obtain a characteristic color.
- Weeding and loosening. Produced for improved air-gas conditions and moisture retention. This is also considered a preventive measure for weeds.
- Feeding. Amethyst Jewel tomatoes require regular fertilization with mineral and organic substances.
Stepping up shoots
After the formation of the first inflorescence in the leaf axils, side shoots begin to grow in tomatoes. If the bushes are not formed, then all the plant’s nutrition will be directed to increasing the green mass.
In the indeterminate Amethyst Jewel, the process of forming side shoots does not stop. Therefore, in order to obtain a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to regularly prun the tomato bushes.
In the climatic conditions of central Russia, any shoots and ovaries of the Amethyst Jewel that formed in August will no longer have time to fully form and ripen. Therefore, it is recommended to trim them. You should also pinch out all growing points of the bushes in early August so that the plant does not waste nutrition on further growth.
In the conditions of central Russia, it is recommended to leave one or two stems in the bush. If you initially plan to form bushes from one stem, then you can place the seedlings more densely.
Unusual Amethyst Jewel tomatoes add exquisite variety to your summer diet. Simple plant care will allow even novice gardeners to grow this variety, and the original coloring of the fruits will become a real decoration of their summer cottage.
The Amazing Fruits of the Amethyst Jewel
This exotic tomato variety belongs to the bicolor group. The color of the fruit combines 2 primary colors, as shown in the photo. Even in an unripe state, the fruits have a dark color on the shoulders (closer to the stalk), and the tip is lighter. The violet hue, continuous near the stalk, gradually splits into separate stripes and dots. When the fruit ripens, the dark color remains, but the tip becomes pink. The combination of colors is reminiscent of the play of shades of an amethyst gem, for which the variety received its original name.
Description of mid-early tomato Ilya Muromets and agricultural cultivation technology
Read
Not all gardeners like the taste of ripe Amethyst Jewel tomatoes. Reviews agree on one thing: the fruits lack the sourness characteristic of tomatoes. The dessert's sweet, almost caramel-like flavor is distasteful to many. Therefore, this variety is not suitable for lovers of traditional tomatoes, but children will certainly like it.
The disadvantages of Amethyst Jewelry include:
- thin skin;
- property of cracking with sudden changes in temperature.
But tomatoes, collected completely intact, are distinguished by their high keeping quality and the ability to ripen in boxes within 1-2 months after being picked from the bush. This allows you to extend the period of eating fresh vegetables from your garden.
The average weight of the fruit is 130-200 g. The shape of the tomato is flat-round, suitable for canning in its entirety. Despite the thin skin, fruits in marinades retain a dense pulp consistency and do not fall apart. Amethyst Jewel tomatoes can also be used to make juice or lecho, since only the skin has an exotic color. The pulp is rich pink in color, with numerous small seed chambers. The unusual taste of the fruit is also suitable for making jam or preserves from tomatoes.
The variety is not a hybrid. Seeds from plants grown on your own plot can be left for the reproduction of the variety. But to preserve the color characteristic of Amethyst Jewel, these bushes should not be planted next to red-fruited varieties.
Preparing seedlings
Seeds should be sown 60-67 days before planting tomatoes in the garden. The grains germinate well and amicably.
First, the seeds are disinfected (if they were obtained independently) by soaking them in the prepared solution. It can be prepared by adding 1 g of manganese or 0.5 g of soda or aloe juice (50 ml by 50 ml) to 100 ml of water.
The soil is prepared in advance. You can purchase it in a special store. Otherwise, the ground will be disinfected. To do this, just heat it in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 °C, or pour boiling water or a strong solution of potassium permanganate on it. The seeds are laid out in rows on moist soil and covered with a thin layer of soil on top, then the soil is lightly moistened.
The box with seeds is covered with plastic wrap or glass and placed in a warm place for germination.
When shoots appear, the covering material is removed. After the first leaves sprout, the seedlings are planted in cups.
Experts recommend placing two seedlings in one glass. When they grow to 13-15 cm, the stems are tied with nylon thread. Gradually they grow together, and the tip of the weak one is pinched off. As a result, a bush with a powerful stem will be formed.
