Description of the tomato variety Carbon (Carbon), its characteristics and cultivation

This American hybrid variety is a godsend for lovers of dark-fruited tomatoes. By the way, he is a repeated champion of various agricultural competitions in his homeland.

A distinctive feature of “Carbon” is that the bush stops growing in height after the formation of 8-10 flower clusters on it. This is a positive point, since at this time the bush should no longer spend energy on the formation of new ovaries, but on the ripening of already set fruits.

Features of the tomato variety Carbon

Carbon tomatoes are popular among US gardeners. Every year the culture there participates in various well-known competitions and collects many awards. For example, its fruits have already been called the most delicious among all black-fruited tomatoes.

In Russia and neighboring countries, the Carbon variety is still considered exotic. But some gardeners have already managed to try it on their summer cottages. The bright rich taste of the vegetable overcomes all the shortcomings.

Gardeners are not bothered by even the instability of the variety (this problem is especially noticeable when growing crops in open ground). Under the same conditions, the yield may be different. You have to adapt to growing a crop.

It is unknown how long ago the Carbon variety was bred. But it definitely appeared in the USA. The culture was first described in detail in thematic reference books back in 1998. Since then, it began to gradually spread throughout the world. The Carbon variety reached its peak of popularity in 2005. Then its unique taste qualities were noted in a popular television show.

The table will show you additional characteristics of the variety:

Tomatoes are universal in purpose. They are delicious to eat simply fresh, add to any salads, make juices, purees, and all kinds of sauces from tomatoes. But it is worth remembering that during heat treatment, the skin of Carbon tomatoes quickly cracks. Therefore, they are not well suited for canning whole and may not look very attractive in a dish after long baking.

Fruit characteristics

For the Carbon variety, one of the main values ​​is its high yield, which reaches 8 kg per plant. If you plant the bushes close enough, which is possible with properly formed tomatoes, you will get an impressive harvest. This amount of fruit will be enough for a large number of vitamin salads and for winter wraps.

The fruits of the Carbon variety are quite large. Tomatoes are formed on the lower branches, the weight of which can reach 400 g. Higher up there will be smaller fruits. On average they weigh 300 g.

Tomatoes grow round and flat. This is a typical shape for salad tomatoes. But their color is unusual. The fruits are crimson with burgundy and brownish stripes. Inside there is dense flesh of a rich raspberry color. The tomato skin is quite soft. This makes them suitable for preparing salads and vegetable snacks, but such tomatoes are not suitable for long-term transportation or long-term storage.

As for canning, large fruits cannot be pickled or salted in their entirety. Moreover, they will burst when treated with hot brine. But Carbona fruits are great for juices, sauces and tomato paste. In this case, the workpiece acquires a very interesting color.

The taste of Carbon tomatoes is very pleasant. The juicy but dense pulp has a pronounced sweetness, but with a slight sourness. Those who have tried to grow this tomato leave only positive reviews about it.

Advantages and disadvantages

Tomato Carbon, the description of the variety and photos of which will certainly be of interest to gardeners, has an impressive list of advantages and a minimal number of disadvantages. Anyone who plans to plant a crop on their site should familiarize themselves with them.

Among the advantages of the variety are:

• high productivity;
• resistance to decrease in ambient temperature;
• large juicy vegetables;
• bright rich taste of fruits;
• immunity to common diseases;
• the ability to collect your own seeds and plant them;
• a high percentage of useful, essential substances for the body;
• independent growth restriction (sometimes the crop slows down the development of the top, thereby easing the gardener’s task);
• extended fruiting process.

Among the disadvantages of the crop, the instability of yield stands out first. This problem most often occurs when tomatoes are grown in open ground. Sometimes it is impossible to predict the result - and a decent harvest cannot be grown even with high-quality care.

Due to the thin skin, the culture has low shelf life. They are difficult to transport over long distances.

How to choose the best variety?

When choosing this or that tomato, everyone proceeds from their personal preferences.

But you should also pay attention to the varietal characteristics:

1. Zoning. The very first and most important criterion. Tomatoes intended for the southern regions are more leafy and powerful. They need a large number of leaves to protect them from the scorching rays of the sun. In the short northern summer, they simply do not have time to develop.

1. Terms of ripening. In regions with an unstable climate, mid- and late-ripening tomatoes do not always have time to fully ripen. Therefore, preference should be given to early ripening, standard ones.
2. The height of the bushes. If there is no opportunity for tying and constant pinching, you should choose low-growing determinate tomatoes. They bear fruit well when grown without removing the shoots.
3. Purpose of fruits. For preservation, small-fruited tomatoes with dense skin and pulp are chosen. Large beef tomatoes for preparing salads and preparations. If tomatoes are consumed fresh, what is most important is their appearance and taste. Currently, fruit varieties are available in different shapes and colors. The most popular tomato color is, of course, red, but there are also seeded varieties that are yellow, orange, or striped.
4. As for the size of the fruit, you can choose from small, 30 gram cherry tomatoes (cocktail) to huge fleshy tomatoes, reaching a weight of 500-600 g. Tomatoes with smaller fruits usually have more delicate skin, look great on a dish and in a vegetable bed, because that numerous fruits are collected in decorative clusters.
5. Growing conditions. Tomatoes for greenhouses are not suitable for unstable open ground conditions; their yields are reduced by 2-3 times. In addition, they are not so resistant to changes in temperature and humidity, which leads to the development of a number of fungal and viral diseases.
6. Possibility of growing with minimal care. Not everyone has the opportunity to care for tomato beds every day. Not all varieties require careful care. In such a situation, it is better to choose tomatoes that are resistant to stressful growing conditions and do not require gartering or removal of shoots. The least attention is required for varieties with rigid stems that can support the weight of ripening fruits. These are often dwarf varieties, varieties that grow to a certain height. Their opposite is indeterminate tomatoes, which grow throughout the growing season. These plants require strong supports, systematic tying and control of growth force by cutting off the tips of the shoots.

The earliest varieties require about 55 days (from the moment of planting the seedlings) to the first ripe fruits, so you can count on tomatoes from your garden in mid-July. August and early September constitute the peak harvest period. Determinate tomatoes finish bearing fruit in a shorter period of time, while varieties with a continuous growth type develop flowers and set fruit all the time. Thanks to this, they provide a harvest in the long term - but we must not forget to remove excess shoots and flowers, because the plants cannot cope with feeding too many fruits.

The best early-ripening and productive tomato varieties for 2022 are discussed in detail below. In this rating, everyone will definitely find an option that suits them.

Description of culture

The carbon crop variety is called capricious. This is because he does not like rainy summers and does not tolerate heat well. But the rare bright and rich taste of ripened fruits makes the variety very attractive to gardeners, despite possible difficulties.

To better understand how to care for a crop, what difficulties may arise in the process, it is worth studying detailed information about the timing of its ripening, tolerance to cold and heat, and yield.

Ripening period

The variety is called mid-season. After the crop seedlings appear and move to their permanent “place of residence,” you can expect the first fully ripened fruits in about 112-118 days.

Producers of the variety note that the ovary quickly appears on the bushes. But you have to wait quite a long time for the ripe fruits themselves. Sometimes the period reaches 125-128 days. But over a long period, it is possible to collect ripe vegetables from the bushes from time to time. This process usually continues until October.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

Carbon tomatoes do not tolerate heat well. If you leave the crop to grow in an open area under the scorching sun, its leaves can quickly burn. In warm weather, the plant requires regular watering. For normal growth and development of bushes, the gardener has to carefully monitor the condition of the soil.

As soon as it becomes dry, you need to organize high-quality watering as soon as possible. At the same time, “hygienic procedures” for such tomatoes should be uniform. If watering is often insufficient or, conversely, excessive, the vegetables will begin to crack.

The Carbon variety tolerates cold well. Therefore, it can be grown in different regions. But frosts are destructive for him. Usually culture does not meet them.

Since the seedlings are transferred to the ground in the warm spring, and by the autumn frosts the harvest is fully harvested. If the region is characterized by the first frosts already in October, then this variety of tomatoes should only be grown in greenhouse conditions.

Appearance of plant and fruit

The Carbon variety produces small bushes. The height of their trunks, as noted above, usually does not exceed 1.5 m. This indicator depends on the conditions under which the crop is grown. So, in open ground the height of the bushes does not exceed 90-100 cm. But in a greenhouse it is usually higher. In rare cases, the trunk height can reach 2 m.

The bushes grow and are not too dense. But at the same time, they require reliable fixation so that they do not eventually break under the weight of the fruit. Therefore, tying becomes a mandatory procedure when caring for the crop.

5-6 tomatoes are usually formed on the plant's clusters. They are fleshy, round and slightly flattened on the sides. The shade of the fruit is called differently. For example, cherry chocolate.

On average, the weight of one tomato is 260-280 g. But vegetables weighing up to 0.5 kg can also be found on the lower clusters. True, they often have an unattractive appearance - an asymmetrical shape, a large dark spot on the top, dry “wrinkles”.

The further up the bushes, the smaller the fruits. But they align towards the top.

Cross-section of tomato fruits of the Carbon variety.
Tomatoes have thin, smooth skin, which makes them not suitable for canning. The fruits have many chambers but few seeds. And the pulp is fleshy, tender, with a lot of juice. If you press on a ripe vegetable, it will probably burst quickly.

All this reduces the commercial quality of the variety. The fruits are poorly stored and difficult to transport over long distances. Tomatoes can also crack due to excessive watering during the ripening process or sudden temperature changes.

Productivity

There are currently no exact figures on the yield of the variety. If you study the reviews of gardeners on this topic, they also turn out to be radically different. Some say that only a few vegetables are ripe on the bushes, others are happy that the branches literally break under the weight of a huge number of ripe fruits.

The main reason is the capriciousness of the variety, which was already mentioned above in the article. While tomatoes usually grow well in the Krasnodar region, Carbon doesn’t like the heat. If you do not shade the crop in warm regions with a special net, you will definitely not be able to achieve a high yield.

In general, regulating the temperature for this variety is difficult. Even in a greenhouse. It is also strictly forbidden to pour too much water under the bushes, choose fertilizers with a high nitrogen content, or skip the optimal time for pinching. Otherwise, the crop yield will certainly be disappointing.

But there is a chance to collect a large number of ripe, juicy tomatoes even on the first try. It is important for gardeners to adapt to the crop. It happens that the entire summer season the plant seems to be “sleeping” due to unfavorable environmental conditions. And just before the cold weather, a lot of large, juicy vegetables suddenly appear on the bushes. This is the unpredictability of the variety.

Pest and disease control

The pests and diseases that occur on this variety do not differ from the usual ones; these can be: fungal diseases, late blight, fruit cracking, phomosis, aphids, spider mites.

Fomoz - looks like brown spots of rot pressed into the fruit. The disease is provoked by high humidity and excessive nitrogen content in the soil. Damaged fruits are all destroyed, and the bushes themselves are treated with special means.

Prevention of late blight is the correct proximity (cannot be planted next to potatoes), crop rotation is observed, fertilizers are applied in a timely manner, and the plants are regularly sprayed with anti-disease products.

Cracking of fruits occurs if the watering regime is irregular: either too rare or excessive. Unripe tomatoes are especially susceptible to cracking, and infection can get into the cracks and rotting can begin.

Both various folk remedies and specialized preparations that can be purchased at a flower or hardware store help against aphids.

The spider mite is a small red spider that envelops plants in its web and drinks juice from the leaves and stems. They cope with it using folk remedies and spraying Karbofos.

Features of planting and growing

The Carbon tomato, the description of the variety and photos of which are published in the article, loves high-quality regular care. But all the procedures necessary for it are simple and understandable. Even a novice gardener can easily cope with them.

Soil and planting algorithm

Carbon seeds need to be planted for seedlings at different times, depending on the region. So, in the southern regions of the country it is mid-March. In the middle zone - from the last days of March to mid-April. And in cool regions - in the second half or last days of April.

If you plan to plant the plant in a greenhouse, then you can start working with seeds 8-15 days earlier. It is important to choose the right time for replanting the crop to a permanent place. Especially if it is open ground. You can transfer seedlings outside into the ground only when it warms up to 15 °C. In a greenhouse it is allowed to reduce this figure to 10 °C.

To grow seedlings, you need a special, convenient container. For example, a wooden box. In this case, the height of the sides of the container should reach 8-9 cm. Small holes must be made at the bottom of the container so that the liquid does not stagnate after watering. Otherwise, the roots of the seedlings may begin to rot.

Drainage is poured into the bottom of the selected container. A thin layer will be enough. Fertile soil is already distributed on top. It is better to take park/garden turf. It's perfect for tomatoes.

The following will be added to the base:

• peat;
• sand;
• compost;
• rotted sawdust.

Such additional components will significantly improve the quality of the soil.

Experienced gardeners recommend supplementing the soil for planting seeds with:

• wood ash (1 tbsp.);
• potassium sulfate (10 g);
• superphosphate (20 g).

The amount of additives is calculated for 9-10 kg of base. If you don’t have the time or desire to make such mixtures yourself, you can buy ready-made ones in a specialized store.

Carbon seeds are sold in most gardening stores today. You can buy them all year round. After purchasing, it is recommended to carefully inspect the seeds. If defects are found (for example, an unusual shape or color), then they should not be used. The remaining seed material is disinfected.

To do this you can:

• scatter the seeds on a horizontal surface in direct sunlight for 6-8 days;
• soak for 10 hours in aloe juice (for example, until the morning);
• leave for a day in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

To avoid having to collect the seeds from the liquid one by one after soaking, you should first tie them in a bag made of thin natural fabric. This treatment will destroy dangerous microorganisms on the seed. In the future, the seeds will sprout faster, and you will be able to get a better harvest from the crop.

It is advisable to germinate the prepared material. To do this, take a damp cotton pad and place the seeds, already dried after soaking, on it. The entire structure is wrapped in film or a bag and stored for 4-6 days.

The germination procedure is very useful for seedlings. It helps strengthen the plant's immunity. As a result, he will not be afraid of common diseases and parasites.

When planting seeds you need:

1. Pour the prepared soil into the ground.
2. Make grooves about 1.7-2 cm deep.
3. Place the seeds in the holes, leaving them 3 cm apart.
4. Water the plantings moderately.
5. Cover the structure with film and maintain a temperature under it of 24-25 degrees until shoots appear.

It is best to leave containers with future seedlings on the window on the bright side. After half the seeds have germinated, the film is removed. And after the first shoots appear, the room temperature drops to 18 degrees.

During the process, the seedlings are regularly watered with warm, settled water. It is convenient to use a syringe or pipette for this. When all the seeds have sprouted (after about 5-6 days), it is advisable to feed the seedlings. Calcium nitrate is used for this.

When strong green plants appear in the box, you can begin to harden them off and prepare them for transplanting into the ground outside. To do this, the container with the seedlings is taken every day to the balcony, veranda or other room with 14-15 degrees of heat. First - for half an hour, and later - increasing the period. It is recommended to harden off seedlings every day for a week.

Before transferring the plant to the ground, which also needs to be prepared. It must be disinfected. For example, the easiest way to do this is to add Planzir and Baktofit to the top layer of soil. Before planting, it is important to carefully dig up the beds and remove all debris and past plants from them.

When the soil is already well prepared, you can transfer the seedlings into it along with a lump of earth. It is important not to damage the roots and still weak stems. To make it easier to transplant seedlings, you can pre-dive them from a common box into separate small containers one at a time.

Peat pots are especially convenient. You can plant small plants directly in them. Subsequently, such natural containers gradually dissolve in the ground, providing the seedlings with useful nutrients.

For 1 sq. m of bed should yield no more than 3 tomato bushes. Placing plants too close together can reduce yields. Immediately after planting, it is important to water the tomatoes with warm, settled water. It is also advisable to remove the lower leaves so that nutrients do not go to them.

Trimming

Tomato Carbon needs to be formed. In the description of the variety with the photo it is noted that it is best to do this in 2 stems. During the formation process, all shoots on the sides are removed. Only 3-4 sheets are left. It is not convenient to remove excess parts with bare hands. It is best to arm yourself with garden shears and wear thick gloves during the process.

It is recommended to repeat the procedure every 6-7 days. During this time, new stepsons will have time to form on each plant. As a result, neat bushes should remain, on which there is nothing else except brushes with ripening vegetables.

Care

The Carbon variety requires multi-component care. First of all, you need to take care of tying the plant to the support. It is advisable to deal with this issue as soon as possible after planting the tomatoes. Wooden stakes with twine are perfect for support. They are installed at each bush. The stakes are placed at a distance of 35-55 cm from the plant.

The bushes should be tied to a support as soon as the first fruits begin to form. They ripen quite large and heavy. Therefore, without proper tying, the tomato bunches will probably break under their own weight.

During the care process, watering the bushes is very important. It is best to start “hygienic procedures” early in the morning or in the evening - after 17:00. During the watering process, you need to make sure that the water gets directly under the root of the plant. The liquid must bypass the leaves, stem and fruits themselves.

If there is an excessive amount of water when watering, the vegetables will eventually begin to crack. To prevent this, you should count on a maximum of ½ liter of water for each bush.

It is also important to loosen the crust that forms on the surface of the earth after each watering. Otherwise, it will not allow oxygen to enter the soil for normal “breathing” of the plant root system. It is also necessary to weed the beds, removing weeds along with the roots.

Fertilizers are also very important for tomatoes. It is best to alternate different feedings when caring for the Carbon variety: mineral and organic. The most effective among them are: ash, manure, infusion of nettle and yeast, aloe juice. You can also take ready-made store-bought ones: “Epin” or “Kornevin”.

It is recommended to use fertilizers approximately every 12-14 days. They are especially important for the crop during its flowering and active ripening of fruits.

Diseases and pests

Tomato Carbon, the description of the variety and photo of which are presented in the article, has excellent immunity to many diseases. But if there is an outbreak in the region, then the crop may be affected, for example, by Phoma. In this case, brown spots are noticed on the tomatoes.

The cause of the problem is usually a large amount of nitrogen in the soil and excessive watering. Damaged vegetables will need to be destroyed, and to combat the disease, the bushes will need to be irrigated with copper preparations. An excellent preventive measure would be treating the plant with Fitosporin (1%).

It happens that the crop is attacked by aphids, caterpillars, mole crickets, and Colorado potato beetles. In these cases, the easiest way is to use ready-made store-bought means of control. For example, Zolon against caterpillars and Regent against Colorado potato beetles.

Wintering

Tomatoes do not require preparation for wintering. Since the harvest is usually fully harvested before the first frost. The Carbon variety does not overwinter in a summer cottage, but is replanted every year with the arrival of warm weather in the spring.

Harvesting

It will not be possible to harvest from Carbon bushes in a couple of days. This must be done regularly throughout the long season. Best is every 4-5 days. If you ignore such frequent procedures for collecting vegetables, then fully ripe tomatoes can become affected by fungal diseases, and then infect still green fruits with them.

It is better to collect fruits that are already fully ripe. These are chocolate-cherry-colored vegetables weighing at least 150-170 g. Fruit picking is best done by hand and done carefully. In the process, the tomatoes are torn off the stalk without pressure and placed in the basket. But you should not use special collection devices - they can damage the thin skin of vegetables.

Storage

To be able to preserve the collected tomatoes for up to 60 days, you need to collect them as carefully as possible, without damage. Afterwards, the vegetables are laid out on a horizontal dry surface and left in a cool place. A cellar or refrigerator is suitable for this.

Agricultural technology

Carbon is grown using seedlings. It is better to calculate the sowing time yourself, taking into account climatic conditions. The recommended planting density is no more than 4 bushes per 1 square meter. Tying to a support is a necessary procedure, as is pinching. In order for the culture to show maximum results, it is formed into 2 stems. Agricultural technology is simple. The only caveat is that you should not get carried away with nitrogen when feeding.

Carbon is an unusual and very tasty variety. During the ripening period, when numerous fruits begin to ripen, any vegetable grower will be proud of the results of his work. And he will experience even greater delight when he tastes sweet tomatoes. The variety is unpretentious and hardworking, so most gardeners leave it in their collection. You can collect the seeds yourself.

Where to buy, how much it costs

Seeds of the Carbon variety can now be found and purchased in stores throughout Russia. If you don’t find such a retail outlet near your home, you can order seed from a specialized online store. Most often, seeds are sold in small bags of 10 pieces. The cost of one of these varies from 70 to 90 rubles.

Tomato Carbon allows you to get a harvest of delicious, juicy vegetables. A detailed description of the variety with a photo will tell you how to properly plant the crop in your garden plot and how to care for it.