Currently, many varieties of tomatoes have been bred, so lovers of farming have a wide selection. Before deciding on the planting of a varietal specimen, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the plant's preferences and the necessary care measures for it. The article will discuss a tomato with original fruits called Black Bunch.
Did you know? On the pages of the Guinness Book of Records got a tomato tree the height of a three-story house. He was raised in Japan. For growing plants used a special frame.
Description and characteristics of the variety
The black cluster is a hybrid labeled F1. As a result of selection work, home varieties with small fruits and wild Chilean tomato with dark-colored fruits were crossed. The tomato bush reaches a maximum height of 150 cm. It has a thick and strong stem. It curls strongly and has a large number of leaves.
The leaves of the original form - in the form of rhombuses, dark green in color, wrinkled, without pubescence. During flowering over the seventh leaf, the formation of the first inflorescence occurs. The following inflorescences are laid in one leaf. They are simple, intermediate. In one inflorescence, up to 10 fruits can be tied.
Tomatoes ripen in the early stages - 80 days pass from the moment of emergence to ripe tomatoes. The fruits are small, up to 5 cm in diameter, weighing 50–70 g. Their thin and smooth skin is painted in dark purple. The pulp is medium-dense, fleshy, dark red in color. It has few seeds, 1-2 chambers, high solids content. The taste of the fruits is sweet and sour, somewhat reminiscent of plums. Tomatoes can be used for universal purposes - they are consumed fresh, canned, prepared tomato paste, sauces.
Did you know? Ukrainian farmer in the Kherson region collected 165 tomatoes from one bush. The weight of the crop was 8.4 kg. A tomato bush with record yields is mentioned in the Ukrainian Book of Records.
When canning, change the color to brown. At home, you can cook juice. Tomatoes are well stored and carry transportation. The Black cluster variety is characterized by high productivity. From one plant you can remove up to 6 kg of fruits. A high level of fruiting is characteristic both when growing in greenhouse conditions, and in open beds.
Pros and cons of the variety
The Black cluster hybrid has not yet been included in the State Register of the Russian Federation, however, it gradually gains interest in summer residents and gardeners.
- They are attracted by his positive aspects:
- unusual fruit color;
- high productivity;
- immunity to many underlying diseases;
- early ripening.
- This tomato is not without its drawbacks. Among them:
- difficulties in determining the ripeness of the fruit;
- sour taste.
Planting and growing tomatoes at home
Tomato Black cluster is recommended to be grown in seedlings. In warm regions, seedlings can be planted on open beds, in the middle lane - in greenhouses, hotbeds. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out 65–70 days before the planned planting in a permanent place. The date of landing will depend on the climate in the region and the current weather conditions. Usually sowing is carried out from mid to late March.
The optimal microclimate for growing
Seed germination occurs when certain conditions are created, which are arranged by equipping a mini-greenhouse. The optimum air temperature for fast and successful germination is + 25 ... + 30 ° С, humidity - 80–90%. Planting container with seeds must be placed in bright lighting. The first 2-3 days, it is desirable to establish continuous lighting for them using fluorescent lamps. In the future, daylight hours should be at least 16 hours a day.
Video: how to germinate tomato seeds
Land cultivation
Land for seedlings can be purchased in a specialized store or made personally from turf soil and humus, mixed in equal quantities, with the addition of peat or sawdust. Coconut shavings or peat tablets are also suitable for this purpose. Purchased soil does not need processing. Do-it-yourself mixed substrate must be sanitized. Disinfection is carried out in several ways:
- withstand the earth above the steam (20-30 minutes);
- calcined in the oven (10-15 minutes at + 180 ... + 200 ° С), microwave (2 minutes at a power of 850);
- watered with potassium permanganate or boiling water;
- boil.
During this treatment, the soil is cleaned not only of harmful microorganisms, but also of most useful ones. For the earth to restore the necessary microflora, it needs time - 1-2 weeks in warm conditions.Seed treatment
Before placing the seed in the soil, it must be discarded. You can distinguish quality seeds from unsuitable for planting by soaking in saline (30-40 g / 1 l of water) for 10 minutes. All emerged seeds must be disposed of. For landing, only those sunk to the bottom are suitable.
Important! Freshly picked seeds do not need to be soaked. They are able to germinate in a quick time on their own.
They must be washed under running water and soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g / 100 ml of water) to disinfect. Further, to accelerate germination, the seeds are placed in moist and warm conditions. Wet wipes or cloth are placed in a saucer, seeds are placed on them, covered with glass and placed in a warm temperature for 10–20 hours.
Sowing technology
Sowing seeds is carried out immediately after soaking. For planting use seedlings, plastic cups, peat tablets, cassettes. Sowing technology is as follows:
- Pour prepared soil into the boxes.
- Moisturize it.
- Make grooves in it 1 cm deep. The distance between the furrows should be maintained at 3-4 cm.
- Seeds are placed in the furrows, maintaining intervals of 1–2 cm.
- Sprinkle the seeds with a layer of soil about 1 cm high.
- Cover the landing with glass.
Video: sowing tomato seeds for seedlings
Preparing for transplanting seedlings
Seedling care consists in daily airing and regular moistening of the soil from the spray. When conducting the correct planting and creating optimal conditions for seedlings, you should wait after 4-5 days. Now they can be placed at a temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C during the day and + 14 ... + 16 ° C at night, as well as remove the shelter. Before the first leaf appears, moisten the soil only if it dries. After emergence it needs to be watered 1 time in 7 days.
Fertilizing with minerals is done every 3-4 weeks. Mixtures based on biohumus, guano, humic fertilizers are suitable. When 3-4 leaves appear, you will need a pick in different containers with a volume of 200 ml. After 2-3 weeks, you need to transplant them into larger pots - 0.5–1 l.
2-3 weeks before the planned date of moving to a permanent place, it is worth starting to harden the seedlings. If the street is warm, then it is carried out daily to fresh air. Start from 5 minutes a day, gradually increasing the length of stay to several hours.
If the street is still cool, then you can start by opening a window on the window where the seedlings grow. The first time it is recommended to leave it open for 1-2 hours. From the next day, the duration of airing should be increased. If you perform this procedure, then the plants will form a strong immunity, and they will well withstand adverse environmental conditions, diseases and pests.
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
Since tomatoes do not tolerate cold weather, they are planted in a permanent place only when the weather is warm and there should be no freezing frost. Typically, transplants are performed closer to the end of May. However, it all depends on the region where the tomatoes are cultivated. Seedlings are planted in compliance with the recommendation - 4 plants per 1 m².
Important! To obtain a good crop, prevent the development of diseases and attack of parasites when growing garden crops, it is necessary to observe crop rotation. Tomatoes should be planted after cucumbers, cabbage, legumes, onions, carrots, lettuce.
Between plants there should be gaps of 40–70 cm. In order to increase productivity, it is recommended to place tomato beds from east to west. So the plants will receive sufficient lighting. Tomatoes are removed from the pots and, without destroying the earthen coma, transferred to pre-prepared holes.
How to care for tomatoes
Tomato care consists of the following procedures:
- watering;
- fertilizer application;
- tying to a support;
- stepchildren;
- soil care in the beds.
Top dressing
Tomato needs 3-4 feeding. Fertilizer recommendations are summarized in the table.
| Application Period | Fertilizer Options |
| 2-3 weeks after planting in the ground |
|
| During budding | 0.5 l of wood ash + 10 l of water |
| In the flowering phase |
|
| During fruit setting |
|
Watering
Tomatoes are moisture-loving plants. However, they do not like bays - they begin to get sick with fungal diseases. If the bushes experience a moisture deficit, they will begin to shed ovaries and form small fruits, so it is important to choose the right irrigation regime. Usually their frequency is 1-2 times in 7 days. When growing tomatoes, drip irrigation equipment is recommended. So moisture will flow directly to the roots and nourish them faster.
1 - drip irrigation; 2 - watering under the root When watering under the root from above, it is necessary to ensure that the drops do not fall on the aerial organs of the plant. Since this threatens the development of fungal infections. The volume of irrigation should be adjusted so that the soil is moistened in depth by 10-12 cm. To avoid the development of diseases, moistening should be done only with warm water, heated to + 20 ° C. The procedure should be planned for the evening, after sunset, or in the early morning.
Tying and shaping a bush
Like all indeterminate species, the tomato bunch of the Black cluster variety needs to be tied to a support and stepson. Form bushes in one stalk. Pasynkovka recommended every 10 days.
Formation of indeterminate tomatoes Scissors or hands remove all stepsons that are in the axils of the leaves. The lower leaves in contact with the soil are also subject to removal. Thanks to these procedures, it is possible to achieve more abundant fruiting, to prevent breakage of the stem and shoots, as well as the development of diseases.
Soil loosening
Mandatory soil care measures are loosening, weeding and mulching. Loosening is carried out a day after watering or precipitation. This procedure prevents the formation of a dense crust on the surface of the earth and improves the moisture and air conductivity of the soil.
To prevent weeds from taking away sun and nutrients from tomato bushes, they must be removed in a timely manner. Weeding can also prevent the development of various diseases and insect attacks. After watering, it is advisable to mulch the aisles. Mulching is necessary in order to reduce clogging of the plot with weeds and to keep the ground moist.
Yield Improvement Methods
There are several ways to increase the number of fruits on tomatoes. Here are the most popular ones:
- Hilling. This procedure allows you to develop the root system, and this, in turn, helps to increase productivity.
- Yeast application (10 g of dry yeast + 0.5 l of wood ash + 5 tbsp of sugar + 10 l of water). 1.5–2 liters are consumed per plant.
- Boric acid supplementation (10 g + 10 l of hot water). The foliar application method is used.
- Landing according to the method of Maslov. Seedlings are planted in a lying position. Lower stepchildren are not removed, but instilled.
Video: planting tomatoes according to the method of Maslov
Possible growing problems
The hybrid is characterized by strong immunity to most major diseases and attack by pests. With proper fit and proper care, he does not get sick. Therefore, summer residents prefer not to treat it with "chemistry". If the owner of the garden is worried that tomato bushes can infect pests, then it is necessary to plant such plants as calendula, marigolds, lupins, mustard, and oilseed radish near tomato beds. These are highly smelling crops whose smell effectively drives insects away. Also, parasites are allowed to fight biological products that cause the least harm to soil and plants. Among them are Bitoxibacillin, Actofit, Planriz, and Haupsin.
Harvesting and storage
Determining the ripeness of the described tomatoes is quite problematic. Summer residents who have already dealt with this variety are advised to wait until the fruits not only turn dark purple, but one side turns red. The peduncle should be orange. Ripening can occur from late July to late August. The exact time depends on the region of cultivation.
Tomatoes are harvested by carefully tearing or cutting them from the bushes. When harvesting, it is important not to pull the tomato so as not to damage the bush. Beds for ripe fruit should be inspected 1 time in 2 days. Tomatoes for consumption are harvested as soon as possible when fully ripened. Tomatoes for long-term storage and sale are ripped off in the phase of technical maturity.
Then they are put in boxes and placed in conditions of + 18 ... + 25 ° С and humidity of 80–85%, at which they ripen for 2–3 days. To preserve tomatoes for a long time, only whole fruits with a dense skin without cracks, dents, stains, rot marks are selected. Storage is carried out at a temperature of + 11 ... + 13 ° C and a humidity of 85–90%.
So, the Black bunch tomato is worthy to pay attention to it. Its fruits have a beautiful appearance, an interesting taste. Growing a tomato tree is easy. The main thing is to choose a successful plot for cultivation, to observe planting technology and to produce regular quality care.
