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Vegetable salad is a favorite dish in the summer heat, but it won't be as delicious without tomatoes. Chocolate stripes, or Tomato Striped chocolate, will add originality and piquancy to the dish. The unpretentious plant gives a bountiful harvest, which allows you to enjoy the fruits fresh and canned.
Description of tomato variety Striped chocolate
In 2010, American breeders, including J. Seigel, crossed two species - Shimmeig Creg (Shimmeig Kreg) and pink steak. The result is called "Striped Chocolate" - due to the appearance of the fruit. The tomato has not yet been included in the State Register of Russia, but has already spread throughout the country.
Manufacturers give such a description of the tomato variety Striped chocolate: a plant of an indeterminate type of development, grows up to 1.5 m in open ground and up to 2 m - in greenhouse conditions. Striped Chocolate has a thick, robust main stem with moderate foliage. A strong root system is branched and grows horizontally.
The leaf plate is medium in size, has pronounced wrinkles. The color of the leaves is dark green, can fade under ultraviolet rays, the foliage does not have fluff. Inflorescences are formed above the 9th leaf, then every 3. They are of the usual type, each can tie 5-6 large fruits. Grow a tomato in 1 or 2 stems.
Description of tomato striped chocolate: the variety is mid-season, the fruits begin to ripen on the 100 - 110th day. The countdown begins from the moment the first shoots appear. The duration of fruiting is good - you can harvest until the last days of September; fruits ripen amicably, abundantly. Most tomatoes are of a presentation and size.
Brief description and taste of fruits
Tomatoes belong to the maxi category with an average diameter of 15 cm. Most of the harvest is 500 - 600 g, but there are specimens up to 1 kg. The fruits are rounded, flattened in the lower, upper part. Features of the variety - the presence of stripes on the surface.
The flesh is firm, but not watery, and has a dark color. Inside there are 8 spacious chambers with a small amount of large enough seeds. It is not for nothing that manufacturers call the variety Striped chocolate a beef tomato: these are really large tomatoes with a lot of juicy pulp.
The technically mature fruit is red or burgundy in color with dark red or green stripes evenly spreading over the surface. The rind is dense, shiny. Tomato Striped chocolate is consumed fresh, which allows you to feel its pronounced aroma. The fruit tastes sweet, with a piquant sourness.
The variety is used for making salads, canning or grown for sale. However, it is not suitable for making juice, whole-fruit canning. Green tomatoes can also be rolled up in glass jars with spices.
Characteristics of tomatoes Striped chocolate
From 10 to 16 kg of large and medium-sized fruits are harvested from a square meter of area. Fruiting in greenhouse conditions begins in June, outdoors in July, and ends in mid-September. In some particularly warm areas, the vision of tomatoes can be observed until the end of the month.
The yield of tomato is influenced by:
- illumination of the landing area;
- balance of fertilizers;
- regular feeding;
- sufficient soil moisture;
- timely loosening, weeding;
- soil fertility.
The plant is immune to viral diseases, only a few cases of infection have been recorded. Pests do not like the taste of new tomatoes, so they prefer other varieties. In the description of the striped chocolate tomato, you can find a mention of late blight, but most often the plant resists it well.
Pros and cons of the variety
Tomato Striped chocolate has come to the taste of connoisseurs of original products. Ease of care and cultivation allowed the variety to become popular among ordinary gardeners. He was also loved for other advantages:
- resistance to diseases, pests;
- long-term fruiting, subject to agricultural technology;
- original taste;
- unique aroma;
- high, stable yield;
- marketable condition;
- predominance of large fruits;
- beautiful colors.
As a disadvantage in Striped chocolate, gardeners note that at elevated temperatures the fruits crack, which is why they begin to rot afterwards. This also includes the need to tie up the bushes on strong supports, which do not always withstand the masses. The complexity of transportation is also a disadvantage.
Planting and care rules
In order for the Striped Chocolate tomato variety to show its maximum performance, a little effort is needed. Taking care of the plant is easy. This requires:
- loosen the ground;
- weed;
- make top dressing;
- pinch;
- dive.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Seed preparation begins in March if the plant is intended for greenhouse conditions or in April for open ground. Containers for seedlings are disinfected with boiling water, a weak solution of manganese or washed with soapy water. Tomato seeds Striped chocolate is tested for germination by soaking in warm water for 10-15 minutes. and removing pop-ups.
In order for the striped chocolate tomato to rise faster, it is recommended to soak the planting material in a growth promoter, following the manufacturer's instructions. A mixture of land from a plot, sand, peat in equal parts is poured into a small container and, having poured holes with your finger, seeds are planted at the rate of 2 - 3 pcs. by 1 cm.
All this is sprinkled with peat, covered with a transparent material - it can be glass, food or ordinary film. The containers are sent to a warm place with an air temperature of 25 degrees.
After 6 - 8 days, when the sprouts hatch, the temperature in the room is reduced to 18 - 20 degrees. The film or glass must be removed, allowing air to reach the soil. The place for young tomatoes is sunny. The picking is carried out not earlier than 2 - 3 full-fledged leaves appear on the Striped chocolate.
Transplanting seedlings
Young shoots are planted in open ground in June, in a greenhouse in early May. A week before transplanting, the seedlings are hardened so that it grows well further. For this, the containers are taken out into the street, increasing the time every day. In order for the striped chocolate tomato variety to start well, the soil is expected to warm up to 15 - 16 degrees.
The seat is chosen illuminated, but without drafts, direct sunlight. Ideally, if a shadow from a bush, a small tree will fall on the seedlings. After planting Striped Chocolate in the ground, it is recommended to cover it with foil for the first week.
In the open ground, 50 cm is left between the holes, in the greenhouse - 60 cm. For 1 sq. m. 2 - 3 plants are planted in greenhouse conditions, in open ground - 4. Observance of the distance will allow the plant to grow. This will simplify and carry out agrotechnical measures, such as weeding, loosening, fertilization.
Tomato care
Pickling is recommended only under greenhouse growth conditions to form the main stem. To do this, every 2 weeks, small shoots are removed that have not reached a length of 4 cm. In the open field, the tomato does not need pinching. According to reviews, the striped chocolate tomato variety looks especially impressive on the table, the photo clearly shows the unique striped color of the fruit, thanks to which the fruits are difficult to confuse with other varieties.
Tall tomatoes must be tied up using only synthetic materials. For this variety, it is recommended to regularly apply mixed-type dressings, alternating organic and mineral. It can be rotted manure, wood ash, potassium and phosphorus compounds. Nitrogen fertilizers can be omitted: the variety bears large fruits even without them.
Mulching the soil around the tomato stem will help prevent pests from entering the bush. This is a kind of barrier that can not be overcome by earthly species of parasites. It is recommended to water the seedlings with water at room temperature 3 times a week in the evening, and the next morning to loosen the soil.
Conclusion
Tomato Striped chocolate tolerates slight temperature changes, loves illuminated places, undemanding to the composition of the soil. Fertilizers increase yields, and regular watering affects the taste, the size of the fruits. The variety is suitable for fresh consumption, cooking, canning, sale.
