Full review of the Black Heart of Breda tomato: characteristics and description of the variety, its advantages and disadvantages

Black tomatoes are becoming more and more popular. They are found not only in the personal collections of gardeners, but also on store shelves. Such fruits not only look exotic, but are also good for health. They contain anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant.

Unfortunately, not all black tomatoes taste good. Many varieties have beautiful berries, but do not have a pronounced taste and juicy pulp. Among them, the Black Heart of Breda tomato stands out. The fruits of this variety with an interesting name have a wonderful sweet taste. Read on to learn how to grow this tomato in your garden.

General description of the variety

Black Heart Brad is a tomato variety that was bred by American breeder Brad Gates. The original name of this tomato is Brad's Black Heart.

Despite the fact that this tomato, originally from California, has not yet been included in the Russian State Register, it is actively cultivated in our country. Despite its exotic appearance, the Black Heart of Breda variety is unpretentious in care and is suitable for growing in unheated greenhouses even in the northern regions of Russia.

Distinctive features of the Black Heart of Breda

The main characteristic feature of the Black Heart of Breda is the unusual color of its fruits. The berries of this variety are burgundy in color, with brown and purple spots and stripes. Sometimes there are swampy areas.

The taste of tomatoes is sweet, with a fruity aftertaste. Rich tomato aroma.

This is a large-fruited variety. The average weight of one berry varies between 300-500 g. There are specimens weighing 1 kg.

The black color of the fruit is due to the anthocyanin content in them. Eating such tomatoes helps cleanse the body of toxins, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, heart, blood vessels and liver.

Black Heart Breda is a salad variety. It is consumed fresh. It is not suitable for preservation in its entirety or in slices.

The variety is immune to the main diseases characteristic of nightshade crops. He rarely suffers from late blight.

This is interesting! It is believed that black-fruited tomatoes have aphrodisiac properties.

Main characteristics

The Black Heart of Breda tomato is interesting not only for the unusual color of the fruit. It will be appreciated by gardeners who prefer sweet and high-yielding varieties.

Description of the characteristics of tomatoes Black Heart Breda:

We grow seedlings

Tomato seedlings begin to be grown 2 months before they are planted in a permanent place. The time for sowing seeds depends on the climate of the region. So in the southern and central regions, seeds are sown in March, and in the northern regions in early April.

Preparing planting material

Most manufacturers process Black Heart Breda seeds in the factory. Information about whether the planting material is pickled is indicated on the packaging. Seeds that have undergone disinfection are marked in orange and green.

If you use your own seeds or untreated purchased planting material, processing must be carried out. To do this, use a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, soda solution or aloe juice.

To check the seeds for germination, they are soaked in a saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water) for half an hour. Floating specimens are considered unsuitable for planting.

To speed up the germination of seeds, they are soaked in osta stimulants. Purchased preparations additionally protect plants from infections and increase their resistance to adverse environmental conditions.

Growth stimulation agents:

1. "Epin." Take 3 drops of the product per 100 ml of water. The seeds are soaked in this composition for 8 hours. The drug is non-toxic and combines well with potassium permanganate.
2. "Zircon". Take 2 drops of the drug per glass of water. Soak the planting material in the product for 10 hours. Zircon is often combined with Etamon.
3. "Sodium humate". For 300 ml. water take 1 g of powder. The composition is infused for 10 hours. 100 ml of the resulting liquid is diluted in 900 ml of water. The seeds are soaked for 6-8 hours.

Advice! As an alternative to commercial growth stimulants, gardeners use honey water. To prepare it, use 1 tbsp. water take 1 tsp honey. The seeds are soaked in this product for 12 hours.

Preparation of soil mixture and containers

The soil for tomatoes is chosen to be light and nutritious. A properly formulated mixture is easy to purchase in the store. You can also make soil for tomatoes yourself.

To prepare soil suitable for seedlings, mix chernozem and humus in equal proportions. The same amount of river sand or sawdust is added to the resulting composition.

Both purchased and homemade soil must be disinfected before use. There are several options for disinfecting soil for seedlings:

• calcining the soil in the oven at 100 degrees;
• pouring boiling water over the soil through a container with holes;
• watering the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Usually seeds sown in one large container. Plants are planted in pots with a volume of at least 300 ml.Both purchased and homemade containers are suitable for this.

Containers for sowing seeds must be disinfected by soaking in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Three ways to sow seeds

There are several ways to sow seeds for seedlings. The list contains the most popular of them:

1. Sowing seeds in one container. Soil is poured into the boxes so that at least 3 cm remains to the edge. The seeds are laid out in rows. The distance between the seeds should be 1.5 cm, and between the rows 3 cm. The planting material is covered with a centimeter layer of soil. After this, the soil is moistened, covered with film and placed in a warm place.
2. Peat tablets. The blanks are placed in a deep container with the hole down and boiling water is poured over them. As the size of the tablets increases, add water. When the blanks are swollen, the seeds are placed in the peat using a toothpick, deepening them 1 cm. The tablets are placed in one deep container with the hole facing up, covered with film and put in a warm place.
3. Growing seedlings without soil. The bottom of a deep container is covered with several layers of napkins or toilet paper, which is soaked in warm water. Seeds are laid out on it in rows. They are covered on top with several more layers of paper, which is sprayed with a spray bottle. The container with the seeds is covered with film and put in a warm place. When the cotyledon leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in individual containers.

Seedling care

High-quality seedlings are the key to good survival of tomatoes after they are planted in open ground. Therefore, it is important to properly care for plants at this stage:

1. When the seeds germinate, the film is removed and the containers are placed in a well-lit place. The lack of sunlight is compensated with the help of fluorescent lamps.If the seedlings have less than 16 hours of daylight, they become elongated.
2. Plants dive after the appearance of 2 true leaves. Gardeners are divided on whether it is necessary to pinch out the central root when transplanting tomatoes into individual containers. Some believe that this will contribute to the development of a stronger root system. Others think that root pinching is just additional stress for plants, slowing down their growth.
3. The soil is moistened as it dries with warm water. The liquid should not come into contact with the greenery of the plants. The loss of turgor indicates both an excess and a lack of strait.
4. Feed the seedlings 3 times. The first time is after picking tomatoes into separate containers, the last time is 3 days before planting them in open ground, the second time is between the 1st and 3rd application of fertilizers. They use vermicompost, compounds with phosphorus and growth stimulants.
5. 14 days before picking tomatoes for a permanent place, they begin to harden. To do this, seedlings are taken out onto the balcony or outside in the warm season. Start with a minimum amount of time spent in the fresh air, gradually increasing it.

Agricultural technology

Tomatoes are planted in the ground when the soil has warmed up and the danger of frost has passed. The picking time depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. The colder it is in your area, the later the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent location.

3 days before picking, the seedlings are watered and fed. This will allow her to better settle into her new place.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

For tomatoes, choose the sunniest place on the site. It should not be located near potato plantings. The worst precursors for tomatoes are nightshade crops, the best are legumes, cabbage, onions and cucumbers.

In autumn, the soil is cleared of the remains of cultivated plants and weeds. It is fertilized with humus. To reduce acidity, dry lime is spread over the beds.

In spring, the soil is dug up and cleared of plant roots. To enrich its composition, chicken manure and ash are used. To disinfect the soil, water it with a solution of copper sulfate.

The holes are dug in rows in a checkerboard pattern. For 1 sq. m plant no more than 3 plants. A wooden support is immediately placed near each hole.

Tomatoes are placed in the holes along with a lump of earth. Recesses covered with soil, which is compacted. Then the tomatoes are watered, spending 1 liter of warm water on each plant. The next watering is in 2 weeks.

Caring for tomatoes Black Heart Breda

Tall bushes of the Black Heart of Breda need a garter. Plants are attached to a support as they grow. The heaviest clusters with fruits are tied up separately.

Form a tomato into 1-3 stems. The more stems left, the smaller the fruits will be and the later they will ripen. When forming plants into 1 stem, it is possible to obtain the largest fruits, but the yield in this case will be lower.

When pinching, remove damaged and lower leaves. Ugly and small inflorescences also need to be removed from the bush.

Water the tomatoes every 2 days. At least 2 liters of warm, settled water are consumed per plant. Liquid should not fall on the ground part of the bush.

Tomatoes are fed 3-4 times per season. Use organic and mineral fertilizers, alternating them.

The plants are sprayed with foliar fertilizers twice a season. This accelerates the formation and ripening of fruits.

The nuances of growing tomatoes

Experienced gardeners know several nuances that will help get the maximum yield of the Black Heart of Breda.

Below are the most important tips:

1. Particular attention is paid feeding tomatoes. Twice a season, tomatoes are fed with mullein solution, yeast fertilizers or vermicompost. Complex mineral fertilizers can be purchased in stores or prepared independently. The last feeding should contain potassium and phosphorus.
2. Before feeding tomatoes, water the plants with plenty of water. Otherwise, fertilizers may cause root burns.
3. For garters tomatoes use synthetic thread. The natural material will begin to rot, causing plant diseases.
4. Stepsons tomatoes once a week.
5. No more than 3 leaves are removed in one procedure.

Diseases and pests

The Black Heart Breda variety is not susceptible to most tomato diseases. He's not sick late blight. However, according to reviews from gardeners, it is often affected by blossom end rot.

To reduce the likelihood of plant infection, all tools that interact with them are disinfected. To do this, seeds and soil are disinfected.

Be sure to follow the rules of watering and pinching. Otherwise, the plants' resistance to infections will decrease.

The bushes are sprayed weekly with a solution of calcium nitrate to prevent vomiting from blossom end rot.

To prevent damage to tomato bushes by pests, they are sprayed with a soap solution and dandelion decoction. Large insects are collected by hand.

Cultivation of the variety in open and protected ground

When growing Black Heart of Breda tomatoes in a greenhouse, they grow taller and produce a richer harvest. Therefore, this variety is often cultivated in closed ground.

Before planting tomatoes in protected soil, the walls of the room are treated with copper sulfate. To ensure optimal humidity, the greenhouse is regularly ventilated by opening the windows.

When growing tomatoes in open ground, they need to be protected from frost. To do this, they are covered with film at night for the first 2 weeks after picking. This method is then used during cold weather.

In open ground, the rows are mulched with hay, humus or straw. This protects the roots from freezing, slows down the growth of weeds and prevents the development of pathogens. Mulch also acts as additional fertilizer.

Harvesting and application

The first fruits of the Black Heart of Breda are harvested at the end of July. The fruits are harvested in tassels or individually, depending on how quickly they ripen.

Green fruits ripen at home. To do this, they are placed in a warm place.

The fruits are used for preparing salads, main and first courses. The variety is not suitable for canning.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the variety:

• high productivity;
• high anthocyanin content;
• resistance to late blight and other tomato diseases;
• sweet taste;
• large fruit;
• possibility of growing in open and protected ground;
• unusual appearance of the fruit;
• the possibility of using seeds from fruits for planting.

Flaws:

• the need for gartering and pinching;
• instability to blossom end rot.

Reviews from gardeners about the variety

Black Heart Breda tomatoes are popular among domestic gardeners. Reviews speak of the wonderful taste and high yield of this variety.

Anna Krikunova, Krasnoyarsk: “I grew Brad’s Black Heart in a greenhouse. Formed bushes into one stem. I used nitrophoska and chicken manure as top dressing. The variety pleased me with its productivity. From 1 sq.I collected exactly 18 kilograms.”

Elena Sergeeva, Zheleznogorsk: “Last year I planted the Black Heart of Breda. I wanted to try black tomatoes, but they turned out to be more brown than black. However, in the photo they are exactly like that. I liked the taste. Productivity is good. But I want to try real black tomatoes.”

Conclusion

Black Heart Breda is a variety of black-fruited tomatoes. Its fruits have a rich sweet taste and unusual color. In addition, the berries contain anthocyanin, which is beneficial for the body.

Growing the Black Heart of Brad is not difficult. By regularly feeding him and feeding him, you will avoid any difficulties with his care. Therefore, the variety is ideal for gardeners who have decided to try growing black-fruited tomatoes for the first time.