Wonderful fresh and just as good in preservation - the “Gourmand Black” tomato and the basics of growing this variety

Black gourmet is a variety that has won the hearts of gardeners quite recently. If you are interested in the chokeberry vegetable, then it’s time to carefully study the features of its cultivation, and in the coming season treat your family with a tasty and ripe tomato.

From the article you will learn about caring for the variety, preparing seed material and growing seedlings of the Black Gourmet.

Description of the variety

Let's consider the main characteristics and features of the variety.

Distinctive features

In addition to color, the main distinguishing feature lies in the extraordinary taste of the tomato. The black variety of tomatoes tends to have a deeper flavor and aroma. When fully ripe, black gourmet can sometimes taste like real chocolate.

What else distinguishes Black Gourmet from other varieties? High yield. Even in the most unfavorable season, your garden buckets will be filled with this tomato.

Fruit characteristics and yield

We present the characteristics and description of the variety. The fruits have a regular round shape, are smooth to the touch, and have no roughness. The bushes themselves reach a height of about 60 cm. Many summer residents do not tie up such bushes at all.

There is no dense foliage, which means tomatoes can be planted on a compact plot of land. Neighboring bushes will not interfere with each other, and the tomatoes will receive maximum sunlight for full ripening.

Attention! Tomatoes of this variety have one interesting feature that allows you to determine that the fruit is ripe. If you look closely, there is a small spot next to the stalk. If the fruit is unripe, then the spot is green, emerald, mint in color. If the tomato is ready, the spot will be brown or even black. The approximate weight of a ripe tomato is 120 grams. The smaller ones are well suited for pickling for the winter.

The color of the tomato itself can vary from a rich, deep red to a dark chocolate color.

When can the first harvest be harvested? Approximately 110-115 days after the appearance of the first shoots. This ripening period allows us to classify the variety as mid-season. Tomato productivity is high: from 1 sq. m. harvest from 5 to 7 kg of fruit. Black gourmet will delight you with delicious tomatoes until October.

The photo shows the fruits of the Black Gourmet variety.

How to grow seedlings

To grow healthy tomatoes and get a bountiful harvest, you need to pay special attention to preparing seeds and growing seedlings.

Seed preparation

If you buy processed seeds in a store, they do not require special preparation.

Second, you collected the seeds yourself. Check first to see if they are viable. To do this, dilute a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and drop in the seeds. Only those seeds that end up at the bottom of the glass will germinate. Once the test is passed, treat the seeds with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. The grains are wrapped in gauze and immersed in the solution for no more than 20 minutes.

Container and soil

Peat pots, boxes, plastic cups and containers are suitable for sowing. The soil should be fertile and loose, moderately moist. Soil preparation should be done in the fall.This way, the maximum amount of nutrients will remain in the soil.

Sowing

The ideal time to sow seeds is mid-March.

Make holes in the soil no more than 2 cm deep. The seeds are sprinkled with soil on top. If you decide to plant seeds in one large container in rows, then the distance between them should be three to four steps, and the seeds should be located at least 1.5 cm apart from each other.

The container must be wrapped in a plastic bag or film.

Growing and care

When growing seedlings, the ambient temperature is important. At the initial stage, the air should be warmed up to 25 degrees. Have the first shoots appeared? Reduce the temperature by 5-6 degrees.

In order for the seedlings to grow strong, light must fall on future tomatoes for at least 12 hours a day. It is clear that this is not easy to achieve in natural conditions. If there is absolutely not enough light, use artificial supplementary lighting.

As for watering, the main thing here is not to overdo it. If the top layer of soil is slightly moist, delay watering until the next day.

How to grow tomatoes

After planting in the ground, the plants will need proper care. This section contains the basic rules and recommendations for growing Lakomka tomatoes in open and protected ground.

Landing

It is recommended to plant the black Gourmand tomato in a greenhouse when the temperature reaches at least +20°C.

During the period of growing seedlings, the stems have time to acquire several leaves. Before planting in the soil, the lower leaves should be carefully removed. On one square m. of land there should be approximately six to seven plant bushes.

So, how to plant a tomato correctly:

• make a hole in fertile soil;
• water the recess with a solution of potassium permanganate (a 1% solution is also suitable);
• carefully remove the seedlings;
• without damaging the root system, we plant it in the ground;
• sprinkle with earth;
• lightly moisten the soil.

Important! If the seedlings were grown in peat pots, then plant the bush in the ground along with the pot.

Care

Tomatoes need stepsoning. Let us repeat that the first time it is carried out even before planting in the ground. Then the plant is pruned about once every ten days. If one of your bushes does not take root, your stepson can completely replace it.

Intensity glaze depends on the age of the plant. As soon as you plant it in the ground, the first watering should be plentiful, but then gradually reduce it. The minimum is during the period of fruit ripening. Here it is better to allow the soil to temporarily dry out than to over-wet it. This will affect the taste of the tomatoes. We remember that when watering, you should not allow water to get on the stem and leaves.

Loosening must be done after watering and rain. The bush is loosened carefully, retreating 5 cm from the stem. Weed regularly, otherwise you won’t be able to enjoy the large fruits.

The bush is tall, so about 20 days after planting in the ground, it must be tie up.

As for fertilizers, the variety has a positive attitude towards them, especially humic fertilizers. They can be used at any stage of fetal growth and maturation, but not more often than once every ten days.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

According to reviews from beginners and experienced gardeners, there are no particular difficulties in growing tomatoes.

What is important to pay attention to:

1. Watering should be moderate. Excess moisture will lead to rotting tomatoes, sour taste and disease of the fruit.
2. Seedlings cannot be planted in the groundif the air temperature fluctuates frequently.
3. A week before planting seedlings in the ground, harden the seedlings. This is done simply: we take the container with the seedlings out onto the balcony. The first hardening procedure lasts no more than five minutes. Then you can increase the duration to several hours. Hardening can only be done during the daytime.
4. Keep a close eye on leaf shadows from neighboring plants. The black gourmet does not like this, so its own leaves are quite rare.

Diseases and pests

Late blight - one of the most common diseases. All work will go down the drain if the plant overcomes this fungal disease. The main reason is temperature fluctuations, improper watering and frequent weather changes. These are simply ideal conditions for the development of late blight.

The first symptom of late blight is blackened leaves. If this happens, it means that the fruit itself will soon turn black. Don't try to cure the bush. It must be removed and thrown away immediately. Otherwise, the infection will spread to neighboring bushes.

Is it possible to prevent the disease? You can: whey is the enemy of fungal bacteria. Spraying is performed once a week. In addition, specialized stores offer summer residents ready-made products to combat the disease. For example, "Late blight".

Brown spot is another fungal disease. Most often, greenhouse tomatoes are susceptible to it. The disease starts from the lower leaves. Therefore, inspect them regularly. The front side of the leaf is covered with yellow spots, and the reverse side is covered with a whitish coating. Leaves should be removed as quickly as possible. Copper-containing drugs are used to treat the disease.

Lack of moisture and low air temperature cause a disease such as powdery mildew. It is dangerous because it can quickly destroy the entire crop.It is impossible not to notice the manifestation of the disease. The leaves turn white and the stem also becomes covered with a white coating. The fruits themselves are not subject to plaque. The diseased plant is removed.

Spraying with special means is used as preventive measures. “Topaz” is one of the best and most recommended.

The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses

Where is it better to plant the Lakomka variety: in a greenhouse or in open ground? The bushes are suitable for both indoor and protected ground.

If you decide to opt for a greenhouse, be prepared for the following:

1. Greenhouse tomatoes are more susceptible to fungal diseases.
2. The greenhouse must be moved to another site every two years. Take care of the area in advance.
3. It is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature inside the greenhouse and the level of moisture in the air.

If you are more accustomed to planting plants in open ground, consider the following nuances:

1. If your area experiences frequent fog, the plant has an increased chance of powdery mildew.
2. If you did not wait for a stable high air temperature and planted the tomatoes prematurely, there is a high probability that they will freeze.
3. Tall fruit trees are not the best neighbors for tomatoes growing in open ground.
4. Tomatoes should not be planted after other plants from the nightshade family.

Harvesting and application

The rules for harvesting are simple. It is better to wait until the entire branch matures evenly. Tomatoes cut with a branch will last longer. If you notice that the fruits are ripening too slowly, it’s time to pick off the leaves. They prevent tomatoes from fully ripening.

Note! Do not harvest tomatoes in rain or wet weather. The most favorable weather for harvesting is dry and cloudy.

If the weather forecast warns of frost, pick the tomatoes and leave them to ripen in a warm, dry place.

Black gourmet is ideal for summer salads. Sweet black tomatoes are often eaten with honey or sugar.

The fruits are also good for winter preparations. Pickled tomatoes will be stored for a long time without losing their elastic appearance. It is not advisable to salt Black Gourmet together with cucumbers.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Key benefits:

• high productivity;
• possibility of planting on a compact plot of land;
• do not crack;
• the fruits are unpretentious;
• Suitable for salads and canning.

There is only one drawback: if the climate is cold, the harvest will be meager.

Farmer reviews

We recommend that you read the reviews of summer residents who have already enjoyed black tomatoes.

Andrey Vishnevsky, Kazan: “For the first time I grew Black Gourmand on my small plot. The family is delighted! Even the children ate it on both cheeks. What I especially liked is that the fruits do not crack and do not lose their shape as they ripen. No diseases harmed my bush. Grown in open ground. I planted it at the end of May.”

Olga Kopretskaya, Perm: “I love trying something new. On the advice of a neighbor, I planted the Black Gourmand in a greenhouse. The harvest was simply colossal! True, one bush was still spoiled by excessive watering. I advise you to be careful about the moisture level, then your harvest will be sweet, tasty and generous.”

Kristina Yatmanova, Kostroma: “These are the best dark tomatoes. If you haven't tried them yet, fix the situation quickly. Salads with the addition of these tomatoes acquire an incredible taste. They say that the bushes have few leaves. With mine it was the other way around.The leaves grew thickly, I regularly got rid of them. I got a good harvest. I recommend it to everyone."

Conclusion

Black gourmet is an unpretentious tomato that will fill your garden baskets with fruit to the very top. You are required to carefully monitor the moisture level and minimize temperature changes. To prevent diseases of tomatoes, preventive spraying is necessary once a week and carefully monitor the condition of the leaves.

If you can't eat the entire harvest, pickle your tomatoes for the winter. In the winter cold you will enjoy the sweet taste of tomatoes.