A new product from breeders that has become a favorite among gardeners - the “Chocolate Miracle” tomato: reviews and photos of the harvest
For a long time, tomatoes were considered inedible and even poisonous. But today even the names of some varieties themselves indicate the opposite. For example, Chocolate Miracle tomatoes. How did a tomato deserve this name and do tomatoes really taste like chocolate? Read about this, as well as about the rules for growing the variety, in our article.
Description of the variety
The tomato is mid-early and ripens within 60 days. Suitable for both greenhouse conditions and open ground. The yield is high, especially if you form the bush yourself. The variety loves mineral and organic fertilizers.
Distinctive features
Chocolate bushes reach a height of about 1.6 m and 1 m in open ground. Despite the compactness, require mandatory garter to the support and remove shoots. Before planting, be sure to prepare the seedlings.
Characteristics of tomatoes and yield
The weight of one tomato is from 250 to 400 g. The color is dark red, brown at the base. The shape is round, slightly elongated. The pulp is juicy and sugary, there are few seeds. The skin is smooth and thin, which is why tomatoes cannot be stored for a long time. With proper care, the yield is high; from 1 square meter, gardeners harvest about 6 kg of juicy tomatoes. 
How to grow seedlings
Let's take a step-by-step look at how to properly prepare and plant the seeds of the Chocolate Miracle.
Seed preparation
You can purchase seeds in two ways: “hands-on” from familiar gardeners or in a store.When purchasing seeds in a store, you are buying high-quality material that has already been disinfected in advance and is protected from various viruses and microbes.
If you take seeds from your hands, things are a little different, since you cannot be completely confident in their quality.
To protect vegetables from possible diseases and problems during cultivation, we recommend:
- soak them in solution potassium permanganate;
- dry in a dry, bright place;
- place in the freezer for 10 hours to harden;
- treat the material with Fundazol.
Important! If you are not sure about the quality of the seeds, use growth stimulants. They will help the first ones to germinate faster and enrich them with vitamins. Succinic acid and the drug “Etin” show excellent results.
Preparing the container and soil
Some people advise purchasing ready-made soil in a store. But you can prepare the land yourself. To do this you will need soil from your garden, humus, peat and sawdust. The main thing is to carry out disinfection after mixing the components.
For example, freeze the soil several times in the freezer. Or use biological products such as Glyokladin. When using it, pay attention to the expiration date and recommendations for use.
Experienced gardeners recommend using peat cells as a container. They are made from environmentally friendly materials, are inexpensive and easy to use. If this is not possible, then you can plant seedlings in flower pots or wooden boxes.
Landing
Make sure the container is dry and clean before planting. Pour the prepared soil into it up to the middle of the pot. Make grooves at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other and place a seed in each. Sprinkle soil on top and compact lightly.
Pour in warm, settled water and cover the container with cling film. Remove it after the first shoots appear.
Growing and care
The most important thing is to follow the watering schedule and maintain the required temperature. Water the seedlings 10 days after planting. For convenience, use a pipette - this way the watering will be spot-on and unnecessary moisture will not fall on the leaves. The ideal temperature should be at least 20 degrees.
To store seedlings, choose the brightest and warmest place in the house. If you place it on a windowsill, avoid drafts. After 20 days, organize the first feeding. A solution based on wood ash is suitable for this. Then feed the seedlings every 10-15 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.
Important! To prevent plants from stretching and overgrowing, water the seedlings less often and lower the temperature by a couple of degrees. Also use the drug "Athlete", which will make the seedlings stockier and more powerful.
How to grow tomatoes
The key to a good harvest is proper planting and following the tips for caring for the crop. Let's look further at what you should pay special attention to.
Landing
In the fall, prepare the soil: dig up the garden, burn all the garbage, add a layer of humus to fertilize the soil. In the spring, all you have to do is dig up the beds again so that the earth is saturated with oxygen.
Tomatoes are planted densely, the distance between the bushes should be about 40-50 cm. Immediately install a wooden peg near each of them, to which you will tie the vegetable in the future. Once all the seedlings are in the beds, water them with warm water. The next watering should be done only after 8-12 days.
Important! Do not plant Chocolate Miracle after potatoes or tomatoes.There is a high risk of contracting infections. The best predecessors are zucchini or peppers.
Care
Watering should be even and regular. The interval between them is about 7-10 days. Lettuce varieties tend to crack, so be careful with the amount of water. Focus on the weather - if the summer turns out to be rainy, then reduce the amount of watering.
The chocolate miracle forms stepsons that need to be removed periodically. If the shoots are longer than 4 cm, cut them with scissors, and if they are shorter, remove them with your bare hands. Also, do not forget about the weeds that fill the beds. It is recommended to remove weeds every 10 days.
In spring, the variety needs nitrogen fertilizing. For example, in saltpeter or urea. In the future, the emphasis will shift to complex fertilizers: azofoska, Kemira, calcium nitrate. The Chocolate Miracle is fertilized until harvest.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
To tie, we recommend driving the stakes in a zigzag pattern and stretching the twine between them. Thus, the first bush is obtained on one side of the twine, the second - on the opposite side. As a result, each bush will be pressed on both sides with twine and will not fall. You can also use a simple garter to stakes, but then you will spend many times more time and effort.
In addition to the garter, pay attention to feeding. Do not allow an excess of nitrogen substances in vegetables, otherwise they will crack and lose their taste. Abuse of chemicals is also contraindicated.
Diseases and pests
Aphids cause serious problems with growing tomatoes. The insect attacks the stems and leaves of bushes, disrupting its metabolism and taking away the plant's nutrients.
For prevention, purchase a soap solution in advance and treat the plants with it.For convenience, use spray bottles.
Important! In addition to aphids, tomatoes are attacked by whiteflies, Colorado potato beetles, and spider mites. To fight them use Bordeaux mixture solution. Carry out the last treatment at least 2 weeks before harvesting the tomatoes.
Due to improper care and high humidity, the vegetable suffers from late blight or blossom end rot. Late blight easy to recognize by white coating and brown spots, and black spots at the tips there are signs of blossom end rot.
To prevent illness, carry out preventive measures in advance. To do this, periodically spray the beds with ash or garlic solution. Egg shells and onion peels are also excellent products.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
It is not difficult to create favorable conditions for tomatoes in a greenhouse. If the air temperature is more than 29 degrees, ventilate the room and reduce the amount of watering. From the beginning of June, indoors, the Chocolate Miracle is watered once every 3 days, from August to September - once every 6 days. Best time for glaze - morning or evening.
Important! Drip irrigation is ideal for greenhouse tomatoes. It is beneficial not only for vegetables, but also for gardeners, because much less water is wasted. The droppers are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
When growing the variety in open ground, do not forget to remove the lower leaves after the vegetables appear. The latter take juices and nutrients from the bush, which is why the tomatoes do not have enough strength to develop.
If your region gets enough sun, just leave the top few leaves. There will be enough shade for the bushes. By August, pinch the stems off the bushes.This will keep the plant strong enough to form succulent vegetables rather than continue to grow upward.
Harvesting and application
Harvesting begins in early to mid-August. It is not necessary to wait for mature color; you can also pick vegetables at the stage of milky ripeness. Slightly unripe tomatoes will take on a reddish-brown hue within 2-3 days. Vegetables harvested on time allow you to get the maximum harvest.
For faster ripening, they are stored in a bright and warm place. If you want to slow down ripening, place the tomatoes in a cool, dark place.
Chocolate miracle is a salad variety, so it is actively used both for preparing vegetable salad and for more refined recipes. In addition, the variety performs well in fresh form, contains a large amount of sugars and vitamins B, A, C. It serves as a natural antioxidant and improves mood.
The Chocolate Miracle is not suitable for canning due to its thin skin and large size. It is best used as an ingredient for side dishes or soups.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The strong characteristics of the variety include:
- juicy taste;
- original appearance;
- high productivity;
- immunity to diseases and pests;
- ability to grow in any climatic conditions.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- bush formation is required;
- thin skin and, as a result, short shelf life;
- not suitable for whole canning.
Farmer reviews
Experienced gardeners share different opinions on the Chocolate Miracle tomato on Internet forums.
Elizaveta, Yuryuzan: “I live in the Urals, so I can’t boast of ideal conditions for growing vegetables.However, the tomato really turned out to be a real “miracle”! He gave me a lot of harvest, the taste of the vegetables is simply excellent. Planted it in a greenhouse. The vegetables ripened together.”
Maxim, Bataysk: “I didn’t like the chocolate miracle. There was a lot of rain in the summer, which may be why most of the tomatoes cracked. I bought seeds in a store, the result does not correspond at all to the picture on the package. I doubt I’ll plant more.”
Maria, Samara region: “I love unusual varieties of tomatoes. So I liked the Chocolate Miracle. This is my third year of planting. They are unpretentious in care and form few stepchildren. I like".
Conclusion
The good thing about this variety is that it can be planted both in the open air and under film or in a greenhouse. The rules of care are no different from caring for other tomatoes. The main thing is not to over-wet the beds and fertilize them on time.
Even at the seedling stage, it is worth treating the seedlings with Fitosporin. The drug will have a preventive effect, protect against frost and pathogens. Chocolate miracle is great for salads and other dishes. I wish you rich harvests!