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Yakov Pavlovich
Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing
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The striped tomato salad variety, which has taken root in Russian dachas and household plots, has received recognition for its original appearance, amicable ripening of fruits. The culture of American selection shows an average yield with standard agricultural technology both in the open field and in film greenhouses.
Varietal description and characteristics
Other names for the tomato variety Chocolate stripes - Chocolate striped, Chocolate stripes. The hybrid is obtained as a result of cross-pollination of the pale pink beef variety Beefsteak and the undersized Shaimet Krig with red fruits interspersed with golden strokes.
The plant, popular in the USA, Europe and Russia, is medium-sized, determinant. The maximum growth of powerful stems is limited to the eighth raceme.
The height of the bush in the greenhouse is 2 m, in the open field - 1.5 m. The culture is low-leafed, the leaf plates are wrinkled, saturated green, similar to potato. The first inflorescence, from which up to five tomatoes are formed, is formed above the eighth leaf. Subsequent - in 2-3 sheets.
Flat-round fruits of tomatoes Striped chocolate grows up to 15 cm in diameter, weighing from 350 g to 1 kg. The rind is of medium density with a glossy sheen. Unripe tomatoes - a uniform green color, after ripening - burgundy with green and red stripes. The fruit on the cut is as variegated as the surface. The juicy pulp of eight chambers with a small number of seeds is characterized by sugar content and a pronounced aroma.
Tomatoes ripen on the 96-106th day from the day of emergence. Striped chocolate is a mid-season chocolate.
To increase the yield, the indicator of which is 8 kg per 1 sq. m, the plant is formed, leaving one or two stems. Transportability is low. The plant is immune to disease, rarely affected by late blight.
The fruits are used for fresh consumption, preparation of salads, sauces and the production of homemade products after grinding.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
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Important! Due to the fleshy pulp, large size and tendency to cracking the fruit, the Chocolate Strips variety is unsuitable for squeezing tomato juice, whole-fruit canning.
In greenhouse conditions, the beginning of ripening of striped tomatoes is June. In open areas, fruiting lasts from July to the end of September.
Agricultural rules
There is nothing complicated or unusual in the cultivation of the "Striped Chocolate" variety. But novice gardeners still need to know several important rules of agricultural technology for these tomatoes.
Growing Striped Chocolate is no different from other varieties
- Seedlings for the greenhouse are sown by mid-March at a temperature of 25 ° C. But after a week, when shoots appear, the temperature must be reduced to 20 ° C. For open ground, seedlings are prepared from mid-April.
- Seedlings of "Striped Chocolate" should be transplanted into the greenhouse already at the beginning of May, and on the open bed - in June. Planting density - 2-3 plants per 1 m².
- The best place for shrubs of this variety is a bright area with a little shade.
- Tomatoes should be tied up with stakes or vertical trellis. The garters themselves should be made of synthetics, so as not to provoke rotting of the bush.
Attention! Fruits of the "Striped Chocolate" variety are stored for a long time, despite the juiciness of the pulp. But for this it is better to choose a dark and dry place.
For lovers of sweet tomatoes, breeders have bred many more varieties of tomatoes. Among them are "Orange Pear", "Black Prince", "Paradise Delight", "African" and many others. The more varieties you plant in the garden, the more varied the table with summer treats will be.
Pros and Cons of Tomato Striped Chocolate
Chocolate stripes is endowed with a minimum of disadvantages with obvious advantages.
Summer residents note the following advantages of tomatoes:
- unique color;
- large-fruited;
- stable yield;
- undemanding to the composition of the soil;
- original taste;
- resistance to nightshade diseases due to built-in immunity;
- long-term fruiting;
- growing in open beds and under a film cover.
The Russians fell in love with the new variety not only for the appearance of maxi-sized fruits, but also for the bright taste and aroma of tomato vegetable salads.
The disadvantages of Striped Chocolate tomato include cracking of fruits with a lack of moisture in a sultry summer, loss of presentation during transportation. Another disadvantage is the need to tie plants to strong supports.
Harvesting
Harvested from the beginning of August. Tear off the stalked tomatoes to increase shelf life. It is better to remove the fruits at the stage of blanche ripeness.
The harvest is stored in a dark and dry basement, cellar. For storage, use wooden boxes filled with sawdust or straw. Tomatoes are stalked up.
"Striped chocolate" is a fruitful variety with an unusual taste and fruit color. The fruits ripen unevenly throughout the summer season. They store well and tolerate transportation.
The specifics of growing tomato
To grow fruit-bearing bushes of striped chocolate tomatoes, they begin with the preparation and sowing of seeds, care for the seedlings. After transplanting mature seedlings to a permanent place, a standard set of agrotechnical works is performed.
Planting and caring for seedlings
Sowing dates are determined by calculation. Seeds are embedded in the soil no earlier than 55 days before planting in open ground:
- in the South of Russia - in late February – early March;
- in the Central region - from mid to late March;
- in Siberia and the Urals - April 1-15.
See also the Description and features of growing tomato Marusya
The dates are shifted two weeks ago if the transplantation of tomato seedlings is planned. Striped chocolate in the greenhouse.
The seed in a canvas bag is dipped for 30 minutes in a 5% soda or weak manganese solution for half an hour. After disinfection for 2 hours, the seeds are kept in a growth stimulator - Kornevin, Zircon, aloe juice.
To speed up germination, the striped chocolate tomato seeds are soaked until they swell. Wet gauze with one end is placed on a saucer, seeds are evenly distributed from above, covered with a free corner of matter. Leave warm for 12 hours.
Further, drainage holes are made in a container or plastic cups, a layer of expanded clay is placed on the bottom. The next step is to fill the container with a soil mixture of equal parts of peat, river sand, sod land. Add 2 parts of humus and ash at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 kg of substrate. Pre-soaked peat tablets can be used.
Sowing begins with moistening the soil, creating grooves 1 cm deep. When planting tomato seeds, a distance of 1-2 cm is observed between them, 3-4 cm between rows. Sprinkle with earth on top. Until the tomato sprouts appear, the striped chocolate is kept at an air temperature of 23-25 ° C.
If the crops are covered with film or glass, daily ventilation is necessary so that condensation does not accumulate and mold does not start. The shelter is removed on the 5-8th day after seed germination, the temperature is lowered to 14-18 ° C.
For a full growing season, tomato seedlings need 12-hour daylight hours. If conditions are not appropriate, lamps are used for additional lighting. Moisten the soil as it dries. The pick is carried out at the stage of appearance of 2-3 true leaves.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
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Important! Seedlings grow weak, stretch upward with a lack of light, waterlogging, high temperatures.
The intensity of watering is increased a few days before transplanting tomatoes. To avoid curvature of the stems, the container with plants in a day is turned with the opposite side to the sun.
Transfer
Tomatoes are planted on the garden bed. Striped chocolate is planted when the soil warms up to 16 ° C, the threat of frost has passed. In order for the seedlings to take root faster, a week before the event, the plants are hardened, daily taking the container out to the balcony, street.
Tomatoes prefer sunny areas with slightly acidic, loose soil, permeable to oxygen and moisture. Tomatoes do not react well to direct sunlight, drafts.
Seedlings are planted in open ground, maintaining a distance between holes of 0.5 m, a row spacing of 0.7 m.In the greenhouse, in a row between plants, more free space is left - 0.6 m. The depth of the planting hole depends on the development of the root system.
At the end of the event, striped chocolate tomatoes are watered and mulched with hay, peat or sawdust. Mulch reduces the intensity of watering, the number of weeding, and prevents the attacks of pests wintering in the ground.
For the first days, for better rooting of seedlings in the open field, it is recommended to stretch a film over the plantings, fixed on iron arcs. Another option is to cover the plants with agrofibre at night.
Planting seedlings to a permanent place
The beds for "Striped Chocolate" are prepared in the fall, choosing for planting areas protected from the wind, not far from tall trees, so that there is a light shade. The earth is saturated with humus at 4 kg per m².
Important! Planting close to the surface of the placement of groundwater is undesirable, since excess moisture provokes root rot.
The best predecessors are:
- cabbage;
- greens;
- beet.
Seedlings are planted at 55-60 days of age, when the land on the site warms up to +16 ° С.
The holes are dug at a distance of 50 cm from each other, 70 cm are left between the rows. The planting depth is adjusted, focusing on the size of the roots.
The bottom of the planting hole is abundantly moistened, waiting for moisture to be absorbed. The seedling is placed on an earthen mound, at the bottom of the hole, the roots are straightened and sprinkled with soil. After planting, watered abundantly.
Post-care of plants
Caring for tomatoes Striped chocolate after planting involves irrigation, loosening the soil, weeding regularly, and tying the stems onto trellises or stakes.
To increase yields, plants are treated with chemicals from diseases and parasitic insects, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are introduced into the soil.
When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, the main stem is formed using the pinching method. Every 14 days, pinch off processes less than 4 cm long.
Watering
Moisten the soil under the plants as needed, taking into account the precipitation. Tomatoes of the striped chocolate variety prefer rare but abundant watering with warm, settled water in the evening or early in the morning. In drought, the crop is irrigated every other day, in moderately warm weather - weekly.
See also Yield and reviews of tomato Riddle of Nature
After transplanting seedlings, the roots are able to absorb moisture not earlier than after 10-14 days.Before flowering, the bush is enough for 3 liters of water, after the flowers open, a single dose is increased to 5 liters. Varietal tomatoes are watered at the root, avoiding moisture on the leaves to avoid sunburn.
Top dressing
The first feeding of plants is combined with the first watering, applying 0.7 liters of solution to the root of each bush, including:
- 40 g superphosphate;
- 25 g of ammonium nitrate;
- 15 g of potassium sulfate;
- 10 liters of water.
You can use mullein infusion (1 kg per bucket of water) in a single dose of 0.5 liters.
The second time striped chocolate tomatoes are fertilized during flowering. The store-bought fertilizers Red Giant, Kristalon, Fertika fill the deficiency of microelements.
Expert opinion
Stanislav Pavlovich
Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert
Ask a Question
Attention! For the treatment of foliage and stems of flowering plants grown in greenhouse conditions, 15 g of magnesium sulfate is dissolved in a bucket of water.
During the formation of ovaries, foliar feeding with a solution of wood ash prepared at the rate of 200 g of dry matter per 1 liter of hot water is effective. The leaf spraying agent is insisted for 48 hours, the volume is brought up to 5 liters with water.
The last time during the fruiting period is poured under a tomato bush. Striped chocolate solution prepared from 60 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium fertilizer and 10 liters of water. Ready-made mineral complexes Estrel, Dozrevatel, Fertika, Benefit are also used.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Due to the unpretentiousness of the variety, the following advantages can be distinguished:
- significant harvest;
- long-term fruiting;
- large fruits;
- extravagant color;
- unique taste;
- resistance to diseases of the Solanaceae family.
The variety is distinguished by large fruits.
According to the description, tomatoes have one significant drawback: during hot summers or at high temperatures in the greenhouse (28-30 ° C), they can crack.
Protection against diseases and pests
The resistance of striped tomatoes to late blight, rot, tobacco mosaic does not negate the observance of agrotechnical measures aimed at protecting plants from diseases, preventing pest attacks.
Prevention of late blight of tomatoes includes:
- compliance with watering rules;
- planting green manure;
- alternate use of chemicals once a month - Bordeaux liquid, Homa, Ridomil, Quadris.
Plants especially need to be treated after a period of prolonged rains.
Starting from the third week after transplanting seedlings, once every 14 days, tomatoes Striped chocolate are watered with a manganese solution, sprayed with soapy water to protect against the Colorado potato beetle, aphids.
