An interesting tomato for the whole family Chocolate F1. Fabulously beautiful fruits with a black tint have an exquisite taste with a slight aftertaste of chocolate. They have excellent nutritional value and do not cause allergies. Used to create culinary masterpieces and dietary dishes.
| Height | Landing location | Ripening time | Fruit color | Fruit size | Origin | Fruit shape |
| Tall | Greenhouse, Open ground | Mid-season | Bicolor | Average | Hybrid | Plum-shaped or oval |
Characteristics and description of the variety with photos
Hybrid Chocolate F1 is a variety with an early ripening period, approximately 120 days from sowing to the first tomatoes. Fruiting is long-lasting; tomatoes can be harvested within 2.5-3 months. The total yield from one bush can be approximately 3 kg.
The variety is semi-determinate, tall, reaching 150 cm, the bush will need to be tied up and formed into 3 shoots.
The plant can be grown both in greenhouses and in open soil and will tolerate temperature changes and hot weather. The inflorescences do not fall off, and the tomatoes set evenly along the entire length of the bunch.
Tomato Chocolate F1 has high plant resistance to fungi. It is practically not exposed to summer types of diseases, among which are Alternaria and others. It will not be affected by late blight in the cool season. It turns out that the tomato harvest can be harvested without loss.
Tomatoes may be slightly sour due to excess rainfall or cold weather. But in a well-heated area, the taste qualities are high.
About 7 bunches are formed on one shoot per season. The branch has a simple shape, unbranched; each branch bears up to 11 tomatoes of the same size, but they are not large.
The weight of the fruit can be about 40 g and the shape of the tomato is plum-shaped and elongated.
The peel of the Chocolate tomato is dense and quite thick. Tomatoes do not crack when ripening, even if it rains heavily. They also withstand heat treatment during preservation in their entirety.
When tomatoes are fully ripe, they are red-brown in color, with blurred green stripes and spots. The flesh is red in color, juicy and soft, without a light core in the center. The seed chambers, of which there are about 3, are large and filled with small seeds. The walls of the chambers are thick, up to 0.7 cm.
Fresh tomatoes cannot be stored for a long time, so you have to quickly process or eat them. But if you pick them at ripeness, they will gradually ripen well without losing their taste.
Tomato Chocolate F1 – universal:
- Striped tomatoes will look impressive in assorted vegetables;
- They are perfect for making juice or for processing into purees for ketchup, lecho, vegetable caviar, borscht dressing;
- Firm, sweet and small tomatoes can be used for drying;
- Tomatoes can be frozen.
How to grow Chocolate tomato?
Tomato Chocolate: photo of variety
You can grow the Chocolate tomato variety both in a greenhouse and outdoors. The fruits ripen on average 3.5 months after emergence. That is, the variety can be called medium early. Of course, in a greenhouse there is a much greater chance of getting a large harvest. Especially in more northern areas in short summer conditions.
The first inflorescence usually appears above the eighth leaf. Each cluster bears an average of five fruits. At least 10 kg of tomatoes are harvested per square meter. And with good care, up to 15 kg. So the Chocolate tomato variety can be called high-yielding.
Preparing to grow seedlings
Regardless of how you grow Chocolate tomatoes (in a greenhouse or in open ground), it always starts with growing seedlings. The sowing time must be calculated based on the climatic characteristics of your area.
At the time of transplanting to a permanent location, the seedlings must be at least 50-55 days old. By this time, the plant usually has six true leaves. And perhaps some bushes will already bloom. As a rule, seeds are sown in the second half of February or March.
Seedlings of the Chocolate variety
Planting material purchased in the store has already undergone the necessary pre-sowing preparation. But you can still carry out additional sorting by dipping the seeds in water. If some of them float to the surface, discard them. Most likely they are empty and you can’t expect shoots from them. But all the rest can be planted.
Then, before planting, you can soak the Chocolate tomato seeds for several hours in a vermicompost solution. Or another growth stimulant. Because this will speed up the emergence of seedlings. It will also further enhance plant immunity.
Soil for seedlings
Soil for seedlings can be purchased at any flower shop. It contains the necessary supply of nutrients, which will be enough for the seedlings for the first time. But it’s worth thinking about additional soil disinfection. Heat it in the oven. Or sprinkle with potassium permanganate to get rid of harmful microorganisms.
Pour the prepared soil into containers and water. And deepen the Chocolate tomato seeds into it by 1-1.5 cm. Then cover the container with glass or cling film. And put it in a warm place. Light is not important to us yet. The ideal temperature would be +24…+26 degrees.
After the Chocolate tomato seedlings begin to germinate, the shelter must be removed. Move the seedlings closer to the light. And also reduce the air temperature by 5-7 degrees. This must be done so that the seedlings can grow stronger. But it didn’t immediately begin to actively grow, stretching towards the light. Such plants turn out thin and weak.
Water the Chocolate tomato seedlings sparingly and carefully. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged. And definitely warm water. And, as usual, after the appearance of the second true leaf, the seedlings must be picked into separate containers.
Preparing seedlings and soil for planting
As the moment of transplantation approaches, it is necessary to begin hardening the seedlings. To do this, take the plants outside for a short time at first. Increase your time outdoors every day. If tomatoes are to grow in open ground, then you need to let them spend a couple of nights outside as seedlings. Cover them with film or geotextile.
In parallel with hardening, begin to prepare the soil. Chocolate variety tomatoes prefer soil with a neutral acidity level. The soil must be dug well, adding humus. And sand if necessary. If the soil is very heavy.
In case of high acidity level, you can use chalk and dolomite flour. As well as slaked lime or ash. Also, when digging, add fertilizer containing the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium necessary for tomatoes.
Then the prepared beds can be covered with dark film or geotextile. Because this will prevent weeds from germinating. It will also contribute to additional warming of the soil, the temperature of which should be +14...+16 degrees.
Planting a Chocolate tomato in the soil
When the threat of frost has passed, you can transplant the seedlings, preferably on a warm but cloudy day. It is necessary to plant three bushes per square meter, otherwise when the tomatoes grow they will not have enough nutrients.
It is enough to water Chocolate variety tomatoes in a greenhouse once a week; watering should be done at the root; you can add a little ash to the water. And of course, the best time for watering is very early in the morning or evening hours. Outside, watering should be done taking into account weather conditions, but in case of dry weather, twice a week will be enough.
For chocolate tomatoes, like other varieties, three feedings per season will be enough. Monitor the condition of the plants and, depending on this, adjust the content of certain elements in the fertilizing composition; eliminate nitrogen from mid-summer. To improve the formation of ovaries, foliar fertilizing with boron can be done.
Do not forget about weeding and loosening the soil; these are extremely important elements of crop care. It is very important to install supports at the time of transplanting the seedlings, to which you will then tie the plants. By installing such supports at a later time, you risk damaging the roots of the tomatoes. As the tomato grows, do not forget to tie it up. You will also need to remove the stepsons, but under no circumstances should you pick them all at once - after such stress, the tomato may begin to get sick or die (this applies to all varieties). Do this gradually, in the morning, one per day.
And of course, despite the resistance of the Chocolate tomato variety to most diseases, do not forget about preventive measures - do not allow the air humidity to be too high and do not forget to ventilate the greenhouse every day. Sprinkle the soil with ash or bone meal. If pests appear, do not immediately grab insecticides; first try using folk recipes based on soda, soap, wormwood or garlic.
Pros and cons of the variety
This variety has many advantages:
- Large-fruited tomato.
- Extremely increased yield.
- Excellent resistance to parasites and diseases.
- Good taste.
- Unusual and beautiful appearance.
- Low maintenance requirements.
The disadvantage is the short shelf life of tomatoes, and it does not have a very long shelf life.
Features of cultivation and care
Sowing is carried out in such a way that the seedlings reach the age of 2-2.5 months before planting in the soil. In this case, the first fruits may be harvested around the beginning of June.
For sowing, you can purchase special soil or mix a mixture of equal parts of garden soil, humus and sand. Before sowing, the substrate should be well soaked with a hot solution of potassium permanganate directly in the container where the tomatoes will grow.
After the soil has cooled, the seeds are scattered on the surface and covered with a thin layer of sand or dry soil. The container is covered with film, where several holes are made, and placed in a warm place. At a soil temperature of +25 degrees, sprouts can appear after 5 days, but in cooler places this can take up to 7 days.
You can pick seedlings after the appearance of 3 true leaves at a distance of 10 cm from each other. In order for strong plants to grow, you don’t need anything else; it will only be enough to water the tomatoes on time.
It is best to place the containers on a southern windowsill; if there is not enough light, you should take care of additional lighting for the seedlings, since they need at least 12 hours of daylight.
You can plant tomatoes in a greenhouse already in mid-May, but in open soil only in the first ten days of June, while per 1 sq. m. about 4 bushes are planted.
In semi-determinate tomatoes, the bush does not crown, but bifurcates at a height of 1.5 meters. Tomatoes Chocolate F1 that grow in open soil can be pinched whole to stop the growth of the stems in height. This is done so that the last ovaries are filled. But in a greenhouse the plant will grow a little longer, so it is necessary to remove 1 stem so that the second one can grow longer.
The main requirements of Chocolate tomatoes are timely and constant watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
Characteristics of the variety
The description of the variety of this tomato should begin with the characteristics of the very beautiful and unusual color scheme of the tomato. These tomatoes are the only ones of their kind that have a rich chocolate glossy tint.
This variety is a semi-determinate hybrid. Its bushes are not standard. These are quite tall pagons, which reach a height of 130-150 cm. The foliage of the bushes is weak, the leaves are dense, medium-sized, rich green.
Reviews from gardeners indicate the extraordinary resistance of this variety to various diseases and pests. And such common tomato problems as root and blossom end rot do not affect this variety at all.
The characteristics of the variety indicate that such tomatoes grow well both in open soil and in a greenhouse. This type of tomato is mid-early. The first harvest of ripe fruits is harvested 110-120 days after planting.
Reviews from gardeners
Irina, Chelyabinsk:
I grew Chocolate F1 tomatoes and I really liked them. The bush was higher than 2 meters and was completely covered with bunches of tomatoes. Those that were picked ripe from the plant were sweeter than those that ripened at home. But in our climate it is impossible to do otherwise, so we had to collect a lot of green fruits.
Rimma, Moscow:
This year I grew it in a polycarbonate greenhouse. The soil in the greenhouse, unfortunately, was not very good, so the tomatoes did not turn out like in the picture. They came out without the characteristic pointed tip and were a bit small, but they tasted good. Looked great marinated in a jar and especially good dried.
