Experienced gardeners can be surprised by little, most tomato varieties and hybrids are well known to them. However, breeders continue to work and offer tomato lovers more and more new types, which sometimes look little like familiar vegetables. These are, for example, the Blue Bunch tomato and the Black Bunch tomato. If the first of these varieties resembles a bunch of grapes, then the second looks more like ripe plums or large black currants.

Culture information

The Black Bunch Tomato is the only black chokeberry tomato whose fruit is actually almost black in color (many consider it dark purple), while in other varieties with a similar color it is rather brown.

The Black Bunch hybrid is the fruit of many decades of breeding work, mainly by Dutch scientists. They tried to increase the content of the beneficial enzyme anthocyanin (it is he who gives the dark shade to the fruit) in wild tomatoes from South America, by crossing with ordinary tomatoes, which only have anthocyanin in the stems and leaves. This flavonoid is a natural antioxidant that has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and circulatory system, and also improves the condition of the skin.

Despite its long history and popularity in Russia, this hybrid is not yet included in the State Register.

Characteristics and features of the variety

Tomato Sweet bunch

The Black bunch variety cannot be considered cold-resistant, on the contrary, it prefers warm and sunny places - it is when grown in such conditions that it will reveal every property inherent in it.

This hybrid is declared by breeders as early maturing, because about 2.5 months pass from the time of the appearance of the first seedlings to the receipt of marketable fruits.

The plant has a dense, strong climbing stem, reaching a height of one and a half meters, since this type of tomato is not standard and indeterminate. The root system is branched, well developed. The foliage of tomatoes The black cluster of an unusual shape, reminiscent of a rhombus, it is painted in a dark green color, has wrinkles over the entire surface, but is devoid of fibers. The foliage of the bushes is average.

Tomato Black bunch (variety appearance)

The flowers are yellow, with an increase in color towards the core. Inflorescences are formed simple, intermediate, they are located, as a rule, above the seventh leaf and above through one. Pollination occurs on its own, no help from insects is required. After the formation of ovaries on each inflorescence, you can count about 10 future fruits, located in the form of a bunch. All of them grow evenly over the entire height of the stem, therefore, the ripening of tomatoes does not occur simultaneously, but stretched out, until the onset of cold weather.

Of course, the main feature of the Black or Blue bunch of tomatoes is the very unusual color of the fruit: in the Black bunch, they are truly purple, like eggplant. Unripe tomatoes, like representatives of other varieties, have a green skin. The shape of tomatoes of this variety is called cocktail, and the weight of each low-ribbed tomato does not exceed 70 grams. When the fruit ripens, the color of the skin changes from dark blue to dull brown (gradually, becoming covered with spots, which then merge and form a new color). The pulp has a bright red color, it is moderately juicy, has an average density and is balanced in the amount of organic acids and sugars, a lot of dry matter.The fruits are two-chambered, with a low seed content. The taste of tomatoes is specific, subject to the growing conditions (especially with regard to insolation), it is very similar to the taste and smell of ripe plums.

Tomato A bunch of black color can be eaten, first of all, fresh (children especially love this for its unusual appearance and sweet taste), and also used in salads, soups, sandwiches, for decorating dishes.

Additional Information. When salted, the color of the tomatoes changes to light brown, so, unfortunately, it will not work to impress guests with black pickles. However, when canning, tomatoes do not crack and retain their presentation. Paste and tomato juice are very interesting in color. When lying down, according to gardeners, the taste of tomatoes improves slightly after a couple of weeks.

Tomato Black bunch shows a fairly good yield both indoors and outdoors: subject to the agrotechnical rules of cultivation, up to five to six kilograms of plum-black fruits can be harvested from one bush.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

This variety of tomatoes is propagated by seedlings. Sowing of seeds begins in early March. Seed material is placed at a centimeter depth in specially prepared seedling containers with a step of about 2-3 centimeters. It is necessary to ensure that the planting is not too dense - this will make the seedlings weak. Room temperature (20 to 22 degrees Celsius) is considered optimal for germination; under such conditions, pecking can be expected in five days. Illumination should be increased, if there is not enough natural light, it is necessary to highlight the seedlings. To prevent premature stretching of the plants, it is advisable to lower the temperature by a few degrees at the very beginning.

Tomato Red bunch: characteristics and description of the variety

After a couple of the first true leaves appear above the ground, the seedlings must be dived, that is, planted in different containers.

Caring for seedlings of black bunch tomatoes involves periodic moistening of the soil, loosening, it is also necessary to feed future tomatoes with an extract from wood ash (this will help to avoid the black leg disease, so characteristic of the nightshade family).

Young tomatoes are planted in open beds when they reach at least 50 days (it is better to wait two months), around the last decade of May.

Note! By the time the seedlings move to a permanent place, there should be no frost on the soil, otherwise the sprouts may die.

It is advisable to harden the seedlings a week or one and a half before this, taking them out for a while in a cool place. So, plants adapt faster in the open field.

The planting scheme should be such that there are a maximum of four tomato bushes per square meter of beds. Growing the Black Bunch is recommended in two stems, so other stepchildren should be removed as they emerge. You should also pick off the foliage that grows under the fruit brushes, for a more complete nutrition of the poured tomatoes. It is advisable to install retaining pegs already at the stage of planting in the ground so that it is easier for the plants to withstand the ripening crop.

Tomato planting scheme

Plant care consists in periodically watering the soil with clean water, followed by loosening and weeding of weeds. Tomato Black bunch prefers growing on light and nutritious soils, therefore it is advisable to feed the bushes a couple of times during the growing season with mineral fertilizers (the first application is recommended two weeks after moving the seedlings to open soil).

In the Black bunch tomato, the characteristic and description of the variety indicates that it has an increased immunity to diseases characteristic of nightshades, for example, late blight. However, preventive spraying should still be done to protect less resistant plants. Boric acid, iodine or potassium permanganate in solutions, antifungal drugs can be used for these purposes.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Tomato miracle bunch

The advantage of this variety, first of all, is the unusual color of the fruit, which attracts attention. Beneficial for health is the increased content of the natural antioxidant anthocyanin, which stains the black bunch of tomatoes in dark purple. The specific plum flavor of tomatoes allows for culinary experiments and cooking, for example, plum sauce without plums at all. Also, the undoubted advantage that this variety possesses is its resistance to putrefactive lesions and phytophthora. The black bunch is easy to transport and has a high keeping quality.

Note.A disadvantage is the fact that tomatoes do not acquire a fruity taste and aroma when growing less sunlight and heat. It can be difficult for novice summer residents to determine the degree of ripeness of tomatoes due to the dark color of the fruit. Some people complain about the thick skin of tomatoes and a slightly sour taste. Another unpleasant property is that this hybrid does not produce fruit-bearing seeds, once you buy seed and continue to do with your own will not work.

Unusual variety Black bunch - "plum" tomato, which will attract the attention of both gardeners and guests at the festive table. Easy to care for, quite fruitful, it can become a real decoration of the garden.