Characteristics of Black Prince tomatoes
Tomatoes are everyone's favorite vegetables, without which no festive table can do. Therefore, those who have the opportunity to grow their own tomatoes try to cultivate versatile and truly delicious varieties. But not all gardeners prefer to choose varieties only on the basis of a gastronomic principle, for some, the yield of the variety is also important. The Black Prince tomato will please even the most demanding gardener due to its characteristics.
Characteristics of Black Prince tomatoes
Characteristics of the variety
Tomato variety Black Prince is indeterminate (the plant does not have a final growth height), so it must be pinched. Medium plants are from one and a half to two meters in height. And so that all the nutrients from the soil do not go only into growth, it is necessary to pinch the plant after all the fruits have formed. Then the feeding will go to the development of the fruit.
The trunk of the Black Prince tomato is thick and strong, but the brushes are simple and weak.
Therefore, the plant requires a garter. The leaves of this tomato variety are simple, have a light green tint. The ovaries are formed after the ninth leaf, and have a large number of peduncles. The next ovaries are located every 3-4 leaves. If the gardener wants his tomatoes to be large, then five to eight flowers are left on the ovary.
Most gardeners, wanting to save space on the site, plant Black Prince tomatoes next to other varieties. As a result of this neighborhood, pollination occurs and the Black Prince tomatoes lose their taste attractiveness, become sour and brighten. To avoid such cross-pollination, it is necessary to maintain a distance between planting varieties of about two meters. The plant bears fruit both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.
The main unpleasant quality of this variety is the impossibility of long-term storage. Fruits very quickly lose their presentation, cake and feel bad during transportation. Therefore, fruits should be preserved on the day of harvest or consumed immediately fresh.
Tomato fruits of the Black Prince variety
Black Prince tomato fruits are rounded, slightly flattened at both ends. The weight of the fruit varies from one hundred grams to half a kilo, there are even specimens weighing a kilogram.
The main features of the fruits of this variety of tomatoes:
- Skin smooth to the touch, thin but very dense.
- Unripe fruits have a greenish-white tint with a slight darkening at the stalk. When ripe, the fruits darken and acquire a pleasant chocolate shade. Fruits with a purple tint are rare.
- The pulp of the fruit is of a dark shade, with small enlightenments in the area of the veins.
- The fruits have a pleasant sweet taste and extraordinary aroma. Very fleshy, contain a small amount of dry matter.
- In each fruit, the pulp is divided into several chambers (from three to six), each chamber contains a small amount of seeds.
The description says that the Black Prince tomato variety is not suitable for long-term storage, but ideal for conservation and processing. They retain their taste and color during heat treatment, so they will be an excellent decoration for any table.
This variety is usually classified as a dessert one due to its amazing unique taste and pleasant aroma. It will appeal to both adults and children. The fruits ripen slowly, as this is a mid-season variety. From the moment the seedlings emerge until the fruits are fully ripe, it takes about 120 days.
Yield
The variety has an average yield
The Prince's yield is average, but more than that of other exotic varieties.
From one bush, you can collect up to 3 kg of tomatoes. And with favorable climatic conditions for tomatoes and timely fertilization, the yield can be significantly increased.
In addition to regularly applying fertilizers to the soil, it is necessary to treat plants from pests and fungal diseases. Timely and abundant watering helps to increase yields and improve the taste of the fruit.
Growing seedlings
The description says that the variety is suitable for cultivation both in open field in film tunnels and in greenhouse conditions.
Planting seeds
Growing a Black Prince tomato begins with sowing planting material in seedling pots or in open ground. But before planting, you need to prepare this planting material. The choice of seeds for planting should be done with great care, as many growers pass off this original tomato variety as its F1 hybrid. Such seeds do not take root well and give a very small harvest. And if the gardener was lucky enough to find seeds from those who grow these tomatoes, then it is worth clarifying what year these seeds are. Seeds that are two to three years old give an ideal harvest.
Sowing seedlings of this variety of tomatoes in pots begins in mid-March, and in order for the seedlings to sprout well, to be healthy, the following set of measures must be taken:
- Disinfect the container in which you plan to plant.
- Prepare the soil for seedlings and add different amounts of humus and peat to it.
- To deepen the seeds a few centimeters and abundantly moisten the earth with a spray bottle.
- After all these measures, the seedlings are covered with transparent material and put on the windowsill.
Sprout care
After the first sprouts appear, the film must be removed, and when the leaves appear on the sprouts, they must be transplanted into a separate container. From sowing the seeds to the emergence of seedlings, very little time passes, and already on the tenth day, the first shoots are celebrated.
If the seedlings are ready for planting in the ground, they must be hardened before that. You can expose the seedlings outside or direct a fan at them, or gradually lower the room temperature by a few degrees over several weeks. And after the bushes of the plant are covered with an abundant crown, they are transplanted into the ground.
Transplanting
Before growing this variety of tomatoes in open, unprotected ground, it is necessary to prepare the site in advance. Ash and humus are introduced into the soil where planting is planned. Already before planting seedlings, it is necessary to disinfect the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, clean it of last year's debris and carefully dig it up.
The soil for seedlings must be well prepared.
Growing seedlings in the open field has its own characteristics:
- Since the roots of the plant are very large, it is necessary to dig out a hole size suitable for the shrub in advance.
- A small amount of potassium sulfate with superphosphate is added to each well, covering them with a small layer of earth. The roots of the plant will not touch the fertilizer or burn.This condition is imperative when growing, since tomatoes will grow poorly without fertilization.
- For one square meter, it is technically permissible to grow from three to five bushes. Therefore, seedlings should be planted according to this point.
At the end of planting, you must carefully shed the tomatoes.
There is one more prerequisite for growing the Black Prince tomato in the open field - covering the soil. Overlapping the soil can be done both with sawdust and last year's leaves.
Planting seedlings in open ground should be done at the end of spring, when frosts are no longer scary. The lateral processes must be pinched so that the plant has only one stem.
Fertilizer
In addition to fertilizing the hole when planting seedlings, it is necessary to regularly apply them to the soil as the bush grows, and spray the plant with insecticidal preparations. But in everything you need to know when to stop. Therefore, there is a certain scheme for fertilizing:
- In June, the first mullein-based fertilizer is introduced into the soil: 500 gr. mullein in a bucket of water, and a few tablespoons of superphosphate
- The second groundbait must be introduced in July. Mullein and potassium sulfate are used to prepare the nutrient solution. The proportions of mullein and water are the same, but potassium sulfate requires a heaping tablespoon.
- Once every two weeks, it is necessary to water the soil with a mixture of: water, peat and rotted mullein.
From the moment the buds appear and until the fruits ripen, it is necessary to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the soil. And during fruiting, the plant only needs watering with the addition of saltpeter.
Watering
One-year-old, self-harvested seeds do not germinate well - it is better to leave them alone for several seasons. And then the yield will surely please.
Tomatoes must be watered daily after planting seedlings in the ground. As soon as the shrub begins to grow profusely, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of watering and do it as needed. For irrigation, use only water heated in the sun during the day.
Diseases
Black Prince tomatoes have an average resistance to various diseases of the nightshade, but they are well protected from late blight. And according to gardeners' reviews, they are not very susceptible to attacks by various insects.
The main diseases that can harm a tomato of this variety:
- Bacterial cancer. It is easy to recognize: small ulcers appear on the leaves, and rough large cracks form on the fruits.
- Black rot. When affected by this disease, the fruits become covered with gray spots, and the flesh gradually decays.
- Blackleg. With this disease, the root neck of the seedlings darkens and decay processes develop in it.
Prophylaxis
Almost all diseases of tomatoes are associated with excessive watering and infection of seedlings with fungi from last year's foliage. Therefore, as a preventive measure, it is necessary:
- Observe the regime of watering the bushes.
- Destroy plant residues in time.
- Apply the necessary fertilizers and prophylactic drugs (trichodermin, phytosporin) for the tomatoes on time.
Every gardener is able to grow this wonderful variety on his site, you just need to figure it out: with the peculiarities of growing this crop; methods of pest and disease control; and care technology. And then the harvest will delight with its abundance and quality.