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Cherry – so used to call all small-fruited tomatoes. But strictly speaking, this is not true. When these cherries only entered the culture, their diversity was not so great, and therefore they were combined into one group – cherry.
But culinary experts and ordinary tomato lovers quickly tasted their excellent taste and appreciated the beautiful appearance. A large number of new varieties and hybrids of small-fruited tomatoes have been developed. And now their classification has become much wider.
Classification of cherry tomatoes
First of all, there are so-called technical varieties – suitable for canning and table or salad varieties. The latter varieties, in turn, are divided into the following groups:
- tomato cocktail – the diameter of the fruit is from 3 to 4 cm, the taste is bright saturated, it can be vegetable, i.e. slightly sour and fruity, with a high content of fructose;
- cherry – half the size of cocktail ones and definitely much sweeter – the sweetest of the entire group;
- kleisters – small-fruited tomatoes of the carpal type, all the fruits on the brush ripen at once;
- currant tomatoes – it is in them that most of the wild tomato, including the size, they gave the name to the group, they are no larger than large currants.
In each group, except for the last ones, there is a wide variety of colors, shapes and tastes. Different cultivars differ in type of growth. The sizes of the bush are very diverse – from three-meter giants to crumbs that grow well even in a flower pot.
The history of cherry tomatoes
The history of the emergence of cherry tomatoes is interesting and controversial. Most often, their homeland is called Israel. Experiments were carried out there to create varieties best suited for growing in hot climates. The result of breeding work was the first cultivars of cherry tomatoes. But in different sources there are references to small-fruited tomatoes brought from America at the end of the 70th century. Until the end of the 1973s of the last century, cherry tomatoes were not common and were grown only in some regions. They grew especially well on the Greek island of Santorin, where there were unique climatic conditions for their growth. Now the most famous chefs in various countries of the world cannot do without these tomatoes. And they were given a start by Israeli breeders who created the first commercial variety for Marks & Spencer. It happened in XNUMX.
Formation of cherry tomatoes
The formation of cherry tomatoes involves the regulation of the load of fruits by removing excess shoots or stepchildren. Such an escape grows from each leaf sinus. They are removed on a stump about 3 cm high. It is also necessary to lighten the bush after the brush begins to sing. To do this, remove the leaves that are under it, doing this in several steps. An important operation is pinching the top of the stem or tweezing. It is needed so that all the tomatoes have time to fully form and ripen. It is produced a month before the temperature begins to drop below plus 8 degrees.
Care and formation for each group of varieties will be different. But there are general features that need to be considered.
- Cherry tomatoes tend to produce a lot of stepsons, so the stepsons of tomatoes must be thorough and regular;
- The harvest of small-fruited tomatoes is less than that of their large-fruited counterparts, but this more than pays off with the amazing taste of cherry tomatoes, this must be taken into account when choosing the type of formation;
- The stem of this variety of tomato is thinner than that of large-fruited varieties, and in indetes it has a liana-like shape. Be sure to tie up all types of cherry tomatoes. Tapestries for them should be located more often than for large-fruited varieties.
- A cherry tomato bush can bear fruit for up to 6 months if the right conditions are created for it.
In such structures, it is possible to plant tomatoes earlier, and they finish the growing season later than in film greenhouses.
Low-growing tomatoes
Low-growing cherry tomatoes can be attributed to the determinant type. Therefore, their formation is carried out in the same way as all determinants. Among the determinant varieties and hybrids of cherry tomatoes, a special group stands out with a miniature size of the bush. They look like standard tomatoes and, in essence, they are. The number of brushes on the main stem is no more than 3, there are very few stepchildren. The bushes are compact and almost do not branch.
These babies do not need to be formed. The most common and most commonly grown varieties: Pinocchio, Children’s Sweet, Bonsai, Pygmy, Balcony Miracle – have red fruits, Garden Pearl – with pink tomatoes, Golden Cluster – ampelous tomato with yellow-orange fruits. These varieties cannot boast of a large harvest, but they ripen very early, some already 3 months after the appearance of the first shoots.
The next group is real determinants, whose height ranges from 50 cm to 1 m. Their formation is the same as that of large-fruited determinant varieties.
- In one stem. All stepchildren break off, fruiting occurs only due to the formation of flower brushes on the main shoot. Such tomatoes will ripen earlier, but the harvest will not be very large.
- In two stems. One is the main stem, the second is the stepson in front of the first flower brush. It is recommended to pinch it after the third flower brush is formed, leaving two sheets above it.
- If the summer is hot, you can keep such tomatoes in three stems, the third will be the stepson above the first flower brush.
Scheme of the formation of cherry tomato in one, two and three stems.
Among the determinant varieties of cherry, the following can be noted:
Irish F1
A hybrid of cocktail tomato with an early ripening period. The fruits are red. Pasynkuetsya moderately. Height 60 cm.
Honey Candy F1
Carpal hybrid with a medium-early ripening period, produces plum-shaped fruits of yellow-orange color. The height of the bush is about a meter. Formed in two or three stems.
Blossom F1
Early-medium hybrid. The fruits are round red. Height 1 m. The bush is powerful, it is better to keep it in two stems.
medium-sized tomatoes
Such plants are prone to premature completion of the growth of the main stem, i.e. topping. The formation of such tomatoes can be carried out in one or two stems, but with the obligatory leaving of a reserve stepson, to which it will be possible to transfer the growth of a tomato when it is prematurely topped. A reserve stepson is left under each newly formed brush, removing the previous one.
The best semi-determinant varieties and hybrids of cherry tomatoes:
Phoenix Red F1 and Phoenix Yellow F1
Yielding carpal mid-late hybrids, respectively, red and yellow. The fruits are cream. Fruiting is extended. The bush is low-leaved, so it is possible to form into 3 stems. Grows up to one and a half meters.
Pink jumper
Very early and beautiful variety of tomato. Has fruits of the extended form of pink color. Feels good in open ground. It grows up to 1,2 m. It can be formed into 3 stems.
Tall or indeterminate tomatoes
Such cherry tomatoes in a greenhouse can grow up to 3 m. Most often they are formed in 1-2 stems. But the greatest yield can be obtained when forming in 3 or even 4 stems, which is possible only in regions with warm and long summers. Pinching greenhouse cherry tomatoes is carried out later than in the open field.
All other stepchildren need to be broken out. How to care for cherry tomatoes, you can watch the video:
Varieties of tall cherry tomatoes:
This group of varieties is the most numerous.
Barbaris F1
Indet up to 2 m high. Early ripe variety with a long fruiting period. Fruits are oval, beautiful pink color and very good taste. Formed in 2 or 3 stems.
Cherry
An early carpal variety with a liana-like stem. Red-colored round fruits have a small weight, only 10 g, which is compensated by their number in the brush – up to 40 pieces. Formed in 2 stems.
Cherry yellow and red
Early ripe varieties that grow up to 1,8 and 2 m, respectively. They have round fruits with a sweet taste. The yield of the red-fruited variety is higher. Formed in two stems.
Gold
Mid-season indet with small round fruits of a very sweet taste. Formed in two stems.
Honey drop
Mid-early indet with very sweet pear-shaped yellow fruits. The number of fruits in the brush is up to 25. Potato leaf. Forms many stepchildren. Formed in 2 stalks.
Blush
Mid-season indet with very beautiful elongated fruits. Their color is pink-yellow with subtle stripes. The taste has fruity notes. Formed into 4 stalks.
Super brush varieties
Among the cherry tomatoes there are champions that form huge brushes, the number of flowers in them reaches 300. A flowering tomato of this type is an amazing sight. These tomatoes ripen gradually and on one brush there are both flowers and ripe fruits. Such tomatoes are indetes. They need to be formed into one stem, leaving no more than 3 brushes.
Varieties: Necklace red and yellow.
Conclusion
Plant cherry tomatoes. This is a favorite treat not only for children, but also for adults.