Contents
Among the variety of dark-fruited tomato varieties, the Black Bison tomato is especially loved by gardeners for its taste and unpretentiousness in care. In addition to the fact that black varieties of tomatoes are considered one of the most useful, they also serve as a decoration of the site, due to the rich color of the leaves and fruits. This article describes in detail the Black Bison tomato variety, its appearance, characteristics, planting rules and subsequent care.
Detailed description of the variety
The Black Bison tomato was bred by domestic breeders specifically for growing in greenhouses, because it can bear fruit all year round. The Bizon variety, bred by American specialists, was taken as a basis and maximally adapted to our climatic zones in Our Country. Therefore, this variety feels good in open ground under favorable climatic conditions.
Tomato Black bison belongs to medium-grade, interderminant (tall) and large-fruited varieties. The height of an adult bush reaches 1,7 – 1,8 m, in rare cases – 2,3 m. Young leaves have a light green color, which becomes darker as the plant grows. The leaves themselves are elongated and velvety. The stems are short, well developed and knotty.
Inflorescences of bright yellow color begin to be laid above the seventh leaf and then form every two leaves. After 110 – 115 days after sowing the seeds, it is already possible to harvest the first crop.
Description of fruits
The fruits are very large, slightly ribbed, with a fleshy, slightly flattened shape, with juicy, few-seeded pulp. The skin of tomatoes is thin and delicate, purple-violet in color, has a tendency to crack. The weight of one tomato averages 300 g, but some reach a mass of 500 – 550 g. The taste of Black bison is bright, slightly sweet, with a pronounced fruity aftertaste.
Ripe fruits are used both raw for salads and processed into tomato juice (especially large ones), various sauces and dressings. This variety is not suitable for salting or canning, since the skin does not withstand heat treatment and pressure.
It is thanks to anthocyanins that the Black Bison tomato has such an unusual color of the skin and pulp of the fruit.
Characteristics of tomato Black bison
The Black bison variety is highly productive and, with proper care, one bush per season produces up to 5-6 kg of fruit (up to 25 kg per sq.m.). To increase yields, Black Bison tomatoes are given top dressing, the plant also needs to be provided with regular watering. In addition, to improve yields, it is recommended to form a bush into two trunks, regularly removing stepchildren and lower leaves.
In heated greenhouses, the Black bison bears fruit all year round; in the open field, fruiting dates fall at the end of the last month of summer. On average, the growing season of the crop is 165 – 175 days.
The fruits can be transported, but they are prone to cracking and have a low keeping quality.
The variety has good immunity to many diseases common among the nightshade family, but is prone to brown rot. It tolerates drought well, photophilous.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tomato Black bison is loved by gardeners because it is unpretentious in care and has high gastronomic qualities. The advantages of the variety include:
- high taste properties;
- large-fruited;
- disease resistance;
- productivity;
- high seed germination;
- drought tolerance;
- fruiting all year round.
However, this variety also has some disadvantages:
- cracking tendency;
- poor keeping quality;
- requirement for lighting.
Another feature of the Black Bison tomato, which can be attributed to the minuses, is a long ripening period. On average, this figure is 15 – 20 days longer compared to other hybrid varieties.
It is important to provide the plant with good lighting, otherwise it will produce too long shoots, and the fruits will become smaller.
Growing rules
The germination of seeds and the future harvest of Black bison tomato directly depend on the correct selection of seed, soil preparation and compliance with the rules for further care of seedlings.
Seeding for seedlings
To increase germination, only healthy seeds are selected for sowing, without visual defects and mold. One way to check the quality is to dip them in a container of salted water (1 tablespoon of salt per glass of water). Discard seeds that float to the surface.
Boxes for sowing seeds must be disinfected with steam or a solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are filled with a special substrate with an acidity of 6,2-6,8 pH, which can be bought or prepared independently from peat, drained garden soil with the addition of compost (2: 1: 1 ratio).
Grooves 5 cm deep are made in the substrate at a distance of 1,5 cm from each other and seeds are planted at intervals of 7–10 cm, after which they are carefully sprinkled with soil and watered. Then the boxes are covered with foil and cleaned in a warm place. On the 7th – 8th day, sprouts appear: the boxes are moved to a lighted place.
As soon as 3 true leaves appear at the seedlings, they must be swooped down and fed with mineral fertilizers.
Seedling transplant
Transplant seedlings begin on the 70th – 75th day in open ground or on the 60th day when grown in a greenhouse.
Under the conditions of cultivation of the tomato Black bison in the open field, soil preparation is carried out in the autumn. The soil is dug up to a depth of 8-12 cm and organic fertilizers are applied. A week before planting, in the spring, mineral fertilizers are applied, and two days before the soil is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Seedlings should be planted in the evening or during the day, in cloudy weather.
It is advisable to harden off young plants before planting in open ground. To do this, within two weeks, the boxes are taken out into the street (at a temperature not lower than 15 oC), every day increasing the duration of stay in the fresh air.
When grown in greenhouse conditions, seedlings can be immediately transplanted to a permanent place.
Since this variety is tall, seedlings are planted at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other, ideally – no more than 4 plants per 1 sq. m. At the same time, so that each plant has enough light, they are usually planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Care of tomatoes
Further care after transplanting seedlings to a permanent place consists of watering, feeding, tying and removing stepchildren.
Water the plants before the formation of ovaries should be moderate. During the period of pouring and ripening of fruits, it is necessary to water abundantly – the yield depends on this.
It is also important to cut off stepchildren in time so that the plant does not waste energy on them. In addition, the removal of stepchildren and lower leaves is the prevention of fungal infections.
Since the Black bison variety has a very powerful bush, it is necessary to tie up not only the main shoot, but also the side branches to a vertical or horizontal support. The brushes are also tied up so that the shoots do not break under their weight of fruits.
This variety of tomato loves nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. By the appearance of the plant, you can tell what element it lacks:
- a lack of potassium is indicated by twisted leaves covered with brown-yellow spots;
- with a lack of nitrogen, the bush slows down growth, loses leaves;
- a bluish stem with gray leaves indicates a lack of phosphorus.
The first top dressing is carried out with nitrophoska on the 20th day after planting the seedlings in the ground (1 tablespoon per bucket of water). The second time they are fed after 10 days with potassium sulfate (1 tsp per bucket of water).
It is necessary to apply organic fertilizers to the Black bison tomato throughout the season once every 2 to 3 weeks, alternating with watering.
Conclusion
Tomato Black bison, with proper care, is able to please with a stable, high yield throughout the year in a heated greenhouse. The variety does not require special care, because novice gardeners can easily grow it. And the taste and undoubted health benefits of this unusual vegetable have made it very popular among tomato lovers.
