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Now there are many varieties of tomatoes. Along with the “classic” varieties and hybrids of the most unusual shapes and colors are widely represented. This category also includes the tomato Candy Sweet icicles, which immediately attracts attention not only with a funny name, but also with an original appearance. It is valued mainly for its outstanding taste.
History of breeding
The tomato variety Candy Sweet Icicle is an achievement of Brad Gates, a well-known “private owner” breeder from California in the USA. He does not cooperate with any agricultural firms, preferring to work alone.
Gates “specializes” in unusual varieties of tomatoes, which differ not only in their original and attractive appearance, but also in their excellent taste. Variety Candy Sweet icicles meets all the criteria that the breeder considers to be of paramount importance.
This is one of the latest achievements of Gates. At home, gardeners met the tomato about five years ago. In Our Country, it appeared quite recently, in 2018. It is logically not yet listed in the State Register, but the variety is definitely very interesting and promising.
The originality of the color of the skin of tomatoes is one of the “chips” of the breeder
Description of the variety of tomato Candy Sweet icicles with a photo
Sweets Sweet icicles – a variety of mid-ripening tomatoes. They begin to be collected after 100-110 days from the moment the planted seeds germinate. According to other sources, it takes 90-100 days, then the variety is classified as medium early. Probably, such differences are due to the peculiarities of the local climate and the method of cultivation (in open or closed ground).
Characteristics of tomato Candy Sweet icicles
The variety is determinant. This means that the bush, reaching the height “programmed” by the breeder, stops growing. They turn out to be low: 0,5-0,7 m when planting in open ground and 1-1,2 m – in a greenhouse, greenhouse.
Plants are not particularly compact, but not spreading either. The leaves are medium-sized, thin, typical for tomatoes form. The foliage of the bush is medium.
The variety is characterized by carpal fruiting. The fruits are small – weighing 30-50 g, 5-6 cm long. The skin is red-orange, closer to the stem this shade is “diluted” with golden yellow strokes and stripes. Sweet icicles tomatoes are plum-shaped in shape, but because of the pronounced sharp “nose” they resemble peppers.
Tomatoes are formed and ripened in “clusters” of 8-12 pieces
The peel is quite strong, but not thick and not rough. When eating, it is almost not felt. The fruits rarely crack.
Pulp with a dense texture, juicy, with a pronounced “tomato” aroma. But sweet icicles sweet tomatoes are remembered, first of all, by their taste – it is very rich, unusually sweet, with a slight tart aftertaste. There are 2-3 seed chambers inside, there are few seeds, they are small.
Tomato yield Candy Sweet icicles
There is no exact data on yield. On average, this indicator when growing tomatoes Sweet icicles in a greenhouse is estimated at 9-12 kg / m², in open ground – 8-9 kg / m².
Gardeners with experience in growing the variety speak of very good yields, noting that the bushes are literally strewn with fruit clusters.
Disease and pest resistance
The breeder does not mention the “innate” immunity of the variety to any of the diseases typical of the culture in the description. But the experience of gardeners suggests that plants get sick relatively rarely, even without preventive treatments. There is also no particular “interest” in them from pests.
Methods of Use
Fruits are universal in purpose. Thanks to their original taste, they are very good fresh – both in salads and “just like that”.
Home preservation is no worse: due to their small size, sweet icicle tomatoes are ideal for whole-fruit pickling, pickling. The blanks are very beautiful, the tomatoes retain the brightness of color, shape, texture of the pulp and richness of taste.
Tomatoes Sweet icicles were conceived as a salad variety intended for fresh consumption
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the undoubted advantages of tomatoes Sweet icicles include:
- suitability for cultivation in open and closed ground;
- the ability to endure heat and cool weather without much damage to themselves and to the crop;
- good immunity;
- stable high yield;
- relatively small dimensions of the bushes;
- original appearance and outstanding taste of fruits;
- versatility of the destination of the crop.
Tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles can be removed unripe, they ripen quickly at home
Significant objective shortcomings for the entire period of cultivation could not be identified. Relative minus: Candies Sweet icicles are a variety, not a hybrid of tomatoes. Therefore, it can theoretically be propagated by self-harvested seeds. But in practice, this is almost impossible – there are very few seeds in the fruits, they rarely ripen, remaining mostly in the “rudimentary” state.
Peculiarities of growing
Despite the external “exoticism”, the agricultural technology of tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles is standard. Requirements for the landing site – too.
Hardening seedlings before planting contributes to its rapid adaptation to a new place.
The recommended way to grow them is seedling. It takes about two months to form seedlings suitable for planting in the garden. By this time they have 4-6 true leaves and reach a height of 15-18 cm.
Due to the small size of the plants, it is possible to place six tomato bushes Candy Sweet icicles per 1 m². The scheme does not change regardless of whether they are planted in open or closed ground. You will definitely need support – the stems and emerging brushes need a garter.
Watering tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles requires moderate watering. They do not tolerate constant waterlogging of the soil. Root rot develops rapidly, plants die. In the greenhouse, tomatoes are watered every 3-4 days, spending 8-10 liters of water per bush. In the heat, the intervals are reduced to two days, sometimes even daily watering is required. In open ground, the frequency and intensity of precipitation are taken into account.
Watering is combined with loosening and weeding, but you can refuse these activities by immediately filling the bed with mulch
Due to the high productivity, the soil in the garden where it is planned to plant tomatoes Candy Sweet icicles must be pre-fertilized. Plants prefer a nutritious, but loose substrate. When digging the soil, humus (8-10 l / m²) and complex nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (50-70 g / m²) are introduced.
Tomatoes planted in the ground are fed three times:
- 10-12 days after transplanting to the garden;
- immediately after flowering (at the time of formation of fruit ovaries);
- after picking the first tomatoes.
For the first time, it is recommended to use a solution of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, then – complex store dressings designed specifically for tomatoes.
To achieve maximum yields, tomato bushes Sweet icicles are recommended to be formed into 2-3 stems. In addition to the main one, 1-2 more shoots are left from the most powerful and developed stepchildren. Others need to be removed as needed, about once every 10-15 days.
Pest and disease control
Tomatoes Sweets Sweet icicles are distinguished by good immunity. The experience of gardeners shows that with competent agricultural technology, they are practically not affected by fungal diseases typical of the culture, and do not suffer from pest attacks.
However, for prevention, it is possible to pickle tomato seeds before planting Candy Sweet icicles in a solution of any fungicide for 15-20 minutes. Treatments with the same preparations (the bushes themselves and the soil in the garden) every 10-15 days are recommended if cool rainy weather is established for a long time, contributing to the activation of pathogenic microflora.
The concentration of the working solution and the frequency of treatments of tomatoes with fungicides are indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions for the drug.
Against pests (if they are seen on “neighboring” tomato bushes or during the seasons of their “mass” invasion), any universal insecticides or insectoacaricides are used.
Conclusion
Tomato Candy Sweet icicles can not yet be called a very popular and common variety. But gardeners who decide to grow it for the sake of experiment do not regret it. Despite the seeming “exotic”, caring for tomatoes is easy. And their outstanding taste and original appearance are successfully complemented by a good yield.
Reviews of gardeners about tomato Candy Sweet icicles
