Caramel tomatoes are perfect for storing for the winter. The most popular tomato among summer residents is Caramel yellow. In addition, these varieties of tomatoes are used for preparing salads, for buffets and holiday tables. These small-fruited tomatoes produce good yields.
Features of the variety
The high-yielding tomato variety Caramel yellow F1 is a first-generation hybrid. Bred in Russia. The main positive characteristic of the variety is its early ripening and extended fruiting period.
Tall bushes reach 2 meters in height.These plants have a large number of stems, abundantly covered with foliage of a rich dark green color. The long stem may bend under the influence of pouring tomatoes. To prevent this from happening, the bushes must be tied to a trellis or to pre-dug stakes.
The ovaries form clusters with the simultaneous development of up to 50 fruits. The yield is quite high: per season from 1 sq. m of area, you can collect up to 5 kg of yellow Caramel tomatoes.
Positive features of the variety
The description of the Caramel variety contains the following positive qualities:
- Early ripening of tomatoes.
- Extended period of fruiting and ripening of Caramel tomatoes.
- A beautiful bush with numerous bright fruits.
- Increased plant endurance: not afraid of shady areas and spring frosts.
- Resistant to many tomato diseases.
As evidenced by reviews from gardeners, the Caramel red tomato can be grown in different climatic conditions, giving high yields without much effort.
Description of Caramel fruits
Small tomatoes of the “Caramel” variety have their own characteristics:
- weight no more than 30 g, and diameter does not exceed 3 cm;
- the Caramel tomato is colored bright scarlet or bright yellow;
- fruit shape is plum-shaped;
- the pulp is juicy, sweet with a slight sourness;
- the skin is smooth, dense;
- Suitable for canning whole tomatoes;
- does not deteriorate during transportation.
These tomatoes contain a high content of vitamin C. The variety received its name due to the special taste of the fruit. Tomatoes will not only perfectly decorate the table, but will also delight you with a taste reminiscent of caramel candies.
Red caramel tomatoes
Yellow caramel has its own analogue - Red Caramel F1. Garlands of red tomatoes on tall bushes provide a pleasant decorative appearance.When ripe, the fruits acquire a richly sweet taste. Suitable for both raw consumption and canning. Tomatoes are successfully grown both in greenhouses and in open areas.
The description includes the main disadvantage of red and yellow caramel tomatoes. The downside is that it is impossible to grow a tomato from seeds collected from fruits grown on your own plot, since they do not inherit maternal qualities.
Growing rules
Even a novice gardener can grow tomatoes of this variety. Planting is carried out using the seedling method. Sowing seeds in containers to obtain seedlings begins in the third decade of March. You can do without disinfection measures, but you will have to treat the seed with a growth stimulant, which will increase the yield.
Soil consisting of garden soil with the addition of humus and vermiculite is placed in containers for sowing seeds. The seeds are placed in shallow furrows and sprinkled with soil on top.
Immediately after sowing, the soil in the container is watered generously and covered with plastic wrap. During this period, the main condition for normal seed germination is a room with a temperature of about +23 degrees.
After the sprouts appear, the containers are moved to a cooler place, well lit by sunlight.
Picking
Picking up tomato seedlings after the formation of two true leaves is of no small importance. Each seedling is placed in a separate container or in one container, but with a large distance between plants. Planting in a greenhouse or open ground is carried out in the second half of May. It is necessary to make sure that the soil is sufficiently warmed up and that there is no danger of a recurrence of frost.
Planting is carried out in this way: per 1 sq. m there should be no more than 3 tomato bushes of this variety. A handful of wood ash and a spoonful of complex mineral fertilizer are poured into each hole. After replanting, be sure to thoroughly water the soil with the seedlings.
Stepsoning
As it grows, stems that do not have an ovary are pinched. It is advisable to leave 1 - 2 large stems on the bush. To stop the growth of the plant in height, the top point of the bush is pinched, which provides access to the crown of sunlight, which has a beneficial effect on the formation of ovaries and the ripening of fruits.
To prevent the stems from breaking, periodic inspection of the bushes is carried out in order to timely tie them to supports or to a trellis.
Watering
Watering is of no small importance. Irrigation is carried out with warm water. If there is a well or well on the site, water is first collected in a large container, and after it is warmed up, watering is carried out. This procedure is carried out in the evening so that the water that gets on the leaves after heating it by the sun’s rays does not burn the leaves. Optimally, watering should be carried out at the root of the plant.
Top dressing
During the season, Caramel tomatoes must be fed organically every 2 weeks with the addition of complex mineral fertilizers. A solution of mullein or bird droppings is used as organic matter. For 1 bucket of water, take 1 kg of litter. 2 liters of this organic composition are poured under each bush.
Tomato diseases and pests
The Caramel tomato variety is resistant to diseases, but you should be prepared for such manifestations in order to take timely measures.As preventive measures to combat the manifestations of diseases typical of tomatoes, such as tobacco mosaic, fusarium, late blight, the following measures are carried out:
- loosening the top layer of soil;
- removal of weeds;
- treatment of plants before the formation of the ovary with Fitosporin or another type of preparation with antifungal properties.
To cope with insects dangerous to tomatoes, the bushes are treated with insecticides. Infusions and decoctions of chamomile and celandine have the same property.
The Caramel tomato variety is ideal for canning: the rich color allows the fruits to be used for preparing pickles and decorating dishes served at the table.
Tomato varieties called Caramel are a desirable tomato for growing on any plot of land.
