Tomato Kumato

Among the collection of thousands of tomatoes, there are so rare or special that their seeds are almost impossible to buy or get hold of. One of these unusual and hard-to-find varieties is the indeterminate black chokeberry tomato (synonym Kumato), whose berries are used for fresh consumption. They are pickled by inquisitive gardeners, however, they note that the berries do not taste good in conservation - they lose a unique bouquet, because of which it is appreciated not only by consumers, but also by kitchens in expensive restaurants. The variety was created for growing in greenhouses.

The variety is not listed in Rosreestr, it is extremely difficult to buy seeds, since the brand belongs to the Swiss company Syngenta. The company sells seed material at a high price and in limited quantities. There are no exact statistics on the quality of seeds obtained at home, and user reviews are rather contradictory. Some praise the taste of the "offspring" grown from their own hand-picked material. Other gardeners note the loss of the unique bouquet of the "source". Nevertheless, the original seeds give plants with berries of such an unusual taste that once grown, it is no longer possible to remove a variety from the collection. According to the scant information from the company, the tomato appeared from the crossing of "domestic" and "wild" plants.

Indeterminate tall (150-220 cm) bush forms strong liana-like bristly shoots of medium foliage. The shallow, leafy dark green plate has a traditional shape, aroma and slight dissection. The root system is powerful, growing to a depth of 20-25 cm and half a meter in width. The inflorescences are simple, form up to 8 ovaries. The first brush appears above the 10th leaf, then after 1-2 cuttings.

Rounded fruits of medium size (80-125 g), dark green in an immature state, change color to a noble chocolate (sometimes turning into purple) or red-brown at the stage of ripeness. The berry is leveled, has a high decorative effect, good keeping quality (up to 2 weeks) and transportability. Features of an unusual tomato not only in taste, but also in its increased content of trace elements:

• fiber, sulfur, fructose;

• lycopene, anthocyanins, iron;

• vitamins of groups B and C, silicon, sodium, phosphorus and potassium salts.

The berry is recommended for people with problems of the cardiovascular system, during the rehabilitation postoperative period. It is considered dietary due to its antioxidants and is used in children's kitchens.

Juicy, dense greenish-brown flesh is covered with a thick-walled dense skin. The sweet taste has a pleasant sourness and fresh aroma with subtle notes of watermelon. Fruits are considered dessert, because they surpass most of the sweet varieties in the amount of sugars.

The variety is early maturing - in greenhouses it begins to bear fruit in mid-late July. The dates are shifted by two weeks if the tomato is grown outdoors.

Plants, whose seeds were bought from the originator, are distinguished by high yields - one bush yields up to 8 kg of tomatoes.

For seedlings, sowing seeds is carried out in the first decade of March, the recommended time for transplanting into the ground is 60-65 days after sowing the seeds.

There should be 50 cm between the roots, the same in the aisles. 4 roots are planted per square meter.

Kumato is grown in seedlings. Plants are ready for transplanting at the stage of 3-4 true leaves. The variety is picky about growing conditions. The soil should be fertile, breathable, and the pH level should be neutral. The shade of the berry depends on the light and heat, so the greenhouse should be located in an open space. Land preparation begins in the fall. Organic matter is introduced for digging. Since crop rotation in greenhouses is impossible, it is most correct to sow green manures after harvesting and removing plants from the ridges. They not only enrich the soil with nitrogen, but also make it looser.

In the spring, more extensive soil preparation activities are carried out. Acidic soils can be deoxidized with bone meal or dolomite, chalk, lime. The ridges are enriched with organic matter (humus, compost, bird droppings), mineral fertilizers are applied, and wood ash is added. The latter is rich in trace elements and counteracts the appearance of late blight. Tall bushes need support, so stakes are installed in the holes, they equip a trellis. Seedlings begin to harden 1-2 weeks before planting in the ground. Trays with glasses are taken out into the street, accustoming delicate plants to environmental conditions and the bright sun. At the end of hardening activities, young animals should already be in greenhouses around the clock. However, after transplantation, it is necessary to carefully monitor its condition, shade at first from direct sunlight, until the root system gets stronger.

Care includes watering, weeding, loosening, hilling, sanitizing and feeding. The first feeding is carried out 2-3 weeks after planting, until that time the plant has enough nutrients introduced into the hole before planting. During the beginning of flowering, the seedling needs nitrogen. During the budding period, phosphorus-potassium preparations are introduced. In addition, the "foreigner", like the "natives", gratefully responds to additional food in the form of "green tea" (infusion of nettle and bread leftovers), as well as to a solution of fresh mullein (0.5 liters per 10-liter bucket of clean water ).

Watering should be treated with caution - waterlogging will provoke late blight. The soil should be moistened no more than 1-2 times a week. It is necessary to ventilate the greenhouse. The lower leaves are removed completely after the formation of the brush and ovary, during the mass ripening of the fruits, watering is stopped, almost all the foliage is removed.

There are no statistics on immunity yet, but many gardeners who have grown a crop in their plots note a high resistance to late blight and cladosporium. In any case, you should not wait for the manifestation of the disease - insecticidal and fungicidal preventive treatments are required.

The variety is characterized as having good adaptive properties. He quickly adapts to daily temperature extremes, tolerates heat well. A large amount of CAT stimulates the formation of a darker pigment - the farther south the region, the darker the berry.

Since the variety is suitable for growing in greenhouse conditions, it can be cultivated in all regions, even in the northern ones, if the conditions of agricultural technology are observed, the optimal temperature and microclimate are maintained.