Tomato Japanese truffle black

The series of tomatoes Japanese truffle is already well known to Russian gardeners and consumers, however, the subspecies Japanese black truffle is still developing the territory of the country. Nevertheless, farmers successfully grow and sell tomatoes. The indeterminate variety is grown in open ground, in film, glass and polycarbonate greenhouses. The fruits have an attractive appearance, pleasant taste, delicate aroma, are intended for salad use, as well as for preservation of whole fruits, cooking sauces and juices.

The black Japanese truffle is the result of the selection work of Russian breeders, since 2020 it has successfully entered the list of tomatoes grown on an industrial scale.

Tall (150-200 cm) indeterminate standard bushes are distinguished by good foliage and a tendency to branching. Weak shoots need support and tying. The stems are covered with medium-sized leaves of a traditional tomato shape. The leaf plate has a slight pubescence, and a slight dissection along the edges. The color is green, with a transition to more saturated shades. The flowers are collected in simple inflorescences, each brush tying 5-6 berries attached to a weak stalk, therefore, the brushes also need to be tied. The main stem is capable of producing quite a few brushes, but it is recommended to leave no more than 5 pieces to get a full harvest.

Positive qualities of the variety:

• attractive appearance;

• excellent taste and unpretentiousness;

• strong immunity, universal use;

• the possibility of greenhouse cultivation in the northern regions.

If we talk about the shortcomings, then we can note the average yield indicators, as well as the need for pinching, tying, shaping.

Unripe fruits are colored milky green, changing to brown-red, then taking on a chocolate hue at the stage of technical and physiological ripeness. The piquancy of the color is emphasized by the glossy skin, which creates sparkling play in the bright sun. The shape of the berry resembles a truffle or pear with a slight ribbing. Fruit weight 100-150 grams, the berry has excellent keeping quality and transportability.

The fruits of the black Japanese truffle have a mild dessert sweetness, pronounced aroma and taste, as well as a long aftertaste. Black Truffle Berry is rich in antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamins, contains up to 8% dry matter, which allows it to be used for felting.

The variety belongs to the mid-ripening category, the approximate ripening period is from 111 to 115 days. Long-term fruiting, harvesting occurs from mid-July to mid-September.

The yield of the variety is up to 4 kilograms from 1 bush, which is considered quite satisfactory. Careful adherence to agrotechnical conditions allows you to raise the indicators.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out from early to mid-March, seedlings are planted in a permanent place after 2-2.5 months, depending on the region.

The optimal planting scheme for a tall variety is 60x50 cm, while a density of no more than 4 roots per square meter is observed.

Black Japanese truffle is grown in seedlings. Young plants are subjected to hardening procedures about two weeks before transplanting. For this, containers are taken out into the street, open loggias and balconies, accustoming the seedlings to street temperatures and lighting.

A place for greenhouses and in the open ground is chosen sunny, the soil is loose and well fertilized, with a neutral level of acidity. In the fall, manure is introduced into the soil for digging, in the spring the prepared ridges are enriched with organic matter (humus, compost, bird droppings), complex mineral fertilizers, superphosphate, wood ash. Tall bushes cannot support their own weight, not to mention the ripening harvest, so stakes are installed in the holes, or trellises are organized.

After planting the seedlings in a permanent place, they are well spilled with warm water at room temperature. Further care consists of traditional activities.

• The variety needs to be formed - the bushes lead in 1-2 stems, in the south in 3 shoots.

• Tomato is necessarily stepchild, while rationing the harvest. As a rule, 5 to 6 brushes are left so that the tomato can pull out a full crop. If the CAT and the height of the greenhouse allows, then more brushes are left. In the northern regions, it is most correct to keep a plant in 1 stem.

• During pinching, not only newly formed shoots are removed, but also the leaves below the formed brushes, so that the tomato is well ventilated and does not waste nutrients on excess vegetative mass. The event is held throughout the season, right up to the collection of the last fruits.

• The indeterminate variety does not have an end point of growth, and requires mandatory support in the form of tying. The procedure is carried out as the shoot grows. Clusters with ripening fruits also need to be tied, since the weak stem breaks off easily.

• The culture is moistened moderately, about 1 time per week or 10 days. Water at the root, making sure that drops do not fall on the foliage. After watering, loosening is carried out, providing the root system with oxygen.

• Mulching the surface under the bushes will help avoid high humidity, as will regular airing.

• Weeding removes the competition for nutrients from the crop.

The tomato is fertilized at least three times during the growing season. The first feeding is carried out 2-3 weeks after planting the plants in a permanent place. At this time, the tomato needs nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The second feeding with phosphorus-potassium compounds is carried out during fruit setting. Tomatoes respond well to watering with infusion of fresh mullein or nettle.

Black Japanese truffle is distinguished by strong immunity, it perfectly resists most bacterial and fungal diseases inherent in the nightshade group of plants. However, violations of agronomic conditions can lead to the appearance of unpleasant symptoms. For example, high humidity and poor ventilation in the closed space of the greenhouse threatens with brown rot. In this case, the affected fruits must be removed, the bushes must be treated with fungicides, and high-quality ventilation must be provided.

Pests can be dangerous for tomatoes:

• aphid;

• thrips;

• bear;

• whitefly;

• May and Colorado beetles.

To prevent the spread of pests, insecticide treatments are necessary.

Tomatoes withstand hot periods and short-term droughts, but they do not tolerate a significant cold snap, therefore, in regions with risky farming, black Japanese truffle is grown in greenhouses.

The variety is grown outdoors and in greenhouses in the southern regions. In more northern regions, cultivation is possible only in greenhouse conditions, otherwise the fruits simply cannot ripen.