Tomato Zephyr in chocolate: characteristics and description of the variety, photos, reviews, yield

Original fruits often attract everyone who grows tomatoes and is constantly looking for super new items. This happened with the chocolate-covered Zephyr tomato. The plant immediately became popular. According to reviews from those gardeners who have already tried this variety, the name, taken from two types of exquisite confectionery delicacies, fully justifies the taste of the new tomato. The variety was included in the State Register only in 2015, but the online community of vegetable growers has already highly appreciated the achievement of breeders near Moscow.

Characteristics of the variety

The tomato variety Zephyr in chocolate is of interest due to the unusual color of the fruit and its excellent taste. Tomatoes can be grown in all light zones of the country. In the south, the tomato will grow in open ground. In regions with more severe weather conditions, it is recommended to grow this variety in greenhouses. A tall, mid-ripening tomato will delight you with its unique fruits 111-115 days after germination. Tomato is a high-yielding variety. During the season, a tomato bush can produce 6 kilograms of fruit.

The tomato plant Marshmallow in Chocolate is resistant to common fungal diseases of the nightshade family, which makes it popular among gardeners.

Tomatoes of this variety are for salad purposes. Juicy tomatoes are excellent fresh; they can be frozen for preparing sauces with a mild, mild taste in winter. Tomatoes are rich in vitamins, so it is best to eat the fruits fresh.

Important! Tomato Zephyr in chocolate – belongs to the variety category. This is a non-hybrid plant. Seeds must retain the properties of the mother liquor.

Planting and care

Tomato Zephyr in chocolate is grown mainly by seedlings. In the conditions of the middle zone, sowing seeds for seedlings occurs in the first half of March for cultivation in closed ground conditions and in the middle of the month for cultivation in open ridges.

Attention!

There is no need to confuse chocolate-covered Zephyr tomato seeds with seeds of the Zephyr variety. Both species are varietal. But the latter forms small oval fruits, light pink in color and is an agro product.

Chocolate Marshmallow tomato seeds are sown on moist soil in containers. Tomatoes are not particularly picky about soil composition. You can use a purchased, universal mixture with neutral acidity. When preparing soil at home, you will need garden soil, humus or peat, sand or vermiculite to loosen the mixture.

After sowing, the tomato seeds are mulched with a layer of fertile soil about 1 cm high. Moisten, cover the container with plastic wrap or cover with glass until the seeds germinate.

With the emergence of seedlings, the boxes are moved to a well-lit place. The seedlings are watered regularly. Before planting in the ground, at least 3 feedings are carried out. It is advisable to carry out the first with organic fertilizers, the second with complex fertilizers aimed at developing the root system. The third is carried out 1-2 weeks before planting the tomatoes in a permanent place. It is better to use growth stimulants for her.

Features of dark-colored tomatoes

Connoisseurs of fresh tomatoes believe that varieties with dark-colored fruits have the highest percentage of sugars. And they taste best on the day they are picked. They do not last long due to the structure of the delicate pulp.

When cut, the chocolate-covered Zephyr tomato fruits have lighter parts, as can be seen in the photo. Do not assume that these are traces of a large amount of nitrates. Serious research has proven that this opinion, which is still widely held, is erroneous. Lack of lighting, as well as irregular watering, are the reasons for the appearance of hard white streaks.

Advantages and disadvantages

Original external data.
Excellent memorable taste.
Very high yield.
Quite fast ripening time for vegetables.
Resistance to various forms of fungal diseases.

Despite all the excellent qualities of the crop, it should be remembered that this variety does not last long, so it needs to be quickly eaten or used in the preparation of various dishes, as well as frozen.
Does not tolerate long transportation. Sales are possible not far from the growing areas. During transportation, even over short distances, it is necessary to use good packaging with space for each vegetable to avoid cracks and dents.

Description of the variety

Zephyr tomatoes in chocolate are indeterminate varieties. In a greenhouse, the plant rises to a height of 160-170 cm. In open ground, the bush grows a little lower. A tall plant is usually grown in two trunks. Several fruit clusters are formed on them. Five to seven fruits of impressive size are formed in the inflorescence.

The fruits are round, slightly ribbed, large, weighing 120-150 g. The skin is dark, brown, shiny, thin. Near the stalk, characteristic blurry greenish stripes of a dark tone stand out, which reach almost to the middle of the fruit. The pulp is tender, juicy, delicious taste, sweet. The shade of the pulp repeats the light brown color of the skin. The fruits contain 3-4 seed chambers. Dry matter content is average.

Description and yield of the tomato variety Zephyr in chocolate

Humanity became acquainted with the first tomato already in the 8th century AD. Today there are many different varieties ready to surprise even the most demanding connoisseurs of nightshade culture. In the 21st century, through the efforts of Russian breeders, the chocolate-covered Zephyr tomato appeared. It received an unusual name due to its original color of ripe berries. Its taste and good yield have made it popular among consumers and gardeners.

General description of the variety

The variety is intended for cultivation in greenhouses.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUPgWjPvWxM

In the southern regions of the country, the option of planting in open ground is possible. Description of the variety:

mid-season, maximum fruit ripening period is up to 115 days;
indeterminate;
tall, the bush reaches a maximum height of 1.7 m;
resistant to fungal diseases;
has a high yield, up to 6 kilograms per bush per season;
not intended for long-term storage.

The universal variety can be cultivated in all regions of Russia, subject to the cultivation recommendations. Ripe tomatoes have the following characteristics:

round shape;
interesting coloring, the color of ripe fruits is red-brown with green spots closer to the stalk;
the berry reaches a maximum weight of 150 grams;
juicy;
sweet;
a small number of cameras;
ribbed.

Preparing seedlings and planting

The best way to grow is by seedlings. Preparations should begin two months before the expected planting time. To get good seedlings you should:

prepare separate containers for each seedling; peat pots are suitable;
Fill the containers tightly with complex soil for tomatoes;
plant seeds to a depth of 1.5-2 cm;
immediately after sowing, water with warm water and cover with film;
after the first shoots appear, place the pots with seedlings in a well-lit place;
carry out regular watering;
maintain the room temperature at 21-25 degrees.

Before planting, prepare the holes and pour complex fertilizer into each hole. Harden off the plants at least 10 days before planting. Vegetable growers recommend picking the plant and forming a bush into one or two stems.

Plant care

Proper care is the key to a good harvest. Tomatoes of this variety are not demanding. Peculiarities of cultivation include mandatory pinching and gartering. It is necessary to water the tomato as needed. During the summer season we recommend:

feed the bush from 4 to 6 times;
regularly loosen the soil;
remove weeds;
water only with warm water;
if necessary, the plant is treated with insecticides.

Advantages of tomatoes

The salad tomato variety Marshmallow in chocolate is spreading in summer cottages thanks to its bouquet of positive qualities.

Excellent taste and tempting appearance;
The absence of such a sign of soft varieties of tomatoes as wateriness;
High yield;
Quite fast ripening time;
Plant resistance to fungal pathogens.

The disadvantages include the following properties:

Short shelf life of fruits;
Unsuitable for long-term transportation. Fruits must be carefully packed in thick cardboard boxes to avoid dents.

Tomato Zephyr in chocolate - description and characteristics of the variety

The wide variety of tomato varieties forces breeders to develop more and more unusual targets. “Marshmallow in chocolate” is one of the most amazing and beautiful varieties of tomatoes that professionals have been lucky enough to reproduce in recent years.

“Marshmallow in Chocolate” - Vodan is one of the most popular varieties, which is in incredible demand among agronomists. The tomato has been formally registered in the state register since 2015. However, he became famous in the world of vegetable growers much earlier.

The tomato has a smooth appearance, slightly flattened in the middle. Dark color that goes through brown to dark green. The inside has a more unclouded tone than the outside. Very tasty.

Suitable for growing amazing in all regions. In places with warm climates it can grow in open ground minus additional shelters. In cooler regions, it is necessary to grow tomatoes in greenhouses.

It does not ripen very quickly, but it will delight you with its fruits after 115 days (a year) of seed germination. It has a good harvest - up to 6 kilograms of fruit from one bush.

Excellent resistance to common diseases, to which many tomatoes are not resistant.

In most cases, these tomatoes will go well with a summer salad and will also be good to eat fresh. For use in preparing vegetable caviar, soups, pastes and sauces, eggs can be frozen by cutting them into slices and distributing them in plastic packaging.

Peculiarities

Dark-colored butts are the sweetest and richest in sugars. They are delicious as hell on their own and are more reminiscent of a fruit than a vegetable in appearance. The inside is very soft and does not last long.

When cut inside a tomato, brighter and more pronounced veins are visible. Such color contrasts are associated with insufficient lighting of the fruit. The more sun that hits a vegetable, the more red it is inside. The less sun, the more whitish the veins are. On average, the stem grows from 160 to 170 centimeters in height. Needs additional crop support.

The pulp of a tomato is very tender. Inside the fruit there are up to 4 chambers containing seeds.

Perfections and flaws

Pros:

Original external facts.
Excellent memorable taste.
Very high yield.
Quite fast ripening time for vegetables.
Resistance to various forms of fungal diseases.

Minuses:

Despite all the excellent qualities of culture, one should remember, huh? This variety does not last long, so it needs to be eaten for a short time or used in the preparation of various dishes, as well as purified.
Does not tolerate long transportation. Sales are not possible at some distance from the growing areas. During transportation, even over close distances, it is necessary to use good packaging with each vegetable carefully to avoid cracks and dents.

Choosing the right seeds

It is serious to purchase a variety with the name “Marshmallow in Chocolate” without adding additional symbols; could it be the other way around - the absence of part of the name. Seeds must be purchased from a trusted store or department.

When purchasing seeds online, you should also pay attention to the company’s reputation and reviews about it. There are companies that are also fly-by-night sellers, it’s better not to trust them

Their mala may turn out to be of poor quality, which means that the coin will be wasted, and caring for the crop will not live up to expectations.

Seeding and attachment

Seeds are sown in mid-late March. After a week, the embryo sprouts. Additional lighting is important so that the tomatoes have enough light and do not stretch out and become very tall.

It is important that the highway is strong from the very beginning

Seeds are germinated at a temperature of 18 degrees, lower temperatures are made warmer from 22 to 23 degrees.

Then, when the second leaf appears, the plant is transferred to the ground. The testis should be formed from no more than two stems. For all growth, it is necessary to fertilize the plant, loosen the soil and irrigate with warm water.

By following all the rules for caring for tomatoes, the seed plant will definitely please the grower with its tasty and unusual fruits.

How not to make a mistake when choosing seeds in the store

In online stores, as well as in regular retail chains, there are packages with seeds on which the name is indicated: tomato Zephyr f1. A similar variety, even if it was bred in any experimental plot, has not yet been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the country.

Advertisements talk about the Zephyr tomato variety with fruits that are white and pink in color or the usual red. Their mass is stated to reach 300 g. Among the properties of tomatoes, it is said that there is no acid in the fruit. If such a hybrid or variety exists, it is not the red-brown chocolate-covered Marshmallow tomato.

Advantages and disadvantages

Tomato has the following positive aspects:

The fruits are of a non-standard color, so consumers always notice the tomato on the counter.
Vegetables are not afraid of fungal diseases, mole cricket.
The tomato has a pleasant taste.
The culture is famous for its high productivity.
To propagate tomatoes, you do not need to purchase seeds every year, since your own product has the necessary characteristics.

Among the significant weaknesses of the variety are:

low shelf life of ripe crops;
the inability of tomatoes to be transported, since the skin is easily damaged;
the need to shape and tie up bushes.

Growing tall tomatoes

Tomato seedlings Marshmallow in chocolate should be planted at two months of age or a week, ten days earlier. Each gardener calculates the sowing time himself. They are guided by the fact that a plant of this variety will produce fruits in a little less than 4 months from the moment the grain germinates. The seeds germinate within a week and are traditionally sown in March for planting in unheated greenhouses.

Attention! For seedlings, you cannot take soil from the area of the garden where potatoes, tomatoes or eggplants grew last year.

For sowing, prepare nutritious, light soil: garden soil, humus, sand, peat;
The seeds are laid out to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, the containers are placed in a warm place, covered with film on top;
When shoots have appeared, the containers are placed on the windowsill or under a phytolamp. Sprouts need lighting for 10 hours;
The first week the temperature should not exceed 18 degrees. The next month the seedlings develop at a temperature of 21-25 0C;
Water with warm water, fertilize twice with complex fertilizers;
They dive in the phase of 2-3 true leaves. After diving, feed for the first time after 10-12 days.

Growing

Tomatoes of the Zephyr variety in chocolate are grown by seedlings. To do this, first sow the seeds, after which the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

The seeds are treated with disinfectants to destroy all pathogens. Literally for 30 minutes. soak the seed in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 liter of water) to kill all bacteria and fungi.

After this, place the cloth bag with the seeds in the refrigerator and leave it there for several hours. This will ensure the crop’s resistance to temperature changes at its permanent place of growth.

Tatyana Orlova (Vasilidchenko) (candidate of agricultural sciences):

Hardening of seeds of heat-loving crops, including tomatoes, is carried out for at least 7-8 days. If this period is shorter, there will be no effect from this procedure. The seeds are hardened at variable temperatures: 12 hours in the refrigerator at about zero degrees, 12 hours at room temperature.

The next stage is preparing containers for seedlings and soil. You can prepare the soil at home by mixing humus, soil from the garden and peat in equal proportions.

For planting, use ordinary plastic cups that are filled with soil. Seeds are placed inside (2 pieces in each container). After this, cover the containers with plastic wrap and place them in a warm, shaded place. After the first shoots appear, remove the film and place the containers on the windowsill.

Tatyana Orlova (Vasilidchenko) (candidate of agricultural sciences):

It is most advisable to sow seeds in seedling containers rather than in glasses. In such containers, the seeds are sown thickly, but 15-18 days after the emergence of seedlings in the phase of 2 true leaves, the seedlings are planted into separate cups or cassette cells.

It is necessary to transplant seedlings to a permanent place when several pairs of leaves have formed on it. The optimal time for planting is May. The soil must warm up to a temperature of 15 ° C so that the root system of the plant does not experience stress and makes it possible to grow high-quality fruits.

Landing

A month before planting, prepare the site by digging it up and feeding it with humus (10 kg per 1 m²). The use of bird droppings or fresh manure is prohibited because... they dry out the soil and make it unsuitable for planting. Otherwise you will burn all the plants. The soil should be neutral, light and nutritious.

Tatyana Orlova (Vasilidchenko) (candidate of agricultural sciences):

Bird droppings and fresh manure do not dry out the soil, but can burn the root system. Fresh manure is never applied to the soil! Only half decomposed! But even in this state, it is applied in the fall, and not before planting. Immediately before planting, only humus is added - rotted manure that has lain in a heap for 8-12 months.

Plants are watered only with warm water Technology:

Dig planting holes at a distance of 50 cm from each other. Row space – 60-70 cm;
a solution of wood ash is poured into the hole (300 g of the substance is mixed with 10 liters of warm water) to saturate the soil with useful substances;
The seedlings are placed inside and their roots are straightened. It is allowed to plant plants together with the lump of earth in which they were located;
sprinkle the hole with soil;
water with warm water.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse

In May, hardened seedlings are placed in the greenhouse at the required distance: 40 x 60 cm. Fertilizer is poured into each hole, according to the instructions.

Agricultural technology for growing tomatoes Marshmallow in chocolate requires careful attention to the plant, as with all tall tomato bushes. The soil is regularly moistened, loosened, and mulched.

Advice! When planting in holes, poison against mole crickets is often added along with fertilizers if the pest is spotted on the site.

Plants of this variety are formed from one or two stems. If they lead into two stems, the yield increases;
The second stem is launched from the lowest first stepson;
It is necessary to remove the lower leaves under the racemes if the ovaries have already formed into fruits;
Plants are regularly reviewed and stepsoned: the shoot that begins to grow from the stem in the axil of the leaf branch is removed;
Tomato bushes Chocolate covered marshmallows need to be tied up;
Tomatoes are fed 2-3 times per season.

Features of growing tomatoes

After sowing the seeds, wait approximately 2 months, after which the strengthened seedlings are transplanted into a greenhouse. It is very important to shape and plant the plant. This increases the quality and quantity of tomatoes. After all, in the end, the main goal is high yields and obtaining a large number of tomatoes.

Bushes of this tomato variety are usually formed into 2 stems. When forming, the removed leaves are not thrown away, but placed under the bush. When they begin to decompose, the plant will receive the necessary amount of carbon dioxide.

Pest Control

Chocolate-covered Zephyr tomatoes are highly disease-resistant, but in a greenhouse they can be attacked by harmful insects. A frequent uninvited guest is the whitefly, which thrives in humid air. As a preventative measure, the greenhouse must be constantly ventilated. If the pest is already present, the plants are treated with insecticides. Boverin, Confidor, Fufanon, Aktellik and others give good results. Plants should be sprayed before the fruits ripen.

You can use effective folk remedies to fight whiteflies.

Finely rub laundry soap, dissolve in warm water, maintaining a ratio of 1:6. The resulting solution is used to treat bushes with insect colonies;

At night, mosquito coils are lit, which have a detrimental effect on whiteflies.

Brief information about the variety

Fruits and bush : plants of indeterminate type. The average height of the bush is 150 cm. The fruits are medium-sized, round, weighing up to 150 g. The color is unusual - red-brown with green stripes at the stalk.
Productivity : 5 kg of fruits are collected from each bush. From 1 m² the gardener receives 15-18 kg.
Resistance : to fruit rot, powdery mildew and late blight. Among the pests, the crop is not affected by mole crickets and moths.
Distribution : the variety is zoned for all regions if the plant is planted in a greenhouse. In the southern regions, seedlings are placed in open ground.
Application : used for preparing dishes from fresh vegetables, sauces and tomato paste. Suitable for preservation.
Planting : seedlings are planted in a permanent place in May according to a 50x65 cm pattern.
Soil : light, nutritious, with a low alkali concentration.
Care : water the bushes every week. Feeding - 3 times per season. Sewing and gartering are mandatory.
Ripening period : the growing season lasts 100 days from the moment of planting. The harvest is harvested in August before the first frost. Tomatoes are not suitable for long-term storage.

Harvesting. Freezing tomatoes

The first fruits of the chocolate-covered Zephyr tomatoes ripen in the second ten days of July. For ovaries from the last upper clusters, the time for harvesting will come towards the end of August.

If the harvest is too abundant, which happens when growing a bed of Marshmallow in Chocolate tomatoes, it can also be used for preparations. Frozen tomatoes will be especially useful. Large fruits are cut and placed in small containers for the freezer. After 48 hours of maximum freezing, the product is transferred to storage containers.

As needed, the fruits are thawed and used for dressings, sauces, omelettes or pizza.

The new tomato variety, although it requires careful attention, rewards with delicious fruits.