Description of the exotic tomato Black Icicle and growing it using seedlings

About 5 years ago, Ukrainian breeders developed Icicle tomato Black. Despite its southern origins, this variety has proven popular among vegetable growers in the Moscow region, the Urals, and Siberia.

Plant characteristics

The Black Icicle tomato variety belongs to the black-fruited tomato family. This series has many advantages, but also one serious drawback: the seedlings become very elongated and appear weak. However, after transplanting to a greenhouse or open ground, the bush quickly begins to grow, producing its first flower cluster after 8-9 leaves.

This indeterminate plant can reach a height of 2 m or more in greenhouse conditions. In open ground, it grows less vigorously and rarely exceeds 1.5 m. Due to its tall stature and rather thin stem, it requires staking.

The bushes are sparsely foliated, with long, graceful leaves featuring small blades. The foliage barely shades the fruit clusters, but it's advisable to remove at least one-third of the foliage from the lower portion of the plantings. Lateral shoots form and grow slowly, so there's no problem with the bush becoming overcrowded.

The characteristics and description of the variety highlight the plant's high yield. A single bush can yield 7-9 kg of marketable produce. It is recommended to train tomatoes into 2-4 stems, which will produce 6-7 clusters on the main shoot, and 3-4 additional inflorescences on the secondary shoots. When training into 3-4 stems, it is easier to tie the bushes to a mesh trellis, ensuring all ovaries receive sufficient light.

Black Icicle Fruits

Despite its name, the Black Sosulka tomato variety is not black. The base of the fruit, from the stem to two-thirds of its length, is dark brown, gradually lightening to a pinkish-brown hue toward the top. Experienced gardeners report that tomatoes can sometimes retain a brownish-pink hue even when fully ripe. This phenomenon is attributed to insufficient light.

The fruits have a beautiful, elongated plum shape: each tomato is approximately three times longer than its diameter, with a pointed tip at the top. The surface is smooth, without ribbing. Black Icicle tomatoes can reach 7 cm in length, and average weight is approximately 100 g. The elongated tomatoes are gathered in large, branched clusters consisting of 12-17 ovaries of approximately equal size.

The Black Icicle variety is early maturing. The first fruits begin to ripen 95-100 days after sowing. Tomatoes on the same truss ripen almost simultaneously.

The skin of the fruit is not very thick, but it is strong. Black Icicle tomatoes are not prone to cracking and are resistant to late blight and blossom-end rot. The harvest transports and stores well, and unripe tomatoes ripen easily indoors.

The fruit's flesh is firm but juicy. The seed chambers are well developed, but the fruit walls are thick and fleshy. The flesh is intensely red, with a lighter central core.

The Black Icicle variety is versatile. It's ideal for making whole-fruit preserves for winter: its elongated shape and intense color, along with its firm skin and dense flesh, allow for the production of top-quality marinades and pickles.

The high sugar content of tomatoes makes them excellent for preserves. Tomatoes with this type of flesh can be dried. Juice and sauces made from tomato pulp will have a bright red hue, making them suitable for processing. This early-ripening variety is also suitable for fresh consumption.

Agricultural technology of the variety

The plant is resistant to temperature fluctuations and high humidity, but truly delicious fruits can only be produced with plenty of sun. It's best to plant the Black Icicle tomato in a well-lit area in the open ground or on the south side of a greenhouse.

Sowing should be done 50-60 days before planting. When one or two true leaves appear, the seedlings should be transplanted into 7-10 cm diameter pots. Growing seedlings in a common container increases the likelihood of them becoming elongated.

If the planting material has long, thin stems, it's best to plant it horizontally, placing it in 20-cm-deep furrows and backfilling it with soil up to 4-5 leaves from the top. The tops of the tomatoes should face north. Three to four days after planting, the tomatoes will become upright, and many additional roots will form on the covered parts of the stems.

For good growth of green mass, plants need to be fed 6-8 days after transplantation. A solution is prepared by mixing 1 tablespoon of nitroammophoska per 10 liters of water. Young tomatoes are watered with the solution at a rate of 0.5 liters per plant. When the first flower cluster forms, apply a phosphorus-potassium mixture, and repeat the process after 14 days.