If a gardener is looking for delicious tomatoes with an unusual shape, they should consider the Danko tomato. Some gardeners believe that salad tomatoes have the most pleasant flavor. Moreover, heart-shaped tomatoes are considered the most delicious. There was a time when the range of varieties available to Russian gardeners was quite limited. Among the heart-shaped salad tomatoes, perhaps only the Bull's Heart stood out. But now the variety has become noticeably more diverse.
Seeds of this tomato are available in several varieties, as they are produced not only by companies in Russia but also in neighboring countries. Currently, Russian gardeners can purchase Danko tomatoes from producers such as Semena Altaya, Aelita, Agros, and Sibirsky Sad. Elita-Sad produces seeds of the Heart-shaped tomato, which is an exact analogue of the Danko. Zolotaya Sotka Altaya offers customers the Heart Danko. The characteristics of this tomato are absolutely identical to the regular Danko.
It's worth noting that the variety's name wasn't chosen by chance. Many remember the name of the legendary Gorky hero, Danko, from their school curriculum. It was in this honor that the variety, first developed by breeders from Siberia, was named.
Description of fruits
One of the main advantages of this variety is its fruit. The tomatoes grow very tasty and have a rather unusual shape. They are truly heart-shaped, with a pronounced roundness at the top and a tapering lower edge. The fruit's surface is usually smooth, but sometimes slight ribbing is present.
Tomatoes are beautiful not only in shape but also in color. When fully ripe, they turn a rich red. The coloring becomes almost uniform, but a green spot near the stem may appear. This disappears when fully ripe.
One of the key distinguishing features of the Danko variety is its ability to ripen on a windowsill. This makes it a convenient tomato for growing in Siberia and the Urals. Here, the harvest can be picked when the tomatoes turn brown. They then ripen on the windowsill.
Danko tomatoes are firm yet juicy. Their flavor is irresistible. The skin is thin enough to prevent cracking during long-term storage.
Sweet tomatoes are generally medium-sized, weighing around 200 grams, but some can reach up to half a kilogram. Gardeners can always use these tomatoes for both salads and preserves. Sweet and juicy tomatoes make excellent juices and sauces, but smaller tomatoes can even be used for pickling.
This variety produces very high yields. Each plant produces several dozen delicious tomatoes. Each plant produces approximately 5 kg of fruit, but this can only be achieved with proper farming practices.
Characteristics and care
The manufacturer's description and characteristics indicate that this tomato produces numerous fruits on a compact bush. This makes it a very convenient variety, suitable even for beginners. Tomatoes do not require staking, but excess branches should still be removed to increase yield and reduce ripening time. This variety is suitable for growing in a wide range of climates. However, fruit production remains consistently high in all conditions.
A major advantage of this variety is that it's not a hybrid. This means gardeners can stock up on seeds themselves, reserving the largest tomatoes for seeding. This is significantly more cost-effective than buying new seeds from the grower every year.
Danko tomato bushes are classified as determinate. This means they don't grow taller than a meter. The plant appears quite weak, even with good nutrition and fertilizer. This is because the plant devotes most of its energy to the fruit, which grows in large numbers on frail bushes. While staking the trunk isn't necessary, the tomato clusters should be reinforced to prevent them from falling to the ground.
Those who have planted the Danko variety say that the ripening time of the fruits depends largely on the location of the tomato plant. If the summer is sunny and warm, harvesting can begin as early as 100 days after planting. Under unfavorable weather conditions, the first tomatoes can be expected within 120 days.
The harvest is gradual, which is convenient because fresh tomatoes can be harvested over a long period.
An important feature of Danko is that it is considered resilient and has excellent immunity. It is resistant to fungal diseases and various infections. Bushes grown outdoors are particularly resistant.
Reviews regarding this variety are as follows:
Svetlana, Krasnodar Krai: "Even though I was planting this variety for the first time, I loved it. Danko is easy to grow, disease-resistant, and requires minimal effort. I harvested at least 5 kg of delicious heart-shaped tomatoes from each plant!"
Elvira, Krasnokamsk: "Even in our area, Danko tomatoes produce a consistently high yield, so I've grown them before. The fruits are medium-sized and have excellent flavor. They're enough for salads and preserves. These tomatoes make excellent juice."
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I've heard about this tomato variety before; it's become very popular lately. All of its shortcomings apply to most tomatoes, but its advantages are truly obvious. I really want to try growing this variety.
I planted some. Nothing special. Regular tomatoes, so-so yield, not very large, and not particularly flavorful. I consider the text an advertisement.