Virginia Candy Tomato: variety description, growing photos and reviews

The name of the tomato “Virginia Sweets” is translated as sweets, or Virginia sweets. The description of the taste of tomatoes is fully consistent with the name. Gardeners who have already tested the variety on their plots leave rave reviews about the taste characteristics of tomatoes. Everyone talks about the great taste, somewhat reminiscent of a peach, and the complete absence of a sour tomato aftertaste.

This is why it is recommended for cultivation, although the variety bred in the USA is thermophilic and demanding in care.

Key Features

Growing varieties in the conditions of central Russia is recommended only in greenhouses. This is what its varietal features look like:

• variety with a vegetation period of 90-115 days, which allows it to be classified as mid-ripening;
• medium leafy bush, not limited in growth, reaches a height of 180-240 cm;
• leaf ordinary, smooth, the first brush is formed over the 9-12th leaf;
• the plant requires the timely removal of stepchildren, the formation of a bush in 1-2 stems, pinching the growth point, garters to the support;
• fruits are large, weighing 300-500 g, flat-round shape, with well-defined ribbing;
• fruit color is yellow-orange with pink stripes and spills;
• two-tone pulp, lemon yellow with pink spots, very juicy, excellent sweet taste;
• fruits of salad destination, but can be used in winter preparations in crushed form;
• yield is average and largely depends on the light regime and care.

A feature of the variety is responsiveness to heat, timely watering, quality care. The fruits are prone to cracking and do not store for too long. But the taste is rated by everyone as a solid five, which is the main characteristic for salad varieties. There are examples of successful cultivation of the Virginia Candy tomato, when the fruits reached almost a kilogram weight. Sweet salad tomatoes are already recognized by our growers.

Features of cultivation

Heat-loving tall variety grown according to traditional rules. But if you want to collect tomatoes before the onset of frost, which usually begins in the last decade of August, then you need to plant the plants a little earlier. In addition, in the column on the germination of the variety, the manufacturer indicates the terms of 7-14 days.

1. Begin the preparation and sowing of seeds 60-65 days before the planned landing in a permanent place. Seedlings dive with the appearance of 2 permanent leaves. It is important to maintain a balance of light and temperature, preventing seedlings from overgrowing.
2. Plant is planted in a permanent place when the danger of return frosts has passed. Planting pattern 60 x 60 cm. Planting density depends on how many trunks you intend to form a variety. When grown in one stem, it is allowed to plant up to 4 plants per 1 sq. m. The stem must be tied to a reliable support or to a trellis.
3. This variety is allowed to form 2-3 stems. This is due to the fact that only 3-4 large fruits are laid on one brush. With this option for 1 sq. m. area placed no more than 3 plants.
4. Indeterminate cultivars, which include the Virginia Sweet tomato, have slower flowering and fruit formation due to the intensive growth of side shoots.Each stepson strives to form his own flower bud. This non-stop process takes a lot of energy from the plant.
5. For earlier ripening of the variety, it is important to remove all side shoots and defective ovaries in time, which slow down the growth of the main stem and the ripening of the formed fruits. After laying 4-5 brushes, the growth point should be limited.
6. Once every 2-3 weeks, fertilizing is carried out, the composition of which is determined by the stage of development and the state of the plant. At the initial stage, you need to provide the bush with the necessary amount of phosphorus. From the moment of flowering and the formation of fruits, the need for potassium and nitrogen increases.
7. After watering, loosen the soil and lightly hill the base of the stem. Loosening does not allow moisture to evaporate from the surface, which means it provides lower humidity in the closed volume of the greenhouse. It is also necessary to remove all leaves to the level of the first flower brush, which enhances ventilation and air exchange in the lower part of the bush.
8. The variety requires moderate soil moisture, with an excess of moisture, tomatoes crack. Overripe tomatoes should not be allowed, which leads to liquefaction of the pulp and damage to the fruit right on the branch.

Simple and understandable techniques for caring for tall tomatoes help the plant to form flower brushes in time and let the fruits ripen during the growing season.

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