Unusual in appearance and amazingly delicious tomato "Honey Drop"

In Italy, the tomato has long been called the golden apple. This is not without reason, because the shape of the vegetable really looks like an apple, and juices and jam are made from the sour-sweet pulp. Next, we will focus on a bright representative of the "golden apples", namely the honey drop tomato. How did the vegetable deserve such a "tasty" name and how to get a rich harvest, we will consider below.

Description of the variety

A drop of honey will not only give delicious tomatoes, but also decorate any area. Vine-shaped bushes are decorated with small oval yellow-orange tomatoes.

The variety is resistant to pests, tolerates weather changes well, and is not afraid of high humidity. In addition, Honey Drop has excellent taste and moderate juiciness.

Distinctive features

The fruits ripen in about 110 days. It is best to grow a tomato in a greenhouse. It is characterized as mid-season. The bushes are indeterminate, not limited in growth.

Plant height reaches 2 m. Leaves are large, dark green in color. Tomatoes ripen in brushes, 10-15 pieces each. Due to their high growth, the bushes need support and a garter.

Characteristics of tomatoes, productivity

Tomatoes are small, the average weight of one is about 15 g. Some specimens reach 30-35 g. Outwardly, due to their oval shape, tomatoes resemble small pears, they look spectacular as a whole on a festive table.

The inner chambers are small, there are few seeds. The taste is pleasant, soft, with a honey accent. Sometimes the Honey Drop is called the "amber drop".

Important! Subject to all agrotechnical standards, one tomato bush gives about 2 kg of vegetables.

How to grow seedlings

To get a good harvest, you need to carefully consider the choice of seed and soil preparation.

Seed preparation

Before going to the store for seeds, carefully study the information from the producers. It will not be superfluous to ask familiar gardeners what suppliers they prefer... Seeds must be disinfected before planting. Solutions of "Bud", "Zircon" or any other growth stimulator will come to the rescue. You can also use proven folk remedies, for example, aloe juice.

Next, the material must be germinated. To do this, you need a cotton pad and a small plate. Unfold the disc and place the seeds on it. Cover the top with damp gauze and place in a plate. Make sure that the seeds do not dry out. Experienced gardeners also advise adding aloe juice to the water.

Capacity and soil

It is easy to prepare the soil yourself. This will require garden soil, humus, peat and ash. When the mixture is ready, disinfect it. A solution of potassium permanganate is suitable for this.

If you buy ready-made soil, then you should also make some effort to enrich the soil with useful elements. The fact is that the main substance in the purchased land is peat. It is poorly permeable to water and has a high acidity, therefore, such land is sometimes not suitable for growing seedlings. To eliminate the problem, it is recommended to add dolomite flour or chalk to the soil. This will reduce the acidity level and make the land more suitable for growing seedlings.

Important! Any container is suitable for sowing seeds.For example, wooden boxes, flower pots, buckets. The main thing before planting is to wash the container well and dry it.

Sowing

When the container, soil and seeds are ready, start sowing. Make holes 3 cm apart, place seeds in them and sprinkle with earth on top. Water the seedlings abundantly with warm water, place in a warm, bright place and cover with thin glass or film. This will create a favorable microclimate for germination.

Growing and care

Pay attention to the air temperature first. The optimum temperature is about 23 degrees.

As soon as the first shoots appear, place the container in a colder place. Open the film gradually. It is recommended to completely remove it 2 weeks after planting.

Pay special attention to watering. For the most correct watering, it is recommended to use a pipette or syringe. Make sure that the water falls into the base of the sprout and not onto the leaves. In no case should you water the seedlings with cold tap water. Otherwise, the bushes will become infected with root rot.

Remember that Honey Drop likes a lot of light. With a lack of sun, it is recommended to create additional lighting for the bushes using phytolamps.

After 10-15 days from the moment of landing, the first top dressing... An excellent option for this is potassium superphosphate or ammonium nitrate. Apply the last dressing 10 days before planting seedlings in the ground.

How to grow tomatoes

After 50-60 days, move the seedlings outdoors. Let us consider in detail how to properly grow tomatoes Honey drop.

Landing

Prepare the soil in the fall. Good predecessors for tomatoes are cabbage, cucumber, potato beds. Remove debris, plant debris, weeds, and dig up the ground. Also, do not forget to decontaminate the area. An excellent remedy for this is the potassium permanganate mentioned above.

Plant seedlings in early July. Place the plant in rows, leaving a distance of about 40 cm between the bushes. After planting, water the beds with plenty of warm water.

Care

Watering the Honey Drop is best done in the afternoon. Make sure that no water gets on the leaves and stems, otherwise there is a high probability of developing diseases. Water at room temperature is suitable for irrigation. Throughout the entire time, the bushes need to be fertilized with organic and mineral dressings. When doing this, pay particular attention to nitrogen-containing substances.... However, be careful: an excess of nitrogen will also lead to the appearance of some types of diseases.

Loosen the soil periodically during maintenance. This saturates it with oxygen and gives the plant additional strength. Also, the Honey Drop needs a compulsory support, otherwise the brushes will not support the weight of the tomatoes and will break. Sometimes bushes form additional shoots that need to be removed. Do this carefully so as not to damage the stem.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

The honey drop must be tied up regardless of the growing medium. Also, the bush definitely needs to be formed.

Most often, a tomato is formed into 2 stems. In addition, despite the good resistance of the plant to diseases, preventive measures must be taken. For example, treat the soil with ammonium nitrate or spray the bushes with whey.

Do not forget about removing weeds, as foreign plants will take some of the necessary nutrients from the vegetable. Remove excess grass every 5-7 days. Weeds grow especially quickly after heavy rains.

Diseases and pests

Due to the high humidity, tomatoes are ill with late blight or powdery mildew. Phytophthora appears in the form of brown spots, and powdery mildew - a white bloom.

Both special medicines (Ridomil Gold, Acrobat MC, Profit Gold, Metalaxil) and folk recipes, for example, a solution based on tobacco leaves, help to get rid of them.

Of the pests, the bear, wireworm, whitefly and spider mite are often found. The principle of action of all insects is similar.

Some eat the root system, others destroy the leaves and stems.

Because of this, the metabolism of tomatoes is disrupted and the bushes die.

In pest control effective drugs "Aktara", "Medvetox", "Provotox", etc.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

Before planting tomatoes in open ground, loosen the beds with a rake. It is recommended to grow the variety outdoors only in the south of the country. The first top dressing in the open field is carried out 3 weeks after planting.

Use "Nitrofoska" or potassium chloride. Often the composition of the dressing depends on the weather conditions. For example, in cloudy weather, higher doses of potassium sulfate are used, and on sunny days, urea should be preferred.

If the Honey Drop is planted in a greenhouse, remember to regularly ventilate the facility. Closed doors increase the likelihood of fungus and infection. The best way to ventilate is through small windows in the greenhouse.

Harvesting and application of the crop

The harvest begins already at the stage of milk maturity. The fruits are able to ripen at room temperature. Store them in a cool, dark place.

The variety is widely used. Because of its bright sweetish taste, many people like to eat fresh vegetables. In addition, Honey Drop is excellent for whole pickling and canning. Yellow tomatoes look appetizing in winter preparations.

Often tomatoes are stuffed with cheese or vegetables, they make all kinds of options for snacks. Also used for making sandwiches, salads, side dishes.

Honey Drop flavor complements meat and poultry well.

Tomatoes are also used in folk medicine. For example, many people know a recipe with tomato and garlic, which helps to cope with colds and increase immunity in the cold season.

Tomato tincture is a powerful natural antioxidant.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The positive characteristics of the variety include:

• unique sweetish taste;
• presentable appearance;
• the ability to use fresh tomato and in cooking;
• a large amount of vitamins in the vegetable;
• the ability to grow both in the open field and in the greenhouse;
• good keeping quality;
• strong immunity to diseases and pests.

Cons of the variety:

• due to their high growth, the bushes need tying;
• removal of stepsons is mandatory;
• increased demand of the variety for mineral and organic fertilizing.

Farmers reviews

The honey drop is loved by both novice gardeners and experienced farmers. However, sometimes there is also a negative opinion about the variety.

Maria, Volgograd: “A honey drop was recommended to me by a colleague from work. Problems began at the seedling stage. The seeds did not germinate well. When it came time to plant them in the garden, half of the seedlings died altogether. I think it's a bad manufacturer. I planted the remaining seeds and reaped the harvest. The tomatoes turned out to be very small. It tastes ordinary. "

Galina, Samara region: “The droplet is my favorite tomato. How many varieties I have not tried, I can not find a better Honey drop. I love the sweet taste and beautiful look of these tomatoes. The yield is high, so it is possible to eat fresh vegetables and prepare meals for the winter. "

Maxim, Republic of Bashkortostan: “I planted a Honey Drop for the first time. I was pleased with the harvest. Tomatoes set up quickly, there were almost no shoots. Watered as usual, removed weeds. Will I still plant the vegetable. "

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Unusual-looking and amazingly delicious tomato "Honey Drop".

Conclusion

The name of the honey drop tomatoes speaks for itself.The vegetable perfectly combines high taste and presentable appearance. Due to its small size, it is suitable for preparing various dishes, as well as tomato juice and ketchup.

The tomato is unpretentious in care, although it requires some special skills. The most important thing is to tie up bushes, remove weeds and water the beds. Do not forget about fertilizers and feeding. To prevent diseases, it is better to carry out preventive measures even at the seedling stage.