Candy Sweet Icicle is a mid-season tomato variety that captivates vegetable growers with its unique appearance, fruity sweetness, and high yield. It is successfully grown both in open beds and in plastic greenhouses.
History of selection
A vegetable variety with a vibrant, candy-like flavor was developed in the United States by the brilliant breeder Brad Gates, owner of Wild Boar Farms.
The American has gained popularity among vegetable growers around the world thanks to the original varieties he developed on his farm in California's Napa Valley. The varieties he created are distinguished by their unusual coloring and exquisite flavor. His creations include black, orange, and marbled tomatoes.
He is the author of the species:
- Blood Moon;
- Atomic Sunset;
- Green Zebra Cherry;
- Painted Lady;
- Brad's Black Heart.
Candy Sweet Icicle is one of Gates' most recent breeding achievements, appearing on the international market approximately five years ago. Domestic gardeners were able to experience this new variety in 2021. It is not included in the Russian state register.
Description of the tomato variety Sweet Icicles
Plants of this cultivar are graceful and short (determinate), limited in growth. They are characterized by a cluster-type fruiting. Their external characteristics are as follows:
- height - 0.5-0.8 m (in an open bed), 1.2 m (in a greenhouse);
- the bushes are not spreading, but not particularly compact either;
- shoots are thin;
- medium degree of foliage;
- Foliage: medium-sized, green, thin.
The first fruit set appears on the Candy Sweet Icicle plant after the sixth leaf, with subsequent sets occurring after a few true leaves (less than three). Fruit ripens in clusters of 8-15. Bushes require moderate pinching and staking.
The appearance of this variety's fruits is unique, as are all Gates' creations. They are distinguished by their original shape and beautiful marbled coloring. They possess the following characteristics:
- small size (cocktail type tomatoes);
- weight - 20-50 g;
- length - 5-6 cm;
- elongated "cream" shape with a spout;
- orange-pink color with golden strokes and stripes;
- strong skin, dense but not thick, elastic, not prone to cracking;
- pulp: dense, fleshy and juicy, with 2-3 seed chambers;
- small seeds.
- ✓ The fruits have a unique marbled color with golden strokes and stripes.
- ✓ The taste of the pulp is very sweet, with notes of fruit and a spicy aftertaste, without sourness.
Since this tomato variety is a cultivar and not a hybrid, it makes sense to collect seeds from fully ripened tomatoes. The chances of your own homemade seedlings producing high-quality plants with marbled, golden-pink tomatoes are high.
The outstanding tasting quality of the harvest is the hallmark of this variety. The flesh of these candy tomatoes is very sweet, without a hint of sourness, with fruity notes and a spicy aftertaste. When overripe, it resembles delicate marmalade. Maximum sugar content is observed in hot summers (above 27°C).
Characteristics of the Candy Sweet Icicles tomato
This American breeder's creation is distinguished not only by its wonderful taste and beautiful harvest. It also possesses many excellent characteristics. Its bushes produce a large number of berries, do not lose their blooms in hot weather, and produce abundant fruit in open garden plots even in cool summers. They are rarely susceptible to disease.
Productivity and ripening of the Candy Sweet Icicles tomato
Candy Sweet Icicle is a mid-season tomato variety and hybrid. Its harvest ripens within the following timeframes:
- 100-110 days after sowing seeds for seedlings;
- in mid-June (if you sow on March 1 and transfer the seedlings to the garden bed in May).
Candy tomato bushes delight gardeners with their abundant and long-lasting fruiting, which lasts all summer until frost. Each cluster produces up to 15 "crowns." Gardeners can obtain up to 5 kg from a single plant (with intensive cultivation practices). The average yield of this variety is as follows:
- up to 12 kg per 1 sq. m - in greenhouse conditions;
- up to 9 kg - when grown in an open bed.
Seed producers don't provide precise yield figures for Candy Sweet Icicle plants. According to reviews from vegetable growers who grow this variety, they are quite high.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Sweet Icicles is a tomato variety with good resistance to major crop diseases. Gardeners who grow it claim to get abundant harvests without the use of fungicides and insecticides. This cultivar rarely gets sick and is rarely attacked by pests.
Methods of application
The main purpose of the Candy Sweet Icicle tomato is to eat it fresh. It's a true summer dessert that even the most discerning gourmet will appreciate. The Candy Sweet Icicle harvest can also be used in home cooking:
- adding to salads, side dishes and other dishes;
- preparation of sauces, marinades, ketchup;
- pickling;
- canning, including whole fruit;
- freezing;
- decorating restaurant dishes and desserts.
Features of cultivation
Gardeners cultivate the "Sweet Icicles" tomato using seedlings, following the seed manufacturer's recommended sowing dates. After transplanting the seedlings into the garden, they will require proper care to ensure healthy plants, proper development, and abundant fruiting.
Sowing dates, preparatory work
Begin sowing in late February. The optimal time is between March 1 and 15. Planting later will prevent the variety from fully realizing its mid-early fruiting potential.
- ✓ The optimal soil temperature for sowing seeds should not be below +15°C.
- ✓ To prevent seedlings from stretching, it is necessary to provide additional illumination with phytolamps for 14-16 hours a day.
Before you start sowing Sweet Icicles Candy seeds for seedlings, do the following preparatory work:
- disinfect boxes, pots and other planting containers you have using a solution of potassium permanganate;
- buy suitable soil (universal substrate for growing vegetable seedlings) from a flower shop;
- Soak the seeds in water until they swell (it is also acceptable to treat them with a solution of potassium permanganate and germinate before planting in the soil).
How to grow the unusual tomato variety Sweet Icicles?
Sow candy tomato seeds in trays filled with nutrient-rich substrate. Follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Level the soil. Water it.
- Make shallow grooves in it.
- Place the seeds in the furrows, spacing them 2.5-3 cm apart.
- Cover them with soil.
- Moisten the planting with a spray bottle.
- Cover the box with crops with film.
Keep the seedlings warm (24°C). After 10-14 days, sprouts will appear. Move them to a sunny windowsill and reduce the room temperature to 20°C.
Take care of tomato seedlings by following these steps:
- watering the planting (water it with lukewarm water twice every 7 days);
- fertilizing tomatoes with liquid complex fertilizers;
- supplementary lighting of plants with phytolamps to prevent them from stretching;
- picking (carry out the procedure after the seedlings have developed their second true leaf).
Rules for planting seedlings
Transplant the grown candy tomato seedlings to an open bed after the threat of frost has passed. Perform this procedure within the following timeframes:
- in the second half of May, adjusting the date depending on weather conditions;
- no earlier than June 1 – for Western and Eastern Siberia.
To grow the Sweet Icicles variety, select a sunny, draft-free area in your garden with nutritious, loose soil. Ideally, this should be a bed where cucumbers, onions, garlic, root vegetables, or herbs were grown last season.
The selected area will need to be dug over and fertilized in the fall. Add humus (8-10 liters per square meter) and a complex mineral fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus (50-70 g per square meter). If the soil is heavy, add river sand. If the soil is acidic, enrich it with wood ash or chalk.
Transplant grown and hardened tomato seedlings that meet the following requirements into the garden:
- having at least 4-6 true leaves;
- reaching a height of 15-18 cm.
Regardless of where you transplant the Konfety Sladkie Icicles seedlings, to an open garden plot or a greenhouse, follow the recommended planting pattern:
- the distance between seedlings is 40 cm;
- between rows - not less than 60 cm.
Place no more than 6 seedlings per square meter. This density is acceptable due to their small size. For maximum productivity, a looser planting (4 plants/sq. m) is preferable.
Further care
Planting candy tomatoes requires proper care, which includes the following procedures:
- WateringThe "Sweet Icicles" variety thrives in moderately moist soil. It does not tolerate overwatering, as such conditions greatly increase the risk of root rot and plant death.
Water greenhouse tomatoes once every 3-4 days, using 8-10 liters of water per plant. In hot weather, water them more frequently—once every 2 days or daily.
Water tomatoes grown in open garden beds based on the frequency and amount of rainfall. The average frequency is 1-2 times per week.
Avoid excess moisture while the fruit is ripening. Otherwise, their flavor will lose its rich sweetness and become watery. - Loosening the soil under the bushes and weedingCarry out these procedures after moistening the soil. This will improve oxygen supply to the tomato roots.
- MulchingCover the soil under your tomato plants with organic matter. This will reduce the need for watering and weeding.
- FertilizingFertilize candy tomato plants three times during the season: 10 days after transplanting the seedlings to the garden bed, apply a nitrogen fertilizer, and use a complex mixture after the bushes finish flowering and after the first tomatoes ripen.
- Formation of bushesTo maximize the yield of the "Sweet Icicles" variety, train the plants into 2-3 stems. In addition to the main stem, leave 1-2 strong, well-developed shoots. Remove all other shoots. Remove side shoots as needed (approximately every 10-15 days).
- Tying up bushesThe stems may break under the weight of the fruit. Supporting the plant with a support structure will help prevent this.
- × Avoid over-watering the soil, especially during the ripening period, to avoid the development of fungal diseases.
- × Do not use chemical plant protection products less than one month before harvest.
Pest and disease control
This vegetable variety has been bred to be quite resistant to infections and pests. Prolonged rainfall and cool summer weather can trigger fungal attacks.
To prevent blossom-end rot, spray the seedlings with a calcium nitrate solution 7 days after transplanting. Plants should also be treated with Fitosporin-M to prevent the disease.
To protect tomato bushes from insect pests, use special preparations:
- insecticides;
- insectoacaricides.
Pros and cons
The Konfety Sladkie Icicles tomato variety has become popular with domestic gardeners thanks to its numerous advantages:
Gardeners who cultivate this candy variety haven't found any particular drawbacks. The only drawback is that the fruits produce a small number of seeds, which have a poor germination rate. Home-harvested seeds rarely mature, remaining in an embryonic state.
Reviews
Sweet Icicles are a marvel of foreign breeding, winning the hearts of vegetable growers who prefer original, signature tomato varieties. The amazing shape and color of the fruits, along with their fruity, spicy sweetness, leave no one indifferent. This is an excellent option for those who grow tomatoes specifically for fresh consumption and canning.