{"id":1567,"date":"2026-09-01T14:37:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=1567"},"modified":"2026-09-01T14:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:37:54","slug":"chocolate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/chocolate\/","title":{"rendered":"Chocolate (Shokoladny) Heirloom Tomato Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1567&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Chocolate (Shokoladny) Heirloom Tomato Review&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<h2>Quick Summary of Shokoladny (Chocolate)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf0d <strong>Origin:<\/strong> A very popular Russian commercial variety sold by several seed companies (Aelita, Siberian Garden, Prestige, Myazina). The name translates simply to &#8220;Chocolate&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf3f <strong>Plant Habit:<\/strong> Officially classified as semi-determinate (1.1 to 1.5 meters \/ 3.6 to 5 ft). However, depending on the seed source and growing conditions, many growers report it behaving like a true indeterminate, reaching 2 meters (6.5 ft) and requiring tall stakes and pruning.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf45 <strong>Fruit Characteristics:<\/strong> Oblate to round beefsteaks with a beautiful mahogany\/brown skin. The official weight is 200-400g (7-14 oz), though growers frequently harvest fruits in the 150-250g (5-9 oz) range. The skin is notably thin and tender.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc45 <strong>Flavor:<\/strong> Highly praised as sweet, meaty, and rich. <strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> Dark tomatoes like this are very sensitive to nutrient deficiencies (magnesium, potassium) and overwatering. If given too much water, the flavor can become watery\/sour, and the tender skin will crack heavily.<\/li>\n<li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Seed Warning:<\/strong> In past years, the &#8220;Aelita&#8221; seed company released a bad batch (Lot 16.543.13.3) that produced massive amounts of small red plum\/cherry tomatoes on a determinate bush instead of the large brown beefsteaks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"add-review-cta\" style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 4px solid #4CAF50; border-radius: 4px;\"><strong>\ud83c\udf45 Grown this variety?<\/strong> <a href=\"#wpdcom\">Click here to add your own photos and review below!<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">D<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Deniza (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (700 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>The variety is called &#8220;Shokoladny&#8221; (Chocolate). Seeds are from the &#8220;Aelita&#8221; company. The description on the packet says:<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Mid-early variety. The plant is semi-determinate, 110-150 cm (3.6-5 ft) tall. The fruits are multi-chambered, flat-round in shape, brown in color, weighing 200-400 g (7-14 oz), very tasty, sweet, and meaty. Intended for growing in film greenhouses and open ground.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>They matched the description perfectly. Very tasty, they were among the first to ripen. By July 9th we were already eating them! \ud83d\udc4d Note: In the last photo, the pink tomato next to them is <em>Rozovyi Myod (Pink Honey)<\/em> for size comparison.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/10381-090714153243.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/thumb_10381-090714153243.jpeg\" alt=\"Shokoladny tomato growing on the vine\" width=\"88\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/10381-090714153723.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/thumb_10381-090714153723.jpeg\" alt=\"Brown tomato in hand\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/10381-090714153822.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/thumb_10381-090714153822.jpeg\" alt=\"Sliced Chocolate tomato showing meaty flesh\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/10381-090714153909.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/23\/thumb_10381-090714153909.jpeg\" alt=\"Shokoladny next to Pink Honey for size comparison\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Anela (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,216 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>This is how my Shokoladny turned out (bought the seeds at the market). Terrible, low yield\u2014the photo shows tomatoes from 2 bushes, and the rest were just tiny. I don&#8217;t even remember the taste. I still have seeds left from this packet, but I won&#8217;t be repeating it. It disappointed me. \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Larek (Larisa) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,699 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>The seeds for my Shokoladny were from the exact same packet as Galina&#8217;s. I really liked the variety; it completely matched the description. The tomatoes are tasty and sweet. The variety is highly productive.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/42\/780-241114123215.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/42\/780-241114123215.jpeg\" alt=\"Larisa's beautiful brown beefsteak tomato\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">K<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">kae-2 (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (4,537 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I really wanted to grow Shokoladny. For almost a month now, I&#8217;ve been watching what is growing in my garden. It is anything but Shokoladny. Seeds are from Aelita. The packet is exactly the same as in the picture above.<\/p>\n<p>But the fruits are plum-shaped (paste tomatoes) and they are all hidden inside the bush, you can&#8217;t see anything from the outside. The bush is determinate, and it&#8217;s setting fruit like crazy, both in open ground and in the greenhouse. The height is currently about 1.2m (4 ft). I specially counted them on one bush: it has already set 97 fruits and is still blooming heavily. But the tomatoes are small, about 70-80 g (2.5-3 oz).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">azure (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (10,895 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Don Region, Russia (USDA Zone 6)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from kae-2:<\/strong><br \/>\nIt is anything but Shokoladny&#8230; the fruits are plum-shaped&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Could you tell me the batch number? I bought the exact same packet (planned to plant it next year), and I wouldn&#8217;t want to grow an off-type mix-up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Tineke (Oksana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (162 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My seeds are from the same packet and look very similar to Galina&#8217;s photos, but I can&#8217;t agree that it completely matches the description. The description says the fruits are brown with orange-brown flesh. If you can stretch the imagination to call the outside brown, the inside is nowhere near orange-brown. My flesh is dark crimson, quite firm, very tasty, and aromatic. Everyone loved this tomato, even those who normally oppose &#8220;exotic&#8221; varieties.<\/p>\n<p>Svetlana, my tomatoes were grown from the exact same batch that gave Irina the plum mix-up. I scanned the packet especially for you. The batch number is <strong>16.543.13.3<\/strong>. Maybe Irina just accidentally got a stray plum seed in her packet, and the rest will be true to type! \ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/12716-240715101009.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/thumb_12716-240715101009.jpeg\" alt=\"Aelita Shokoladny seed packet\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/12716-240715100933.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/thumb_12716-240715100933.jpeg\" alt=\"Beautiful dark mahogany tomato\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/12716-240715101056.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/77\/thumb_12716-240715101056.jpeg\" alt=\"Shokoladny tomato on the vine\" width=\"98\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">K<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">kae-2 (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (4,537 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Yeah, I had bad luck with Shokoladny&#8230; And I planted 5 bushes of it, and even shared seedlings with my neighbor (by the way, she liked this mix-up\u2014she says it&#8217;s perfect for canning). Next year I will try from a different batch.<\/p>\n<p>The plum tomatoes I got look very much like the &#8216;Ira F1&#8217; cherry, they turn red\/carmine when fully ripe. The bush is determinate, but it&#8217;s already about 1m 70cm (5.5 ft) tall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">V<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Veronika <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,436 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Here are my impressions: I chose to plant it based on forum reviews. It grew in open ground, was very tall, definitely an indeterminate. I trained it to a single stem. It&#8217;s a mid-season, closer to late-season variety for me, but it was growing in a shaded spot.<\/p>\n<p>It was one of the first to catch Late Blight, but after treatment, it quickly recovered. The fruits are indeed a brown color, of decent taste, but they cracked very, very badly. I would like to try it in a sunny spot because it set fruit well and the taste was pretty good. The fruits looked exactly like Larisa&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">I<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Iskorka (Irina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (8,959 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Krasnoyarsk Region, Siberia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I had it from Siberian Garden (SibSad) last season. In terms of yield, it was average. Mid-early season, the seedlings grew strong. The taste changed throughout the season; it was balanced, but not particularly sweet under my conditions. The skin is thin, so it&#8217;s better not to let them overripen.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/138\/17235-070816111210.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/138\/thumb_17235-070816111210.jpeg\" alt=\"Irina's Shokoladny tomato harvest\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ladislav (Alexey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (70 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Could you please tell me how many stems I can let it grow? This is my first year with a greenhouse, and this is my only indeterminate variety. It just started setting fruit. The description says to train it to only one stem, but what happens if I do 3? The suckers and the main stem aren&#8217;t clearly defined in some places. Which part should I break off?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/125\/19097-180616235029.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/125\/thumb_19097-180616235029.jpeg\" alt=\"Tomato plant branching out\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Elena_ (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,838 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Samara Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Quote from Ladislav:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhich part should I break off?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you&#8217;re talking about the bush in the photograph, I wouldn&#8217;t remove the sucker at this point. But generally, you can see here that the right shoot is the sucker growing just below the flower truss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">L<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ladislav (Alexey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (70 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Thank you, Elena!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Svetlyachok-plyus (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (1,450 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I also really liked the taste! \ud83d\ude0b It didn&#8217;t stand out for yield, though, maybe because the seeds were old and only one out of 10 germinated. I saved seeds, and because of the flavor, I will give this variety another chance.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/153\/757-191116013110.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/153\/thumb_757-191116013110.jpeg\" alt=\"Beautiful dark Shokoladny tomato cross section\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/153\/757-191116013147.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/153\/thumb_757-191116013147.jpeg\" alt=\"Meaty dark flesh of Chocolate tomato\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">P<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Podmoskvichka (Natalya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (690 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Serpukhov Dist, Moscow Region, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My seeds were from the &#8220;Prestige&#8221; company. The fruits are round, about 200 g (7 oz), juicy, neither too sour nor bland\u2014everything is perfectly balanced. They became my husband&#8217;s favorite tomatoes, despite his strong prejudice against &#8220;exotic&#8221; colors. I will definitely keep planting them.<\/p>\n<p>In the greenhouse, they started ripening in late July, and in open ground about 2 weeks later. But in open ground, they turned out sweeter and ripened more evenly, although they clearly lost to the greenhouse ones in terms of quantity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">T<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">TomaT (Tamara) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (392 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Minsk Region, Belarus (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>For me this year, it &#8220;cracked&#8221; before it even managed to fully ripen. Tasty, but not tastier than the <em>Viagra<\/em> variety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">S<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">sergomsk (Sergey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,427 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Omsk Region, Siberia (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>An excellent tomato from Aelita. A typical indeterminate, I trained it to two stems. It set fruit well, the color is beautiful, it&#8217;s productive, great for salads, and even in this cold summer, it was very sweet. The only thing is, it didn&#8217;t quite reach the promised 200-400g; most fruits were 150-200 grams (5-7 oz).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/thumb_18689-200818112808.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/thumb_18689-200818112808.jpeg\" alt=\"Sergey's Shokoladny tomato harvest\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/thumb_18689-200818112856.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/236\/thumb_18689-200818112856.jpeg\" alt=\"Brown tomato on a scale\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/234\/thumb_18689-100818090206.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/234\/thumb_18689-100818090206.jpeg\" alt=\"Indeterminate tomato plant full of fruit\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">I<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">inulik.k (Inna) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Member (922 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Molodechno, Belarus (USDA Zone 5)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Seeds were from Aelita. The bush is vigorous and constantly branches out. Productive, tasty, the fruits are large, the skin is tender, and sometimes they crack. They produced fruit for a long time, and even the ones ripening off the vine indoors remain tasty.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/229\/25608-200718235911.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/229\/thumb_25608-200718235911.jpeg\" alt=\"Inna's large Shokoladny tomato\" width=\"133\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/231\/25608-260718000832.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/231\/thumb_25608-260718000832.jpeg\" alt=\"Large brown tomato resting on hand\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">O<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Oksana Evgenyevna (Oksana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,146 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Aktobe, Kazakhstan (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I planted Shokoladny from Aelita in 2017. In terms of appearance, size, and yield, it matched the description, just slightly lighter\u2014a coffee-pink color. But the taste was disgusting\u2014bland, sour, and watery, and it cracked indecently.<\/p>\n<p>After analyzing the situation, I concluded that, first of all, we watered it way too much, and secondly, it lacked nutrients, specifically some trace elements. Black tomatoes are very sensitive to a lack of either magnesium or something similar. That&#8217;s why the taste was mediocre. I&#8217;ll add that our soil was essentially virgin land\u2014sandy loam that wasn&#8217;t depleted, but I didn&#8217;t feed the tomatoes with mineral fertilizers in open ground in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>So in 2018, after reading the forum and listening to recommendations, I fed all my plants with organic-mineral fertilizers. I gave them calcium nitrate as a foliar spray, yeast, a humate-phosphorus complex, and scattered complex fertilizers and potassium magnesium (Kalimag) at the end. In short, we fed them properly. The tomatoes were *much* tastier than in 2017!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">grawicapa (Pavel) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (3,579 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Ivanovo, Russia (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>This is my third year running this variety (Aelita seeds). Last year it was incredibly tasty, very sweet. This year it&#8217;s just sweet-and-sour, but still completely delicious.<\/p>\n<p>It grew in open ground under a canopy, height 2m (6.5 ft), trained to 4 stems. I harvested 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs) from the plant\u201440 fruits, max weight 275g (9.7 oz). They started ripening on July 21st from a March 19th sowing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2019_10\/035-1.jpg.4b29daa57866b89dbcb1cf8212f101ec.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2019_10\/035-1.thumb.jpg.0788455ee45ebe2387caf601d7d7da24.jpg\" alt=\"Pavel's massive harvest of Shokoladny tomatoes\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2019_10\/035-2.jpg.1127eacec5d4d5e6e5c1456cb23459b3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/monthly_2019_10\/035-2.thumb.jpg.96d953889dd89a27c4c3e75b517abcac.jpg\" alt=\"Scale showing 6.2kg harvest from one plant\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quick Summary of Shokoladny (Chocolate) \ud83c\udf0d Origin: A very popular Russian commercial variety sold by several seed companies (Aelita, Siberian Garden, Prestige, Myazina). The name translates simply to &#8220;Chocolate&#8221;. \ud83c\udf3f Plant Habit: Officially classified as semi-determinate (1.1 to 1.5 meters \/ 3.6 to 5 ft). However, depending on the seed source and growing conditions, many &#8230; <a title=\"Chocolate (Shokoladny) Heirloom Tomato Review\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/chocolate\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Chocolate (Shokoladny) Heirloom Tomato Review\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,5],"tags":[543,72,82,23,49,15],"class_list":["post-1567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-black-purple-tomatoes","category-russian-eastern-european-heirlooms","tag-brown-tomato","tag-greenhouse-tomato","tag-meaty-tomato","tag-mid-season","tag-open-ground","tag-sweet-flavor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1567"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1569,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567\/revisions\/1569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}