How to grow a tomato hybrid "Barberry" on your site and what positive qualities does it have
Cherry tomatoes are very popular. Small tomatoes collected in a brush look attractive in salads and canned whole. Adherents of a healthy diet also appreciate cherry tomatoes, because the concentration of nutrients in them is higher than in large fruits.
Cherries are often characterized by demanding care and do not take root well in our climatic conditions. But this does not apply to the tomato Barberry f1. It is easy to grow, with proper agricultural technology, the hybrid gives a high yield, has excellent taste characteristics and keeping quality. Next, we will look at all the nuances of cultivating and caring for these tomatoes.
The content of the article
General description of the hybrid
Tomato Barberry is a hybrid... It was bred by crossing two varieties. The seeds of his harvest are not suitable for planting, since the plants grown from them in most cases do not retain hybrid characteristics, acquiring parental ones.
The hybrid is produced by many domestic seed producers.
Attention! Gardeners' reviews indicate that some manufacturers produce other varieties of tomatoes with the name Barberry. Their fruits are not red, but pink, and the seeds are suitable for replanting.
Distinctive features
The main distinguishing feature of Barberry - the miniature size of its fruits. Tomatoes are oval in shape and resemble the enlarged barberry berries (see photo).
This is a carpal hybrid... Up to 100 fruits can grow on one brush, which gives the bush a special decorative effect.
Tomatoes taste sweet, with a slight sourness. They have a brighter and more pronounced taste than other varieties of tomatoes.
The shape of the bushes is also interesting: They are not very spreading and grow mainly in height.
Main characteristics
Despite the ease of cultivation, the hybrid gives high yields. and has excellent taste.
Characteristics of tomato barberry:
| Parameter | Indicators |
| Bush type | Indeterminate hybrid. It grows up to 2 m. The stems are powerful. The bushes have an average amount of greenery. Leaves are ordinary, medium-sized and light green in color. Some stickiness is felt to the touch. The fruits are formed by tassels. From 70 to 100 berries are formed on one brush. On average, there are 5-6 brushes on a bush. The first flower cluster occurs between 7 and 14 leaves |
| Growing method | Cultivation in a greenhouse and open field is possible. Gardeners who have tried both ways to grow this tomato say that the crop is better in the greenhouse. |
| Yield | High for cherry. From 1 sq. m plantings of this hybrid receive 7-10 kg of fruit |
| Fruit | Miniature. The mass of one fruit varies between 25-40 g. Outside, the tomatoes are red (sometimes you can come across pink tomatoes with the same name). Inside, the fruits are red, without light and green spots at the base. Medium fleshiness, non-watery. On average, one tomato has two chambers with a small amount of seeds. The fruit tastes sweet, with a slight sourness. The sugar content for tomatoes is high - 8% |
| Transportability | High. Tomatoes have a dense skin and are therefore suitable for long-distance transport. Stored for more than a month.Keeping quality increases when the fruit is stored on the hand |
| Ripening terms | Early maturing variety. The first fruits ripen three months after germination. Tomatoes ripen evenly on the brush. Fruiting continues until the end of August. |
| Disease resistance | It is immune to viral diseases. Gardeners note that Barberry rarely gets sick with fungal diseases. |
Sowing seeds
Tomato Barberry is grown in our country exclusively by seedlings.... Seeds are sown 55-60 days before planting seedlings in the ground: in central Russia - in the second half of March, in the south of our country - in early February, in the north - in the first decade of April. For greenhouse cultivation, earlier sowing is possible.
Planting material processing
Before buying seeds, you need to check their expiration date... Expired planting material has low germination rates.
To select the seeds that will sprout, they need to be soaked in salted water (1 teaspoon of salt is taken in a glass of liquid) for half an hour. Seeds that sink to the bottom are good for planting.
Attention! Some growers pickle planting material. This information is indicated on the packaging. The disinfected seeds are distinguished by orange or light green color.
If the seeds are not pickled at the factory, do it yourself. Several methods are used for this:
- The seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate: 2 g of potassium permanganate is taken for 200 ml of liquid (the solution should turn out to be light pink).
- In "Fitosporin": take 0.5 tsp of powder or 2 drops of liquid "Fitosporin" in a glass of water. The soak time should be in accordance with the instructions.
- In a solution of soda: take 1 teaspoon of soda in a glass of water. The seeds are immersed in the composition for 12 hours.
After disinfection planting material is treated with a growth stimulant. For this, "Epin" is often used. A honey solution also shows good results (1 teaspoon of honey in a glass of water).
It is important to use a growth promoter correctly: Soak a piece of cloth with it, wrap the seeds in it, put on a saucer, cover with foil and place in a warm place. Soaking takes 12 hours on average.
About other varieties of tomatoes:
A find for gourmets - tomato "Moscow delicacy"
Preparation of soil and containers
Soil for tomatoes should be light but nutritious... Suitable soil is available from garden supply stores. Prepare soil mixtures for tomatoes and independently.
Soil base for tomatoes - peat, turf and humus (one portion each). To make the soil lighter, add sand, sawdust or crushed coconut substrate (half a serving) to it. To increase the nutritional value, ash and "Superphosphate" are added to the soil mixture.
Tanks for sowing seeds use large and shallow ones. The stores sell special boxes and trays. Disposable deep plates, instant noodle packaging, cake lids, etc. are also used for these purposes.
Plants dive in deep containers with a volume of at least 300 g. For these purposes, use special pots, disposable cups or cut bottles of 1.5-2 liters.
All containers are disinfected, soaking for half an hour in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. Some materials are poured over with boiling water. For disinfection, the soil mixture is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 100 ° C or poured with a solution of potassium permanganate. Another option is to put the soil in a colander and pour boiling water over it.
Sowing
The soil is placed in a prepared container so that 3 cm remained free to the edges. Seeds are laid in rows at a distance of 3 cm from each other. The planting material is sprinkled on top with a centimeter layer of earth.
The soil is moistened with a spray bottle with warm water and cover with foil. After that, she is removed to a warm place.The warmer the seeds are, the faster they will germinate.
Council. If mold appears on the soil, then it is waterlogged. To cope with the problem, the affected layer is removed and the missing amount of earth is filled up. After that, the soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and left to dry without a film.
Seedling care
To grow healthy plants, they need to be cared for properly.
The main nuances of growing tomato seedlings:
- When the first shoots appear, the plants will need 16-hour daylight hours. Usually in the spring there is not enough natural light, so gardeners use special lamps.
- Seeds and newly sprouted seedlings need extreme moisture. It is to ensure it that containers with soil are covered with a film. When the first shoots appear, the film is not removed, but it is opened daily for several hours. A week later, the makeshift greenhouse is dismantled.
- After the appearance of two true leaves, the plants are seated in separate containers. There are different opinions about whether it is necessary to pinch the central root during the picking process. Some gardeners believe that this will only slow down the growth of seedlings, while others believe that thanks to this procedure, the plants will become more hardy.
- During cultivation in a common box, the plants are watered with a pipette. A week after the pick, the soil is moistened with a watering can. They do this so that water does not get on the ground part of the plants.
- The seedlings are fed three times. The first one - two weeks after the pick, the second - another two weeks, the last - five days before planting the plants in open ground.
- Tomatoes begin to harden 14 days before transplanting to a permanent place. For this, the seedlings are taken out daily to fresh air, gradually increasing the time.
How to grow tomatoes
Tomatoes are planted in open ground when the soil warms up... In the southern regions, this is done in late April or early May, and in the middle lane - in the second half of March. In the northern regions, barberry tomatoes are planted only in greenhouses. Gardeners report the best yields in greenhouses and in warmer cities.
The growing area must be sufficiently lit... Therefore, the sunniest place in the garden is chosen to place tomato beds and greenhouses.
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
Tomato beds have been prepared since autumn... They are dug up and cleaned of weeds. Then dry lime, cow dung and humus are scattered over the selected area. In the spring, the beds are dug up again and cleaned of emerging roots.
After that, dig holes in rows in a checkerboard pattern... A distance of 60 cm is left between the rows, and 50 cm between the holes. Add 1 tbsp to each hole. l. ash. It is useful to fill in the seedling recesses and granular complex fertilizers with long-term effect.
Five days before planting in open ground, seedlings are watered and fed... Immediately before planting, tomatoes are removed from the pots along with the earth. It is imperative not to damage the roots. Tomatoes are placed in the wells, buried, removing the two lower leaves, and moisten the soil. The next time the tomatoes are watered in two weeks.
Care
The hybrid Barberry is indeterminate, so it needs a garterso that the plant does not break under the weight of the fruit and does not lie on the ground. For a garter, a high wooden support or trellis is used. When choosing a support for a tomato, you need to take into account that the bushes reach 2 m in height. The plant is tied up as it grows.
Barberry bushes need shaping... Usually two or three stems are left. In both cases, high yields are observed. On this hybrid, many stepsons are formed. They need to be removed regularly. This procedure is carried out in the morning or evening, not on cloudy days.
Water the tomatoes as the soil dries up in the morning or evening... Watering should be abundant and infrequent.On the day of pinching, the soil is not moistened. Use only settled water. It is important that during watering the liquid does not fall on the ground part of the bush.
During the season, tomatoes are fed 3-4 times, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers... Complex mineral fertilizers are sold in the store, and organic fertilizers are often prepared independently.
For the preparation of organic fertilizer you need to pour 1/10 of the manure into the bucket, 1/3 of the plants, fill the rest of the space with warm water and put in a warm place for fermentation. When the mixture is fermented, it is diluted with the same amount of water.
Plants are sprayed twice a season products containing boron - this accelerates the formation of ovaries.
Growing features
Sometimes there are reviews that speak of unexpressed taste or insufficient amount of Barberry fruits. This happens if the grower does not comply some important rules for caring for a hybrid:
- Uniform ripening of tomatoes in a brush is provided artificially. To do this, after the appearance of the fruit, remove all the leaves under the brush.
- Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants. Despite this, the bushes need to be shaken regularly to increase the yield.
- All malformed inflorescences must be removed. This will help the quality fruit ripen faster.
- The more sun the plant receives, the sweeter the fruit will be.
Protection against diseases and pests
Barberry is resistant to viral diseases of tomatoes... This greatly facilitates the care of him.
To fungal diseases the resistance of the hybrid is not so pronounced. Therefore, to prevent tomato infestation, it is important to follow the rules of prevention. The soil, containers and garden tools interacting with tomatoes are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. Seeds must also be pickled before planting. It is important to follow the watering rules. Overdried and waterlogged soil are ideal conditions for the development of fungal infections.
Improper pinching also causes disease... For prevention, the bushes are sprayed with "Fitosporin", copper sulfate or a solution of potassium permanganate. 2-3 such sprays are done per season.
To protect plants from pests, they are sprayed with soapy water or celandine infusion. Large insects are collected by hand.
Read also:
Long lashes strewn with delicious tomatoes - Rapunzel tomato
Features of agricultural technology in the greenhouse and open field
Tomato Barberry is grown in the greenhouse and in the open field... There are some differences in the cultivation of tomatoes in these ways.
It is important in the greenhouse maintain optimum air humidity. It should not exceed 65%. It is not difficult to achieve the desired indicators. For this, the greenhouse is aired daily by opening the windows.
Outdoors it is important protect plants from night frost. For this, the first time they are covered with a film.
To protect plant roots from cold, pests and diseases, beds in the open field are mulched with burlap, hay or straw.
Harvesting and application of the crop
The first harvest of Barberry is harvested in July... Fruiting continues until the end of August. The fruits are plucked from the bush when all the tomatoes on the cluster are ripe. For this, the whole brush is cut off. Tomatoes are stored directly on it. In this form, they will lie for more than a month.
Tomatoes are used for canning, drying and fresh consumption. They are even frozen whole.
Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid
Benefits of Barberry:
- high yield rates;
- high sugar content;
- miniature fruit;
- simultaneous ripening of all fruits on the hand;
- long-term storage;
- good transportability;
- resistance to viral diseases;
- decorativeness of the bush.
Of the shortcomings, they note hybridity of the variety (buying seeds every season), the need for its garter and pinching, as well as weak immunity to fungal pathogens.
Reviews of summer residents
Reviews about the tomato Barberry are mostly positive... Most gardeners note the great taste of its fruits.
Irina, Belgorod: “I have been growing Barberry in my garden for three years now. The hybrid always pleases with delicious and beautiful fruits. It is important to remove the leaves under the ovaries to get a good harvest. I did not find any drawbacks, apart from the need for frequent pinching ".
Valeria, Moscow: “This year I have planted a Barberry tomato from two different companies. Only from one package the tomatoes turned out to be the same as in the photo, another manufacturer put an outright fake. I liked Barberry very much: it looks beautiful and tastes great. ".
Conclusion
Barberry tomatoes are a great option for beginners and experienced gardeners who want to grow delicious cherry tomatoes in their area. This hybrid is easy to care for and gives high yields.
The only significant drawback of Barberry is that it forms a large number of stepsons. However, by removing them in a timely manner, you will get an excellent harvest of miniature fruits.