An excellent variety for preservation and various dishes - tomato "Ladies fingers": we grow it ourselves

Many people love the variety tomato Ladies' fingers and for good reason! These tomatoes are distinguished by their special taste and aroma, and also perfectly complement any festive table. In stores, these tomatoes are sorted out instantly. In order not to waste time looking for a variety in supermarkets and have only a natural product on your table, grow these tomatoes right at home!

In this article, we offer step-by-step instructions on how to properly prepare seeds for planting, how to care for seedlings and harvest your own homemade tomato crop.

Description of the variety Ladies' fingers

A distinctive feature of the variety is its early maturity. Tomatoes ripen within 100 days after sprouting. Fruits are medium in size with a pleasant taste and specific shape - elongated, hence the name - Ladies fingers.

Bushes tend to grow short: about half a meter in height if grown at home. However, their yield does not fail: each brush produces about six fruits. When the fruit acquires a bright red hue, we can talk about its ripeness.

Tomatoes are quite dense and fleshy, do not spread or sag when cut. They tolerate temperature changes, transportation well, they can lie for a long time and not deteriorate (in comparison with other varieties).

Growing seedlings

To grow seedlings of this tomato variety at home, you need to prepare the seeds. Remember that the best time to germinate seeds is the second half of March. During preparation, we soak the seeds in hot water for about half an hour, which ensures their disinfection. The next step is germination. We spread the seeds on a hard surface and cover with damp gauze.

Important! Do not cover the seeds with a thick cloth as this will prevent oxygen from reaching them.

Make sure that the gauze stays moist, because moisture will ensure germination. After two days, you can start planting seeds, but always in moist soil. Plant in rows, 1.5 cm away from each hole, maintaining a depth of about 2 cm. It is advisable to put 2-3 seeds together so that they will germinate for sure. For better conditions, close to greenhouse conditions, you can cover the box with transparent film.

With regular watering problems with germination of seeds arise if all of the above instructions have been followed. Next, be sure to put the container closer to the light (on the window) and observe the temperature norm for favorable cultivation: about +20 degrees. After a week, we increase the temperature and bring it closer to the usual room temperature.

Make sure that the light comes from all directions, then the seedlings will not stretch in a certain direction (for this, you can change the location of the boxes or add additional lighting - special fluorescent lamps).

As soon as the leaves appear at the seedlings, they are planted. For this, use plastic cups. For further successful cultivation, it is necessary to periodically take out the seedlings to the street: this will help to harden them and adapt them for further transplantation into the greenhouse.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse

At the end of May (the optimal time for transplanting), we plant the tomatoes in the greenhouse, but not like the seeds: at a distance of half a meter from each other, to a depth of 2 cm.Pre-digging the ground, form beds, apply fertilizers 1-2 days before planting. Also, in the future, we fertilize the bushes once a month.

Next, we monitor the growth of the bushes, tie them up if necessary (in general, this variety does not need tying up). If you are making a vertical garter, make a support for the bush in the greenhouse (it can be a peg, a stick) and tie a branch and / or a trunk to it with a rope. This will make it easier for the plant to grow and develop.

For a horizontal tie, use a high tension wire or rope from one end of the greenhouse to the other. Ropes that support branches and trunks will be attached to it.

Water the tomatoes in the greenhouse 3 times a week with room temperature water. After watering, it is advisable to loosen. This will allow the roots of the plant to receive air. Loosen with a hoe or garden fork, working the soil 5 cm deep. This will prevent diseases of the roots of the plant and contribute to its accelerated growth.

Important! Remember about timely pinching - cutting off young shoots from the stems. After removing the stepchildren, the bush should look like a trunk with several branches on which there will be fruits in the future. This will allow the plant to develop normally and bear fruit on time.

When it comes to growing tomatoes, remember the existing pests and disease. Despite the resistance of the species to disease, mosaics are common. The carrier of the disease is aphids. If you see white or yellow spots on the leaves, this is a mosaic. Particularly affected leaves fall off, but you should not bring it to this, tear off diseased leaves in advance.

Sometimes there is a fungal disease of the plant, manifested by brown spots. To cure it, spray the plant with fungicides. Fungal damage can be associated with frequent watering, so at the first sign, reduce the amount of moisture that goes to the plant.

There are also pests that eat plants, for example, the May beetle. Its larvae feed on the roots of the plant, because of which it dies. You can fight them by direct collection of larvae or by special preparations for pests.

Subject to the regime of watering, loosening and feeding, you are guaranteed to get a good harvest.

The nuances of growing outdoors

It is not recommended to grow tomatoes in the open field, as there are a number of nuances that impede the healthy growth and development of the plant:

1. Temperature conditions. If the summer is cold, the plants will simply freeze and not bear fruit.
2. Rains. With too heavy rains, tomatoes of this variety suffer from fungal diseases or die from excessive moisture.
3. Plants planted in open ground become more susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases. For example, a disease such as late blight affects the plant after heavy rains.

Collection, storage and use of the crop

Once the fruits are bright red, they can be harvested. As a rule, ripening occurs in July. You need to pick the tomatoes carefully so as not to damage either the branches or the fruit itself. For storage, the fruits are folded into a box covered with paper. Do not put too many tomatoes in one drawer as the underneath will wrinkle.

Store the box in a dry place, but not in direct sunlight. Indoors, the temperature should not exceed +6 degrees, otherwise the tomatoes will start to deteriorate. If there is a need for long-term storage of tomatoes (more than 3 weeks), they should be removed from the branches a little unripe and put in boxes to ripen in the same way.

Thanks to its strong skin, Ladies' fingers are ideal for conservation. They are also added to a variety of dishes and eaten fresh in salads.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of the variety: resistance to diseases and pests, easy care without tying, pleasant aroma and fleshy fruit, ease of care and harvesting.

From the disadvantages, it can be noted that tomato juice cannot be obtained from these tomatoes, and a lot of light and heat is needed to grow a healthy plant.

Farmers reviews

Reviews of the variety are positive. On the Internet, there are often comments about the ease of growing Ladies' fingers and the rich harvest. There are many reviews from recipes: Ladies' fingers marinated with garlic and cheese or just adding tomatoes to a variety of salads, with attached photos. However, there are reviews suggesting that this variety is already outdated and many gardeners prefer to plant other types of tomatoes.

Elena, 44 years old, Krasnodar: “I have many different varieties of tomatoes. I've been planting ladies' fingers for 15 years in open ground. The harvest is rich and stable from year to year. By the way, I got the seeds from my mother. Plants are simply bursting with fruits. Delicious, sweet and sour tomatoes are good in salting and in salads ".

Dmitry, 39 years old, Moscow region: «I grow tomatoes Ladies' fingers mainly for whole-fruit canning. They never let me down. I collect my seeds. This is not difficult. The main thing is to choose the ripe tomato. Over the years of cultivation, my plants have never been sick. Thanks to the creators of the variety ".

Tatyan Ivanovna, 60 years old, Perm: “Last year, a friend bought seeds Tomato Aelita Ladies fingers. She bought 2 packs from the store. She gave one to me. I immediately liked this variety for its taste. Ladies Finger Tomatoes ripen very early. I am growing these tomatoes through seedlings. I sow seeds in March in boxes with soil and grow it on the windows. In May, the plant is planted in the ground. For good growth, I cover the planting with a cloth«.

Conclusion

Summarize. Ladies' fingers are a proven variety. It is extremely tasty and easy to grow. By following our instructions, even a novice gardener will get a rich harvest of tomatoes.