A variety for lovers of rare exotic tomatoes - Tomato "Drova"

To grow vegetables, it is not at all necessary to have a summer cottage or a vegetable garden. To provide a family with fresh tomatoes, it is enough to have a windowsill and a couple of pots. Breeders develop the latest varieties that grow well at home and give a decent harvest to their owners.

Fans of the exotic can finally breathe a sigh of relief - recently, the breeders of the Aelita agricultural company have developed a new variety of tomatoes called Drova. The seeds will not be surprised by their high price and can be purchased both in the nearest supermarket and in specialized stores such as Tormashki, Zeleny Mir, Samosadnik, etc.

Description of the variety

A very unusual shape, really somewhat reminiscent of an armful of firewood with a forked end, immediately fell to the taste of lovers of undersized varieties. Due to their diminutiveness (height 30-40 cm), they are grown even on the balcony. In addition, the variety is also famous for its versatility: you no longer need to choose some tomatoes for pickling, and others for fresh consumption. Tomato is used both there and there.

Maturation occurs early, little water is required. This is due to the fact that tomatoes have a poorly developed bark system (another advantage), so pots with a maximum of 5 liters are suitable for growing. There are no difficulties in the breeding process (due to the high quality of seeds), the variety is unpretentious in care and brings high yields.

Early ripe variety - already three months after planting, they begin to harvest. This means that if you planted varietal tomatoes at the end of April, then at the beginning of July they can be eaten. The length of a ripe fruit can reach 13-16 cm, and its weight is 80 g. The taste of the fruit is sweet and rich. The dense pulp melts in your mouth, and the aroma hints at a feast. Salad lovers praise the tomato variety for the small amount of seeds.

Briefly about the characteristics:

1. Tomato weight: 75-85 g.
2. The length is from 10 to 15 cm.
3. Ripening time: 90-100 days.
4. Bush height 35-40 cm (in greenhouses up to 50 cm)

Below you can see how the tomatoes look in the photo.

How to grow seedlings

Before you start sowing, you need to check the seeds. To do this, it is enough to pour salt water into a small container and pour the seed material there. We discard the floating seeds.

For disinfection, the seeds are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 30-60 minutes.

Then you need to tackle the soil and ignite it in a water bath. This procedure destroys pathogens and pests. Since the root system of firewood tomatoes is not very developed, we recommend buying a small pot.

Attention... It is best to use soil prepared in the fall for tomato seedlings. Vermicompost, sand and a little sawdust are mixed into the soil, including peat, sod land and humus. The proportions of the constituent parts are selected depending on the incoming ingredients. Tomatoes love soil that absorbs moisture well, allows air to pass through, is not acidic and sufficiently nutritious.

After that, sow the seeds into grooves, the distance between which is about 5 cm. Pre-moisten the soil with a slightly warm solution in which the seeds were kept. The sowing depth should be 1 cm, and the distance between seeds should be no more than 2 cm.

It is better to do sowing in mid-February, so that by the beginning of May the plant is already ready for planting. After moving into the ground, it is slightly sprinkled with earth and covered with a film. This creates a greenhouse effect that makes the plant grow faster. When sprouts appear, the film must be removed and the boxes with seedlings must be placed in the brightest place in the house.

Important... Until the first sprouts appear, there is no need to water the seeds - the moisture that accumulates in the form of condensation is enough.

The next step is picking... We transfer the sprouts to separate pots when the third true leaf appears in them. The plant is damaged during the transplantation process, and it needs at least a week to recover.

10 days after the dive, we make top dressing. For fertilization, a solution of 5 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium sulfate, mixed with 15 g of superphosphate and diluted in 5 liters of water is taken. Watering with a lukewarm solution.

How to grow tomatoes

If planted outdoors, it is recommended to transfer the seedlings when a constant temperature of at least + 15 ° C is established. But before that, it is advisable to harden the plant and prepare it for "harsh" conditions. To do this, take containers with plants outside, first for 30 minutes, then for an hour or longer.

If the soil is not fertile, place humus or peat crumbs in all the holes.

Top dressing of tomatoes

If the autumn fertilization of the garden plot was not carried out, then 2 weeks before the intended relocation of the seedlings, it is necessary to dig up the soil with compost or add some of the mineral fertilizers so that they have time to dissolve. These are phosphorus and nitrogen.

About a week after planting, we apply potash fertilizers - this element affects the number of fruits and their ripening. Best feeding - this is potassium magnesium or ash. In the first case, tomatoes are fertilized with potassium sulfate. In the second - a natural supplement, which, in addition to potassium, contains trace elements - sulfur and magnesium.

Tomatoes don't like chlorine, therefore, potassium chloride cannot be used as a mineral fertilizer.

Phosphate fertilizers are best applied in the fall so that they have time to dissolve and go into a form accessible to plants. In the spring, the soil is fertilized with phosphorus 2-3 weeks before planting seedlings in the ground. The dry mixture is scattered and dug up with the ground.

Requirements for plants

To prevent the plant from dying, follow the basic rules of care

1. After planting in the ground, pour warm water, then do not water the plants for 7-10 days.
2. Frequency glaze completely depends on the condition of the soil. We recommend adding after planting mulch, which will keep moisture in the soil for a long time.
3. After the tomato begins to bloom, the amount of water is increased. It is important not to pour the vegetable, but make sure that the soil is always moist.
4. Apply fertilizer at the time of flowering and ripening of fruits.
5. Tomatoes do not tolerate excess fertilizer. Follow the directions on the package.

When the seedlings are planted in the beds or greenhouse, they must be supported. About tying a little below.

Stepson and tying

Stealing crops are carried out to distribute the load on the plant and increase the amount of yield. Since our tomatoes are small, we leave two or three sprouts that will bear fruit.

Despite their small size, Drovo tomatoes boast a large number of fruits. But there is a nuance - the bushes will not be able to hold heavy tomatoes without support. A tiller comes to the rescue: it is recommended to do it during the disembarkation of seedlings. Then the plant will stretch up the support of wooden stakes or twigs, and not hang above the ground (the stem of the plant may even break).

Shaping is also recommended. If the tomatoes are not formed, then the bushes will spend their strength on the growing season, and they will not have the strength to ripen the fruits.

Protection against diseases and pests

Consider what diseases threaten the plant and how to prevent their occurrence.

Diseases

Despite the developed immunity, most gardeners note that the plant is prone to macrosporiosis. The development of a pathogenic disease occurs due to a nitrogen deficiency in the soil. Immobile spores of macrosporiosis are spread by wind or harmful insects. High humidity contributes to the spread of spores.

At an early stage of infection, the fungus develops in the intercellular space of plants, so it is not always possible to detect it. After a few days, you will notice how the foliage has changed color: it has become brown and dry due to cell necrosis.

For prevention, use Bordeaux liquid. Also, do not allow excessive moisture in your greenhouse, it must be ventilated. Copper oxychloride will help to cope with the disease itself.

Important... Always machine your tool. He can be infected. Also, do not plant potatoes and other nightshades nearby, which can serve as a source of infection.

The defeat of fruits by anthracnose is asymptomatic until the vegetables ripen. On the surface of a ripe tomato, round spots are formed, at first not differing in color from the skin. Over time, the damaged areas grow and darken, becoming almost black in color. In the central part of the spot, a yellow-brown area with a large number of dark blotches is formed.

Fruit tissues in these areas soften and rot, the pulp acquires a bitter taste. Do not eat affected vegetables. The first therapeutic effect that diseased tomatoes should be subjected to is the immediate removal of affected fruits from the plants.

Bushes heavily contaminated with anthracnose should be dug up and the soil underneath disinfected. After that, it is necessary to treat both diseased and still healthy tomato bushes with antifungal agents at least 2-3 times. Use the drug "Tiovit Jet".

If the plant is not ventilated properly, it is likely that it will develop late blight... This is a fungal disease that causes a huge number of problems for gardeners. It all starts with brown spots: they quickly spread from the leaves to the stems. Often late blight leads to the death of the entire crop.

Fungicides help prevent or delay the development of late blight - These are chemical or biological drugs to fight fungal diseases.

Biological - "Fitosporin" (5 g per 10 liters of water), Ecosil (15 drops per 3 liters of water).

Chemical - "Bordeaux liquid", "Ridomil Gold MC", "Tatu", "Quadris", others.

Pests

1. Whitefly... The small white butterfly is dangerous for greenhouse tomatoes. Its secretions contribute to the development of black fungi on leaves and fruits. Whitefly is also a carrier of viral diseases and can cause chlorosis, curly leaves and other ailments in tomatoes. Whitefly larvae feed on the sap of plant leaves, leading to their death. How to fight: apply insecticide "Confidor" or other preparations of intestinal action.
2. Aphid... Tomatoes are home to potato and orange (peach) aphids. It sucks juices out of the leaves, lowering the plant's immunity and negatively affecting the yield. If spots are found, leaves twisted, or other signs of aphids on tomatoes, plants should be treated immediately, since the insect, among other things, carries the seedless virus and other diseases. How to fight: use "Zubr", "Fufanon", "Karbofos". Remove affected seedlings.
3. Wireworm... A larva with a life cycle of two years. A year after pupation, a click beetle appears. It is in the larval phase that the pest is dangerous to plants. It gnaws at the roots of plantings and penetrates the stems, causing rotting of tomatoes of various origins. How to fight: 3-4 days before planting the seedlings, the larvae are lured with vegetables planted on sticks and killed.Wireworms are also well destroyed by Bazudin. Liming of acidic soils is also effective.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

Greenhouses for growing tomatoes should be well lit (let in maximum light), well ventilated and protected from temperature extremes.

It is advisable to build beds along the walls of the greenhouse. The height of the beds is 25-30 cm, and the width is 60-90 cm. The passages are made about 60-70 cm. Do not water abundantly, otherwise you will destroy the roots. The optimal watering regime is every 5-6 days. In the first 7-10 days after planting in the greenhouse, you should not water the seedlings with water, they have not yet taken root.

Consider the nuances of growing outdoors.

There are several ways to disembark:

1. The vertical way is classic. The seedling is removed from the container, placed in the hole and the roots are sprinkled and slightly compacted. This method is used for seedlings no more than 40 cm high.
2. Horizontal way it is used if the seedlings are slightly stretched. then the bush is placed in the hole and the root and part of the stem are sprinkled with earth. So the root system develops better.

Watering the seedlings is not recommended for the first 8-10 days. The only exception will be very hot weather. Watering is better in the evening with settled water. about 2 hours before sunset. In addition, if temperature drops are expected at night, the beds need to be covered, for example, with material such as black agrofibre. Or with a film, but also black.

After 2 weeks after planting, we make top dressing: we dilute 2 teaspoons of superphosphate in a bucket of water and water it at the root. 1 m² bucket of water.

Harvesting and application of the crop

Tomatoes are harvested in July-August, depending on when they were planted. The fruits ripen not gradually, but simultaneously. Sometimes, to lighten the weight that the bushes are experiencing, some of the semi-ripe tomatoes are cut off and left to ripen at home.

Tomatoes are versatile in use. Suitable for salads, first and second courses. Tomatoes are used to make tomato paste, juice, winter preparations.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Benefits:

• immunity to the main diseases of tomatoes;
• exotic look;
• compact bushes;
• simultaneous ripening;
• excellent taste.

The variety has practically no disadvantages. Relative disadvantages are the need for regular feeding and tying.

Farmers reviews

Several reviews of gardeners who have already planted the Firewood variety in the beds.

Anna. Irkutsk:“I grew it in the open field. For me, it has become one of the high-yielding varieties of tomatoes, and this despite the fact that it does not require special care. All only the most necessary, including a garter of bushes for better ripening of fruits and so that the plant does not break. This tomato is resistant to disease, so only preventive measures are required. "

Svetlana. Omsk:“Drova tomato variety appeared in my garden 2 years ago. The summer was not too warm, so I had to guess: will the fruits ripen, which almost simultaneously filled all the bushes? The reviews said that a maximum of 110 days should pass from the moment of planting to the moment of harvest. But my wards turned brown at once only after 130 days. But in the end I'm happy with the result. Now Firewood is those tomatoes that occupy a large planting area for me. After all, they can not only be salted and pickled, but also used to make delicious sauces. "

Conclusion

Thanks to its strong immune system and excellent taste, the variety is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. Growing tomatoes does not cause any particular difficulties, except for correct and constant feeding. The reviews about the tomato are extremely positive. Compact and extremely exotic tomatoes will be loved by all family members.