A bright decoration on your beds - tomato "Cockatoo f1": reviews and secrets of getting a bountiful harvest

To keep their tomatoes on the table all summer and autumn, gardeners plant tomatoes with different ripening periods. In this case, the first fruits will appear at the end of June, and the last at the end of September. In addition, gardeners are looking for varieties that will delight with high yields and excellent taste, while not being demanding in care.

If there are many high-yielding mid-season varieties on the markets, then early-maturing tomatoes are much less common. And not all of them have a sweet taste and ease of growing. One of the few early maturing hybrids that will meet the most daring expectations of gardeners is the Kakadu tomato. Why is he so attractive - read on.

General description of the Cockatoo

Cockatoo is a tomato hybrid. This is indicated by the mark f1. This means that the crop was bred by crossing two different tomato varieties.

The tomato is not included in the Russian register. Despite this, it is produced by domestic companies.

Features of the hybrid

Kakadu berries are deep red in color. Small orange spots are often present on the skin.

Such tomatoes taste sweet with a slight sourness. Strong tomato flavor. The taste of these tomatoes will not disappoint even the most demanding gourmets.

This is one of the few early ripening hybrids that is easy to grow, has excellent taste and long shelf life. They retain their presentation and do not deteriorate for a month.

Gastronomically, the variety is universal. It is used for fresh consumption and whole preservation. Kakadu is also suitable for making juices and sauces.

One of the main positive features of Kakadu for gardeners in our country is resistance to cold snaps and unpretentious care. The hybrid has a short stature, therefore it does not require such careful formation and frequent pinchingas indeterminate varieties.

It is immune to the most dangerous tomato diseases. Due to early maturity, he does not have time to get sick with late blight.

Specifications

The characteristics of the Kakadu hybrid are optimal for the conditions of our country. With their unpretentiousness to care and resistance to cold snaps, they give a rich harvest, distinguished by good taste.

Description of the hybrid Cockatoo:

Growing seedlings

Seeds of tomatoes are sown for seedlings 50 days before they are planted in a permanent place. The exact sowing time depends on the climatic conditions of the region in which the gardener lives:

• in the south of our country, seeds are sown at the end of February;
• in the northern part of Russia, seedlings begin to grow in late May or early April;
• in the central regions, seeds are sown in the second half of March.

Gardeners are advised to review the lunar calendar before sowing seeds. It is believed that seedlings planted on the correct lunar day will grow healthy and strong.

Planting material processing

Before sowing seeds, you need to process them. This will increase the germination rate of the planting material. Disinfection will prevent future plant diseases.

Seed preparation for planting:

1. Before buying, you need to check the expiration dates of the seeds on the package. It should also contain information about whether the seeds were treated in the factory.
2. To test the seeds for their ability to sprout, they are soaked in salted water for half an hour. A teaspoon of salt is added to a glass of warm water. Floated specimens are collected and discarded. Those seeds that have sunk to the bottom are washed with running water.
3. Then the seeds are disinfected. To do this, they are soaked in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, in a soda solution, in aloe juice or "Fitosporin".
4. The last treatment involves stimulating the growth of planting material. For this, pieces of gauze are moistened in a special solution. After that, seeds are wrapped in them. The cloth with the seeds is placed in a saucer, which is covered with foil and placed in a warm place. As a solution to stimulate growth, purchased products ("Epin") or homemade preparations (aloe juice diluted in equal proportions with water) are used.

Selection of containers and soil

In most cases, Kakadu tomatoes are planted in the usual way. For this, the seeds are sown in spacious containers. Use special boxes and trays or scrap materials. For sowing seeds, disposable deep plates, cake packaging, trays from semi-finished products are suitable.

When the seedlings grow up, they are planted in separate containers. Its volume must be at least 300 ml. For these purposes, use special plastic and peat pots, disposable cups and cut bottles.

Containers for growing seedlings need to be processed. To do this, they are soaked in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Tomato seedling soil is sold at gardening stores. Prepare it yourself.

To prepare the soil for seedlings, peat, turf and humus are mixed in equal proportions. To the resulting mixture add half a portion of sawdust, sand or oblique substrate. A glass of ash and a matchbox of superphosphate are taken on a bucket of soil mixture.

The soil needs to be processed. It is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water.

Planting seeds in different ways

There are several ways to grow seedlings. The list contains the most common ones:

1. The soil is poured into the box so that its layer ends 2 cm from the edge. Seeds are laid out in rows on the soil. The distance between the rows should be 2 cm, and between the seeds 1.5 cm. The soil is abundantly moistened with a spray bottle, after which the container is covered with a film and placed in a warm place. When 2 true leaves appear on the plants, they are transplanted into individual pots.
2. Seedlings are grown without land. For this, several layers of paper or napkins are placed at the bottom of the container. A little warm water is poured onto them and the seeds are laid out. Another layer of paper is placed on top, which is also moistened with water. The containers are covered with foil and placed in a warm place. When the seeds germinate and the first cotyledon leaves appear, they are seated in separate containers.
3. Another popular method is sowing seeds in peat tablets.... To do this, you need to prepare the tablets themselves. They are put into deep containers with the hole down and filled with water. When the water is absorbed and the workpieces are swollen, add some more water. The tablets are removed from the container and turned upside down, a hole is made in the peat with a toothpick and the seed is placed there. Tablets with seeds are placed in one deep container, covered with foil and removed to a warm place.

Seedling care

It is important to provide the seedlings with regular care. The list contains the basic rules for caring for tomatoes:

1. Seedlings are watered as the soil dries. Before seed germination, this is done from a spray bottle, when the first shoots appear - from a pipette or syringe, after picking, use a watering can. This is done to prevent water from getting on the greens of the plants. Use only room temperature water.
2. When the seeds germinate, the seedling boxes are rearranged in a well-lit place. The film is removed one week after seed germination.
3. After the appearance of real leaves, the plants dive into individual containers. Do not pinch the roots.
4. After picking, the plants are not watered for a week. Ten days after this procedure, tomatoes are fed for the first time.
5. Seedlings are fed three times. They use alternating complex mineral compositions and vermicompost. The second time fertilization is applied 14 days after the first feeding.
6. 14 days before planting seedlings in open ground, they begin to harden them. For this, tomatoes are taken out daily to fresh air. The first time for half an hour, then the time is doubled. Gradually, the duration of the stay of plants on the street is brought to 16 hours.

Growing tomatoes

Tomatoes are planted in open ground when the soil warms up. For early maturing hybrids, timely picking to a permanent place is especially important. If the seedlings are overexposed, then ovaries will appear on it, which will significantly complicate its further cultivation.

The growing time of tomatoes depends on the region in which the gardener lives:

• in the south - at the end of April;
• in the central part of Russia - in the second half of May;
• in the northern regions - in early June.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

Tomato beds must be prepared in advance. In the fall, the soil is dug up and cleaned of weeds. It is enriched with mullein, chicken droppings and ash. To reduce the acidity of the soil, it is mixed with lime.

In the spring, the beds are dug up again and cleaned of plant roots.

The holes are dug in rows in a checkerboard pattern. Landing scheme 50x40. For 1 sq. m planted no more than 5 plants. It is not recommended to thicken the planting, this will lead to a decrease in yield.

3 days before the tomatoes are planted in a permanent place, they are watered and fed. Directly during the pick, the plants remove their pot along with a lump of earth.

Seedlings are planted in holes. The root system is formed towards the center.

Water is poured into the holes. After that, they are sprinkled with soil. The next time the tomatoes are watered after 10 days.

Kakadu tomato care

Kakadu tomatoes, despite their low growth, need shaping. During this procedure, 2-3 stems are left. The more stems, the later the harvest will appear. The size of the fruit also depends on this factor.

Tomato forms a little stepchildren, but you still have to remove the excess. Yellowed and lower leaves are plucked from the bush. This procedure is carried out in the early morning or evening.

Tie up You need a cockatoo. Otherwise, its stem will break under the weight of the fruit.For the garter, a wooden support or trellis is used.

Tomatoes are watered as the soil dries. Watering should be plentiful, but infrequent. One plant takes from 1 to 3 liters of water. On days of pinching, the soil is not moistened.

The soil must be loosened after each glaze and rain. Otherwise, a crust forms on the ground, which prevents root air exchange and moisture evaporation.

During the season, the tomato is fed 3 to 4 times. The frequency of feeding depends on the condition of the plants.

Root dressings are mineral and organic. Experienced gardeners are advised to alternate these formulations. Complex fertilizers are usually bought in the store, and diluted mullein, chicken manure or humus are used as organic fertilizers.

Gardener mistakes

When growing tomatoes, novice gardeners often face some difficulties. Typically, this is the result of the mistakes they make:

1. Garter tomatoes with natural fabric. From moisture, such material begins to rot, leading to decomposition of the stem. To prevent this from happening, they use synthetic material.
2. Hope for self-pollination. Tomatoes are a self-pollinating crop, but without the help of gardeners, the yield will be low. When flowers appear, it is recommended to lightly shake the bushes daily.
3. Making an excessive amount of dressings. As a result, the green mass develops, and the fruits become sparse and small.
4. Lack of fertilizer. This is fraught with wilting of leaves and not the formation of ovaries.
5. Refusal of hilling. If roots have formed on the stem of the plant, they must be sprinkled with earth. Otherwise, the plants will wither and die.

Diseases and pests

Cockatoo is immune to the most common tomato diseases. He does not suffer from late blight and tobacco mosaic.

However, preventive measures cannot be neglected:

1. You need to disinfect not only the soil, seeds and containers for growing seedlings, but also garden tools.
2. Be sure to remove the remnants of crops that used to grow in tomato beds. They may contain pathogens.
3. Weed the tomato beds regularly. Weeds promote fungal and viral infections and attract pests.
4. Follow the rules for watering and pinching. It is the wrong soil moisture that creates ideal conditions for the development of infections.
5. Protect plants from pests. Treat tomato bushes with soapy water, dandelion infusion and celandine. Collect large beetles by hand. Eggshells will help get rid of the bear.

Features of growing tomatoes in open and protected ground

The cockatoo tomato is mainly grown outdoors. This hybrid is immune to cold snaps.

In the open field, the first two weeks after planting, the tomatoes are covered with foil overnight. This will protect them from frost.

To prevent the roots of tomatoes from freezing, the beds are mulched. For this, hay, straw or burlap are used. In some cases, it is possible to use a film.

When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, the walls of the room are treated with a disinfectant solution. To maintain optimal humidity in the greenhouse, it is regularly ventilated by opening the vents.

In protected ground, it is especially important to help pollinate tomatoes. To do this, the bushes are periodically shaken.

Harvesting and application of the crop

The first fruits of the Cockatoo ripen at the end of June. They are collected by tassels or piece by piece, depending on the amicability of their ripening.

Gardeners are advised to let the ripe berries hang a little on the bush. This will improve their taste.

When harvesting, it is important to leave the stem on the tomatoes. It will increase the shelf life of the crop.

Their Kakadu tomatoes make delicious salads and an excellent tomato variety.

Pros and cons of Cockatoo

Benefits of Cockatoo:

• immunity to tomato diseases;
• early maturity;
• high portability;
• the possibility of long-term storage;
• cold snap resistance;
• pronounced tomato flavor;
• unpretentious care.

No flaws were found in Kakadu.

Hybrid reviews

The gardeners' feedback on the Cockatoo is positive. All those who grew it note the taste and high yield.

Dubov Andrey, Moscow: “This is not the first year I have been growing Cockatoo. My favorite hybrid. It tastes great, and the fruits are red and beautiful, as in the photo. I plant it in open ground. Yield indicators at altitude. From 1 sq. m collecting several buckets of fruit. "

Zubova Ksenia, Lipetsk: "Tomato Kakadu was first planted last year on the advice of a friend. Already in June I was able to taste the first fruits. They are bright red, sweet and juicy. What you need for salads. We liked the canned form too ”.

Conclusion

Cockatoo is a tomato hybrid that has no downsides. It belongs to the early maturing varieties and gives a rich harvest. Its bright red varieties taste sweet and pleasant. Due to its resistance to cold snaps, it is suitable for growing in most regions of our country and is considered an excellent option for beginners and experienced gardeners.