The best early ripening variety in the opinion of summer residents is the King of the Early Tomatoes: why is it so good and why it is worth growing
Early tomato crops are welcome guests in all garden plots, as they have time to ripen in any region, even in areas with cold and short summers. But not all of them have the ability to successfully bear fruit in the northern regions.
In this article, we will focus on the unique tomato King of the Early with incredible adaptation to greenhouse conditions and to open ground. This is a great option for lovers of early maturing tomatoes in all regions. Ripe vegetables, large and with excellent taste, are revered by many vegetable growers, planting a variety on their plots every year.
The content of the article
Characteristics and description of the variety
The variety was bred by Russian breeders 12 years ago, but is not included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. Recommended for cultivation in the northern and central regions in greenhouse conditions, in the southern regions in the open field.
Distinctive features
Determinant type, standard, height 60-70 cm, strong trunk, dense foliage, dark green leaves, simple inflorescences.
Early maturing, 85-90 days pass from the moment of sowing the seeds to full ripening.
Productivity is high, from 1 seedling, up to 5 kg of fruits are harvested, provided that 3 plants are planted per 1 sq. m. The first fruits are the largest, weighing up to 500 g. The quantitative and qualitative indicator of fruiting is influenced by the observance of agricultural technology and the rules of crop rotation.
The culture is not highly immune to diseases of the nightshade family. Therefore, timely implementation of preventive measures is necessary.
Attention! Despite its short stature, regular pinching and a mandatory garter are required. It is often necessary to stepchild because of the large number of growing lateral shoots.
Fruit characteristics
Average weight 200-280 g, round shape, bright red color... The taste is excellent, sweet with a barely noticeable sourness characteristic of tomatoes, the pulp is juicy, fleshy. Seed chambers 7, many seeds. The rind is thin but firm, not prone to cracking.
The appointment is universal: great for fresh cooking and for processing for winter preparations.
Ripe vegetables have a long shelf life and can withstand long distance transportation.
The photo shows the early King tomatoes.
How to grow seedlings
Sowing seeds for seedlings begins 2 months before planting in the ground... For planting, seed can be harvested independently, since the tomato is varietal, which means it retains its parental properties in the next generation.
About other varieties of tomatoes:
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"Skorospelka" is a variety for a rich, tasty, early harvest of tomatoes
Seed preparation
Seeds are carefully inspected for visible damage.spread out one at a time on the table. They are then checked for voids in the saline solution. The solution is prepared from 1 spoonful of salt dissolved in a glass of water. Those grains that floated to the surface are not suitable for sowing.
Seed material must be disinfected, especially one that is self-assembled.Disinfection will not only strengthen the immunity of the sprouts, but also at the initial stage will reveal non-viable plants. For disinfection, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and place seeds in it for 20 minutes. After they are thoroughly washed and dried.
Council. To improve seedlings, growth stimulants or melt water are used, where the seed is soaked for 12 hours. Swollen seeds are ready for sowing.
Capacity and soil
Royal tomato soil requires fertile and nutritious... It is prepared from garden soil mixed with humus and peat. For ease, add a little washed river sand. After thorough mixing of all components, the resulting mixture is spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate to destroy the pathogenic flora.
Disinfected soil has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of seedlings... Then the soil is laid out in planting containers, at the bottom of which small drainage holes are made. Also, sawdust or small pebbles are placed on the bottom of the containers as drainage.
You can plant both in a common wooden box and in an individual containerfor example: plastic cups, peat pots, paper honeycombs. The most convenient way to breed seedlings is peat pots. When grown in these containers, transplanting to the beds is not required, the seedlings are planted in holes along with peat pots. They dissolve in the ground, additionally feeding the young roots with useful substances.
Sowing
Seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5 cm with a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, sprinkle with earth on top, slightly moisten with warm, settled water using a spray bottle and cover the containers with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect. Until the first shoots, the planting container is kept in a warm and bright room at a temperature of at least 25 ° C. Periodically, the film is removed to ventilate the soil.
Seedling care
After the emergence of shoots, the containers are rearranged in a well-lit place, on the windowsill.
Important! Seedlings must be provided with sufficient light. Otherwise, the stems of the sprouts will begin to stretch and the bushes will weaken.
Daylight hours for seedlings are 15-16 hours... If there is a lack of natural light, they are supplemented with phytolamps. Additional lighting must be taken care of in advance so that the first shoots immediately receive the right amount of light.
Water as the top layer of the soil dries out, without flooding the sprouts, gently along the edge of the nursery with warm, settled water with a shallow watering can. After watering, the soil is loosened superficially so as not to touch the young roots.
In the seedling period, liquid fertilizers are applied twice for young tomatoes. This feeding is necessary for the full formation of young plants.
After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings dive, seating in separate containers. If the seedlings are left in a common box, then the distance between the bushes is increased to 10-15 cm.
Reference! Transplanting into separate containers is convenient for further transportation of seedlings to summer cottages.
2 weeks before planting, the seedlings begin to harden... To do this, they are taken out into the street for 40 minutes - 1 hour. Gradually, the time spent in the open air is increased to 13 hours. Simultaneously with daytime hardening, the nighttime room temperature is reduced to 13 ° C.
How to grow tomatoes
After 2 months, the seedlings are ready for transplant.... They are transplanted into protected structures 2 weeks earlier than on open beds. The soil temperature is 15-17 ° C. If the soil has not warmed up to this mark, the transplant should be postponed. In cold ground, seedlings will not grow and the root system may suffer.
Landing
Landing scheme: 50-70 cm - the distance between the seedlings, 70-90 cm is left between the rows. For 1 sq. m place no more than 3 plants. The branches of a tomato are spreading, so it needs a lot of space. If the bushes are densely planted, they will need more attention in the future.
Transplanted into pre-prepared holes 15-20 cm deep, at the bottom of which wood ash and a pinch of mineral fertilizers are preliminarily placed. After transplantation, the holes are compacted, watered with warm, settled water and left to adapt to new conditions for 7-9 days.
Reference! During the adaptation of plants, they are not watered or fed.
Further care of the tomato King of the early
Regular watering is set no more than 2 times a week... If the culture is not watered for a long time, or vice versa, the soil is waterlogged, then the fruits will crack when ripe. Watered with warm water, under the root, in the morning or evening. The culture responds well to drip irrigation. To do this, an ordinary plastic bottle without a bottom is installed in the root zone and filled with water, which gradually penetrates to the roots of the tomato.
After watering, the soil is loosened and weeds with roots are removed... Weed removal is an important step in tomato care. Weed grass is home to bacteria, spores and many pests. And since plants are poorly protected from fungal diseases, timely preventive measures are critical. In addition, loosening provides better oxygen penetration to the roots, which strengthens and improves immunity.
To keep the beds moist longer, use mulching... Peat, straw or sawdust are used as mulch. Mulching is also a protective measure: it protects the bushes from insects living in the ground.
The variety requires feeding in large quantities.... Fertilize once every 2 weeks. With weak growth, the number of dressings is increased, making it a priority with a predominant nitrogen content. Conventional feeding consists of a full range of mineral fertilizers or organic matter. As an organic matter, an infusion of mullein or infusion of bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15 is used.
Reference! It is not recommended to fertilize tomatoes with fresh manure, as this will provoke an increased build-up of green mass.
On hot days, tomato bushes shade to avoid burns of sheet plates.
Features in care and possible difficulties
Due to the large number of side shoots, determinant bushes require regular pinching... Unnecessary scions not only create shade and prevent air from entering, but also take up large amounts of nutrients. It happens that too many ovaries are formed on fruitful branches. If they are not removed, then all vegetables will not be able to ripen.
Despite the strong stems, the bushes need a mandatory garter, otherwise the branches will break from a variety of vegetables. In addition, the weight of the fruit bends the hands to the ground, which leads to contact with the ground. Ripening vegetables can rot and spread fungal infections.
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Diseases and pests
Tomato variety King of the Early is not resistant to fungal diseases... When planting this variety on your site, you must take care of preventive measures in advance, for example, treat the beds with copper sulfate before planting tomatoes. It is also necessary to observe the temperature regime in greenhouses, regulating it by airing the premises, do not forget about weeding the beds, timely and moderate watering and loosening.
For prophylaxis use the drug "Fitosporin"... They are sprayed with plants three times per season. "Fitosporin" is used not only for prophylaxis, but also for the treatment of diseased plants. You can replace it with Barrier or Hom preparations.
Of the pests, the bear, slugs and spider mites are the most dangerous.... The spider mite lives in greenhouse conditions and causes the main harm to greenhouse bushes. Regular airing destroys the habitual habitat of the pest, but if there is a lot of it, then one cannot do without the use of more effective methods.The tick is destroyed either with the Karbofos insecticide or the affected plants are sprayed with infusion of garlic and pepper.
Save from the bear fish heads dug into the beds and chopped cloves of garlic - pungent odors scare the bear away.
For slugs used ground pepper or lime solution, which is poured over the holes. Treatment of the stem with soapy water also helps.
Nuances for open and protected ground
You should not save space on the site and plant tomato bushes too tightly, because in the future, difficult care will be required. It is necessary to constantly cut off the lower leaves and lateral processes, otherwise the plants will not receive enough light and nutrients.
Dense planting means more frequent feeding, 1 time in 10 days... Top dressing, consisting of a full complex of mineral fertilizers, alternates with organic matter. From organic matter, a diluted infusion of mullein or bird droppings is used.
Greenhouse plants grow slightly taller than outdoor plants, but pinching the top of the head is not required: they do it themselves.
Reference! Burrowing is the termination of growth after a certain number of branches have formed.
Vegetables are prone to cracking if not watered or overripe... But it is also not worthwhile to allow waterlogging of the beds - this leads to the development of fungal diseases. The best solution to the problem is drip irrigation and mulching of the beds. These agricultural practices will help to avoid excess and lack of moisture.
Harvesting and application of the crop
Vegetables ripen early, one of the first among all tomatoes... The main thing is to collect them in time so that the fruits do not have time to crack. In addition, the timely release of the bushes from excess weight allows the next tomatoes to ripen more quickly.
The appointment is universal: tomatoes are used for fresh cooking, for example: salads, fresh juices, stews, mashed potatoes. Smaller tomatoes are used for pickling, canning and pickling, and are used for processing for tomato products. They make great pasta, adjika, ketchup.
Ripe vegetables tolerate long-term storage well and transportation without loss of presentation.
Advantages and disadvantages
Consider some the advantages of this variety:
- uncomplicated agricultural technology;
- high productivity;
- small growth;
- early ripening;
- the ability to take root in any region;
- great fruit taste;
- versatility in cooking;
- long storage;
- long transportation.
Negative characteristics include:
- obligatory garter;
- regular pinching;
- systematic compulsory feeding;
- average resistance to disease.
Farmers reviews
Despite some nuances in care, the variety remains a favorite early tomato for many gardeners. Here are some opinions:
Elizaveta, Smolensk: “I have been growing this variety for a long time. Of course, you need to look after him, but the result is worth it. Big tasty vegetables that ripen early. All the bushes are literally hung with tomatoes. To prevent pests from attacking, I treat with insect repellents ".
Antonina, Slates: “I love working in the garden, so the royal tomato always gives a good harvest. The first fruits are large, weighing half a kilogram. Then they go smaller, I put the last in jars for the winter. I plant the seedlings in the largest greenhouse, there is a lot of space for them. I advise everyone who loves to take care of plants, this is a very grateful species. ".
Conclusion
The King of the Early variety is a great option for lovers of early tomatoes. Of course, the culture is not for the lazy, but there are no particular difficulties in leaving. Subject to the rules of crop rotation and competent agrotechnical techniques, the plant will thank large tomatoes of excellent taste. Moreover, an early ripe and high-yielding species has the ability to adapt to any climatic features, which makes it possible to grow an early tomato in cold regions.