Bright beads on the bushes - a miniature tomato "Pinocchio": we grow on the site and at home on the balcony

Cherry tomatoes are especially popular. They have a bright taste and rich composition, in which the concentration of nutrients and vitamins is greater than in large fruits. Therefore, more and more gardeners are growing cherry tomatoes on their plots.

If you live in an apartment and do not have your own summer cottage, this does not mean that you will not be able to grow tomatoes. Breeders have developed many dwarf varieties and hybrids that grow and mature well in pots. One of them is the Pinocchio tomato. How to care for this culture on your windowsill and in your summer cottage, read on.

Description of the variety

The Pinocchio tomato is a dwarf tomato variety. Small growth allows you to grow it not only in the country, but also on the windowsill and balcony. At the same time, it is possible to get a large harvest of cherry tomatoes.

Features of Pinocchio

The main feature of the Pinocchio variety is its dwarfism. Thanks to this, the tomato has a decorative appearance. Make sure of this by looking at the photo.

It is interesting! The Pinocchio tomato is often grown in flower beds. At the moment of fruit formation, the bushes look very decorative. Their greenery is almost invisible under a large number of bead fruits.

The fruits are juicy, but not watery. They contain an increased concentration of nutrients. In 100 g of Pinocchio tomatoes there is a daily dose of iron, potassium, vitamins B, C and A.

Characteristics of a dwarf tomato

Growing a tomato is easy. It is distinguished by its unpretentious care.

Description and characteristics of the Pinocchio variety:

Note! Pinocchio is recorded in the Russian register as a mid-season variety. But many manufacturing firms position it as an early maturing culture.The fruits ripen already 90 days after germination.

Seedling growing rules

Like other tomatoes, Pinocchio is grown in seedlings. Even when cultivating tomatoes on a windowsill, you cannot sow seeds immediately into a large container. This will negatively affect their yield.

Seeds are sown 60 days before the intended planting of seedlings in the ground. Therefore, preparatory work begins in the first half of May.

When growing tomatoes on a windowsill, seeds are planted at any time of the year. At home, the plant is grown even in winter.

Preparation of planting material

According to gardeners, Pinocchio seeds have almost one hundred percent germination. Despite this, a number of preparatory works are performed before sowing.

To test the seeds for germination, they are soaked in saline for half an hour. The floating planting material is removed, and the material that has sunk to the bottom is washed and used for planting.

Some manufacturers treat the planting material with a disinfectant. Such seed colored in green or orange. If the seeds have not gone through such treatment, they are soaked for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting, the planting material is treated with a growth stimulator. Pieces of gauze are soaked in a solution, after which the seeds are wrapped in them. The processing time for seeds depends on the instructions for use of the product.

The most popular growth stimulants:

• "Epin";
• "KKM-1";
• "Zircon".

Choosing a container and soil for growing Pinocchio

For sowing, use large plastic trays, wooden boxes or homemade containers. If you plan to grow several plants at home, it is more convenient to use peat tablets.

For picking seedlings into individual containers, small containers are used. For example, peat or plastic pots, disposable cups, or cut bottles.

To grow adult bushes on the windowsill and balcony, pots or flowerpots are used. Their volume must be at least 2 liters. It is possible to plant adult plants in wooden boxes - no more than 10 tomatoes per 1 sq. m.

There are many options for preparing soil for growing tomato seedlings. The best of them is a mixture of equal parts of turf, peat and humus. For each box of earth, add a glass of ash.

The soil mixture and containers for tomatoes are disinfected - ignited in the oven or poured with boiling water.

Sowing seeds

In the prepared soil, grooves are made 1 cm deep.The distance between them should be at least 3 cm.

Seeds are laid out in the grooves at a distance of 2 cm from each other, covering them with earth from above. The soil cannot be tamped.

The earth is moistened with a spray bottle. The container is covered with foil and placed in a warm place. Watering is not needed before the planting material germinates.

Seedling care

Caring for Pinokkio seedlings must comply with all basic rules. There are not so many of them, but they are very important:

1. After germination, the seeds are rearranged in a well-lit place. If there is not enough light, then fluorescent lamps are used.
2. The film is removed a week after the seeds have grown. Plants do well at room temperature.
3. Before picking, plants are watered from a pipette or syringe. When the tomatoes are transplanted into separate pots, a watering can is used. The water should be warm and settled.
4. When diving tomatoes, it is important not to damage the roots. The root system of Pinocchio tomatoes is weak, so you cannot break off a third of their central root.
5. The seedlings are fed with complex fertilizers with phosphorus. The first time fertilization is applied 14 days after the picking of the plants, the next - after another 2 weeks, and the last - 3 days before the tomatoes are transplanted to a permanent place.
6. Tomatoes are hardened two weeks before transplanting into open ground. To do this, they are taken out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time spent outdoors.

How to grow tomatoes

Pinocchio tomatoes are planted in a permanent place in the second half of May. They are grown both outdoors and indoors.

Some gardeners do not plant dwarf bushes in separate beds, and they frame areas with other varieties of tomatoes or flower beds. Due to their low growth, they do not interfere with the growth of other crops. This variety is also grown in flowerpots in front of the house.

Planting seedlings in the ground

The land for growing tomatoes has been prepared since autumn. It is dug up and enriched ash, humus. All residues of weeds and cultivated plants are removed.

In the spring, the soil is dug up again and disinfected. To do this, water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are watered and feed... This is done 2-3 days before plant transplantation.

On the day of planting the plants, holes are dug into the ground. It is recommended to place 7-8 holes on one square meter. Some gardeners practice a more heaped planting, placing 1 sq. m. up to 10 plants.

A tablespoon of ash is poured into the bottom of each hole. Plants are placed there. It is not necessary to deeply bury the bushes.

Warm water is poured into each well. The depressions are covered with soil.

Plant care

To get a rich harvest, it is important to follow all the rules for caring for tomatoes. The most important ones are:

1. Plants do not need to be pinned and shaped. A bountiful harvest is obtained precisely due to the large number of ovaries. Once a week, yellowed foliage is removed from the bush.
2. Water the tomatoes as the soil dries. Usually 2-3 waterings are done per week. Moisten the soil in the afternoon.
3. You need to feed tomatoes regularly. The first time feeding is applied 3 weeks after planting the plants in the ground. Then the tomatoes are fertilized every two weeks, until the first inflorescences are formed. Experienced gardeners are advised to alternate between mineral formulations and mullein solution. It is also useful to use foliar feeding when the first ovaries appear.

The nuances of caring for tomatoes

When growing dwarf tomatoes, consider a number of features. The tips on the list will help you avoid some mistakes and grow healthy plants:

1. Tomatoes are susceptible to soil loosening. This procedure improves root air exchange. Do this after each watering. During the loosening process, it is important not to damage the roots.
2. Tap water or well water is not suitable for watering tomatoes. Before using the water, it must be allowed to stand for at least a day.
3. Tomato Pinocchio does not tolerate moisture on greens. Therefore, the bushes are watered from a watering can directly under the root.
4. Pinocchio's root system is weak, so weeds easily damage it. To prevent this from happening, weeding is done at least once a week.

Diseases and pests

Pinocchio is a variety that is resistant to all tomato diseases. Due to the short growing season and early maturity, he does not get sick even late blight... Therefore, the only preventive measure that he needs is the treatment of seeds and soil with a disinfecting solution.

The tomato can attack pests. Aphids, slugs, Colorado potato beetle appear on the bushes. The roots are damaged by the bear, the beetle larvae.

All harmful insects are removed by hand. To prevent their appearance on the bushes, tomatoes are treated with soapy water or a decoction of chamomile and celandine. It is important that such funds fall on the greens and not on the soil.

To prepare a soapy solution for spraying tomatoes, rub a bar of laundry soap into a bucket of water. When the soap powder has dissolved, the product can be used.

Features of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and open field

When growing Pinocchio in a greenhouse, there are usually no difficulties with leaving. The only advice that concerns this method of planting is that greenhouses need to be aired daily.

In the open field there are more difficulties.In the first week after transplanting into the soil, the seedlings are covered with foil overnight. In such conditions, mulching of the beds is mandatory, which will protect the bushes from pests and freezing.

When planting tomatoes on a balcony or windowsill, use pots of at least 2 liters. The bushes are watered daily with a small amount of liquid. You will also have to loosen the earth every day.

In winter, tomatoes lack sunlight. Therefore, fluorescent lamps must be used.

It is important!Pinocchio tomatoes have a short growing season. They begin to fade as soon as all the fruits ripen. After harvesting, old plants are replaced with new ones.

Harvesting and application of the crop

Pinocchio tomatoes ripen in early July. All the fruits on the bushes ripen almost simultaneously.

Fruits are arranged on clusters of 8-10 pieces. You need to pluck a whole brush at once.

Tomatoes are best kept on tassels. They are placed in the refrigerator in individual plastic containers.

Pinocchio tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption and conservation... Due to their concentrated flavor, they are often used for curing. Therefore, from a gastronomic point of view, the variety is considered universal.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Pros of the Pinocchio variety:

• early maturity;
• high productivity;
• unpretentious care;
• the possibility of growing in open and protected ground, as well as on the balcony and windowsill;
• great taste;
• rich composition;
• versatility of the crop;
• uniform ripening of fruits;
• resistance to disease.

Among the disadvantages are a short growing season and a weak root system. There were no other disadvantages of the variety.

Farmers reviews

Tomato Pinocchio has only good reviews. This variety surprises with a rich harvest and unpretentious care.

Alexandra Ivneva, Sochi: “I grow Pinocchio tomatoes in the open field. I plant them near the beds of other varieties. They are the first to harvest and do not interfere with other plants. The fruit tastes great and looks great in salads. "

Ivan Karpov, Moscow: “I always wanted to do gardening, but I don't have my own summer cottage. On the recommendation of friends, I tried to grow Pinocchio tomatoes right on the windowsill. Now about a kilogram of delicious tomatoes are harvested from each bush all year round. "

Conclusion

The Pinocchio variety is small cherry tomatoes growing on dwarf bushes. The height does not exceed 40 centimeters, so they do not need to be tied up and pinned. Their high immunity to diseases also speaks in favor of these tomatoes.

Pinocchio is grown not only in suburban areas. Even residents of city apartments cultivate it. Such tomatoes feel great in pots on the balcony and windowsill.