Super early variety with impressive productivity - "Zhenechka" tomato: reviews, photos, growing secrets
Tomatoes are a thermophilic crop native to South America. In most of our country, the conditions for its cultivation are far from ideal. Constant temperature drops, cold rains and winds are negative factors that are present in most regions of Russia. Therefore, many varieties of tomatoes are grown by domestic gardeners in greenhouses.
Thanks to selection, agronomists were able to breed tomatoes with increased endurance. They are not afraid of temperature extremes and are undemanding to care. These varieties include the early ripe tomato Zhenechka.
The content of the article
General description of the variety
Tomato Zhenechka is a variety bred by domestic breeders... It appeared on horticultural markets a long time ago, but still has not lost its popularity. The variety is sold in most gardening shops.
Distinctive features of Zhenechka tomatoes
The main feature of the Zhenechka variety is its exceptional endurance.... Plants are resistant to cold snaps and temperature extremes. They are suitable for growing outdoors in the middle lane and northern regions.
This tomato belongs to ultra-early varieties... Its berries ripen 85-90 days after germination.
Zhenya's fruits are not particularly sophisticated... They are medium in size and have a typical tomato sweet-sour taste. The color of tomatoes is red.
The variety Zhenechka is gastronomically versatile... It is consumed fresh, preserved in its entirety and processed into juices. They are not suitable for freezing and drying.
Tomato is immune to most diseases... Its resistance is lower than that of some modern hybrids. Therefore, he needs additional preventive treatment for diseases.
The peculiarity of the variety lies in the ease of its cultivation.... Due to the low growth of the bush, it does not need to be pinned. Many gardeners do not even form it.
Main characteristics
Description of the variety Zhenechka will delight even experienced gardeners... This tomato is capable of growing even under extreme conditions. It was bred for planting in regions with temperate and northern climates.
Characteristics of Zhenechka tomatoes:
Parameter | Indicators |
Bush type | Determinant tomato. The height of the bush does not exceed half a meter. The stems are thick and powerful. The bushes are covered with medium greenery. Leaves are medium in size, rich green. The inflorescences are simple. The first is formed after 5-6 leaves. The next in 1-2 sheets. The bush is sprawling and branched, this is what provides high yields for dwarf plants. Fruits are formed by brushes of 5 pcs. in each. |
Growing method | Cold resistant. Manufacturers recommend growing it outdoors, even in regions with cold and temperate climates. Cultivation in greenhouses and on the balcony is possible. |
Yield | Good for early ripening tomatoes. From one bush get from 2.5 to 4 kg of berries. For 1 sq. m planted from 6 to 8 bushes. The fruits ripen almost simultaneously. Fruiting continues until August. |
Fruit | Average. Weight varies from 80 to 100 g. The maximum recorded weight does not exceed 150 g. Fruits are red inside and out.Tomatoes have a rounded shape, without a flattened base. The berries are fleshy, but juicy. The pulp is crumbly. The taste is typical for tomatoes - sweet with a slight sourness. One fruit contains 4-5 chambers with seeds surrounded by a jelly-like liquid. |
Transportability | High. The fruits have a firm skin. Thanks to this, they are stored for a long time and are suitable for transportation over long distances. |
Ripening terms | Ultra-ripe. The first crop ripens 80 days after sowing the seeds. |
Disease resistance | It is immune to many tomato diseases. There is a risk of fungal infection. |
Growing seedlings
Zhenechka's seedlings are planted two months before planting plants in a permanent place... It is important not to overexpose your potted plants. Otherwise, ovaries form quickly and the tomatoes cannot be transplanted.
When they start growing seedlings in different parts of Russia:
- in the southern regions, Zhenechka's seeds are sown in early March;
- in the northern strip - in early April;
- in cities with a temperate climate - at the end of March.
note! In warm cities of our country, it is possible to grow tomatoes in a seedless way. In this case, fruit ripening will occur much later.
Seed treatment
Proper seed treatment will increase their germination and will prevent plant contamination. Therefore, this stage is considered important.
First of all, you need to check the seeds for germination in salt water.... To do this, add 1 tsp of salt to a glass of warm liquid. After half an hour, the floating planting material is removed, and the one that has sunk to the bottom is washed and dried.
For disinfection, the seeds are immersed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate... It is prepared from a glass of water and 3 g of potassium permanganate. Seeds are soaked in this tool for half an hour. After that, they are washed with running water. Used for etching planting material and other means: soda solution, aloe juice and "Fitosporin".
To accelerate seed germination, they are treated with a growth stimulant... Usually use "Epin" ooze solution of honey.
Preparation of soil and containers
Variety Zhenechka - inexpensive and not uncommon... Therefore, few gardeners decide to plant them in peat tablets. The seedlings are grown in the usual way.
Wide containers are used for germinating seeds.... They don't have to be deep. Plastic trays and wooden boxes, both purchased and homemade, will do.
Plants dive into individual pots... The shops sell peat and plastic pots. They are made independently from disposable dishes, bottles and juice boxes. The capacity of such a container should not be less than 300 g.
Containers need to be disinfected... To do this, they are soaked for 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Light but nutritious soil is used to grow tomato seedlings., It is purchased ready-made in a special store or prepared independently.
To prepare the earthen mixture, peat, humus and black soil are taken in equal proportions... Sand or sawdust is added to the composition. To make the soil more noble, ash and superphosphate are mixed into it. The prepared soil mixture is disinfected. For this, the soil is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 100 degrees or watered with copper sulfate.
Sowing seeds
A layer of earth is poured into the container so that 3 cm of free space remains to the edge... The seeds are spread in rows on the soil. There should be a gap of at least 2 cm between the rows, and at least 1.5 cm between the seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a centimeter layer of soil without tamping. The soil is moistened with warm water from a spray bottle.
The container is covered with foil and placed in a warm place.... The rate of seed germination depends on how warm it will be in the room.
Read also:
Difficult to care for, but incredibly productive tomato "Cosmonaut Volkov"
Seedling care rules
When growing seedlings, it is important to provide quality plant care. The list includes fundamental rules:
- Greenhouse... The film on a pallet with seedlings acts as a greenhouse, providing plants with optimal moisture. It is removed one week after all the seeds have germinated. When the first shoots appear, the film is opened daily for 2 hours to harden the plants.
- Watering... Tomatoes are watered so that the water falls only on the soil, but does not touch the leaves. Therefore, when the plants are in the same box, they are watered with a pipette. After the pick, use a watering can. The seedling water should be at room temperature.
- Shine... The seeds do not need light before germination. But after the first shoots appear, they need bright lighting. The daylight hours of tomatoes are 16 hours. If the seedlings do not have enough light, they will stretch out. To avoid this, use fluorescent lamps.
- Picking... Plants dive into individual pots after 2 true leaves appear. You need to act carefully so as not to damage the root system.
- Drainage... Shell rock, broken brick, ceramics or expanded clay are poured at the bottom of individual pots for picking seedlings. This will help avoid blackleg infection.
- After the pick... After transplanting, the plants are under severe stress. Therefore, the first 1 days they are not watered or fed.
- Top dressing... For the entire period of growing seedlings, it is fed three times. Gardeners advise using vermicompost, taking half the dose indicated in the instructions for one plant.
- Hardening... 14 days before transplanting tomatoes to a permanent place, they begin to be taken out into the street. The first time the duration of stay in the fresh air should not exceed half an hour. Then the time is gradually increased.
Agrotechnics of tomatoes Zhenechka
Tomatoes Zhenechka planted in a permanent place when the soil warms up enough... This variety is able to withstand a temperature drop of up to 10 degrees.
The time for planting tomatoes in open ground depends on the region:
- southern ones - in April;
- with a temperate climate - in May;
- northern ones - in early June.
Three days before the pick, the seedlings are prepared... It is watered abundantly and fed with fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus.
Planting plants in a permanent place
Choose the sunniest place for tomatoes in the garden area. This will increase the number of fruits and improve their taste. In the fall, the beds are prepared. They are dug up and cleaned of plant debris. The soil is fertilized with manure or humus. To reduce the acidity of the soil, dry lime is added to it. In the spring, the area of the garden intended for growing tomatoes is dug up again. All formed roots are removed.
Tomato planting holes are dug in staggered rows... For Zhenya, an accelerated landing is acceptable. For 1 sq. m place 6-8 holes. Handfuls of ash are poured into the holes. Some gardeners put long-acting granular mineral fertilizers there. Before planting, the tomatoes are removed from the pots along with a layer of earth, after which they are placed in the holes, carefully laying the root system. Asthenia is deepened so that no more than 7 sheets remain on each bush.
After landing, water is poured into the holes... After that, they are covered with earth, which is not tamped.
Note! Tomatoes should not be planted in the midst of the heat. This procedure is carried out on cloudy days or at sunset.
Tomato care
Tomato Zhenechka does not need shaping... The high performance of this dwarf variety is provided precisely by the spreading of its bush.
Plants only grow up to the first ovary... Not only stepchildren are removed, but also the lower leaves.
Despite the low growth of plants, they need a garter... Otherwise, during the fruiting period, the stems of the tomatoes will break, and the berries will end up on the ground.
Tomatoes are not often watered, but abundantly... The hotter the summer, the more often watering is done.
Fertilized at the root tomato Zhenechka 3 times per season. Complex and organic fertilizers alternate. If long-acting mineral granules were introduced during planting, then tomatoes are fertilized with complex compositions only for the last time.
Foliar dressing is applied twice a season... For this, boric fertilizers are used.
Note! Gardeners argue about whether to sprinkle tomatoes. This procedure is not necessary, but if additional roots appear on the stem of the plant, then it is necessary to cover them with earth.
Common mistakes
If Zhenechka's tomatoes are sick or have low yields, then, most likely, the gardener made mistakes when growing them. Below are the the most common ones:
- Working with tomatoes in the middle of the day... In the heat, plants are already stressed. Therefore, pinching and watering them in the daytime will increase the risks of getting burns and developing diseases. These procedures are performed in the early morning or evening.
- Watering plants with cold water... In this case, there are high risks of chilling the roots of tomatoes, which will lead to their wilting and death. For watering plants, use settled water at room temperature.
- Spraying the ground part of the plants with water... This mistake will lead to a disease of tomatoes and the appearance of pests on their bushes. Tomatoes are watered only at the root.
- Avoiding loosening... After each soil moisture, an earthen crust forms on it. It interferes with air exchange and slows down the evaporation of moisture, which often leads to the death of the roots. To prevent this from happening, the tomato beds are loosened after each watering and rain.
- Planting plants in one place for more than 3 years... This increases the risk of plant contamination and makes the soil scarce. You cannot plant tomatoes in the beds on which other nightshade crops were grown. These plants do not do well in the vicinity of potatoes.
Diseases and pests
Zhenya is a variety that is resistant to tomato diseases.... Due to the early maturity, he does not suffer from late blight. Immunity will protect plants from diseases only with proper prevention. It consists in the treatment of all objects that come into contact with plants and the seeds themselves with disinfecting compounds.
It is equally important to follow the rules of tomato farming... It is also necessary to ensure that the fruits do not lie on the ground.
To prevent insect attacks, which damage the fruits, leaves and roots of plants, tomatoes are sprayed with a solution of celandine. A soap solution will help to cope with aphids. Tomatoes are protected from root pests even at the stage of their planting. To do this, cut plastic bottles are placed around the roots of the plants or the beds are sprinkled with eggshells. Large pests are harvested by hand. This should be done at least once a week.
About other varieties of tomatoes:
Ultra-early, non-capricious, undersized and very tasty "Boni MM"
Features of cultivation of tomatoes in open and protected ground
Tomato variety Zhenechka is rarely grown in a greenhouse... If it is planted in protected ground, it is important to maintain an optimal moisture level, which should not exceed 60%. For this, the room is ventilated daily.
Outdoors during the first two weeks after planting in the evening they are covered with foil, protecting them from night frosts. If the temperature outside drops below 10 degrees, then this is done during the day.
Mulching beds in the open field is mandatory... This will protect plants from frost, disease and harmful insects.
Harvesting
Zhenechka's first harvest is already obtained at the end of June or beginning of July... Tomatoes are harvested individually or with brushes. When picking tomatoes, it is important to keep the stalk. It will increase the shelf life of the berries.
Zhenechka's harvest is used for conservation and fresh consumption... It is also well suited for preparing fresh meals.
Advantages and disadvantages of Zhenechka
Benefits of the variety Zhenechka:
- early maturity;
- immunity to tomato diseases;
- high portability;
- good yield indicators;
- unpretentious care;
- cold resistance;
- the possibility of growing outdoors in all regions of the country;
- no need for formation;
- pleasant taste;
- gastronomic versatility.
There were no drawbacks in this variety... These are great classic tomatoes.
Farmers reviews
All reviews of farmers who have tried Zhenechka's tomato are positive... Despite the large number of unusual and sweeter varieties, this tomato is still popular today.
Irina Teterina, Tagil: “It is not the first year that I have been planting Zhenechka on my site. Tomatoes, ordinary in taste and size, remind you of childhood. The advantages of this variety lie in its unpretentiousness. He is not afraid of cold snaps, does not need to be pinned and is absolutely not capricious. In addition, Zhenechka sings earlier than other tomatoes. Good both fresh and canned. If you want a variety that will not surprise you with anything, but will definitely not let you down, then Zhenya is your option ".
Vitaly Lisitsyn, Belgorod: “I grow the tomato in the country. The easiest variety to care for. I visit the dacha once every 1-2 weeks, and this is enough to get an excellent harvest. Round tomatoes, as in the photo ".
Conclusion
Tomato Zhenechka is an early ripe variety. It has the most common fruits, no different from other red tomatoes. Its advantage lies in its high resistance to cold weather and low growth of the bush. This tomato is easy to care for. Therefore, Zhenechka's tomato is an ideal option for planting in extreme conditions.