In the middle zone of Russia, growing tomatoes is not such a simple task as it might seem at first glance. Spring frosts occur until the beginning of June, and the first cold nights begin from mid-August. Consequently, the timing of the plant to bloom, grow fruits and give them the opportunity to ripen under the sun, compressed. But what about the inhabitants of the northern regions? Here, ultra-ripe tomato varieties are the only chance to enjoy your own vegetables.
For the most impatient
There are other situations when the suitable conditions in the region are quite favorable, but a person is simply not ready to wait long for the appearance of red-sided tomatoes. Sometimes a summer resident plantes ultra-ripening varieties of tomatoes in his home garden to enjoy early vegetables, as well as larger and fleshy late varieties for making salads and autumn harvests. It turns out that tomatoes do not end all season on the beds.
Growing Features
The description of ultra-mature tomato varieties needs to be studied in advance, before the summer season begins. This will allow you to plan the time of planting in the ground, as well as the timing of the preparation of the replacement. Three months after the shoots, the bushes will already produce the main crop, and the vacated space can be used for other varieties or crops.
The height of the standardized determinant bushes can be from 50 to 140 centimeters. That is, in most cases, you can do without tying up and plant in the greenhouse, as the bushes are compact. Others are only suitable for open ground, due to their solid size. These tomatoes are extremely resistant to all known diseases. They are characterized by their unpretentiousness in care and are easily adapted to growth in different regions.
The most popular varieties
Today, the choice in the market is very large. Today we will consider only those of them that have already managed to establish themselves well among gardeners. We are interested in specifications and photos. Description of ultra-ripe tomato varieties will allow you to choose the option that will meet your requirements. Let's start with those varieties that delight the earliest fruits.
Tomato Ultra-ripe: variety description
This is the best choice for those who value time. Ripening occurs after about 70 days. Sowing tomatoes in March, you can get fresh tomatoes in early June.
Ultra-ripe variety is not hybrid. This means that all the characteristics are saved in the next generation, and you can collect seeds yourself to stock up for the next season. But today F1 hybrids of the same name appear, which differ in improved characteristics.
Riddle
Unique low-growing variety with a powerful trunk. Height - about 50 cm. It comes first in the number of reviews collected. Ultra-ripe varieties of tomatoes are always popular, but the Riddle is love for many years. From the time of sowing to mass harvesting, no more than 90 days pass. At the same time, you can get 20 kg of excellent tomatoes from the meter occupied by bushes. The weight of tomatoes is up to 100 g. The pulp is dense, which makes it easy to transport the crop over considerable distances. But we must not forget about stepsons. If you do not remove them in time, this will affect the size of the fruit.
But you can easily increase the number of bushes. To do this, you just need to root the remote stepchildren. Ultra-ripe tomato varieties intended for outdoor cultivation are characterized by high survivability. And in relation to the Riddle, we can say that stepchildren take root very easily. From them it will be possible to expect fruiting about one and a half weeks later than the mother plant. So you can extend the collection of fresh fruits.
Snow flake
Another very interesting variety that you must definitely talk about. Mostly grown ultra-ripe varieties of tomatoes in the open field, but Snegirek is able to grow on the balcony. A great option for those who do not have a summer residence, but want to enjoy fresh vegetables.
The height of the bush is not more than 40 cm. The plant does not need to be tied up and stepsoned. The bushes are very compact, easy to handle. At the same time, the weight of tomatoes is about 150 g. Universal vegetables that can be used both for salad and for harvesting.
Favorite Katyusha
A relatively new ultra-ripe tomato. The characteristics and description of the variety may be of interest to both beginners and experienced summer residents. Tomatoes grow well on ordinary beds. It will take no more than 85 days to wait for the harvest. In this case, the variety can be considered quite tall. Bushes reach 90 cm in height. From one such bush you can get up to 5 kg of vegetables.
Katyusha has a twin hybrid of the same name. You need to pay attention to this when choosing. The pulp has very good taste. The shape of the fruit is spherical, slightly flattened. They can grow up to 175 g. The variety is universal, perfect for salads, canning and pickling.
The characterization and description of the ultra-early variety of Katyusha tomato will not be complete, if you do not mention such advantages as high keeping quality, resistance to sudden changes in temperature and to many diseases, drought tolerance. The disadvantage is the demand for agricultural technology. The variety needs a garter, as large fruits break branches. Very sensitive to lack of fertilizer. In the northern regions grows better in greenhouses.
Bullfinch
A great option for the northern regions. Actually, this ultra-early tomato was created for this. Description of the variety, photos and reviews about it can often be found on thematic forums where summer residents share their experiences. In general, people note that the bush is not standard, with limited growth, therefore it is used in greenhouses, greenhouses and in beds. It grows no more than 40 cm, so you can grow a crop on the balcony.
It pleases with a friendly ovary, 3 tomatoes are formed in each brush. Each of the fruits is small, weighing about 140 g. The pulp is a thick red color, juicy, dense and very sweet. The huge advantage of the Bullfinch variety is its high resistance to drought and cold, immunity to diseases. It is undemanding to care, so it is suitable for beginner gardeners.
Three great varieties
They are somewhat inferior to those listed above in terms of maturation rate. On average, at the time of fruiting, these tomatoes come in 95-100 days from the time of sowing. Nevertheless, this is a good indicator. Sowing seeds in boxes in March, you can enjoy fresh tomatoes in June. But most varieties under similar conditions yield crops only in mid-July.
- And the first in this list is White filling - a wonderful ultra-ripe tomato. Description of the variety, photos and reviews about it are in almost every manual for farmers, because for more than 50 years these tomatoes have been grown with great success in household plots. Low bushes do not exceed 50 cm if they grow in open ground. They do not need garter and stepsoning. Tomatoes are very beautiful, spherical, weigh about 100 g. The advantages of the variety can be considered unpretentiousness and early maturity.
- Tomato Korneevsky red. The bush is powerful, tall, about 1.5 meters. About 6 kg of fruits can be removed from one bush. Tomatoes are large, so the bush must be tied to a support. Fruits can grow up to 1 kg. The pulp is fleshy, dense and sweet.
- Fatima Excellent large-fruited variety. The height of the bush is up to 60 cm, so it must be fixed with the support structure. The vegetative period is about 85 days. There is a hybrid F1, but it is mid-early and created for growing in greenhouses.
Tips for gardeners
There are features that combine all ultra-ripe varieties of tomatoes. Reviews and photos taken by gardeners suggest that the earliest crops are attacked by pests. Only parasites waking up from hibernation are in a hurry to destroy their root system and gnaw leaves. Even if you beat off the attack, this will lead to a decrease in the immunity of the plant, and it will become easy prey for viruses.
Therefore, preventive measures are a very important step towards a good harvest. For example, the whip of garden crops is late blight. Because of it, the entire crop can fall on the vine. As a prophylaxis, they use the technique of piercing the stem with copper wire, which remains inside it for the whole season. Copper will spread throughout the plant, and the fungus does not like it very much. Of course, a little copper will remain in the fruit, but there is nothing dangerous - such an insignificant content of the substance will not harm people. Additionally, you need to cover tomatoes from rains and cold dew.
Speeding up ripening
Despite the fact that we are talking about the most precocious varieties, one cannot but take into account external factors. Poor conditions of detention will lead to the fact that the formation and ripening of fruits is dragged on. Therefore, you should not rely only on the characteristics of the variety, you need to make the effort yourself. The basic principle is quite paradoxical: you need to create severe conditions for tomatoes.
First you spoil the seedlings, give her the opportunity to quickly grow and gain strength. Then sharply limit the flow of fertilizers and water. This makes the seedlings fight for survival and form fruits, or rather seeds. The second point is to preserve all the strength of the bush for the fruits. To do this, the lower leaves are torn off completely so that they do not draw moisture and nutrients.
There are several other ways to accelerate the ripening of tomatoes in unprotected soil:
- In undersized varieties, the branches are turned to the sun and secured with struts.
- Pinch the tops, and leave two leaves over the brushes.
- Plants are sprayed with iodine solution. To do this, add 35-40 drops of iodine to a bucket of water. This is enough for 1.5 meters of beds.
- Low-growing varieties can give no more than 4-5 full brushes. Therefore, the rest must be broken out without regret.
Additionally, you need to take into account the composition of the soil, the quality of irrigation and air temperature. If the spring is long, cold, and the summer is rainy, you should not expect a good harvest. Even the earliest and most stable varieties under such conditions will lag far behind their normal developmental periods.
Conclusion
Most early varieties are universal. They can be used in salting, for the preparation of sauces, juice and home adjika. But still, they are best suited for fresh salads. Add a little greens, seasonings and olive oil and get a great snack or a full snack. Some varieties can be used as balcony or indoor plants.