Which summer resident does not like to grow tomatoes? He takes each new variety with curiosity, studies its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. What can please the Robin tomato? Today it is a fairly popular variety, which is worth telling in more detail.
Grade description
First of all, we will give a description of the "Robin" tomato.
The variety is perfect for growing not only in open ground, but also in greenhouses. The bushes are quite high - up to 150-180 centimeters, so when grown in greenhouses they are often formed in order to save useful volume. True, when grown in open ground with sufficient lighting, they do not stretch much.
The stems are very thick, durable and powerful. Covered with leaves of the usual form, saturated green, medium in size. The variety is mid-season. Depending on the growing conditions, from the first seedlings to the first fruits, an average of 105 to 120 days passes.
The robin can boast a pretty good yield - from a square meter, you can easily get 5-9 kilograms of high-quality fruits. It is important that the fruits ripen very friendly, you do not have to take a few tomatoes every day - instead, you get several kilograms once a week.
It is pleasant that the variety has high resistance to most fungal and bacterial diseases, including vertex rot and tobacco mosaic, which are often left without a harvest even by experienced summer residents.
What do the fruits look like?
The fruits of the tomato Robin, whose photo is in the article, are very large. On average, the weight varies from 250 to 500 grams - a very good indicator. However, not all summer residents like this, but more on that later.
The palatability is excellent - the acid and sugar are well balanced, the pulp is very delicate, as is the tomato flavor. The fruits are fleshy, with few seeds. Thick skin and a small amount of water make it easy to transport them over a long distance - tomatoes do not burst, do not give juice. For many summer residents growing tomatoes for sale, the possibility of transportation is a very important indicator. In addition, a thick peel provides long-term storage - another important advantage.
Due to its large size, it is not the best option for pickling - they either will not fit in the jar, or they can not be laid tightly to each other. But for fresh consumption, tomatoes are perfect because of the great taste. Also, the fruits will be a good choice for making ketchup, tomato juice and many other preparations.
Preparing seeds for sowing
Typically, the seeds are subjected to special processing before packing in bags. But still, it will not be superfluous to carry out this work independently. Moreover, the procedure takes a little time and effort.
It is enough to dilute several crystals of potassium permanganate in a glass of warm water to get a slightly pink solution. After that, the seeds are lowered into the container for half an hour for disinfection. Gardeners say the risk of encountering infectious diseases is drastically reduced.
Growing seedlings
Treated seeds can be planted. Some summer residents use separate peat cups or tablets for this - this option is preferable, since it allows you not to injure the seeds when planting in the ground. True, they take up a lot of space on the windowsill, which is not always convenient. Others prefer to sow seeds in one large container - any wooden box of small height will do.
The substrate for tomatoes is easiest to buy in a store. But you can cook it yourself by mixing black soil with a small amount of peat, humus and sand. The result is a light, nutritious soil ideal for growing tomatoes.
Seeds are planted at a distance of 3-5 centimeters from each other, the earth is watered and covered with glass or polyethylene. For two to three days, the container must be removed in a dark, warm (not lower than +25 degrees Celsius) place.
A few days later, the first shoots appear above the ground. After this, the glass must be removed, and the container put in a sunny place. The care is quite simple: you need to water the seedlings as the soil dries, and if the house is very dry, then spray the leaves at least once every few days. It is not superfluous to introduce a small amount of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers in order to accelerate the formation of the root system and stimulate leaf growth.
Transplanting
Planting Robin seedlings in open ground is recommended two months after sowing seeds. If you use a greenhouse or a greenhouse, then the period is reduced to one and a half months. Of course, by this time the threat of night frost should completely pass, and the ground should warm up well. By this time, 6-8 real leaves should appear on the plants.
The optimal distance between the bushes is 40 centimeters, and between the rows - 50 centimeters. It is advisable to form the beds in advance and prepare the holes. The soil in the container is moistened, the main thing is not to damage the root system, after which the seedlings are planted in the ground. When using peat tablets or cups, it’s even easier - they are dipped in holes, covered with earth and slightly tamped. After several irrigation, peat will soak and easily miss the rapidly growing roots. Over time, it will decay and become a wonderful fertilizer.
Tomato Care
In general, the care for the Robin is slightly different from the care for other varieties. Everything is pretty simple here. Of course, one of the most important conditions for obtaining a rich harvest is abundant watering. If there is no rainfall for a long time, it means you have to moisten the earth manually - without this, the fruits will not be juicy enough, and the size will not be too impressive.
In addition, you need to tie up the bushes. Near the base, they are quite strong and easily grow without support. Under the weight of the fruits, the total mass of which is several kilograms, the branches may well break, so you will have to carry out one, and sometimes two, garters during the season.
Finally, we must not forget about the formation. When growing in open ground, experienced summer residents recommend trimming the side branches so that the bush stretches upwards - then all the fruits will receive a sufficient amount of light that will benefit them. If you use a greenhouse, you will need to trim the top so that the plant will be distributed in different directions - this will save usable volume.
Reviews
Many experienced summer residents, having once tried this variety, try to plant it every year, knowing for sure that they can count on a rich harvest. Yes, tomato Robin reviews get mostly very good. Experts highly value its sturdy stalk, rarely broken. In addition, they like good yield, long shelf life and excellent taste. The ability to grow this variety not only in greenhouses, but also in open ground, also did not go unnoticed. Many gardeners note resistance to pests and diseases, thanks to which not even the most experienced gardener can get a rich tomato crop without risking losing it due to oversight.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know more about the variety of Robin tomatoes, their main features and benefits, which means that you can easily decide to grow these tomatoes or give preference to another variety that is more suitable for your region.