Tomato Sensei is the pride of Siberian breeders who managed to combine in one grade the best qualities inherent in this vegetable. It can be grown in different regions of the country, and harvested until the very frost. Reviews of consumers and gardeners about this southern vegetable are the most enthusiastic, and there are some explanations for this.
Why are early ripe and determinant varieties leading?
Well, which summer resident does not dream of being the first to collect a plentiful crop of ripe, juicy and delicious tomatoes to boast of them in front of neighbors? This desire is quite realizable by planting early or mid-ripe tomatoes in a greenhouse or in an open garden, but when doing this, remember their small flaws:
- As a rule, such varieties do not differ in high productivity if they grow in the open.
- They don’t have the sugar content that is beloved by all eaters, which is present in later tomato varieties. This is understandable, it is under the gentle sun that this amazing sweet and sour taste of tomatoes appears, and where to get the abundance of its rays under the film of a greenhouse or under a still cool sky in spring.
- Early tomato varieties are not tall and grow to a maximum of 25-30 cm.
- The fruits are small in size.
So basically mid-ripe and early varieties of tomatoes are characterized, but not tomato Sensei. With its belonging to the standard and mid-season species, it is deprived of their shortcomings, and the reason for this is in its origin.
Variety creation and scope
It's nice when a great harvest is achieved with a minimum of effort. As the responses of summer residents characterize tomato Sensei, this is an unpretentious variety that does not require special attention. Thanks for this need breeders of the agricultural company "Siberian Garden" from Novosibirsk.
Scientists have tried to develop a variety that will coexist perfectly in most regions of Russia, yield a high yield both in a greenhouse and a greenhouse, and in the open, and possess incredibly tasty and fairly large fruits.
Everyone who left reviews about the Sensei tomato variety claims that it is excellent in salads and in the preparation of first, second courses, diet food and natural juices.
Plant description
A feature of this variety is the ability to adapt to environmental conditions. So, in a greenhouse, Sensei tomatoes (photo below) grow up to one and a half meters in height, while in open ground conditions - less than one.
The bushes of these tomatoes are compact, which in a small greenhouse is extremely useful quality. As the tomato Sensei indicates the variety description made by the producers themselves, he cannot boast of dense greens. Its leaves are small, dark green, and the fruits grow in heaps of 3-5 pieces in one brush.
Fruiting continues until autumn frosts. In the southern regions, the last green Sensei tomatoes are harvested in fields and garden beds at the end of October. The characteristics of the fruits are such that they ripen perfectly at room temperature, no different from their "counterparts", which have flushed under the rays of the summer sun.
Fruit Description
According to tomato sensei, the characteristics and description of the variety on the package with seeds have perfect, slightly elongated raspberry-colored fruits that resemble huge strawberries. They have a smooth and dense skin, soft and juicy pulp, in which there are practically no seeds.
If you believe what the consumer reviews say about tomato Sensei, the weight of each tomato is about 450 g. This translates it into the category of large-fruited varieties that are very attractive for making salads. Also, a similar fruit size is convenient when preparing fresh or canned juices. This contributes to the sugary flesh of a refreshing rich taste.
On the other hand, an ovary of 4-5 tomatoes of this weight creates a very large load on the stem of the plant, so it definitely needs support. As the practice of gardeners confirms, a crop of up to 8 kg per 1 sq. M., Which gives the Sensei tomato variety, makes it very attractive for growing in small greenhouses or plots.
Pros of this grade
As a rule, factors such as palatability, yield and exacting care affect the popularity of a particular type of vegetable. If we talk about the variety of tomato Sensei, its characteristic indicates that it contains all of the above requirements.
- Firstly, it is good for all regions of the country.
- Secondly, the quality of a tomato of this variety does not change depending on whether it grows in an open garden bed or in a greenhouse.
- Thirdly, he knows how to adapt to the conditions of the area. He “feels” equally well both in dry and rainy summers.
- Fourth, it is a high-yielding and large-fruited variety.
- Fifthly, as the description of its fruits says about Sensei tomatoes, they possess unusually juicy, tasty and refreshing sugary flesh.
- Sixth, the variety is resistant to almost all diseases that nightshade can “suffer”.
Important: in order to get a good return on a tomato of this kind, one should take into account the requirements that it makes when caring for it.
Cons Tomato Sensei
If we talk about the shortcomings of this type, then there are only two of them:
- To obtain a plentiful crop, the correct formation of a bush is required.
- He needs to be fed, which is not surprising at the size of his fruits.
If the plant is deprived of these two minor, but so necessary types of care, it is unlikely that the gardener will receive from him the above positive qualities.
Where better to plant Sensei
Like the rest of the nightshade, this variety "presents" several requirements for choosing a place.
- He cannot be planted where potatoes or eggplants used to grow, but he will like it in the garden after onions, cabbage, carrots and zucchini. Also, do not plant seedlings or sow seeds in the same place for two years in a row. At least 3 years must pass between crops.
- A land in which there is a lot of organic matter does not suit him. Tomato Sensei, although it is demanding on top dressing, but its overabundance is harmful to him as well as a lack.
- This variety needs room, especially on open ground, so you need to select a place in advance where its bushes will be planted at a distance of at least 45 cm from each other.
- Both too dry and too moist soil is not suitable for him. Sensei loves moderation in everything.
- You cannot deprive him of the sun. The beds in the shade will slow down the growth of the tomato, which will affect both the quality of the fruits and their size.
To really enjoy the tomatoes of this variety, you must fulfill these minor requirements and provide him with enough space and sun.
Soil preparation
If the "sleigh is prepared from the summer", then the soil for planting tomatoes should be fertilized in the fall. Only in this way by spring will it become truly suitable for tomatoes, which are very fond of the land, saturated with useful mineral substances. Experienced gardeners advise liming the soil, as this will add substances important for tomatoes, such as magnesium and calcium. This procedure is carried out exclusively in the fall, so that rains and snow have time to dissolve lime, and the soil - to absorb it.
Some vegetable growers prefer to fertilize in the spring, in this case, the future tomato beds just need to be dug in the beginning of autumn to a depth of no more than 20 cm. This will facilitate the application of fertilizing to the ground when digging with the onset of heat.
Important: mineral fertilizers and humus will be enough to prepare the soil, but in the spring they should be applied 2 weeks before sowing. Also during this period it is recommended to cultivate the earth with a solution of copper sulfate in order to protect plants from pests. When the time comes for transplanting seedlings, the same fertilizers are added to the wells as during digging.
Seed preparation
Tomato sensei can be sown or planted with seedlings. Seed preparation is carried out in late March - early April, and it begins with soaking them in a growth stimulator. Those who do not trust the purchased products can use aloe juice, but only freshly squeezed. It is enough to hold the seeds in a solution of 12 hours, so that after sowing they sprouted together.
Many gardeners prefer to germinate seeds in advance so that they grow faster. This really speeds up the process, but it is permissible only in places where there are no late frosts. More experienced growers are advised to alternate germinated and dry seeds in the hole. If frost occurs, and the former have already sprouted, the latter have not even begun to hatch, which will save the crop.
Important: if you compare the quality of tomatoes planted with seeds and seedlings, then often the former catch up with the latter in growth, but at the same time they are stronger and more resistant to weather changes and pests.
Sensei seeds do not need another preparation, since the producers neutralize them in advance.
Growing seedlings
As a rule, tomato seeds of this variety are sown for seedlings 1.5-2 months before planting it in the garden. In order for them to ascend well, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them:
- You can prepare the soil with your own hands or purchase ready-made peat in the store, but both should be calcined or steamed to neutralize. Seedlings of the Sensei variety, although unpretentious, but, like all other plants, can be subjected to stress when improperly maintained, which makes it vulnerable to fungus.
- Sowing seeds is carried out in grooves on fertilized soil at a distance of 1 cm. If they are large enough, then this procedure can be done with tweezers.
- Sprinkle seedlings with earth, pour and cover with foil.
Important: you need to maintain the temperature under the film +20 degrees until the seeds hatch. As soon as this happens, the film is removed, and the sprouts need only watering and heat.
It is best to place containers with seedlings on the windowsill on the sunny side. Once the plants have real leaves, they can be transplanted into separate pots.
Picking seedlings
Despite the fact that about sensei tomatoes (characteristics and descriptions of varieties, reviews about them confirm this) they say that they are unpretentious and not particularly demanding, you need to grow seedlings for planting correctly. Picking is an important part of the process.
When the leaves appeared on the sprouts, it becomes crowded in the total capacity, so the first transplant in their “life” is carried out.
- Prepare pots, soil and fertilizer. You can use the complex composition at the rate of 1 tbsp. l 5 liters of water, or dilute a special mineral product for tomatoes in the proportion indicated on the label.
- In an individual pot, you need to make a hole of such depth that the plant fits in it down to the cotyledon leaves.
- Fertilizer is poured into the hole and a plant is planted.
After 2 weeks, the seedlings can be fertilized again. Plants are watered as the soil dries in pots.
Tomato Care
Even taking into account that the Sensei variety is quite resistant to cooling, seedlings should be planted in a permanent place when heat is already established and the ground warms up well.
As a rule, a lot of care is not required:
- Watering tomato sensei needs moderate, so it is so suitable for summer residents who can only come for the weekend. Irrigation is carried out once a week under the root, for which it is better to use a watering can with a fine mesh.
Important: you must avoid moisture on the leaves so that they do not burn out under the sun, and the water temperature should be at least +18 in hot weather and + 24-26 degrees in cool.
- Feeding is carried out 4 times per season with alternating organics with mineral fertilizers.
- Sensei bushes need formation. Stepsons should be removed, forming a plant of one or two stems.
- As the fruits are formed, the tomato sensei needs to be tied to a support, since under their weight the stem can break.
This is all care for this tomato variety.
Top dressing
Today in specialized stores you can buy ready-made fertilizer for tomatoes, although many gardeners prefer to act the old way and prepare fertilizers themselves. Tomato Sensei needs high-quality nutrition, without which he will not form fruits of this size. As it can be used:
- Mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium are suitable for the first top dressing. It is carried out 2-3 weeks after planting seedlings.
- The second time fertilizers are applied when the second brush blooms at the tomato. It is good to use organics, for example, mullein diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10 during this period.
- The third top dressing is the same as the second, but is carried out after the opening of the next brush.
- In the fourth approach, it is better to apply non-root top dressing. During this period, it is important to preserve all the flowers, so you can spray the plant with mineral fertilizers. To do this, take them 1 tsp. 1 liter of water with the addition of half a tablet of micronutrient fertilizers.
After feeding the Sensei tomato like this, you can expect a large crop of large and juicy fruits.
Currently, many gardeners have discovered the advantage of this variety, and every year he has more and more fans.