What do summer residents who plan to plant tomatoes on their plot want? Many people pay attention to the size and weight of fruits, for some, the height of the bushes and their resistance to diseases and pests are more important, but someone just needs the vegetables to ripen as early as possible, so that they can enjoy juicy fruits in the middle of summer. If you are choosing a tomato variety for open ground - for the Moscow Region or another region, you should pay attention to the Raja variety. It has quite a few advantages. We will talk about them in this material.
Varietal characteristics
Raja is an early ripe tomato variety. From the time of planting seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse before you enjoy ripe vegetables, no more than 80-95 days will pass. In the reviews of Raja, gardeners say: the variety is not subject to the main diseases that are characteristic of the nightshade family, they are not afraid of pests.
In the official description of the Raja tomato variety, the manufacturer notes that they are classified as semi-determinant. This means that the size of the bushes is average. This is the best option for those summer residents who select low varieties with the earliest ripening period. In general, a tomato of this variety can be grown even in the northern regions of the country - without shelter, breeders tried to develop a variety that would be resistant to a sharp change in climatic conditions and cold snap.
The average height of the Raja tomato is about 1-1.5 meters. From one bush you can collect about 3-4 kilograms of tomatoes, 2-3 plants are placed on one square meter, which means you can get 8-9 kg of juicy fruits from one square meter. Due to one and a half meter growth and a large number of fruits, the plant needs a garter.
Fruit Characteristics
Tomatoes have an elongated shape, similar to plums. One vegetable can weigh about 300 grams; in the process of ripening, the tomatoes acquire a rich red hue. Their pulp is juicy, there are almost no seeds in it, you can see silver grains on the cut. The taste of fruits is sweet, on one bunch at the same time 5-7 tomatoes can grow.
Cooking Application
The flavoring qualities of Raja tomato, summer residents say, are incredibly high. Therefore, tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption - for example, in salads, sandwiches. They are no less good in the preparation of ketchups, tomato purees, juices. Despite its large size, Raja is perfect for canning - as slices in its own juice, or as a whole.
Pros and cons
Of course, choosing tomatoes for their plot, each gardener wants to learn as much as possible about its advantages and disadvantages. In addition to the fact that this tomato variety is early ripe, it has many other advantages. These include:
- high productivity;
- disease resistance;
- good taste;
- the possibility of growing in the garden;
- dense skin that does not crack.
As for the shortcomings, the summer residents say that they simply do not exist. The only requirements that must be observed are garter shrubs, pinching, and timely pinching.
Growing rules: seedling preparation
The optimal time for sowing Raja tomato is March – early April. The land from the site is suitable for seeds, however, first it will need to be held in the oven at a temperature of no more than 100 degrees. If the temperature is higher, no nutrients will remain in the ground. After that, the soil can be poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and only then - put the earth in containers for sowing.
The best option is the use of soil, which can be purchased at the store. It should contain two parts of humus, sod land and one part of sand. The mixture needs to be moistened, make small recesses in it. Seeds must be placed on top, sprinkled with earth and moistened with a spray bottle. Place glass or film on top. For germination, you will need a special temperature regime: at least +18 ° C. As soon as the first shoots appear, the shelter must be removed.
When the seedlings get stronger, two real leaflets will appear on them, they should be transplanted into separate pots. After a dive, growth stimulants can be added to the soil - so that the roots develop better, the plant takes root as quickly as possible. Two months later, the seedlings will already have 7-8 leaves. At this time, they can be planted in open ground or a greenhouse. By the way, before this, experienced gardeners recommend hardening seedlings. To do this is quite simple: you need to take out containers with seedlings in the open air. It is recommended to start with five minutes.
Bedding
Before planting tomatoes in a permanent place, it is necessary to prepare the holes. They should add peat, humus and sand mixed with earth. Please note: it is necessary to plant tomato bushes at a distance of 30-40 centimeters, the distance between the rows should not be less than 60 centimeters. You should not place more than three bushes of Raja tomato on one square meter - firstly, it will be inconvenient for you to take care of the plants, and secondly, this can negatively affect the yield of the variety. When planting bushes on a site, the first inflorescences should be removed.
Features of tomato care
The first thing you should know about tomatoes of this variety is that it can be cultivated in all regions of our country. Even in the northern and northwestern regions, bushes can be grown in open ground. Raja is resistant to fungal diseases and viruses, it does not require preventive treatment with fungicides. However, in rare cases, the bushes may be susceptible to a disease such as late blight. In order for the fungus not to appear, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of watering. How to water tomatoes? Pouring water is necessary only under the root, in no case directing it to foliage and stems.
There are other rules for caring for Raja:
- The night temperature should not be lower than 15 degrees, and the daytime temperature should be maintained at 23-25. Low or high temperature conditions will lead to a phenomenon such as gidding.
- It is necessary to water Raju twice a week, tomatoes are classified as hygrophilous plants, so the soil should be thoroughly saturated with moisture.
- Gardeners recommend leaving two stems on one plant. It is best to leave a side branch located under the first inflorescence. The crown of the plant must be pinched.
- The first garter of tomato bushes must be carried out within a couple of weeks after planting in a permanent place. As the bush grows, you need to make new loops, and the time period should be no more than 2 weeks.
- Another important condition is thinning of the hand and removal of defective ovaries. This is necessary so that healthy fruits form on the bushes.
- It is also important to feed the plants: during the growth of the bushes, complexes containing nitrogen are suitable. This can be organics, for example, chicken manure or nettle manure. When the tomatoes begin to bloom, fertilizing with phosphorus will be required, and during the development of the fruits - potash fertilizers.
Reviews about Tomato Raja
Speaking of Raja, summer residents note that even novice gardeners can cope with its cultivation. The fruits of tomatoes of this variety are fleshy, rather large. The only frustrating gardener is that there are very few seeds inside, which means that collecting your own seeds is not so simple. Friendly ripening of tomatoes is also noted, which are equally well suited both for canning and for preparing salads.