Vegetables in the kitchen are needed. After all, even the most experienced hostess without them simply will not be able to cook many dishes, including the most everyday ones. In addition, vegetables contain many useful substances. In the list of the most popular and commonly used garden crops, tomatoes are certainly not in last place.
general information
Very often this vegetable is called a tomato. After all, this is the original name of a culture pampering us with juicy and beloved fruits. The plant belongs to the nightshade family. Outwardly, it looks like a grassy shrub.
The tomato has a straight stem, potato leaves, developed and strong roots. Only tomato fruits are eaten. They have a fairly rich chemical composition. Tomatoes contain carotenoids, a complex of vitamins B, C, P and K. Of the biogenic elements in tomato fruits, there is a lot of chlorine, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. They also have pectin, organic acids, proteins, and fiber. Few people know that this vegetable surpasses even oranges and lemons in the content of ascorbic acid. Sweetness is given to the tomato in its composition sugar compounds. Of the carotenoids, the composition of the tomato also contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of developing serious diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and cataracts.
There are many varieties of this representative nightshade. They differ mainly in the size and shape of the fetus, as well as the ripening time. Sometimes you can find tomatoes of truly fantastic size. But very often housewives need vegetables that are small in size, which are especially convenient when cooking culinary creations - salads, appetizers and even preparations for the winter. That is why, for some time now, cherry tomato has become popular.
Description
Varieties of this miniature vegetable on the part of domestic gardeners began to enjoy increased interest relatively recently. They are not only tasty, but also differ in uniformity of size, which makes their use especially convenient in canning.
Cherry tomatoes - a miniature version of the familiar tomatoes. They are highly nutritious, have a sweeter taste, contain more vitamins and nutrients. Another characteristic of cherry tomato - the ability to store it fresh for a long time - has led to the fact that sometimes it is valued much higher than its larger counterparts.
Bred in Israel at the end of the last century, these tiny tomatoes in a fairly short time have become an invariable part of the restaurant menu. Their name is translated from English as "cherry". I must say that today there are numerous varieties of cherry tomatoes, which sometimes have the most amazing forms - elongated, oval, drop-shaped.
The color of the fruits differs: these tomatoes can be not only red, but also yellow, orange, raspberry, etc. The weight of the largest tomatoes can be up to 30 g, however, there are very small varieties with a weight of up to ten grams.
Specifications
The fruits of this culture on the bushes ripen in clusters. Often during harvest they are simply removed with brushes.
In each cluster, up to twenty miniature tomatoes are formed and ripen, almost simultaneously. This property of this plant is often used for decorative purposes.
As a result of selection, it was possible to develop a culture that, for a number of reasons, outperforms classic tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes grow in clusters, not one at a time, which facilitates both harvesting and the use of the product. Compared with their larger counterparts, they have a more intense and sweet taste.
Benefits
Cherry tomato has a significantly longer shelf life: the fruits in the refrigerator do not deteriorate quickly and do not crack. Another plus: the compact size makes the tomatoes convenient for decoration and as a snack, since they do not require painstaking cutting. Cherry tomatoes have increased dietary characteristics.
They are incredibly useful for normalizing the cardiovascular system and metabolism, as well as larger tomatoes, they are needed for the prevention of cancer and protection against premature aging. The compact root system made it possible to grow cherry tomatoes not only in open ground or in greenhouses, but also at home - in ordinary flower pots.
Varieties
This kind of miniature tomato almost immediately pleased the Russians. Almost all summer residents grow it in their personal plots. I must say that cherry includes many varieties that differ in color and shape. Common to all is the small weight of the fetus. Many varieties of cherry tomatoes for open ground are specially adapted to our climatic conditions, for example, Whitecurrant, Bull's eye, Lukoshko, Knopka, Madeira, etc. All of them belong to the undersized variety of these mini-tomatoes. There are tall varieties that are grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. This is a yellow cherry tomato called Golden bead, bright red Mariska F1, Zelenushka, giving amber-emerald fruits, Black cherry with its purple dark tomatoes, etc.
In the suburbs, for example, you can grow varieties such as Likopu, which is distinguished by high productivity, Myo, considered a greenhouse crop, but well developing in the open ground, Honey drop, reaching a height of up to one meter.
Ira f1
Most varieties have early ripening. Domestic gardeners are especially appreciated by cherry tomato Ira f1. Reviews of this early hybrid indicate a pleasant fruity aroma. The fruits of this variety reach a weight of up to 25 grams. On one bunch up to twenty orange fruits are formed. The plant is standard, not determinant. Harvest can be harvested already 85-95 days after planting seeds for seedlings.
Cherry tomato Ira f1, reviews of which are overwhelmingly positive, is stored for a long time and does not lose its presentation. The variety was bred by Russian breeders.
Seedlings
In order for the yield of cherry tomatoes to be high, you must first grow seedlings, and then plant it in open ground. For this, the seeds of the selected varieties should be carefully sorted at the beginning of March and soaked for forty minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they must be thoroughly washed with clean water, wrapped in a damp cloth, and placed in a warm place for germination for several days. Somewhere in mid-March, already processed seeds are planted in planting containers filled with nutrient soil. Care for seedlings consists in timely watering and providing the necessary amount of light, for which fluorescent lamps are most often used.
After the appearance of three or four real leaves, you need to pick, transplanting seedlings into separate containers. During the entire growing period, growing cherry tomatoes need to be fed with complex types of fertilizer.
About two weeks before transplanting to a permanent place - in open ground or a greenhouse - a gradual hardening of seedlings is performed. To do this, containers with planting material should be taken out into a shaded place in fresh air, and the time spent there should be gradually increased.
Landing
In the middle lane and in the north of our country, cherry tomatoes are best grown in greenhouse conditions. The day before transplanting to a permanent place, watering seedlings must be stopped. The bed should be prepared in advance. In areas where groundwater flows close to the soil surface, it is better to raise it so that there is no stagnation of excess moisture.
The soil for good water and air permeability should be thoroughly loosened. It makes pits with a depth of about ten centimeters. Cherry tomatoes can not be planted closer than 50 cm from each other, and with increasing distance between the bushes, their fruiting also increases. Transplanting seedlings is carried out by transshipment, placing in the soil with an earthen lump. This process is carried out in such a way as to avoid damage to the root system. The hole is watered and buried.
Growing
In order for cherry tomatoes to grow well and give an excellent harvest, the gardener needs to provide them with certain conditions. Watering the bushes is necessary only as the earthen coma dries. The plant needs enough air and light, so you should correctly select a place for the beds. Cherry tomatoes require optimal air temperature. In open ground and in greenhouses, bushes should be tied up. Mandatory activities also include loosening the soil and weeding the weeds.
When caring for young cherry tomatoes, it is necessary to correctly distribute moisture. Excess water is detrimental to these tomatoes, as, however, its lack.
Care Features
Experienced agronomists advise to mulch the soil under cherry bushes with straw, sawdust, manure or an agricultural sheet to prevent the fruits from touching the ground. Otherwise, tomatoes can rot or become infected with fungal diseases. In addition, this can protect the soil from overheating.
Favorable daytime air temperature for thermophilic cherry tomatoes is + 20-22 degrees, while at night it should not be lower than +16. Mandatory garter of the bushes is necessary so that the fragile branches of the plant do not break under the weight of the fruit. Proper care of these mini tomatoes will avoid many diseases, such as late blight. But if the culture is infected, it can be cured with the help of such drugs as "Mikosan", "Actofit", "Fitosporin", etc.
Productivity
The ripening period of cherry tomato depends on the precocity of this variety. Typically, the crop can be harvested before the end of September. Cherry tomatoes are popular among Russian gardeners primarily because the fruits on the clusters ripen almost simultaneously, and besides, they all have the same size. It is not recommended to remove the tomatoes from the brushes separately, it is better to wait until they all ripen.
During the harvest, it is necessary to focus on the ripeness of the fruit, only in this case they will be useful and tasty. Most varieties have a fairly high yield. On average with 1 square. meters can be collected from 13 to 15 kg. One of the highest-yielding varieties is considered to be White Muscat, growing up to two meters in height.
Keep in mind that cherry tomatoes are afraid of fog: after it, tomatoes spoil very quickly, becoming black and unusable. In some regions, fruits need to be harvested still green and, stacked in cardboard boxes, left to ripen.
Knowing the agrotechnical rules and the features of caring for these wonderful delicious vegetables, the cultivation of which is available to almost everyone, you can achieve a rich harvest. Moreover, they can be grown even on the windowsill.