There are a lot of tomato varieties. Each year new ones appear that also prove to be in demand. Indeed, lovers of this sunny vegetable grow several types of varieties: early, late, for canning, pickling and eating fresh.
What are the characteristics of the Alsu variety, and what consumer reviews say about it, we will describe later in the article.
Large-fruited tomatoes
Alsou belong to large-fruited tomatoes. Large are those vegetables whose weight exceeds 150 g. Although in this variety they actually reach significantly larger sizes. Almost all of them have fleshy flesh. And although it is not very juicy, it is appreciated for its excellent taste and high content of sugars and solids.
It should be noted that varieties of large-fruited tomatoes are included in the group of beef tomatoes. In their fruits is a large amount of provitamin A, a substance lycopene. These tomatoes are intended primarily for the preparation of salads and fresh consumption. They are tasty and canned.
Due to the fact that the pulp of the fruits is fleshy and sweet, it produces a thick and saturated tomato juice. They are also used to make ketchup. A strong peel helps tomatoes of these varieties to be stored for a long time without losing their presentation and taste.
Properties of Tomatoes for the Northern Regions
Growing tomatoes in the south and north is fundamentally different. Indeed, in these regions, plants receive a different amount of sunlight, heat, moisture. Therefore, varieties must be chosen different.
So, in the north you need to grow determinant (undersized) varieties that do not spend a lot of energy on growing the stem. It makes sense to choose early tomatoes, because later tomatoes just do not have time to ripen, in addition, they must tolerate small frosts in late spring and early autumn and temperature differences.
Requirements for the cultivation of large-fruited tomatoes
The cultivation of large-fruited tomatoes has some features:
- Even plants of determinant varieties need to be tied to a support. Indeed, the weight of the fruits on each inflorescence is so large that without tying thin stems will not withstand it and will break.
- To grow large-sized fruits, the plant needs to spend a lot of strength and energy. Therefore, they need to be fed more often, introducing fertilizers.
- It is difficult for a plant to cope with a large number of ovaries, having formed tomatoes of the correct form, so excess inflorescences must be removed on time.
Description of Tomato Alsou
The Alsu tomato variety is excellent for growing in the northern regions and belongs to the early ripening. It was recently bred, and the creators of the hybrid are Siberian breeders. They have long dreamed of creating a variety that takes into account all the features of their harsh climate.
The first ripe fruits appear on the bush 90 days after the seeds were sown in the ground. At the same time, it is possible to grow Alsou tomatoes, the description of which we offer in our article, both in the greenhouse and in the garden. The height of the bush can reach 80 cm. But it can also vary from 40 cm to 1 m. Its leaves are of medium size.
Particularly attractive are the fruits covering the Alsou tomato. Description, reviews of gardeners confirm that the entire bush is covered with them. They are red in color and tied in 2 sheets. Some gardeners believe that tomatoes of the named variety are similar in shape to the heart. They have long and dense brushes, which are often compared with girlish braids or garlands.
The size of the tomatoes is large, the weight is about 300 g, but sometimes the first fruits can reach 800 g. The pulp is fleshy, sugar. Almost all fruits have a presentation.
What productivity does the Alsou tomato variety have? The reviews of gardeners who grow them claim that they get from 7 to 9 kilograms of selected products per square meter.
Perhaps the plants are affected by the diseases that tomatoes so often suffer from? It turns out that one of the main advantages of the variety is that tomato Alsou is resistant to most nightshade diseases.
Growing Tomato Alsou
The cultivation of tomato Alsu should begin with the preparation of seeds:
- They are sown in light soil 2 months before planting in open ground or a greenhouse.
- Before sowing, they are disinfected for half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
- Processed with nutrients (Epin, aloe juice), dried without rinsing.
- Soak the seeds in room temperature water or a little warmer. Water should not cover the seeds - it should be a quarter less. The procedure is carried out for 12 hours, every 4 hours changing the water.
- Germination is carried out by placing seeds on a saucer on a layer of moist tissue at a temperature of up to 25 degrees. They make sure that they do not dry out, but also do not over-moisten. In both cases, the seeds may become unusable.
- Tempered by refrigerating overnight and taking out for the day. Do this operation 2-3 times.
Much attention is paid to soil preparation. Fruits need a lot of calcium, so the soil must be liming. For this purpose, you can use special calcium nitrate.
Planting
Seedlings need to be planted so that no more than 4 plants are located on one square meter.
User reviews say that tomato Alsou gives a wonderful harvest of delicious fruits, even in Western Siberia. But there it can not always be grown in open ground. But it grows well and bears fruit in greenhouses. The height of the bushes in this case can reach one meter. The stems are thin. 2-3 are formed on the bush. A thin stem cannot support the weight of large fruits, so they need to be tied.
Using
Large fruits of Alsou tomatoes are used fresh, for salads or baked. If the crop does not have time to eat, you can process the tomatoes, harvesting for the winter. From them you can make tasty and healthy tomato juice, which, in turn, is used to make ketchups and various vegetable seasonings.
Smaller fruits can be preserved in order to consume Alsou tomato in winter.
Consumer Reviews
Although this is a relatively new variety, but it has become quite popular among gardeners. Those who have been growing Alsou tomato for several years now claim that lovers of meaty large tomatoes should like it. Gardeners indicate the characteristics of the variety, combining properties that are rarely found in other tomatoes: the large size of the fruits and the small height of the bush.
According to the reviews available on tomato Alsou, it is ideal for growing in open field. This variety is stable, yields good yields every year, despite the vagaries of the weather. It does not require special care, forgives even some negligence in care and lack of compliance with agricultural standards.
Some gardeners, however, believe that Alsou's tomato tastes somewhat watery. But then the tomatoes are well stored in canned jars, do not crack.
Rare cases of lesions by cladosporiosis (brown spotting) are noted. This mainly occurs when grown outdoors. Treatment - treatment with preparations containing copper. Affected leaves are removed so that the disease does not spread to other plants.
Experts advise not to get involved in the application of organic fertilizers when growing, as this ultimately leads to a build-up of green mass, which prevents the movement of air between the bushes. Plants are planted so that the bushes do not touch each other. And when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to often ventilate it so that the air does not stagnate between the bushes.