Early ripening hybrid variety Leopold is very popular with summer residents and novice farmers. It is unpretentious, resistant to disease and has a good yield. Small and compact bushes can be grown both in open ground and under the film. Due to the absence of stepsons, care is greatly facilitated, and fruit ripening occurs quickly and simultaneously. In short, there are many reasons for growing this variety, and the number of Leopold tomato fans is growing every year.
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This variety was bred by the breeders of the agricultural company "Gavrish." It has the following symptoms:
- Bushes of medium height, barely reaching 90 cm.
- Fruits are small in size and round in shape. The weight of one tomato barely exceeds 120 grams. Their color is saturated, dark red, and the taste is sweet and sour.
- Tomatoes have dense skin, which practically does not crack during conservation. This fact is very popular with housewives. No wonder the Leopold variety is often grown for winter preservation. Thanks to friendly ripening, these tomatoes are very convenient to use in various preparations.
- Wrinkled and dark green leaf plates.
- Outwardly, the bushes look very compact, since they do not form daughter shoots from the axils of the leaves.
- Due to its small size, this variety is quite convenient to grow in greenhouses and greenhouses. Its trunk is strong enough and does not need to be tied. All of these qualities very favorably distinguish tomato Leopold.
Characterization and description of the variety
It is characterized by rapid maturation. From the first seedlings to harvesting, no more than three months pass. The fruits are perfectly stored, they can be transported over long distances. They are practically not susceptible to cracking and for a long time retain their taste and presentation.
This variety is called superdeterminant due to the fact that it stops growing immediately after tying a certain number of brushes and does not form stepsons.
Even under rather difficult growing conditions, it can produce enough fruit. With proper care, the productivity of Leopold tomato rises significantly.
Tomato cultivation
Experienced vegetable growers are advised to use the seedling method and plant tomatoes when the stem reaches 10 cm in height. The bushes easily take root and are not afraid of a sharp cooling or drought. Sown seeds in early March, pre-soaked in a growth stimulator. Planting depth should not exceed 2 cm, otherwise it will be difficult for them to germinate. Seedlings are fed with mineral fertilizers and watered at least once a week.
Tomatoes can be planted in a greenhouse or in a greenhouse when it takes no more than 45 days from the appearance of the first seedlings, that is, in mid-April.
Soil and location selection
This plant prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil. The main requirement when choosing a place is not too high occurrence of groundwater. The planting bed is prepared as follows:
- In the fall of 1 square meter of soil make an incomplete bucket of compost, humus or chopped straw.
- When spring digging, mineral fertilizers containing superphosphate or potassium chloride are used.
Tomatoes are inherently tropical plants. They love light, heat and moderate humidity. The landing site should be well protected from the wind. To do this, the beds are located next to corn or garden shrubs. In the shade, tomatoes ripen poorly, they are often affected by rot. The best predecessors for them are cucumbers, potatoes or eggplant.
Feeding and watering
In order for the plants to be strong and healthy, they are periodically fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. The most popular are the following tools:
- From organic fertilizers, tomatoes prefer ash diluted in water. They are extremely negative about bird droppings, due to which they often become infected with fungi. Wood ash is poured with hot water in a ratio of 2:10. The composition also adds 10 grams of boric acid.
- Phosphate fertilizers help seedlings survive early frosts.
- Potassium increases the fruiting of vegetables. Usually it is introduced in the summer, when the first ovaries appear. One tablespoon of potassium sulfate is diluted in 10 liters of water. You can use ready-made compounds: "Mortar" or "Kemira universal".
- A trace element such as magnesium is very important for tomatoes. It is contained in complex fertilizers, which are marked with the Latin letters NPK. The inscription NPK 28-14-4 Mg means that the composition contains 14 g of phosphorus, 28 g of nitrogen, 4 g of potassium, as well as magnesium.
- You can improve taste with the help of sodium humate and superphosphate.
- Nettle infusion is also used as organic fertilizer. Leaves and stems are soaked in a bucket of cold water and left in the sun. After 3 days, the dressing will be ready.
Soil can be improved with peat. By itself, it is not valuable for plants, since it does not contain the required amount of nutrients. But peat perfectly regulates the humidity of heavy or sandy soil.
Diseases and Pests
Tomato Leopold F1 is extremely resistant to fungi. Due to early ripening, he manages to avoid such a common disease among thermophilic plants as late blight. The reason for its appearance is most often August night cooling. Tomatoes do not tolerate high humidity and low temperature. It is worth fearing diseases such as:
- Tobacco mosaic. Yellowing of leaves and fruits is characteristic of this viral disease. Tomatoes are covered with yellow-brown stains and remain unripe. Mosaic is almost impossible to fight. Therefore, the affected bushes are dug up and burned. To prevent the disease, the seeds are treated with a solution of manganese before planting.
- Sometimes brown hollows with blurry contours appear on the fruits. This disease is called anthracnose. To prevent it, plants are sprayed with "Polyram" or "Novosil".
- High humidity leads to the appearance of root rot. In such cases, the plants are treated with copper sulfate and replace the topsoil.
However, this is not the only disease that occurs due to stagnation of water. Various types of rot (acidic, soft, etc.) can appear at any stage of fruit ripening. The causes of their occurrence are most often torrential rains with subsequent cooling.
To avoid many diseases, seeds and roots are treated with antimicrobial agents before planting. Most often, a weak solution of manganese or copper sulfate, which perfectly protects against bacterial cancer, is used. Fortunately, such diseases rarely attack tomato Leopold.
Reviews gardeners
What do summer residents say in their reviews? They often recommend tomato Leopold F1 for growing in home gardens. In gardening forums, this variety is called one of the best for the middle band.
Unpretentious and resistant to many diseases, Leopold is a real find for beginner gardeners. They do not have to deal with such troublesome cares as trimming stepchildren or garter overgrown bushes. And also, thanks to early maturity, it is possible to avoid the additional costs of treating a diseased bush.
Housewives like the sweet and sour taste of ripened fruits. From them you can make a great fresh salad or pickle for the winter.
Among the shortcomings, the small size of the fruits and the too dense peel of the Leopold tomato are noted. The characteristics and description of the variety given in the reviews clearly demonstrate how much avid gardeners and beginners in vegetable growing like it.