- Authors: Postnikova T.N., Dederko V.N.
- Year of approval: 2007
- Category: grade
- Growth type: indeterminate
- Appointment: fresh consumption, for pickling and preserving
- Ripening period: mid-season
- Ripening time, days: 115-120
- Growing conditions: for open ground, for film greenhouses, for greenhouses
- Bush size: tall
- Bush height, cm: 150-170
Tomatoes, which can be grown in almost any region of the country, have always been popular among summer residents and gardeners. One of these varieties is Babushkin's secret.
Breeding history
The originators of the described grade of steel were Postnikova T.N. and Dederko V.N. The work of breeders was carried out in the Siberian Federal District. In 2007, the variety was allowed for use. The resulting variety is recommended for both southern and northern regions. In the latter, Babushkin's secret is grown only in greenhouses.
Description of the variety
The plant has an indeterminate type of growth. The bushes are quite good in size - 150-170 centimeters in height. Stems are strong, well developed, resistant. The leaf plates are rather large, wrinkled and dark green in color. There is no pubescence on them. Inflorescences are always simple, formed every 2 leaves. The very first brush of Grandma's Secret will be formed over the 8th leaf.
Gardeners who have already tried this variety have shared the following advantages:
very large fruit sizes;
prolonged fruiting;
high yield rates;
great taste;
immunity or increased resistance to many types of diseases.
There were, of course, some disadvantages:
with improper watering, berry cracking is possible;
fruits have a thin skin that breaks and crumples, which means they will not be stored for long;
tomatoes are not suitable for canning, since they have downright gigantic parameters.
The main qualities of the fruit
In the process of ripening, the fruits of the Grandmother's Secret, like many other varieties, have a green color. When ripe, the fruit turns red. Differs in impressive size - up to 1 kilogram by weight. Flat-rounded ribbed tomatoes are covered with a thin skin, under which a fleshy, dense and sugary pulp is hidden. There is an articulation on the stalk of the berry.
Taste characteristics
The taste of Babushkin's secret tomatoes is very sweet, there is practically no sourness. On the cut, the pulp will be sugar. The liquid content in fruits is low.
Ripening and fruiting
Grandma's Secret is a mid-season variety. It reaches full maturity in 115-120 days. Bears fruit for a very long time, will bear fruit until the gardener pinches the top. This means that fruiting can be extended until frost.
Yield
It is possible to collect up to 16.9 kg of tomatoes from one square meter of soil. One bush on average gives up to 6 kilograms of fruit, although this is not the final figure.
The timing of planting seedlings and planting in the ground
The date of planting seedlings is marked in advance. For mid-season varieties, 60 days of seedling growth will be required. Therefore, it is best to do this in the first half of March. If greenhouse cultivation is planned, then work can be started earlier - in the last days of February.
It is important to disinfect the seeds of the described variety before planting and keep them in growth stimulants. The earth for disinfection is spilled with potassium permanganate. Seeds are spread at a distance of 2 centimeters from each other, and they are buried at the same distance. The container is covered with foil. The room should not be colder than +25 degrees.After removing the shelter, the indicators are reduced to +16, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out, which will create problems when planting. The hardening procedure is required. In the first decade of May, the grown sprouts are transplanted into a greenhouse or open ground.
Growing tomato seedlings is an extremely important process, because it largely depends on whether the gardener can harvest at all. All aspects must be taken into account, from seedbed preparation to planting in the ground.
Landing scheme
Plants of the Babushkin Secret variety are distinguished by impressive sizes, and therefore it is permissible to cultivate a maximum of three bushes per 1 square meter. A distance of half a meter is maintained between them, as well as between the rows.
Growing and care
After planting, young plants will need to be tied up immediately. This is the first step that the gardener needs to carry out. Further, the care scheme will look like this.
Watering. Grandma's secret loves abundant, but not too frequent watering. In a normal warm summer, you can water once a week, 5 liters of water under a bush. However, in conditions of extreme heat and lack of rainfall, tomatoes will require a daily supply of liquid.
Loosening. This procedure allows oxygen to flow to the roots, it also gets rid of weeds. It is necessary to loosen it after watering, but not immediately, but when the soil is slightly dry.
Top dressing. This variety is often fed with organic matter. The first time they do it 10 days after disembarkation. After 14 days, fertilize again. Mineral complexes are also needed. They will be required during the formation of the ovaries. The plant will need phosphorus, potassium and calcium.
Stepping out. Grandma's secret always gives many stepsons. It is necessary to cut them off, since they take away the strength of the plant and over-thicken the plantings. It is necessary to remove stepchildren every 3 days, they grow very quickly.
Airing. If the plant is cultivated in a greenhouse, then the latter must be regularly ventilated. Lack of fresh air will lead to excessive humidity, and already it will provoke fungus.
Formation. Bushes need to be shaped so that the fruits are strong and large. The culture is formed in one stem, in extreme cases, you can leave two trunks. After the appearance of the eighth flower brush, the tomato is pinched, otherwise it will continue to grow.
A plant needs different micronutrients at each stage of growth. All fertilizers can be divided into two groups: mineral and organic. Folk remedies are often used: iodine, yeast, bird droppings, eggshells.
It is important to observe the rate and period of feeding. This also applies to folk remedies and organic fertilizers.
Disease and pest resistance
Grandma's secret has high resistance to late blight and spotted mosaic virus. However, he is by no means immune from other diseases. Quite often, bushes get sick in greenhouses, which are thickened and rarely ventilated. It is there that an excellent habitat is created for different types of fungi. To prevent the multiplication of pathogens, you need to:
regularly ventilate the greenhouse;
to cut off stepsons;
watering correctly, because an excess of water is just as destructive as a lack;
dressing seeds before planting;
disinfect the soil.
If the disease still manifests itself, use effective fungicides. Severely affected plants must be uprooted and burned, the soil is disinfected.
Pests also love this variety. In greenhouses, spider mites, whiteflies most often appear, Grandma's secret is not immune from aphids. In the open ground, gardeners are constantly harassed by Colorado beetles and bears. At first, folk remedies are recommended. If insects breed too quickly, it is best to use insecticides. Remember that chemicals are harmful during berry growth and picking.
Review overview
Grandma's Secret is a tomato variety that can be grown in a wide variety of regions. This is what allowed him to gain such popularity among the farmers. In addition, summer residents like the large fruits that the plant gives. Leaving will not burden even a novice gardener, the main thing is not to allow thickening. Many people like the taste, and most gardeners, after collecting the seeds, plan to grow the variety next year.
However, negative responses can also be found. So, some argue that not everyone will like the taste, the pulp is too dense here, reminiscent of cotton wool. For the same reason, tasty juice cannot be made either. For preservation, the tomatoes will have to be cut, otherwise they simply will not fit into the jar. Many fruits rots because they lie poorly and quickly become moldy.