Tomato General

As you know, the world collection offers not only varietal tomatoes, but also their first and second generation hybrids. Not all gardeners recognize hybrid plants, believing that they are in many ways inferior in taste to varietal ones, however, the universal determinant hybrid of the first generation General (synonym General F1) has a lot of positive, including taste, qualities. The plant is intended for growing in open ground and in all types of greenhouses, its sweet fruits are consumed fresh, used for cooking juices, sauces, winter salads. The fruits have a high marketable yield - up to 93% and excellent transportability.

The authorship of the appearance of the hybrid belongs to the Japanese breeding seed company Sakata Vegetables Europe S. A. S. Year of approval for use 2013.

A short (60–65 cm), highly leafy, medium-vigorous bush covered with dark green foliage of various sizes - from medium to large. The yellow flowers are collected in simple inflorescences, forming cluster-like clusters with many fruits, held by a strong articulated peduncle.

Dignity of the General:

• strong immunity;

• excellent productivity;

• simultaneous fruiting;

• good indicators of transportability, keeping quality, taste.

The disadvantages include the inability to inherit their qualities.

Fruits are large, flat-round, weighing 220-260 grams or more, colored green, turning into crimson-red at the stage of maturity.

The dense pulp of bright red color has a sweet taste (sugar content from 2.4 to 4.4%), contains up to 6% of dry matter, and is covered with dense skin. This guarantees good keeping quality and the ability to easily carry long-distance transportation.

The tomato belongs to the medium early, the ripening period begins by the end of the third month.

The high-yielding hybrid yields from 218 to 416 centners per hectare.

Seedlings of the General are planted in a permanent place 35 days after sowing in a greenhouse, and after 40 days in open ground. Based on these indicators, the sowing dates are calculated, usually the end of March - the beginning of April.

The optimal distance between the roots is 40x60 cm.

A hybrid tomato is grown by a seedling method, then ready-made and hardened seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. Hardening begins about two weeks before transplanting. Young plants are taken out into the street, if there is such an opportunity, or on balconies, veranda, but always in the shade so that the sun's rays do not burn tender young growth. By the end of the hardening period, the seedlings should have already spent the night at the outside temperature, if there is no frost. The place for planting, as well as for the organization of greenhouses, is chosen sunny, the soil is loose and fertile, with a level of acidity close to neutral. Acidified soils need to be deoxidized by adding bone or dolomite flour, lime fluff, chalk, gypsum, and growing green manure.

If the soil is heavy, loamy, and lacks looseness, the following will help to solve the problem:

• river sand;

• cereal husk;

• green manure and constant organic enrichment.

Buckwheat and rice husks not only make the earth loose and breathable, but also enrich it with vitamins, minerals, attract earthworms to the site, thus laying the basis of vermicompost.

Into the holes add:

• wood ash;

• complex mineral fertilizers;

• organic fertilizers (compost, humus, bird droppings).

After planting the seedlings, the soil in the pit is compacted and shed well, the next day it is loosened, not allowing it to take on a crust - the roots should receive sufficient oxygen.

Further care consists of traditional activities:

• watering;

• weeding;

• loosening;

• top dressing;

• pinching;

• removal of most of the foliage during ovary formation and fruit filling.

Watering is carried out regularly every two to three days. After the harvest begins to ripen, they are reduced or stopped altogether, depending on weather conditions. Top dressing is carried out several times per season.

The general has enviable disease resistance characteristics. It perfectly resists:

• late blight;

• verticellosis;

• alternaria;

• bronze virus;

• fusarium wilting;

• yellow curling of leaves.

Nevertheless, the tomato needs preventive treatments with fungicides against fungal and other diseases, as well as insecticides against pests: aphids, bears, whiteflies, Colorado potato beetles, spider mites.

The general perfectly tolerates temperature changes from hot to cold.

The hybrid is intended for cultivation in the North Caucasus region and in the Central Black Earth region.