- Authors: Vasilevsky V.A., Korochkin V.L., Dynnik A.V., Kochkin A.V.
- Year of approval: 2000
- Category: grade
- Growth type: indeterminate
- Appointment: fresh consumption
- Ripening period: mid-season
- Ripening time, days: 110-115
- Growing conditions: for open ground, for film greenhouses
- Bush size: medium-sized
- Bush height, cm: 150
Tomato Emerald Apple is an unusual variety that amazes with the beauty of large fruits, which, as they ripen, acquire a bright green hue of the skin. Tomatoes are very good fresh, they can decorate a salad or other dish on a summer table. The variety is well adapted to the conditions of different climatic zones, does not require complex maintenance, is well stored, and tolerates transportation.
Breeding history
The tomato was bred by the specialists of ZAO Scientific and Production Corporation NK. LTD "from the city of Shchelkovo near Moscow. He entered the tests in May 1998. In the register since 2000.
Description of the variety
Tomatoes form medium-sized, spreading bushes, reaching heights of up to 150 cm. Abundant branching. The shoots are covered with medium-sized leaves. The inflorescences are intermediate, the first is laid above the 8-9 leaves. The variety is self-pollinated, sets the fruit itself, so there is no need to plant other bushes of the same plant nearby.
The main qualities of the fruit
Large tomatoes of this variety reach a weight of 250-300 g, in a cluster there are up to 7 tomatoes. The shape is rounded, slightly flattened, with slightly pronounced ribbing. The initially green peel gradually becomes saturated with color, becomes emerald with a yellow tint.
Taste characteristics
The Emerald Apple has a great taste, sweet, without excess astringency and aftertastes. Due to the absence of red pigment, the variety is classified as hypoallergenic.
Ripening and fruiting
The tomato is mid-season. The fruits are ready to be removed from the bush at 110-115 days from the moment of germination. The fruiting period lasts from mid-summer to late autumn.
Yield
From sq. m of area is collected 5.6-6.2 kg of tomatoes. This allows us to classify the Emerald Apple as a high-yielding variety.
The timing of planting seedlings and planting in the ground
Tomatoes can be sown in late March or early April. Transfer times differ for greenhouse conditions and open ground. Without a film cover, the variety is able to grow from the beginning of June. It can be transferred to the greenhouse at the end of April or in the 1st or 2nd decade of May. Late sowing gives a noticeable head start to the summer resident, since it helps to wait out the period of frost.
Growing tomato seedlings is an extremely important process, because it largely depends on whether the gardener will be able to harvest at all. All aspects must be taken into account, from seedbed preparation to planting in the ground.
Landing scheme
The optimal distance between plants is 40 × 60 cm. Due to this, there are no more than 3 bushes per 1 m2, they do not interfere with each other, and receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Growing and care
The formation of a bush is best done in 2-3 stems.The cultivation of an indeterminate variety is carried out with a garter. Pinching is mandatory. To control growth, the tip of the central shoot is pinched at a height of 1.2-1.5 m. The second stem is taken from under the first flower brush.
Before planting in a permanent place, the plants are pre-hardened for 2 weeks. This procedure is started with 15 minutes, gradually bringing the duration of stay on the street to 8 hours. It is possible to transfer the bushes to the greenhouse or into the ground only after the end of the night frost period.
The main care of the Emerald Apple is the careful shaping of the bush. It is necessary to remove the shoots under the flower brush at the moment they reach a length of 30-40 mm. Tomato is also recommended to periodically thin out the leaves. This will allow the fruit to ripen evenly. You need to remove all the shoots that shade the tomatoes in the process of gaining ripeness, as well as the lower leaves to the base.
Among other necessary agrotechnical measures, one can single out irrigation. Moisture is introduced in the morning. Watering should be done at least once every 4 days. It is important to spill the soil well so that it does not dry out. At the same time, in the greenhouse, ventilation is carried out during the daytime so that condensation does not appear on the walls.
To improve pollination in a film shelter, shaking or tapping brushes is used. The procedure is performed on a dry hot day. Then you can spray with a solution of boric acid (0.2 g per 1 liter of water) to prevent shedding of flowers. Then the plants are watered, the greenhouse is opened for a day to ripen the pollen.
It is necessary to feed tomatoes 3-4 times during the period of their growth. The emerald apple responds well to organic fertilizers. You can sow the beds for tomatoes with siderates in the fall, in order to dig up the seedlings in the spring, saturating the soil with nitrogen. When the leaves are browned, potassium is fed. When yellowing - nitrogen.
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
The variety is immune to common fungal diseases. Late blight is rarely affected. But this does not relieve gardeners from the need to use preventive measures. The substrate for seedlings must be calcined in the oven, if purchased disinfected material is not used. In the greenhouse, the ground is prepared by scalding with a manganese solution.
After transplanting, the bushes are treated with copper-based chemicals 2-3 times during the season.Bordeaux mixture or a self-prepared solution will do. When insects appear, standard control measures are used. Spraying with insecticides will be needed during a period of high activity of whitefly butterflies.
Resistant to adverse weather conditions
The emerald apple belongs to the category of tomatoes that can withstand cloudy weather, waterlogging and drought. In the open field, it successfully tolerates significant temperature changes. This effect does not affect the growth processes, fruit ripening.
Review overview
Summer residents who have already tried the Emerald Apple in planting on their plots usually do not refuse to re-cultivate this variety. Among its advantages are excellent germination and full ripening of fruits. The summer residents also appreciated the taste of ripe tomatoes. Despite the fact that the pulp remains bright green, it gains enough sweetness and juiciness. When salted, it looks very good as part of an assortment, it gives an almost transparent marinade with a slight herbaceous shade.
Vegetable growers do not find any drawbacks in this tomato variety. The only thing they mention is the difficulty in assessing the degree of ripeness of the fruit. The green color of the skin changes slightly during the ripeness. Leaving the brushes on the bush for too long can ruin the crop. The fruits will start to rot, the taste will decrease.