Tomato Cosmonaut Volkov

Tomato variety Cosmonaut Volkov did not get this name for nothing. It is a powerful and active plant with fleshy large fruits of a beautiful shape.

The Cosmonaut Volkov variety is not included in the state register of the Russian Federation, the originator is unknown. There is a version that the author of the variety is the famous amateur breeder Igor Mikhailovich Maslov, who really liked to call his seedlings after the names of prominent figures of the Soviet Union. However, there are no reliable data on the copyright of I.M. Maslov for this variety. Today, the seeds of the variety are produced by many agricultural firms: "Sedek", "Becker", "Siberian Garden". The variety got its name in honor of the cosmonaut Volkov, twice the hero of the USSR.

The Cosmonaut Volkov variety is classified as indeterminate. These tomatoes grow very tall. In suitable conditions, the bush of this variety reaches 2 meters. The plant is powerful, flower buds are laid above 8-9 leaves, then appear every 3 leaves. The foliage is green, medium, the bush grows moderately in breadth, the internodes are long. The tomato needs an early garter.

Fruits are round, slightly flattened, wider than high. There are slight shallow folds. They resemble small pumpkins in shape. In some specimens, the ribbing is almost invisible. They look spectacular when fresh. Fleshy. Fruit weight - 200-400 g, individual tomatoes can reach 600 g. The color of mature tomatoes is red, with a cold pinkish tinge. The skin is thin.

The taste is described as excellent, full-bodied, bright. Against the background of Soviet varieties, on average, rather fresh or sour, the variety looks great. There is a version that it was the taste that provided the brand with fame. A well-balanced amount of sweetness and acidity makes the variety desirable for both fresh consumption and preservation. Due to its taste, this type is most often used for preparing fresh dishes: salads, soups, snacks, sauces. Tomatoes are good for stuffing. Due to their size, tomatoes of this variety are not suitable for pickling whole, only cut. They are also good for winter salads, pickles, ketchup.

The variety belongs to the mid-season, from the moment of sowing to the removal of the first fruits, 120-138 days pass. The bush manages to yield the crop before mass destruction by late blight. From 2 to 4 fruits ripen in one cluster. The ripening period is long.

Productivity - 10-12 kg per 1 sq. m, on advanced agricultural technology it can reach 15 kg per 1 sq. m. From 1 bush, the yield will be 4-6 kg. The harvest period is July-August. The first tomatoes will be the largest, located at the bottom of the bush. The higher, the smaller. The last tomatoes removed can weigh 100 g each.

For seedlings, the variety is sown 50-60 days before the transfer of seedlings to the ground. Indeterminate varieties try to sow not too early so that the seedlings have enough sun. The optimal time is early-mid March. If backlit is available, it can be sown in February. They are planted in open ground in mid-late May, depending on the region. In Siberia and the Far East, tomatoes are planted in open ground in early June.

On nutritious soils between tomatoes they keep 50-70 cm, in row spacings - 40-60 cm. Per 1 sq. m there are 3 plants. If it is planned to stimulate the formation of additional roots in the plant, the distance is increased.

The variety is unpretentious, hardy, tenacious. Recommended for plastic greenhouses, but can also be grown outdoors. Copes well with most tomato diseases. Even on low agricultural technology, it will provide fruits.

For indeterminate tomatoes, a garter of bearing and fruit lashes is required. The best way is a trellis with a mesh net and plastic clips. In the absence of clips, they are tied with strips of cotton fabric or twine, but in the latter case, care must be taken that it is not tightened too tightly and does not cut into the stems.

The formation of a bush is required. Leave no more than 1-2 main lashes. In the southern regions, you can leave 3 lashes. The stepsons do not pinch, but break off, leaving a small stump. In this case, the procedure does not have to be repeated, since new stepchildren in the same place will not grow.

Artificial pollination of flowers will help to increase the yield. Also, experimental gardeners can try out the technique developed by the likely author of the variety - I.M. Maslov. The essence of the technique is to stimulate productivity using the natural ability of the tomato to give roots throughout the entire stem. Tomato stems are planted in 10 cm long furrows running from north to south. The stem is buried by 2/3. The lowest stepchildren are not removed, but grown up, and then they are also buried in. This technique increases the area of ​​the root system. And the more roots, the more fruits the plants can feed.

Additionally, rooted tomatoes will need more watering.

With any growing method, competent feeding will improve the quality of the crop. This is especially true for sweet large-fruited and early varieties, including the tomato Cosmonaut Volkov. More than 60% of the substances that a tomato absorbs from the soil go to the fruit. Therefore, tomatoes need the following substances.

• Nitrogen. It is necessary for a set of green mass, as well as before flowering. Attention: its excess has a negative effect on flowering. There will be a lot of green mass, but few fruits.
• Phosphorus. Provides root growth and ovary formation. Needed early on.
• During the ripening period of the crop, calcium is needed. This is a structural element on which the elasticity, fruit consistency, and the strength of the stems depend.
• Potassium is required during the growth phase of the fruit. About 80% of potassium will enter the cell sap.
• Magnesium, sulfur, boron and zinc are needed in relatively smaller quantities, but they also affect important life processes. Magnesium is required mainly during the flowering period, sulfur - during the entire life period of a tomato. Boron and zinc affect the rate of fruit ripening.

Tomato Cosmonaut Volkov is a variety, not a hybrid. From the best plants, you can harvest your own seeds, improving the characteristics of the variety.Next year, tomatoes will be more adapted to the conditions of a particular site.

Due to the lack of an official originator, the characteristics of the variety may vary slightly. On average, this is a decent variety, attracts with a balance of characteristics, power and nostalgic associations. "Taste like from childhood" - this is how gardeners describe the variety. The variety is susceptible to late blight, so it is better to sow on seedlings so as to harvest as early as possible. There are complaints about the quality of the skin: thin, can crack. Pros: versatility of purpose, low cost of seeds, endurance and taste.