- Authors: Dederko V.N., Postnikova O.V.
- Year of approval: 2006
- Category: grade
- Growth type: indeterminate
- Appointment: fresh consumption
- Ripening period: mid-season
- Ripening time, days: 110-120
- Growing conditions: for open ground, for film greenhouses
- Marketability: high
- Transportability: high
Tomato Honey Spas was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2006. The originator is Vladimir Nikolaevich Dederko, a breeder from Novosibirsk, the author of more than 30 varieties of various vegetable crops: carrots, bell peppers, beets, radishes and tomatoes. All varieties are modern, interesting, with a twist.
Description of the variety
Indeterminate shrub 120-160 cm high, capable of unlimited growth. The leaves are green, large, thick, but thin - sensitive to heat. The bushes are graceful, thin.
The main qualities of the fruit
The fruits are smooth, round or slightly elongated, with a stunning orange color, reminiscent of persimmon, tangerine, amber or honey. The shade can depend on the growing conditions: from slightly lighter to rich. Unripe fruits are light green with a dark spot at the stalk.
The average size is 160-218 grams. According to some reports, the first fruits can reach 600 grams. One cluster can contain from 2 to 5 fruits.
Inside the tomatoes Honey saved dense, even, with fine smooth pulp without whitish blotches. The seed chambers are narrow, with dense juice, barely noticeable. The base of the fruit is a juicy, tender, melon pulp. The skin is thin, plastic, easily bites off, but not prone to cracking. Fruits are dense, transportable, stored for a long time, keep freshness for up to 40 days. A very high percentage of marketable fruit yield - 98% of tomatoes will be beautiful, even, suitable for sale.
Taste characteristics
The taste is great, delicate and harmonious. All orange-fruit tomatoes have a high sugar percentage. They are sweet, tender, without acid or harshness. Suitable for dietetic food. Useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Some of them may seem insipid sweet, but not Honey Spas. The taste has that very slight sourness, which sets off the sweetness even better.
Pineapple fruits are great in fresh dishes, especially in salads, sandwiches, desserts, decorative appetizers for a festive table. It is good as a filling for baking, in sauces and gravies for meat. The fruits of the Honey Spas variety do not survive to the preparation - they are very tasty fresh. But they can be used for unconventional sweet preservation for tomatoes: preserves, marmalades, exotic sauces. They will also be good in ordinary canned food: pickled pieces, adjika, juices, mashed potatoes, pasta.
Ripening and fruiting
Ripens on average, 110-120 days after germination. The fruits are removed from the bush without waiting for overripening - such tomatoes lose their taste. Optimally - remove the fruits a little in advance, then let the tomatoes lie down for 2 weeks. And only then eat. They will become even sweeter.
The yield may be delayed, but ripening is quick. Even in cold regions, the harvest manages to ripen on its own root - in the Novosibirsk region 74% of ripe tomatoes are removed from the bush.
Yield
In the open field, the yield is 5.6 kg per 1 sq. m. In film greenhouses, you can remove 14 kg or more. The crop is harvested from July to September.
The timing of planting seedlings and planting in the ground
Seeds are sown from January to March, depending on the conditions and purposes of growing. They are planted in open ground or in greenhouses after 7-8.5 weeks (50-60 days). Seedlings should have 7-8 true leaves.
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
In row spacing - 50 cm, between plants - 50 cm. Per 1 sq. m there are 3 plants.
Growing and care
The tomato is recommended for growing in all regions of Russia, in personal subsidiary plots, in greenhouses or in the open field. The variety is sometimes described as heat-resistant. Practice shows that this is not the case.
Sometimes the appearance of whitish dense areas in the pulp is possible. To get fruits with a smoother pulp, a number of conditions must be met.
Balance feed well. An excess of nitrogen, a lack of potassium and calcium leads to the appearance of white spots. It is important to keep in mind that too much potassium is also harmful, it interferes with the absorption of calcium. The temperature will also affect: with heat above 30 ° C, tomatoes cease to absorb potassium.
Monitor the temperature. In hot weather, water more abundantly, shade and spray.
The bush must be formed, in 1-2 stems. A garter is necessary, special plastic clips are optimal, which can be used to fix all the necessary branches and fruit brushes on the trellises. But you can also use strips of fabric 3-4 cm wide, or even better - unnecessary nylon products, they are airy and strong, not subject to deterioration.
Errors in pinning.
Greed. Tall tomatoes do not need more than 3 stems. Leave the stepson under and above the first flower brush. All other stepsons are removed without pity.
Excessiveness. Stepsons do not need to be removed "to the end", it is better to break off the sprout so that a stump of 1-1.5 cm remains. Then new sprouts will not appear in this place soon. Having a stump, the plant “thinks” that there is already a full-fledged shoot in this place, and is in no hurry to waste energy on the growth of new stems in the same place.
Lack of timeliness. Do not remove stepchildren in wet weather, immediately before or immediately after watering. Better to wait 1 day. It is best to clean stepchildren in the morning, during a sunny day, the wounds will heal faster.
Wrong choice. The most fruitful stepchild is the one immediately below the first flower brush. He is the most powerful, energetic and active. To form a plant in 2 stems, you need to choose it, and not one of the first two stepsons.
The bushes of the Honey Spas may be reluctant to bloom and set fruit. Spraying with boric acid solution (1 gram per 1 liter) stimulates the formation of set. It is best to spray three times: when the plant is just beginning to bloom, during active flowering, at the beginning of the formation of ovaries. During flowering, the brushes are shaken, or help pollination with a soft squirrel brush.
The leaves under the fruits that have gained their size are removed so that the tops do not take up nutrients. Be sure to leave at least 2 leaves above the brushes, make sure that the plant has at least 30 leaves.
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.
Review overview
There are few reviews, ratings vary. An amazing impression is made by the look and taste, and so much so that even those who did not manage to get a good harvest do not plan to give up the variety. The fruits will satisfy even gourmets: complex, delicate taste, honey sweetness with fruity nuances. The consistency is also excellent - very delicate, but firm and smooth. The fruits lie for a long time, are well stored, but this does not prevent the pulp from melting and crumbly on the tongue.
Critics point out that the variety is unpredictable. The bushes may not reveal their potential, they are too thin in seedlings, after transplanting to a permanent place they can freeze, later than other tomatoes they bloom, form a small number of ovaries. Another criticism: early defeat by cladosporium, suffers from apical rot, low yield. But everything pays off with a very sweet dessert taste. In terms of sweetness, this variety is ahead of even the well-known old variety Heart of Ashgabat, which for many years, since the 1960s, was considered the leader among yellow-fruited varieties.