- Authors: Jim Myers, University of Oregon, USA
- Category: grade
- Growth type: indeterminate
- Appointment: fresh consumption
- Ripening period: early
- Ripening time, days: 95-100
- Growing conditions: for open ground, for film greenhouses, for closed ground, for greenhouses
- Marketability: high
- Bush size: tall
- Ripe fruit color: purple, with burgundy "splashes"
Among the wide variety of varieties, one stands out - the Smurfinic tomato. The variety got this name due to the noble purple color of the fruit, shimmering in blue shades - the creators compared it with the characters of the cartoon "The Smurfs", whose heroes are little blue men.
Breeding history
Smurfin is the result of a long-term work of a professor at the Department of Horticulture at the University of Oregon in the United States. The fruit of Indigo Rose, famous for its purple color, was taken as a basis.
Description of the variety
The growth of the Smurfin tomato is characterized as indeterminate, therefore it is tall. Suitable for growing in open and closed ground, as well as in greenhouses. Smurfiniki's inflorescence is simple.
The fruits are suitable for fresh consumption, in the form of salads and for making tomato paste and sauce. Due to its high marketability and good lightness, the tomato is popular among industrialists.
The main qualities of the fruit
Smurfin is distinguished by a large number of fruits on one cluster - on average 8-10 pieces. Purple tomatoes are characterized by their small size and round shape, the mass of one cherry fruit is 35-45 grams, and with proper care it reaches 50 grams.
Taste characteristics
The dense and slightly sweetish flesh of a maroon color is covered with a shiny skin that is resistant to cracking. The fruits are classified as dessert ones due to their taste characteristics and are rated by tasters at 4.8 points out of 5.
Ripening and fruiting
Smurfin is characterized by an early ripening period: 95-100 days pass from the moment the first shoots appear to the harvesting period. Harvesting is carried out in July-August, depending on the timing of planting.
Yield
Like all cherry tomatoes, the Smurfin tomato is a high-yielding variety. From one bush, you can get up to 3 kg of fruits, in good conditions - up to 7 kg.
The timing of planting seedlings and planting in the ground
Sowing for seedlings is carried out in March: the seeds are deepened by 0.5 cm into the ground, watered, after which they must be covered and placed in a dark and warm place until shoots appear. Once the first shoots are visible, you will need to provide them with enough sunlight - ideally 10 hours a day. This can be achieved with UV lamps.
The timing of planting seedlings in the ground depends on the growing region and weather conditions. On average, this happens in May-June, when the air temperature at night drops at least +15 degrees. If tomatoes are planted in a greenhouse, you can plant them in mid-May, but if there is frost, you will have to warm up the greenhouse with candles.
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
The seedlings are planted at least 80 cm apart to provide sufficient sunlight and the possibility of root development.
Growing and caring
Growing does not require special skills, it is important to carry out the following activities in a timely manner.
Watering. It is necessary to water the bushes at least once every 5 days.
Top dressing. Complex mineral fertilizer should be applied 2-3 times a season.
Formation. It is carried out in 2 stems, removing extra stepsons, leaves and inflorescences.
Garter. To prevent the stems from breaking under the weight of the fruit, it is necessary to tie up the bush.
Timely detection of the first signs of disease and pests and their destruction.
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
Smurfin is highly resistant to the following diseases:
bacteriosis;
late blight;
gray leaf spot;
tobacco mosaic virus;
powdery mildew.
Growing regions
The Smurfin tomato is suitable for all growing regions, the fruits ripen in any conditions.
Review overview
The fruits of the Smurfinika variety delight gardeners with their taste, and the tomato itself - with a large harvest even in the worst conditions. The reviews are mostly positive, but there are also some negative ones - some do not like the consistency of the sauces obtained from this variety.
