Tomato Sterlet

Sterlet is a high-yielding and extremely hardy tomato hybrid. With its usual and standard care requirements, pronounced taste properties and versatility in the use of fruits, this crop attracts the attention of many gardeners. For productive growth, the plant needs only moderate irrigation and systematic feeding.

The culture is determinant, universal according to the purpose of the fruit, intended for cultivation both on open soils and in greenhouses of various types. Compact bushes with strong and thick stems are able to rise up to 80 cm. Leaf blades are bright green shades, typical for the culture configuration. In the process of development, the plant forms up to 5-6 inflorescences, and the first brush is formed above 8-9 leaves, later they appear after 2 leaves. In terms of ripening, the hybrid is early ripening, intended for all regions.

Most often, the fruits are used for making salads, they are also good in canned form. Small in size and dense fruits do not crack and perfectly keep their shape in the process of rolling into jars. Sometimes they are dried for the winter, they are well stewed and baked with other products, adding a special piquant taste to the dishes. The marketability of fruits is high.

The pluses of culture include:

• high yield;

• synchronicity of fruit ripening;

• the density of the fruits, which allows them not to crack and to be stored for a long time;

• versatility in application;

• reliable immune protection against diseases;

• the ability of productive cultivation both in greenhouse conditions and in open soils.

Minuses:

• hypersensitivity to the degree of soil moisture;

• the impossibility of reproduction by their own seeds;

• relatively small size of fruits.

As many experienced gardeners note, the culture is convenient and practical to grow. It does not require high trellises for the garter.

Fruits are cylindrical, elongated, neat, with an average weight of 100-150 g. The skin is dense and smooth, glossy. The consistency is also dense, deep red shades. The high degree of keeping quality of the fruits allows their transportation over long distances.

The fruits are distinguished by rich juiciness and sweet taste with an unobtrusive, refreshing acidity.

The culture is early, the ripening period is 92-94 days.

The ripening process of fruits occurs synchronously, they can be removed during the entire fruiting season and immediately with brushes.

The plant is high-yielding - up to 6.5-7.5 kg / m2 of ripe fruits are harvested. In greenhouses, the yield is slightly higher, since the process of ovary formation is more intense.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in March, and planting of seedlings in the ground is carried out at the age of sprouts of 60-65 days.

The standard landing pattern is 40 x 40 cm.

Culture requires standard methods of care, does not show any special whims. It is grown by the seedling method:

• in the last days of March or early April, the seeds are soaked in a weak solution of manganese for disinfection, then they are dried;

• nutrient soil is placed in several shallow containers, adding humus with compost there;

• seeds are embedded in shallow (up to 1.5 cm) grooves, and then sprinkled with soil and irrigated using a spray bottle;

• until the appearance of greenery, the containers are kept under a film coating at a temperature of about + 27 ° C and in diffused light.

After the formation of sprouts, the seedlings are moved closer to sunlight and the film is removed. After 14 days, the seedlings dive into separate containers. Planting in open soil is carried out in May or early June, and before planting, the bushes are systematically moistened.

When diving seedlings, it is better to use biodegradable peat cups.

Planting bushes in open soil is carried out on lighted beds, covering them from strong gusts of wind. They are planted in accordance with the planting scheme.

Outdoor crop care consists of several basic procedures.

1. The bushes are irrigated 2-3 times every 7 days, the soil should not dry out, but waterlogging should not be allowed.

2. During the entire growing season, the hybrid is fertilized 4-5 times with intervals of about 14 days. In this case, a solution of mullein or bird droppings is used, adding wood ash to them. Fertilizing plants is especially necessary during the formation of flowers, as well as at the beginning of ripening of fruits.

3. The number of stems during formation is 1-2, and in greenhouses - 3-4.

4. This undersized crop does not require the obligatory garter. But in the order of insurance, it is often done so that the stalks do not press against the soil under the mass of fruits.

The sterlet is sensitive to infrequent but abundant irrigation. When growing a hybrid in greenhouses, we recommend making magnesium supplements during the growing season. When pouring tomatoes, it is advisable to produce potassium supplements. Fruits are harvested during the season, as they ripen. Unripe fruits ripen successfully at home.

The culture has good immunity to diseases of fungal origin and pest attacks. She rarely gets sick with fusarium, verticillosis and various spots. Late blight also poses a small danger to plants. Most often, this disease occurs by August, but Sterlet ends the fruiting process a little earlier.

A rather negative effect on the condition of tomato bushes is exerted by bad weather, as well as mistakes in agricultural practices. The culture is rare, but suffers from diseases of root rot and viral pathogens when the soil is waterlogged or too acidic.

Some measures for crop disease and pest infestations:

• anthracnose - dark spots and unsteady depressed places appear on ripening fruits (the use of "Topaz" and "Quadris" helps out against this disease);

• black leg - the disease progresses intensively with waterlogging, the bushes begin to rot at the base of the stems and lie down (the disease cannot be cured, but it can be prevented by loosening the soil and controlling irrigation);

• aphid invasion - large colonies of this harmful insect can cause significant damage to tomato plantings;

• whitefly larvae settle on the lower parts of the leaves and consume plant juices (the Iskra agent effectively resists the larvae);

• thrips are small insects that feed on fruits, carry viral diseases (here the preparations "Biotlin" and "Aktara" will be appropriate).

Of course, not all diseases of this culture are easily treatable. To prevent damage by both fungi and pest attacks, it is worth paying special attention to the treatment of seeds before sowing, using a weak solution of manganese. In the process of growing plants, we recommend loosening the soil near the bushes after each irrigation, categorically avoiding waterlogging.