Characteristics of dwarf tomato varieties
Dwarf tomato varieties are combined into several varieties of superdeterminant crops, which do not grow higher than 30-40 cm under greenhouse conditions or at room temperature. Ampel varieties are suitable for growing on a windowsill or in a small greenhouse.
Characteristics of dwarf tomato varieties
Dwarf tomatoes represent an advantageous combination of small stems and minimal plant maintenance costs. The fruits of the varieties are small, but juicy and tasty. Dwarf varieties are used to prepare excellent snacks, salads and marinades at any time of the year.
General characteristics of dwarf tomatoes
Dwarf tomatoes are a group of vegetables that spans dozens of different varieties.
The small height of the bush allows you to plant the plant in small areas or in pots. In greenhouses, dwarf tomatoes can grow a little more, but the average height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm.On the main shoot of the varieties, only 3 inflorescences are formed. After the appearance of the latter, the growth of culture completely stops.
Among tomatoes, dwarf and ampelous varieties are popular, which get along well in adverse conditions. Most species with low green trunks are early-maturing tomatoes. Thanks to undersized varieties, the first harvest can be obtained in the third month. A low-growing tomato of the standard variety has a straight stem, which leads to periodic sagging of the branches under the weight of weighty fruits. This type of dwarf tomato can be planted quite densely and save space on a small plot of land.
Detailed description of the variety
Reviews of dwarf cultures are not always unambiguous. Superdeterminate plants can grow even in the cold season, if all the necessary conditions are created in the room: temperature, humidity and lighting. The main characteristics of the variety:
- compactness of the bush;
- high yield with minimal maintenance;
- whimsical temperature regime;
- good productivity;
- resistance to fungal diseases and viral infections (tobacco mosaic).
Late culture Ermak does not grow higher than 50 cm, but bears fruit well. The average fruit weight reaches 75 g. Ermak dwarf tomatoes are stored for a long time in a cool room.
The Bell variety is super short and does not grow taller than 40 cm, bears fruit up to 2.5 kg of tomatoes from each bush. If there are many fruits on the plant, their average weight does not exceed 40 g for each tomato.
Description of the bush
The low height of low-growing varieties allows you to plant a crop on a window or balcony.
In such conditions, the plant feels good and bears fruit no worse than crops planted on an open land. Outside the greenhouse or at home, open fertilized soil is a favorable environment for a dozen undersized tomatoes. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 10-20 cm from each other. A healthy bush does not interfere with neighboring crops and is quickly covered with the first inflorescences.
Up to 10 fruits are placed on one branch of a dwarf culture. After pinching, a tomato placed on a window or balcony bears fruit better: moisture and nutrients do not diverge to unnecessary stepsons. Every centimeter of the bush must nourish the fruit and protect the plant from external threats. During the period when the culture does not bear fruit, the stems perform a decorative function. Dwarf plants take root well in a residential area.
Dwarf varieties are adapted for growing on the balcony
Green trunks no more than 30 cm high do not need support. Only crops are tied up in cases where the thin stems cannot support the weight of the tomatoes. The average yield of a bush with a height of less than 40 cm is 1.5-2 kg.
Description of fruits
Dwarf tomatoes have a bright red color. The shade depends on the size of the fruit and the sufficient amount of fertilizer during its growth. The red fruit can be round or elongated. The average weight of tomatoes ranges from 20 to 50 g. From one small undersized bush, perhaps a dozen identical fruits. The red color of the tomato speaks of the ripeness of the crop, which can be harvested at any time of the year.
Red tomato has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. The palatability of the fruit is used for the preparation of tomato paste, vitamin salads and marinades. Tomato juice has a rich red color that does not need additional coloring agents. The taste of dwarf tomatoes is compared to cherry tomatoes, so the fruits of indoor crops are used as a delicious side dish.
Transplanting
Growing seedlings for low-growing bushes is carried out in several stages. The first step is to prepare the seedling room, pots or boxes, as well as the environment in which the seedlings start to grow actively. Indoor dwarfs are grown using a special technology, taking into account a number of factors: environmental humidity and temperature conditions in the room. Houseplants are planted from seeds prepared according to a simple principle:
- seeds are selected for growing in a room or living room, only whole, without damage and dark spots;
- dwarfs during their growth need additional protection, therefore, before planting, the seeds are soaked in a homemade solution (one part of water and one part of Fitosporin powder);
- indoor tomatoes sit in disinfected pots (a concentrated solution of potassium permanganate is used).
Growing "dwarfs" in old soil will bring many disappointments: fungal spores or tobacco mosaic virus can remain in the soil. Indoor tomatoes are less resistant, so infection through the soil cannot be allowed. Chinese tomato is planted in boxes. The soil for planting is selected, washed, frozen and dried.
For the rapid growth of seedlings of a dwarf variety, good watering and treatment with strengthening solutions is necessary. To prepare a solution with potassium permanganate, you will need to mix 1% concentrate (10 drops) and a liter of water. Seeds of Minibel or Pinocchio varieties are strengthened with milk whey diluted in water. Growing "dwarfs" takes place throughout the year.
Seedling care
Low-growing tomatoes are photophilous, like all deterministic varieties. If the seedlings are transplanted into the main pots in the winter, additional lighting is arranged for them. Tomatoes grow faster if there are no drafts in the seedling room.
For a quick growth of seedlings, you cannot choose the north side of the building or shaded rooms. Dwarf varieties are medium-yielding species and ripen on the 110th day after planting.
Tomatoes of the variety, especially hybrids, can give their first harvest on the 95th day. The growth of seedlings directly depends on the conditions created. For early fruiting of tomatoes, seeds are planted in early March, and by the end of spring, seedling growth accelerates. Tomatoes appear in the second month and turn red quickly.Dwarf tomatoes determine the height of the bush (growth stops at 8-9 ovaries).
Care and watering
The plant needs to be fertilized often
Tomatoes growing on stunted bushes need proper care. For the correct growth of the stems, periodic watering is organized. Moisturizing the soil, in which tomatoes appear just in time:
- the soil is watered 2 times a week;
- the soil in the pot should always be moistened;
- for irrigation, the water is heated to a temperature of 20-25 ° C;
- watering tomatoes and seeds in the morning;
- water the root system, and the stems and foliage are sprayed with a spray bottle.
Tomatoes, seedlings and seeds need frequent fertilization.
Without nutrients, the bushes quickly wither and break under the weight of the fruit. For feeding, homemade substances are used: manure or solutions with vitamin supplements.
The manure is diluted in purified water in a ratio of 1: 5. The nutrient mixture is poured under each bush in a volume of no more than 1 liter. For feeding, use serum diluted with water in equal proportions. Wood ash allows you to saturate the soil with the nitrogen necessary for the growth of bushes.
After the first feeding, fertilizers are used no more than once every 12 days. The sustained spacing protects the root system and the stems of the plant. During diseases, watering of the bushes decreases, and bait - more frequent. The treatment of stems and foliage is carried out only after the removal of the infected parts of the plant.
Dwarf tomato diseases
Dwarf plants bear fruit in conditions close to greenhouse ones. Diseases occurring on healthy bushes or seedlings can occur due to improper plant maintenance or through a spore carrier and infection. In tomatoes, rot appears on undersized bushes. Such a disease indicates a violation of the watering of the culture.
"Blackleg" threatens all indoor tomatoes, regardless of the frequency of feeding.
The cause of the black root in the culture is a fungus. After the appearance of such a disease, infected bushes are completely removed. Fight blackleg and top rot with timely prevention and proper care.
Dwarf tomatoes suffer from bacterial diseases. Seedlings and bushes are infected from infected seeds that have not been treated prior to planting in pots. The first sign of bacterial disease is dark spots on the surface of ripe tomatoes. The darkening of the fruit is accompanied by a slow wilting of the bush. It is possible to save a houseplant from disease only in the initial stages and after the destruction of all infected stems.
Prophylaxis
If prophylaxis is carried out before planting and harvesting, indoor tomatoes are well protected. Treatment of seeds with "Fitosporin" and disinfection of the soil in the pot helps to strengthen the future root system of the tomato.
To protect stems and foliage from fungi, a safe natural supplement is used - milk whey obtained from fermented milk products waste. This solution forms an invisible film that protects the crop from fungi or pests. Prevention includes pruning unwanted stepchildren and dry foliage.
Summarizing
Dwarf tomatoes are plants from which everyone is able to harvest all year round. Up to 5 kg of juicy and healthy tomatoes are harvested from one undersized bush. Prevention and care ensure the health of fruits that grow on a window or balcony.