Tomato Yablonka of Russia is very popular among gardeners, as it belongs to one of the most unpretentious varieties and is even called a "tomato for the lazy." The plant belongs to the types with extended fruiting, therefore, it brings a long and friendly harvest of medium-sized, but numerous red fruits of universal purpose. It can be grown throughout the country except the far north.
Tomato seeds "Apple of Russia"
Tomatoes of a grade "Apple of Russia"
Yablonka of Russia is the most unpretentious variety of tomatoes
Breeding history
The variety was bred in 1998 by Russian breeders by several authors, including the president of the Russian Garden company Vladislav Korochkin and the representative of the All-Russian Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops Viktor Vasilevsky.
Its variety tests were carried out in 1998 by the State Commission for Testing and Protection of Breeding Achievements, and NPK NK LTD from Shchelkovo near Moscow, which is directly connected with the Russian Garden, became the applicant and initiator.
In the State Register, Yablonka of Russia appeared in 2000 and was recommended for cultivation in all regions of the country, with the exception of the far north.
In the 90s, Tamina tomato was very popular, which in its external characteristics was very similar to Yablonka of Russia, but it is not mentioned anywhere in the Register.
Grade description
The variety is early ripe, so the first ripe fruits can be harvested already 100 days after emergence. What is characterized by its bushes and fruits, we will consider separately.
Bushes
The plant has the following characteristics:
- The bush is determinant, since its growth stops after the formation of several fruit brushes, usually 4-5. The first brush appears over 7-9 sheets, and the next - after 2 sheets. Bushes can reach a height of 1.3-1.5 m, but more often it is 0.8-1 m. They do not require pinching.
- The standard forms of tomato have a thicker and lower main stem, which looks like a potato. It is strong enough and can independently hold numerous lashes with fruits, so there is no need for a garter. If the bunch of fruits turns out to be too heavy, it is still worthwhile to help the plant and ease the load. To obtain a plentiful harvest, it is necessary to form a stem in 2-3 shoots.
- A variety of medium branching, and the leaves themselves on young plants resemble the leaves of an apple tree in shape, which is the name of the tomato. With age, the leaves become similar to potato, since both vegetables are solanaceous.
The tomato is heat-loving, but calmly tolerates drought or short-term temperature changes, and the fruits do not crack as a result of an uneven flow of moisture.
Fruit
Under good growing conditions on one bush at the same time up to 100 fruits with a total weight of up to 3-5 kg can ripen. In general, with 1 square. m you can collect up to 6-6.5 kg of tomatoes. They have such characteristics:
- Weight on average is 70-90 g. All fruits weigh about the same and are aligned in size.
- The shape is perfectly round, resembling a ball.
- The color as it ripens changes from light green to deep red.
- The pulp is juicy and fleshy, but at the same time dense, one-dimensional and does not crack. The section shows that it consists of 2-5 chambers and a large number of seeds. The solids content is above average, and at the break the flesh is sugary.
- The taste is sweet with a slight acidity.
- The application is universal, so tomatoes can be served fresh, salt, pickle, preserve and use to make juices, mashed potatoes, adjika, sauces.
Fruits are easily transported and stored for a long time at temperatures up to + 10 ° C.
Feature table
The main qualities of Apple of Russia can be found in the table:
Parameter | Description |
general description | Early ripe, determinant, standard grade for cultivation in the open ground, greenhouses, greenhouses, under the film. Suitable for planting in all regions of Russia, with the exception of the far north. Popular in Moldova and Ukraine. |
Ripening period | 90 to 120 days from emergence |
Productivity | 3-5 kg from one bush |
Growing Features | Does not need to be planted and bush formation |
Disease resistance | Tomato is resistant to many diseases, including late blight. |
Agricultural technology
To get a good and friendly harvest when growing a tomato, you need to consider the following rules:
- planting seedlings in open ground is necessary in late May or early June, and seedlings should be prepared about 2 months before the intended planting in the ground;
- the variety loves sunny places, protected from drafts, so it should be planted at a great distance from the fence and other structures that cast a shadow;
- for tomato, it is worth choosing fertile soils rich in organic matter, on which cucumbers, legumes, pumpkin, cabbage, onions, carrots, dill and garlic were previously grown.
Potatoes, eggplants, peppers and other nightshade crops are the worst predecessors, since insect eggs and pathogens that are dangerous for tomato are stored in the soil.
- the plant has long shoots, so a garter is required;
- when growing in open ground, seedlings need to be fed, the first of which must be introduced 14 days after the sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place.
You can grow Yablonka in a greenhouse all year round if you provide it with optimal temperature conditions and lighting.
Growing seedlings
This variety is grown only in seedlings. This stage needs to be given special attention, since the plant yield will depend on this. Seedlings need to be prepared in the first half of March, so that after 2 months it is already suitable for transplanting to a permanent place. This process consists of several phases, each of which requires special attention.
Substrate preparation
It can be purchased at a garden store or prepared with your own hands since the fall. A fertile soil mixture consists of the following components:
- garden or sod land - 1 part;
- peat with a pH of 6.5 - 2 parts;
- humus or mature sifted compost - 1 part;
- river or well washed sand - 1/2 part;
- superphosphate - 30-40 g;
- potassium sulfate or other potash fertilizer - 10-15 g;
- urea - 10 g.
If necessary, the acidity of peat can be reduced by adding 3-4 tbsp of soil mixture to a bucket. l dolomite flour or a glass of sifted wood ash.
To ensure good air access to the roots of future seedlings and improve their development, up to 20% of baking powder can be added to the substrate. These include:
- shredded dry sphagnum moss;
- coconut crumbs;
- vermiculitis;
- perlite;
- small sawdust of hardwood.
The substrate must be sieved and 1-1.5 weeks prior to sowing the seeds to be decontaminated in order to destroy fungal spores, pathogenic bacteria and weed seeds. You can do this in the following ways:
- hold for 10-15 minutes in an oven warmed up to 200ºC;
- warm for 1-2 minutes in a microwave oven with a power of 850 W;
- place in a container with drainage holes and pour in small portions boiling water or a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Preparing and planting seeds
For the purpose of disinfection, seed should be prepared in this way:
- Soak for several hours in warm water.
- Those seeds that float to the surface, catch and discard.
- Disinfect the remaining material with a weak potassium permanganate solution or growth stimulator, for example, Ecosil solution.
After preparation, the seeds must be planted in a substrate, following this instruction:
- Moisten the soil in drawers or cups.
- Seeds evenly placed on the surface and cover the soil with a layer of 1 cm.
- Spray the soil with spray water.
- Cover the landing with a transparent film to preserve moisture, and shift the container to a warm place (optimal temperature is + 24 ... + 26ºC).
It should be noted that the processing and planting of seeds can be done in an alternative way. The procedure is as follows:
- Prepare a plastic tape with a width of 20 cm and a length of 1-2 m.
- On top of the tape put a three-layer toilet paper.
- Dissolve 3-4 drops of the root growth stimulator in a cup and moisten toilet paper with this solution of a rubber bulb.
- Having retreated 10 cm from the beginning of the tape and 1 cm from its edge, put the seeds in a rad with indentations of 5-7 cm. In this case, the tape should be gradually rolled up, but not tight. To put on an elastic band on it for fixing. Prepare a few of these rolls.
- Transfer the blanks in a convenient container, cover with a bag and put in a warm place.
- When the sprouts hatch from the seeds (usually it will take several days), take the rolls, carefully unwrap them and at the same time fill all the toilet paper with seeds with 1-1.5 cm thick soil, and then wrap them again.
- Put the rolls with the earth in a box or box, the bottom of which must first be covered with sawdust. They will absorb excess moisture, which they will then give to the plant. Above the rolls, generously sprinkle with earth, so that each sprout gets it.
- Cover the landing with a bag and remove to heat. It will need to be periodically moistened. Otherwise, seedling care is standard.
Seedling Care
Growing seedlings consists of several agricultural techniques:
- With the advent of seedlings, shift the seedlings in a well-lit place and remove the film.
- As the top layer of the earth dries, moisten it with stagnant water. In addition, it is recommended to feed the seedlings (2 times with a liquid complex fertilizer intended for vegetable crops).
- After 1-1.5 weeks, when several leaves appear, perform a pick. Seedlings need to be abundantly watered, and after some time, together with a lump of earth, dive into individual containers, for example, in peat or plastic cups.
- At the end of April, 2 weeks before planting in the ground, harden seedlings in order to obtain in the future the most powerful and abundant fruiting bushes. So, seedlings need to be taken out onto the street or a loggia for 1.5-2 hours or to reduce the room temperature to 8 ° C.
Hardening seedlings should not be neglected, since it allows the plant to adapt more quickly to temperature changes.
Outdoor landing
Seedlings need to be transplanted into the open ground after the last spring frosts, in the second half of May, when it turns about 55-60 days. Landing is carried out in the following order:
- Add humus (1 bucket per 1 sq. M) and ash (1/2 liter per sq. M) to the soil. Dig a plot.
- To dig holes in the bed at a distance of 65-70 cm. Although the bushes are small, they need room for growth. The optimal distance between the rows is 40 cm. In general, landing patterns are different, but they are all in the range of 60-70x30-40 cm.
- Add a little superphosphate, borofoska or other fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium to the prepared pits.
- Transplant seedlings with an earthen lump into the holes and sprinkle with earth. After this, seedlings should be slightly deepened and well watered.
During the first 10 days, young seedlings can be covered with film or spanbond so that it adapts faster in the garden. Shelter can be removed in the morning and returned to the place at night.
Landing care
It consists in the following agricultural activities:
- Watering. It should be regular, but not redundant, since the soil cannot be over-moistened. It is advisable to organize drip irrigation by immersing 1 plastic bottle with holes in 2 bushes in the ground. Thus, the soil will always receive moisture. The gardener will only need to fill the bottles after water consumption.
- Mulching and hilling. During the period of active growth of seedlings, the earth around the bushes should be mulched with hay, sawdust or chopped weeds. Thanks to this, it is possible to weed it much less frequently. Mulch will create the necessary microclimate and will retain moisture in the soil, therefore, under the influence of an increase in temperature, all useful substances will go directly to the root system of the plant. Hilling should be done several times a season. The procedure stimulates the formation of additional roots, which will strengthen and strengthen the plant.
- Loosening, weeding. Loosening the ground is after rain, watering or applying liquid fertilizing, which will facilitate the access of fresh air to the root system. In this case, you need to weed the ground so that it does not overgrow with weeds.
- Garter. Mostly not required, however, during the period of active growth, the bushes can be tied to a peg with a soft cloth or light rope if desired.
- Top dressing. For the entire growth period, 3-4 dressings are carried out. 2 weeks after planting, fertilizer is applied - superphosphate, potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate. 2 weeks after this, the plant can be fed with one of these means:
- Infusion of mullein (bird droppings). Dilute the mullein with water in a ratio of 1: 4, leave it for at least 7 days, dilute it with water at the rate of 0.5 l of slurry per 10 l of water and use it to water the bushes, but in such a way that the water does not fall on the stems and leaves.
- Vegetable mash. Fill a 2/3 capacity with dandelion, nettle, celandine or sow thistle, and then add mint or valerian if desired. Grass must be harvested before seed formation begins, otherwise the beds will sprout quickly. Next, fill the raw materials with water and leave for 1-2 weeks. Dilute the finished infusion with water at the rate of 1 liter per 1.5 buckets of water and water the roots with it.
14 days after planting, seedlings should be fed with wood ash once every 2 weeks.
- Protection against diseases and insects. Prevention of the plant consists in competent pre-sowing preparation of seeds by treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate. In order to prevent the development of macrosporiosis, the base of the stems should be cleaned from excess growth in time.
Harvesting and storage
The apple tree of Russia is characterized by the simultaneous ripening of fruits, which can be removed both ripe and green, poured to the desired size. The release of the bush from part of the fruit stimulates the formation of new ovaries.
Green fruits are stored well and gradually reach maturity, while their taste is the same as that of tomatoes harvested in a ripened state. It is better to store tomatoes in plastic boxes with drainage holes, as they spoil less often and ripen quickly.
Thanks to the following video, you can make sure that the fruits collected in green form ripen and turn bright red:
Pros and cons
Among the advantages of the variety must be identified:
- early ripening;
- relatively high productivity;
- simplicity in leaving (bushes do not need to be tied up, pinching);
- resistance to most diseases and even adverse conditions;
- the universality of fruits that are not prone to cracking and are stored for a long time.
Tomato does not have any special drawbacks, however, some gardeners note that it can become infected with late blight or undergo pest attacks.
Tomato Yablonka of Russia is a variety for the lazy, the main care of which is regular watering and feeding. So, it is not necessary to pinch a plant. Harvested fruits can be consumed fresh or cooked.