Anyone who loves small tomatoes will be intrigued by this short variety. The rocket tomato is characterized by unpretentiousness in care and resistance to diseases. It can be grown not only in greenhouse conditions and unprotected soil, but also on the balcony of a city apartment. A description of the characteristics of this variety, as well as the rules of cultivation, will help you decide on the choice in favor of the rocket tomato.
Description and characteristics of tomato rocket
The culture is mid-season, owes its origin to Soviet breeding specialists, is distinguished by a large number of advantages that make it very popular. Harvesting can be done four months after planting the bushes.
The plant is determinate, the bushes do not exceed forty-five centimeters in height. Aboveground part of medium branching, with shortened internodes, which makes it possible to plant the plant tightly, in limited areas.
The foliage is smallish, dark green in color, the fruit brushes are simple, form from four to six tomatoes. The fruits are elongated plum-shaped, red (or yellow), weighing from thirty-five to sixty grams. They are versatile in use, they can perfectly ripen in a warm, dark room. They ripen together and are transported without any problems.
Tomato perfectly resists the formation of rot.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The positive qualities include:
- low growth of culture;
- resistance to damage by various types of rot;
- excellent keeping quality and transportability;
- high productivity;
- the possibility of mechanized harvesting;
- slow overripening of ripe fruits.
With all the advantages, there are some negative signs:
- the ability of the fruit to crack;
- the capriciousness of the culture to irrigation and feeding.
Soil requirements for planting
In order to grow good seedlings, it is necessary to prepare a soil mixture of peat, sand and humus. And for transplanting a culture, they select a place for beds, characterized by fertile soil filled with rotted organic matter and mineral fertilizers, among which potash predominates. Naturally, the beds should be well lit by the sun and protected from strong winds.
Insufficient watering or untimely feeding of seedlings will cause the death of the shoots.
Sowing rules
This is done by the end of March. The seeding depth should be one to two centimeters. One of the prerequisites is drainage in the planting tanks. Holes should be made in the pots to drain excess moisture, and expanded clay stone should be laid on the bottom.
The picking of the seedlings is performed after the appearance of two to three leaves.
Transplanting a tomato into open ground
Seedlings can be transferred to a prepared greenhouse in early May. Transplanting to the beds is carried out in late spring - early summer season, when the threat of night frosts has completely passed.
The variety is capable of developing rapidly at the initial stage, so that it can be transplanted into the ground already with inflorescences.
The landing pattern is "forty by fifty" centimeters. The variety is undersized, so seven to eight bushes can be easily cultivated on one square meter. Before planting, three to four liters of water are poured into each hole.
Bush care after transplant
During the first week, tomato bushes should not be watered. Then they begin to irrigate two to three times a week, giving twenty to thirty liters of moisture per square of land. When the flower ovary appears, the amount of moisture must be reduced to two liters per week per bush. But during the formation of fruits and their filling, the water norm is increased to five liters per plant. If the weather conditions are humid enough, no watering is carried out to avoid cracking the fruit.
To accelerate the appearance of fruits and their ripening, foliar feeding should be performed. To do this, use the acquired chemical and biological compounds or prepare a mixture based on superphosphate on their own. Lagging plants are fed with mullein, diluted with water in a ratio of "one to ten".
It is prohibited to use fresh manure!
The need for fertilizers can be determined by a number of signs:
- twisted leaves - little moisture or nitrogen;
- yellow foliage - excess phosphorus;
- drying out of the bush, variegated tomatoes - lack of potassium.
In addition, to speed up the ripening process of tomatoes, the lower foliage and shoots should be removed. This measure also improves ventilation of the lower part of the plants, prevents the appearance of fungal diseases.
The soil in the beds should be periodically loosened, weeds should be removed. You can slightly poke the bushes so that they can form additional roots. Watering and feeding the plants should be in the evening so that the foliage does not get sunburned.
Diseases and their prevention
The main enemy is late blight. It is better to prevent it than to fight with it. If tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants with peppers grew on the site before, then in order to avoid disease, the old tops should be burned back in the fall. The beds are treated with a special Fitosporin solution. Seed material is recommended to be used from healthy crops, having previously treated them with a manganese solution or another preparation.
Colorado beetles with slugs also create problems. The beetles are collected, the larvae are destroyed, the plants are powdered with wood ash, corn flour and other dry substances. If the planting areas are large, then chemical treatment will have to be performed. The fight against slugs is the same. If a bear appears, apply chemicals or arrange deeply buried sides around the garden.
Harvesting and storage rules
Ripe fruits can be harvested in late August - early September. Tomatoes are used for preservation and pickling; they are used for preparing salads. Fresh ripe tomatoes can last long enough, even for this reason, many are grown commercially.
If you approach the cultivation of this crop wisely, then it will always delight you with its rich harvests. The main requirement is compliance with all the rules of care.