The Khokhloma tomato variety of the agricultural firm Gavrish was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2004. According to the characteristics and description, it is intended for indoor cultivation in vegetable gardens and farms.
Characteristics and description of the tomato variety Khokhloma
The variety is not hybrid, mid-season with fruit ripening after 115-120 days after shoots. The plant is indeterminate, tall with the length of the main stem up to 2 m. A garter and the formation of a bush with the removal of stepchildren are required. The best results are obtained by the development of a tomato bush in one and two stems.
Leaves are simple, medium, dark green in color. The initial inflorescence appears above the eighth leaf, then every three leaves. Up to 11 tomatoes grow on the brush, they do not fall off.
Elongated fruits 12-17 cm, smooth, cylindrical. Ripe tomatoes have an intense red color. Weight from 100 to 150 grams... The skin is thick. The pulp is firm, not watery.
Tomatoes are universal, suitable for fresh salad consumption and for preservation, they are easy to put in jars. Registered marketable yield 8-10 kg from 1 m2.
In the garden plots, the Khokhloma tomato is grown in greenhouses; it can be cultivated in open ground in the southern regions with a mild climate.
Pros and cons
The advantages of the variety include:
- high yield in small areas, subject to agrotechnical rules;
- long-term fruiting throughout the season;
- pleasant taste;
- resistance to mosaic disease, late blight, fusarium, cladosporium, many viruses;
- unique ability to long-term storage without loss of presentation and taste;
- transportability.
The controversial shortcomings of Khokhloma include increased density, thick skin and irregular fruit. It is impossible to make juice from such tomatoes. On the other hand, with whole-fruit canning, these "disadvantages" turn into positive qualities.
Growing requirements
According to the rules of crop rotation, the best predecessors for tomatoes are carrots, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, dill, parsley.
Khokhloma is grown in a greenhouse. It is possible in the open field, but the yield will be much lower.
Since the variety is tall, the greenhouse must be of sufficient height. For a garter, it is better to use a trellis net.
In order to get the harvest in July, the seeds need to be sown in the beginning of March... The seeds of the Gavrish company have a high germination rate, up to 98.
The growing algorithm is as follows:
- We sow the etched seeds on seedlings in moist, light, nutritious soil to a depth of 20 mm. Seedling care is thinning, watering and feeding... We maintain the required temperature.
- We dive when the first true leaf appears in separate containers.
- Preliminary soil preparation includes digging with the introduction of a sufficient amount of humus, complex mineral fertilizers, and ash.
- We plant aged seedlings 54-60 days for a permanent place according to the scheme 40 * 70 cm, 3-4 pieces per 1 m2. We plant in April in greenhouses, and in May in open ground, when a favorable temperature regime is established and the soil warms up to + 14 degrees.
- For a high yield plant we form in one stem... We remove 3-4 cm long stepsons every 7-10 days. We tie the plants on vertical trellises.
- We remove the lower leaves under the first brush, one every week, so as not to take food from ripening fruits and collect disease spores from the soil.
- Further care traditionally consists of regular procedures for loosening the soil, watering, weeding, fertilizing and mulching.
As top dressing use infusion of mullein, bird droppings, mineral fertilizers and trace elements according to the norms in accordance with agrotechnical rules.
During the ripening period, tomatoes are responsive to mineral fertilizing with potassium content. Nitrogen during this period provokes excessive development of green mass to the detriment of the crop. Therefore, it will be erroneous to apply abundant organic matter. In addition to the harmful effects of nitrogen, organic matter contributes to the development of diseases.
Disease prevention
Khokhloma tomato is considered a variety with immunity to diseases and pests.
It should be remembered about the rules of agricultural technology and crop rotation. To avoid diseases will help:
- loosening the soil;
- timely weeding;
- watering with settled water.
Tomatoes love abundant but rare watering... During the fruiting period, you should not abuse nitrogen fertilizers and apply fresh manure.
But also preventive measures will not interfere, they are as follows:
- you need to process seedlings with 0.5% Bordeaux mixture before planting;
- 3 weeks before harvesting the fruits of the plant, disinfect with a solution of 4 g of copper sulfate per 1 liter of water;
- periodically add ash around the bushes.
Harvesting and storage
Frozen tomatoes not suitable for storage, they deteriorate immediately.
Harvesting must be carried out at an air temperature of at least +8 degrees. To collect fruits for long-term storage, we choose a fine day. Do not collect after rain.
For storage, you need to collect small fruits, dense, no damage... They should be brown or milky.
In special plastic or wooden boxes for vegetables, put the tomatoes on the paper with the stalks up, sprinkle with sawdust. Place the boxes on top of each other in a dark, cool room with a humidity above 80%. The room must be ventilated.
It is good if it is possible to divide the tomatoes according to the degree of ripeness. If you store red fruits at a temperature of +1 degrees, brown - at a temperature of +4 degrees, and green at +10, the shelf life will increase by 2 months.
Under these conditions, tomatoes ripen slowly. Their taste and biological composition will not differ from the fruits ripened on the vine.
Tomato Khokhloma belongs to well-stored varieties that have an oval shape and small-seeded chambers, as well as a dense structure. With proper storage, tomatoes can be saved until winter.
Each gardener chooses his variety through trial and error. If you like long, dense tomatoes, look at the Khokhloma tomatoes. They have the advantage of getting early fruits, and convenient preservation, and simple care. It is not for nothing that this variety was called “tomatoes for the lazy”.