It will give a late harvest, but will live up to expectations - the “Andreevsky Surprise” tomato
Tomato is a popular vegetable crop that has excellent taste and is relatively easy to grow. Both adults and children love tomatoes, and most importantly, this product is good for the body. Every summer resident wants to grow large and fleshy tomatoes in his garden. For this purpose, the Andreevsky Surprise tomato variety is ideal for vegetable growers. The quality of vegetables is always at a high level, and the agricultural technology of this crop does not require much effort.
Description of the variety
The late-ripening tomato variety Andreevsky Surprise was bred by Siberian breeders. This means that it is also cultivated in regions with cool climates. In 2007, the tomato was included in the state register of the Russian Federation. The vegetable is grown both in greenhouses and in open ground. In the southern regions of Russia, tomatoes bear fruit well in open beds; in other regions, St. Andrew's surprise is cultivated in greenhouse conditions.
The variety belongs to indeterminate type of plant, that is, unlimited in growth. The bushes grow up to 2 m in height. The leaves are medium sized and dark green in color. Every 3 leaves the culture forms inflorescences. The plant is self-pollinating, but cross-pollination of flowers by insects or wind is also possible. After the formation of 8-9 sheets, the first brush appears. Fruit ripening occurs gradually, starting from the lower clusters. The peduncle has an articulation. The variety needs stepsoning And garter to a trellis or peg.
Distinctive features
The tomato variety Andreevsky Surprise is not characterized by high yield, but has large fruit sizes, while the quality of the tomatoes remains high. Vegetables ripen well on their own in a dark and warm place.
Fruit characteristics and yield
The fruits have excellent taste. Tomato Andreevsky surprise has the following characteristics:
- fruits are round-flat, smooth, of medium density;
- the color of the skin and pulp of ripe tomatoes is deep pink;
- the pulp is juicy and dense, multi-chambered;
- the weight of one fruit reaches from 300 to 500 g, but sometimes tomatoes grow up to 1 kg;
- tomatoes are tasty, sweet;
- The vegetable is universal in use.
From 1 sq. m harvest from 4 to 8 kg of crop. When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse under all agrotechnical conditions, the yield reaches a maximum. When cultivating tomatoes in open ground, fruiting rates are reduced due to the unstable climate. The tomatoes ripen together. Fruiting occurs in the second half of July. The last harvest of tomatoes is carried out in the third ten days of August.
Did you know? Tomatoes were known to Europeans already from the mid-16th century, but they began to be eaten only at the end of the 18th century. Before this, tomato bushes were grown exclusively as ornamental plants, and their fruits were considered poisonous. As early as 1774, gardening manuals warned that tomatoes would drive those who ate them crazy. Perhaps they were not so far from the truth: a delicious juicy tomato, if it does not drive a true gourmet crazy, will certainly delight!
How to grow seedlings
The most reliable method of cultivating tomato crops is seedlings. Vegetable growers sow seeds in early to mid-March.They focus on the time when, when planting tomatoes in a permanent place, night frosts will pass irrevocably. Seedlings are grown for about two months.
Seed preparation
Seeds purchased from a specialized gardening store do not require processing. Disinfection is carried out by the manufacturer, which is indicated on the packaging of grains. If the seed material was purchased secondhand or collected from your own harvest, the grains are disinfected. To do this, keep the seeds for 20-30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.
Container and soil
The following containers are used for growing seedlings:
- polypropylene or plastic cups;
- plastic or wooden boxes of any size;
- special purchased containers with cells;
- peat cups or tablets.
They also use containers from improvised materials, for example, cut-off bottles or milk cartons. The best option is peat tablets or cups, as they contain a very nutritious soil mixture. Another advantage of such products is convenient transplantation. When diving, it is enough to simply move the tablet into a large container. Over time, the peat walls become limp and dissolve in the soil. In this case, the root system is not damaged, and the plant itself does not experience stress when conditions change.
Use purchased soil or prepare it yourself by mixing manure, neutral peat, sand and soil from the garden in a ratio of 1:1:1:3.
The soil must be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Soil disinfection is carried out 1-2 days before sowing. After the procedure, bacteria useful for the growth of the culture begin to develop in the soil.
Sowing
Planting seeds for seedlings is done as follows:
- a drainage layer (small pebbles or river sand) is poured onto the bottom of the container;
- the prepared soil mixture is placed in the container;
- several parallel grooves 2 cm deep are made on the soil surface, and the distance between them is 3-4 cm;
- the seeds are planted in grooves at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.
The container is covered with transparent glass or polyethylene. So seeds create a suitable microclimate. The container is ventilated once a day.
Growing and care
After 3-4 days at a temperature of +25 °C, the first tomato sprouts appear. The crop does well without additional lighting, so the container with seedlings is simply placed on the windowsill.
For your information. After removing the film, the soil dries out much faster, therefore, tomato seedlings are moistened as the soil dries out and the optimal temperature regime is maintained (+25°C).
At the time when the seedlings have 2 true leaves, the plants are planted into separate containers. In order not to delay the further development of tomatoes, experienced vegetable growers do the following:
- when transplanting, the plants are buried almost to the cotyledon leaves, so the bushes will begin to form new roots;
- to protect plants from fungal diseases, the roots of seedlings are disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate;
- 10 days after transplantation, the plants are given the first fertilizing.
Further fertilizers are carried out at intervals of every 7-10 days. Mullein infusion is used as a top dressing. Tomato seedlings are also hardened off. Two weeks before the intended planting, the plants are taken out onto the street or balcony for 1-2 hours. The time spent by tomatoes in the fresh air is gradually increased.
How to grow tomatoes
Proper cultivation of Andreevsky Surprise tomatoes consists of timely moistening, loosening the soil and periodically weeding the beds from weeds. Although the crop has good disease resistance, gardeners still treat the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Landing
If flower clusters begin to appear on the seedlings, it means that it is time to transplant the plants into open ground or into a greenhouse no later than two weeks later. Violation of these deadlines will lead to a slowdown in crop growth, which will result in a subsequent reduction in yield.
If it is not possible to transplant the tomatoes during this period, the flower cluster that appears is pinched off. So the planting dates are postponed for another week. Tomatoes planted on time will produce their first harvest within two months after transplanting to a permanent location.
Since the plants are tall, the height of the greenhouse must correspond to the height of the tomatoes (at least 2 m). The soil is warmed up well before planting tomatoes. Manure is spread evenly on it, which is covered with 15 cm of soil. A small layer of wood ash is placed between the manure and the soil.
Tomatoes are planted in open ground or in a greenhouse according to the following rules:
- 60 cm are left between plants, and 40 between rows;
- If possible, tomatoes are transplanted in cloudy weather, in the late afternoon;
- install a trellis or pegs in advance so that tall stems are more stable and do not break from strong winds.
Care
The Andreevsky Surprise variety is cared for in the standard way, like all tomatoes. To ripen the fruits, tomatoes are regularly moistened and fertilized.
Plant care:
- Water the tomatoes at the root (10 liters per bush once a week).
- Feed the crop every 3 weeks.Mineral fertilizers are alternated with organic ones, and for faster fruit ripening, potash fertilizers are applied.
- The soil around the bushes is loosened and weeds are removed at the same time.
Since the Andreevsky Surprise tomato variety is indeterminate, the bushes must be formed correctly. All stepsons are removed from the plant, and then it is brought into 1-2 stems.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Both in open ground and in a greenhouse, tomatoes are tied to a trellis, but not too tightly. Otherwise, the plant will die. If the crop grows in a greenhouse, it must be ventilated by opening two opposite windows or doors.
Diseases and pests
Although the Andreevsky Surprise tomato variety has strong immunity, under unfavorable conditions or improper care there is a risk of plant disease. Therefore, prevention is needed.
Mosaic – a viral disease that manifests itself as yellow spots on the leaves and their subsequent deformation. For sowing tomatoes, whenever possible, use seeds that are 3-4 years old. Before planting, the grains are disinfected for 20-30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Every 10 days, seedlings are treated with skim milk (1 liter of milk and 1 teaspoon of urea are dissolved in 10 liters of water). Sick plants are removed.
Late blight - fungal disease. It covers the leaves with brown spots, which gradually spread to the fruits. To prevent and treat the disease, plants are sprayed with iodine solution (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water) or calcium nitrate solution (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water). The drug "Profit Gold" is also used.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
Plants bear fruit on almost any soil, but crop rotation plays an important role. Good predecessors for tomatoes:
The crop is not grown after tomatoes, potatoes and other nightshades earlier than 3-4 years. Otherwise, the soil becomes a potential carrier of various infections and pest larvae.
Important! Before planting tomatoes, the soil is fertilized with green manure. To do this, in the fall, the area is sown with leguminous grasses (sainfoin, alfalfa, clover, etc.), which are mowed and plowed into the soil 5-8 cm 2 weeks before planting.
Harvesting and application
Tomatoes are harvested as the fruits ripen. In greenhouse conditions, fruiting begins in July. Tomatoes are harvested in 3-4 batches, in the morning or evening hours, when the sun is not shining.
Tomatoes are great for summer salads and fresh dishes. They retain their flavor remarkably well in pickles. Tomatoes of this variety produce light and aromatic tomato juice.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Positive aspects of the Andreevsky Surprise tomato variety:
- undemanding to growing conditions;
- excellent taste of the fruit;
- good disease resistance;
- the possibility of growing crops in the northern regions;
- independent ripening of fruits picked from the bush;
- large size vegetables;
- high sugar content.
Disadvantages of the variety:
- low yield;
- cracking of fruits due to excessive moisture;
- short shelf life (no more than 2 weeks);
- the need for pinching (shoots are formed throughout the season);
- poor transportability.
Farmer reviews
The Andreevsky Surprise tomato variety, according to reviews from vegetable growers, is successfully used both for processing and for preparing salads. Let's find out some opinions of summer residents.
Sergey, Izhevsk: “A couple of years ago I saw large tomatoes in a neighbor’s garden. I consulted with him and purchased tomato seeds Andreevsky Surprise. I grew the plant in seedlings, then transplanted it into open ground. The bushes grew powerful and tall; there were not many fruits on them, but they were very tasty. The largest vegetables grew on the lower branches. I haven’t decided yet whether to plant this variety next season or not.”
Tamara, Rostov-on-Don: “I’ve been growing tomatoes for 10 years in a row, they are my favorite vegetable in the garden. I always plant several varieties at the same time. During this time, I collected several decent types of tomatoes. One of them is St. Andrew's surprise. The fruits grow very large, as in the photo of the package with seeds, and at the same time do not lose their taste. I make salads from these magnificent vegetables and process them to preserve juice for the winter.”
Conclusion
St. Andrew's surprise pleases vegetable growers with large fruits and excellent taste. The variety is unpretentious in care and takes root well in various conditions. In addition, the culture has strong immunity to most diseases, which greatly simplifies the cultivation of this popular vegetable.