How to grow a “Persimmon” tomato on your plot - tricks and useful tips from experienced gardeners

The Persimmon tomato variety got its name due to its external resemblance to the fruit of the same name. Its fruits look like “sunballs”, which not only delight with their appearance, but also have a wonderful dessert taste and aroma.

This young one variety gained popularity and love among gardeners. Read a detailed overview of its varietal characteristics.

Characteristics and description of the variety

Tomatoes of the Persimmon variety are mid-season varieties. The first fruits ripen 110-115 days after seed germination. The variety is determinate, the plant grows from 70 to 100 centimeters. The bush is strong with abundant bright green foliage, the stem is powerful.

Important! When purchasing seeds, please note that plant height varies from different manufacturers from 60-70 cm to 120-150 cm.

Distinctive features

Distinctive features of the Persimmon variety:

• bright honey-orange color of ripe tomatoes;
• the fruits are sweet, fleshy, the pulp is juicy;
• The first tomatoes are very large.

Description of fruits and yield

The fruits owe their bright golden-orange color to their high beta-carotene content. Due to the low content of organic acids, tomato has a sweet taste. The fruit is tender and fleshy due to the multi-chamber structure of the pulp. There are from 4 to 8 seed chambers on the cut.

First the fruits grow large. Cases of fruits reaching weights of more than 500 g have been recorded.On subsequent bunches, the weight of the tomatoes evens out and averages 150-250 g.

The Persimmon variety has a high degree of fruit set. The brushes have a simple structure and form three to five tomatoes.

How to grow seedlings

Growing healthy and strong seedlings is extremely important, since the future health and productivity of the plant depends on it. Let's consider the features of cultivation at the initial stage.

Seed preparation

To make the seeds germinate faster, soak them. Before planting, cover the seeds with warm water and leave for 1-2 hours. Seeds that float are unsuitable for planting. The rest can be safely used.

Advice. It is useful to add a little potassium permanganate to the water when soaking. This will disinfect the seeds and avoid the development of diseases in the future.

Promotes resilience to various diseases soaking in growth stimulants (for example, “Baikal”, “Epin Extra”, “Zircon”).

Container and soil

Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic, closer to neutral soil of 5-6 pH.

For planting, use ready-made universal substrates or prepare the mixture yourself: mix sand, peat and soil in equal proportions. The disinfection mixture prepared independently is calcined in the oven and spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate.

In the process of growing seedlings, you will need two types of containers:

• a low container or box for planting seeds for germination. For these purposes, ordinary food containers or a wooden box covered with film are suitable. Don't forget to provide drainage holes;
• individual containers for growing plants after picking. Hardware stores offer a large assortment of ready-made containers for growing.Or use food-grade plastic cups and other containers convenient for you.

Sowing

Sowing of seeds is carried out 50-60 days before the plant is supposed to be planted in the ground or greenhouse. The seeds are placed in moist soil to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. To reduce moisture evaporation, the container is covered with film.

After the first seeds germinate, the film is removed. The optimal temperature for keeping sprouts varies in the range of 20-24 degrees.

Growing and care

After 1-2 leaves have opened on the sprouts (after about 15-20 days), the seedlings are picked. The seedling is buried in the ground up to the cotyledon leaves. A few days after transplantation, when the plant adapts a little to the new conditions, the night temperature is gradually reduced to +18 degrees.

Water the seedlings moderately, in the morning, with lukewarm water. Excess moisture is dangerous for the plant by developing diseases.

Once every 2-3 weeks, fertilize with potassium and phosphorus.

How to grow tomatoes

At the age of 60-65 days, the seedlings are ready to “move” to a permanent place of growth. By this time, 5-7 leaves will have opened on the plants.

Landing

A few days before planting, the soil is spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. This is required to disinfect the soil from potential bacteria and pests. No more than 3-4 plants are planted per square meter. The optimal distance between bushes is 45-60 cm.

For planting seedlings, the trench or hole method is used.

Trench method

A trench is dug along the bed, into which the plants are laid lying down. Then the trench is covered with earth and watered well. With this planting, the stem is significantly deepened, due to which the plant forms a large number of additional roots.

On a note. Don't worry that the top of the plant is tilted to the side when planted this way. As soon as the tomato begins to grow, the direction of the crown will be completely straightened.

Pit method

With the hole planting method, an individual hole is prepared for each plant. A handful of humus or humus is added to the bottom of the hole and filled with 1-2 liters of water. After all the water has been absorbed, the plant is placed in the planting hole, covered with soil and compacted well.

After planting, no watering is required for 7-10 days. The moisture added at the time of planting will be sufficient for the plant. During this time, the root system will strengthen and go deep into the soil.

Plant care

Yellow tomato variety Persimmon requires standard care procedures: watering, loosening and fertilizing. Let's take a closer look at each stage.

Watering

All nightshades, and the Persimmon variety is no exception, love sun and dry air. Over-wetting the roots is unacceptable, as this often leads to the development of putrefactive and fungal infections.

Water tomatoes preferably in the morning, then during the day the soil will have time to dry out a little and the roots will absorb water. As a result, the roots will not be overcooled at night, and the plant’s overall immunity will be higher.

Abundant watering 1-2 times a week will be enough. If the tomatoes are connected to a drip irrigation system, then daily watering in small portions is set up.

Weeding and loosening

Timely weeding and loosening of the soil improves oxygen access to the roots of the plant. Removing weeds helps control pests.

Do not allow a hard crust to form on the surface of the soil, as it will scratch the stem. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the plant through damage.

Keeping the surface layer of soil around the tomato clean and tidy will guarantee the health of the plant and, as a result, a good harvest in the future.

Shaping the bush, pinching and gartering

Since the variety is determinate, it is optimal to form the bush into two or three stems to increase productivity. To do this, 1-2 lower stepsons are left on the main stem. The remaining stepsons are removed.

Due to the large fruits and tall stem, the bush requires garter. Gardeners use several methods to support long branches. The stems are tied:

• to an individual support installed at a distance of 10 cm from the trunk;
• to the trellis installed along the tomato bed;
• to the greenhouse guides.

The branches are tied with both special clips and ordinary nylon or jute twine. It is important to leave a small space of 2-3 cm around the stem so that the rope does not pinch the branches as it grows.

Top dressing

A hybrid with large tomatoes especially needs regular feeding with mineral and organic fertilizers. The plant needs nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

Humus, vermicompost or peat compost are considered the best for spring application. Excessive addition of fresh manure and nitrogen fertilizers will promote rapid growth of green mass and slow down fruiting.

Depending on the growth phase, a tomato requires different doses of minerals. For 10 liters of water add:

If the green mass grows too intensively, the amount of ammonium nitrate is reduced.In order for the plant to begin to bear fruit faster, the dosage of potassium and phosphorus (superphosphate) is increased.

Important! To avoid burning the roots, the plant must be watered immediately after fertilizing.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

The manufacturer does not claim increased resistance to disease, but proper agricultural technology will allow you to grow a healthy plant and get a good harvest.

If the plant is strong, feel free to leave the 2 lower stepsons; if it develops poorly, then no more than one.

Diseases and pests

Most often, plants begin to get sick when mistakes are made in agricultural technology.

The main reasons for the development of diseases:

• dense plantings;
• waterlogging of the earthen coma;
• lack of oxygen at the roots;
• air humidity above 60%;
• lack of minerals.

Fungicides of chemical or biological origin are used to treat bacterial infections. Chemical fungicides include: “Bordeaux mixture”, “Ridomil”; for biological ones: “Fitosporin”, “Ecosil”.

To prevent insect attacks, plants are sprayed with tincture of chamomile, celandine or garlic. Aphids are washed off with soapy water.

To prevent late blight, starting in August, it is advisable to spray tomatoes once a week with phytosporin or another fungicide of your choice.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

In open ground, the plant grows up to 70 cm. When grown in typical shelters, the stems develop better and the length is 90-100 cm. Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse in mid-May, and in open ground in early June, when the likelihood of night frosts subsides.

Harvesting and application

At the end of July - beginning of August, the first fruits begin to ripen.Then the bush bears fruit steadily until the onset of cold weather. The yield of the variety is 5.8 kg of tomatoes per square meter of planting.

Persimmon tomatoes are for salad purposes. The taste benefits of the variety will be most successfully revealed in fresh salads, cold appetizers and juices.

Tomatoes are not suitable for long-term storage.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages of the variety:

• bright golden honey color;
• juicy pulp with a multi-chamber structure;
• sweet taste;
• high productivity.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• average resistance to diseases;
• uneven fruit size (the first fruits are larger than the subsequent ones);
• short shelf life.

Farmer reviews

Studying reviews and photos of gardeners who grew Persimmon tomato confirms compliance with the description of the variety. All reviews noted the high taste of tomatoes. Among the disadvantages of the variety, it is noted that ripe fruits are poorly stored and do not withstand long-term transportation.

Conclusion

Tomatoes of the Persimmon variety hit the market only in 2009, but despite its youth, the variety has already won the respect and love of gardeners. The main value of the variety lies in its excellent taste. It more than pays for all the difficulties of growing a tomato, and the plant will thank you for good care with a generous harvest.