If you want to get a rich harvest of sweet tomatoes with a rich taste, plant an “Irina” tomato on your plot

Tomato Irina f1 is one of the popular hybrids of domestic selection, created for cultivation in protected and unprotected soil. Unpretentiousness in care, abundant fruiting and wonderful taste allow the crop to remain among the favorites among large farmers and amateur gardeners. We will talk about the nuances of agricultural technology of this crop in the greenhouse and vegetable garden, its advantages and disadvantages.

Characteristics and description of the hybrid

Tomato Irina f1 is an early ripening hybrid created by biologists of the Scientific Research Center for Seed Breeding and Agricultural Technology under the leadership of Yu. I. Panchev. Included in the State Register of Russia in 2001. The crop is suitable for growing in protected and unprotected soil.

Determinate bushes reach a height of 1–1.2 m and require pinching and staking. The first inflorescence is formed above the 6-7 leaf, the subsequent ones - after 1-2 leaves.

In the photo - tomato Irina f1.

The distinctive features of the hybrid are presented in the table.

Growing seedlings

Hybrid Irina is grown by seedlings and then transferred to open or closed ground. Sowing work begins 50–60 days before planting in a permanent place.

Preparing the soil and sowing seeds

Hybrid seeds do not require disinfection, since they are processed before packaging. To accelerate germination and increase protective forces, the seed is soaked in stimulants (Epin Extra, Heteroauxin, Radifarm, Biostim, Kornevin) according to the instructions on the package.

To obtain strong seedlings, prepare a high-quality soil mixture:

• turf – 60%;
• humus – 30%;
• river sand – 10%.

Add to the bucket of soil:

• ammonium nitrate or carbonite – 20 g;
• superphosphate – 50 g;
• potassium sulfate – 20 g.

Before use, the soil is disinfected in an oven, microwave, double boiler, or poured with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Seeds are sown in moist soil in special cassettes, ordinary plastic trays or seedling boxes to a depth of 1.5–2 cm with an interval of 2 cm. The containers are covered with plastic wrap and placed in a dark, warm place. The optimal indoor air temperature is 25 °C. The shelter is raised daily to avoid the appearance of mold on the surface of the soil.

Care

After the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the containers are placed on the windowsill on the south side. The air temperature is reduced to 16 °C during the day and 14 °C at night. This is necessary for the sprouts to transition from nutrition from seed reserves to nutrition from minerals from the soil.

Young sprouts need sufficient light for normal growth and development. When there is a shortage of lighting, install phytolamps.The normal daylight hours are 16 hours.

To protect seedlings from stem and root rot, the drug “Previkur” is used. To prepare a 0.15% solution you will need 15 ml of product per 10 liters of water. The first treatment is carried out after removing the film cover, the next – a week before transplanting to a permanent place.

Seedlings are picked into individual cups made of plastic or peat at the stage of 2-3 true leaves.

Watering the seedlings is provided moderately, in the morning, 1-2 times a week with settled water.

2 weeks after picking, the seedlings are fed with a working solution based on nitroammophosphate (30 g per 10 liters of water). After feeding, the seedlings are watered with clean water to remove residual fertilizer. The second feeding is carried out 10 days before planting in the ground.

To increase resistance to late blight, Alternaria, brown spot, 5 days before planting, seedlings are treated with a 0.5% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Important! 2 weeks before transferring to a permanent place, the seedlings are taken out into fresh air for hardening for 30–60 minutes.

How to grow tomatoes

The agricultural technology of the hybrid Irina is standard. To obtain a high yield and prevent diseases, nightshade bushes are pinched, tied up, given abundant but not frequent watering, and fed with organic matter and mineral complexes.

Landing

Tomatoes prefer loose, fertile soil, so they prepare it in the fall. The beds are dug up, plant debris is removed and fertilized with humus - 10 liters per 1 m². In spring, the soil is loosened and fed with humus - 10 liters per 1 m².

Dig holes 15–20 cm deep in the beds, fill them with a hot concentrated solution of potassium permanganate, add a handful of ash and 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate.Seedlings are planted in the prepared holes at a distance of 40 cm. The gap between the rows is 80 cm. No more than 3-4 bushes are planted per 1 m² in a checkerboard pattern.

Care

Rules for caring for tomatoes:

1. The bushes are watered with warm, settled or rain water 1-2 times a week using the sprinkling method, in the morning, strictly at the root. The drip system allows watering at any time of the day.
2. Weeding and loosening are carried out once every 7 days.
3. The beds are covered with mulch (peat, straw, sawdust, pine needles) to retain moisture, reduce weed growth and prevent bacteria and fungi.
4. The lower yellowed leaves are regularly torn off.
5. Bushes are formed into 1–3 stems by pinching.
6. Stems and brushes with ovaries are tied to high stakes or trellises.

During the entire growth period of tomatoes feed 3-4 times with an interval of 2 weeks. Nitrogen is used for the first fertilizing, and mineral complexes for subsequent fertilizing.

Organic fertilizers based on mullein, chicken manure and wood ash are rich in nitrogen. They are used for root feeding:

• For 10 liters of water take 1 liter of mullein infusion, 1 liter of freshly cut grass infusion, a liter jar of ash;
• For 1 liter of water you will need 20 g of chicken manure, the volume of the solution is adjusted to 10 liters;
• 10 liters of water will require 500 g of ash; after 3 days, filter the infusion through cheesecloth and water the plants.

For subsequent fertilizing, ready-made fertilizers are used: “Kemira Lux”, “Bio Master”, “Solution”.

Options for mineral solutions (consumption per 1 m²):

• 20 g of superphosphate are infused for 24 hours in 1 liter of boiling water and a working solution of 10 liters is prepared;
• 10 g of diammofoska per 10 liters of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. nitroammophoska per 10 liters of water.

Features of cultivation

Experienced farmers advise forming bushes into 1 stem to obtain an early harvest.When molding into 2-3 stems, the ripening period increases.

Pruning and removing leaves is a mandatory rule for caring for a hybrid. Dense plantings delay the ripening period due to less light exposure of the fruits.

During the growing season, soil moisture is maintained at 70–80%, since the root system intensively absorbs moisture.

Diseases and pests

Tomato Irina is immune to tobacco mosaic virus, verticillium and fusarium, but susceptible cladosporiosis (brown spot). The disease is caused by the fungus Cladosporium fulvum Cooke. The pathogen spreads from bottom to top, affecting stems, leaves and fruits. First, small spots of light green or yellow appear on the front side of the leaves. As the process progresses, the spots turn brown and at the final stage become dark brown. The leaves curl up and rot.

At the first signs of cladosporiosis, tomato bushes are treated with fungicides “Bravo”, “NeoTek”, a solution of copper sulfate (1 tbsp per 10 l of water), colloidal sulfur (3 tbsp per 10 l of water).

Preventative measures will help prevent infection:

• compliance with crop rotation;
• ventilation of greenhouses;
• spring soil treatment with copper sulfate;
• indoor humidity level control;
• compliance with watering rules;
• soil mulching;
• removing the lower leaves so that they do not come into contact with the ground;
• periodic treatments (once every 2 weeks) with the preparations “Pseudobacterin-2”, “Integral”, “Fitosporin M”.

The hybrid rarely suffers from late blight, since early ripening plants do not have time to become infected. Preventive measures against cladosporiosis are also effective against late blight.

The most common pests that affect tomatoes are the Colorado potato beetle, whitefly and spider mite.Chemical agents help fight them: “Strela”, “Confidor”, “Flumite”, “Borneo”, “Iskra”, “Fitoverm”, “Decis Profi”, “Aktara”.

The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses

It is preferable to plant hybrid Irina on a plot on the south side, without drafts, both in the greenhouse and in the garden. The crop loves the sun, but in hot weather the bushes in an open area are shaded with a special mesh or agrofibre.

The best predecessors of tomatoes - radish, zucchini, white cabbage, dill, parsley, onion. It is recommended to avoid areas where tomatoes, eggplants and peppers were grown. Crops of one family greatly deplete the soil, so it takes at least 3 years to restore the mineral balance.

To accelerate the formation of ovaries and increase productivity, foliar treatments with phytohormones are carried out: “Kornevin”, “Epin Extra”, “Zircon”, “Ovary”, “Bud”. Plants are sprayed in the evening in calm weather. The solution is prepared on the day of treatment.

Harvesting and application

The fruits have a rich sweet taste. They contain about 3% sucrose and up to 6% dry matter. Tomatoes are characterized by their versatility in cooking: they are suitable for fresh consumption and the preparation of soups, sauces, tomato paste, juice, snacks, vegetable caviar, lecho, adjika. Thin but dense skin does not crack during heat treatment, which allows preserve tomatoes in hot marinade.

The harvested crop tolerates transportation well over long distances, retains its taste and marketable appearance.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of a hybrid:

• high productivity;
• early ripeness;
• immunity to nightshade diseases;
• large fruit;
• high level of transportability;
• long fruiting;
• ability to set fruit under unfavorable weather conditions;
• pleasant taste and aroma.

The disadvantage is the need to mold and tie up the bushes.

Reviews

There are mostly positive reviews about the Irina f1 hybrid. Gardeners note high yields, ease of care and excellent taste.

Julia, Shakhty: «I grow about 6 hybrids in a greenhouse for sale, including the Irina tomato. The culture is liked for its extraordinary productivity, early ripening, and resistance to most diseases. My tomatoes rarely suffer from late blight and brown spot because I spend a lot of time on preventive treatments.”

Igor, Starodub: “I recently became acquainted with this variety of tomatoes. I was looking for suitable seeds for open ground. I really liked the tomato, it feels good in the garden, ripens early, and rarely gets sick. I water it generously at the root once a week. Feed with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The tomatoes have an excellent taste, are juicy and aromatic, and are suitable for rolling into a jar.”

Conclusion

Tomato Irina f1 is a high-yielding hybrid with good immunity and resistance to cold. The crop is suitable for cultivation in all regions of Russia in protected and unprotected soil.

Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology (abundant watering, fertilizing, pinching, preventive treatments against fungi and insects) makes it possible to harvest up to 18 kg of selected tomatoes from 1 m². Extended fruiting allows you to enjoy sweet fruits for a long time.