Tomato variety “Strawberry Tree” - Siberian disease resistance and high yield

Modern selection never ceases to delight gardeners with new varieties of tomatoes. Plant seeds with fruits of the most unusual shapes and colors come to markets. Black, pink, yellow, green, purple and brown berries will no longer surprise anyone. Tomatoes whose bushes resemble a tree look more exotic.

These include the Strawberry Tree tomato. The plant itself looks unusual and decorative. Its heart-shaped fruits resemble large strawberries. They are formed by brushes. Is such a tomato attractive only because of its beautiful appearance? Read on.

General description of Strawberry Tree

Strawberry tree is a tomato variety bred by domestic breeders. The originator is considered to be the Siberian agricultural company “Siberian Garden”. The variety was included in the “Siberiada” series.

The Strawberry Tree was added to the State Register in 2013. Since then, the variety has gained popularity among gardeners around the world.

Note! Seeds taken from the fruits of the Strawberry tree ripened on the bush are used for planting. Planting material is collected together with the pericarp, then washed, dried with a paper towel and stored in fabric bags.

The variety got its name because of the unusual shape of the fruits and bushes. The plant really resembles a tree covered with large strawberries.

Red tomatoes contain a lot of lycopene. This is a strong antioxidant that the human body does not produce on its own.

Tomatoes help remove waste, toxins and free radicals from the body, as well as cleanse the cardiovascular system. Contained in red berries is also serotonin. It helps improve mood.

Main characteristics

The strawberry tree is a varietal tomato, but in terms of parameters it is in no way inferior to hybrids.

Characteristics and description of the Strawberry Tree tomato variety:

Pros and cons of the variety

The strawberry tree has many advantages. It is thanks to them that he is so popular:

• decorative type of plant;
• beautiful and tasty fruits;
• high immunity to tomato diseases;
• high productivity;
• resistance to temperature changes;
• the ability to use seeds from your own harvest for planting.

The disadvantages include the need for gartering and pinching. Tomatoes also crack due to lack of watering.

Rules of agricultural technology

The strawberry tree is recommended for cultivation in a greenhouse. In regions with warm climates, it is successfully grown in open ground.

For mid-season tomatoes in our country, only the seedling method of growing is suitable. Otherwise, the tomatoes simply won’t have time to ripen.

Seeds are sown for seedlings in March. The colder it is in the region, the later they begin to grow seedlings.

Plants are transplanted to a permanent place 55–60 days after sowing the seeds. If you do this later, the risks will increase that the seedlings will not take root after picking or the harvest will be low.

Growing seedlings

Before purchasing, it is important to check the expiration dates of the seeds.Expired planting material has low germination rate.

Tomato seeds are pre-treated. This prevents plant infection, increases their endurance, and accelerates germination:

1. Checking planting material for ability to germinate. To do this, soak it in a glass of water with a spoon of salt. After half an hour, the floating specimens are collected and thrown away, and those that have sunk to the bottom are washed under running water and used for planting.
2. Disinfection. The seeds are soaked for 30 minutes. in a solution of potassium permanganate, for 15 minutes. in hydrogen peroxide or for 12 hours in a soda solution. Then rinse under running water.
3. Stimulation of growth. The seeds are soaked in Epin, Sodium Humate or Zircon. Instead of store-bought preparations, some gardeners use a solution prepared from a teaspoon of honey and a glass of warm water.

Treated seeds are sown in large boxes or trays. Before sowing seeds, containers are also treated by soaking them for half an hour in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

The soil for tomatoes should be light and nutritious. There are several options for soil mixtures:

• peat and sand in equal proportions;
• chernozem, sawdust and humus in equal proportions;
• black soil and river sand in equal proportions.

The soil is also treated - watered with boiling water or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. Another option is to bake the earth in the oven.

Soil is poured into the container so that there are 2 free centimeters left to the edge. Moisten with warm, settled water. Seeds are laid out in rows. There should be a distance of at least 2 cm between specimens. Planting material is sprinkled with a centimeter layer of soil.

The containers with seeds are covered with film and placed in a warm place.Before the seeds germinate, periodically open the film and spray the soil as it dries.

Within a week after the first shoots appear, the sprouts should be under the film. Every day it is opened slightly for 1 hour for ventilation.

Then the tomatoes are moved to a cool room. They stay there for a week, after which they return to the warmth.

The seedlings located in a common box are carefully watered at the root using a pipette or syringe. It is important that the soil does not dry out, but is not too wet. Otherwise, fragile plants will die.

After real leaves appear on the tomatoes, they are picked into separate containers. It is most convenient to use peat pots, which do not have to be removed when planting seedlings in a permanent place. Plastic containers, such as disposable cups, will do.

Advice. There must be holes in the bottom of the container for picking seedlings.

Broken dishes, small crushed stone or shell rock are poured into the bottom of the pots. Drainage reduces the likelihood of plants becoming infected with blackleg.

After picking, the tomatoes are not watered or fed for 10 days. This time is necessary for plants to take root in a new place.

2 weeks after picking, the first fertilizing is applied - vermicompost. With an interval of 2 weeks, fertilizers are applied 2 more times. For this purpose, preparations containing phosphorus are used. This promotes the formation of a strong root system.

2 weeks before planting in a permanent place, tomatoes begin to harden. The first time the plants are taken outside in the warm season for 30 minutes. Then the time is doubled. So gradually the duration of hardening is increased to 12–16 hours.

Landing in the ground

For tomatoes, choose the sunniest place on the site where no other nightshade crops grew last year. The best precursors for tomatoes are legumes, melons and cabbage.

The beds are prepared in advance. To do this, in the fall they are dug up to a depth of 20 cm and cleared of plant debris. Humus is scattered over the soil at the rate of 5 kg per 1 square meter. m. If the acidity of the soil is increased, it is reduced with dry lime. Then the soil is dug up again, mixed with fertilizers.

In spring, the beds are leveled with a rake. During the process, weeds are removed.

Holes are dug in rows. For 1 sq. m place 3 plants. To save space, the recesses are made in a checkerboard pattern.

Pour 1 tbsp into each well. l ash. A wooden support or plastic trellises are installed nearby.

After planting the plants in a permanent place, the soil around the stem is compacted. Water using 1 liter of water for each tomato.

Care and watering

Regular care of tomatoes is the key to a good harvest. The list contains the basic rules:

1. strawberry tree tie up as you grow. To attach the bush to the support, use a synthetic thread that does not rot from moisture. If the brushes are very heavy, they are also tied up.
2. Form a plant into two stems. To do this, leave one under the flower brush. stepson. All other shoots are removed. Leaves up to the first flower cluster and yellowed greenery are also cut off. This procedure is carried out once a week, removing no more than 3 leaves per session.
3. Watered Tomatoes with water at room temperature as the soil dries: in a greenhouse - once a week, in open ground - 2-3. Water should not fall on the above-ground part of the plants. Otherwise, burns will appear on the leaves.
4. After each watering the soil is loosened to remove the earthen crust. The process removes weeds.
5. Periodically tomato bushes shakento speed up the formation of ovaries.
6. Tomato beds mulch humus, straw or hay. Mulch protects against diseases, pests and negative environmental factors, slows down the growth of weeds and acts as an additional fertilizer.
7. During the season, the strawberry tree is fed 4 times, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.. Before applying fertilizers, water the tomatoes so that the nutritional compounds do not burn the roots.

Prevention of diseases and pests

The Strawberry Tree tomato variety is not afraid of diseases inherent in nightshades. However, the rules of prevention should still be followed:

1. Seeds, seedling containers, soil, and greenhouse walls are disinfected. A solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate is used as a disinfectant.
2. The beds are cleared of weeds and plant debris, as infections persist on them.
3. Watering should be rare and plentiful. In conditions of high humidity, pathogens develop rapidly.
4. Pathogens and insects actively spread throughout the greenhouse. To avoid damage to plants, the room is regularly ventilated.
5. The bushes are sprayed with a decoction of celandine or wormwood. They also use a solution prepared from a bar of soap rubbed into a bucket of water.

Reviews from gardeners

Reviews from those who planted the Strawberry tree are mostly positive. This variety has no significant disadvantages.

Anna, St. Petersburg: “I’ve been planting a strawberry tree for three years now. I grow it in a greenhouse. This is my favorite variety of red tomatoes! I form it into two stems. The harvest is very rich, does not get sick at all, and is not afraid of cold weather.The berries really resemble a heart in shape. The taste is sweet, with barely noticeable sourness, very meaty. The bushes really look decorative, just like in the photo.”

Igor, Voronezh: “I grow a Strawberry tree in open ground. I form it into two stems. The variety is unpretentious, but requires timely watering. When there is drought, the fruits actually crack. I harvest my first harvest at the end of July. Fruiting continues until autumn. Tomatoes are very tasty and beautiful. Good both fresh and for making tomato juice.”

Conclusion

The Tomato Strawberry Tree will live up to a gardener's wildest dreams. This is a high-yielding variety with a rich fruit taste and many useful substances in its composition.

Growing these tomatoes is not difficult. They are not afraid of diseases and temperature changes. Even novice gardeners can handle their agricultural technology. By following the growing rules, you can get a good harvest.