Giant delicious orange fruits - “Strawberry Orange” tomato

Orange strawberries have been grown in Russian garden beds for more than 40 years. And of course, over such a long period of time, the variety managed to conquer all regions of our country. This is perhaps the most famous variety of yellow-fruited tomatoes.

In the Mediterranean, such vegetables are called golden apples, and American scientists claim that eating sunny tomatoes slows down aging. In addition, yellow tomatoes are ideal for baby and diet food.

Characteristics and description of the variety

The Orange Strawberry tomato comes from a variety obtained by German breeders. In 1975, the German orange strawberry tomato was brought to Russia.

Russian gardeners, leaving only the strongest and healthiest seed specimens for subsequent plantings, improved this variety and developed a new crop based on it.

Distinctive features

Bush indeterminate, powerful, 1.7-2 m high in open ground. In greenhouse conditions, the growth of the main stem reaches 3.5 m. The first brush is laid above the 8th leaf, the subsequent ones - every 4 leaves.

Each cluster produces 4-6 fruits of the same size. Ovaries are formed even at high air temperatures. The foliage is medium, the leaves are dark green. The root system grows superficially.

A mid-season variety, 100-110 days pass from planting to full ripening. When ripe, vegetables do not crack.

The productivity is high, up to 6 kg of fruits are harvested from 1 seedling when placed per 1 square meter. m no more than 3 plants. Fruiting is extended; in greenhouses, ripening lasts until the first frost.

Tomato is characterized by strong immunity to diseases of fungal and viral etiology.

Tall bushes require the obligatory formation and tying of the main stem and fruit-bearing branches.

Fruit characteristics

The average weight of the fruit in open ground is 400-600 g, in greenhouse conditions - up to 900 g. The fruit is heart-shaped and deep orange in color.

The taste is excellent, sweet with fruity notes and slightly noticeable sourness. The deep orange color comes from carotene, which is found in large quantities in the fruit.

The pulp is juicy, there are 4 seed chambers, there are few seeds. The peel is thin, but dense, not prone to cracking.

Ripe vegetables withstand transportation well, the main condition is not to pack them too tightly together.

The photo shows the tomato variety Orange Strawberry.

How to grow seedlings

Sowing work is carried out at the end of March, 2 months before transplanting into the ground. Tomatoes are grown only by seedlings.

Seed preparation

Varietal crops provide an opportunity for independent collection of seed material. But, as a rule, such planting material requires proper disinfection.

Initially, seeds are rejected, disposing of distorted and dark-colored ones. Then they are checked for emptiness inside. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and place the grains in the solution for 10 minutes.

Those that float to the surface will not sprout, so they are disposed of. Disinfection is carried out in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. After this, rinse with running water and dry.

Reference. Instead of manganese solution, you can use 2% hydrogen peroxide.

To increase the germination rate, seeds are germinated on damp gauze. The grains are laid out on gauze, moistened with warm water and left in a dark place for 2-3 days until sprouts appear. As the gauze dries, sprinkle with warm water.

Container and soil

For seed germination, prepare nutritious soil from turf soil, sand, peat and wood ash in equal quantities. After thoroughly mixing all the components, the resulting mixture is poured with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or steamed in the oven at a temperature of 50 ° C for 15 minutes. Disinfection of the soil is necessary, otherwise pathogenic spores will destroy all plantings.

The disinfected soil is laid out in prepared containers, having previously made small holes at the bottom for drainage.

Reference. Drainage is necessary for the outflow of excess moisture.

You can plant in a common wooden box or use individual containers, for example, paper honeycombs, plastic cups and peat pots.

Sowing

The seed material is buried by 2 cm, leaving a distance between them of at least 1.5 cm. Sprinkled with peat, lightly compacted, watered with warm, settled water using a spray bottle and covered with film or glass to create greenhouse conditions. The seeded containers are left in a bright room at a temperature of 22 °C.

Caring for seedlings

As soon as the seedlings appear, the containers are immediately moved to the windowsill. Daylight for seedlings is provided at least 16 hours. With a lack of light, the sprouts will stretch and weaken. Therefore, you should take care of installing phytolamps in advance. It is not recommended to illuminate seedlings for more than 16 hours, since vital processes take place in the dark.

It should be watered as the top soil layer dries out with warm, settled water using a shallow watering can or a tablespoon along the edge of the containers. There is no need to flood the sprouts, otherwise you can provoke rotting of the young roots or the development of fungal diseases. After watering, the soil is loosened superficially so that the soil is better saturated with oxygen.

As soon as 3 true leaves are formed, the seedlings are picked, planted in separate containers, or left in a common container, but with a distance between seedlings of at least 15 cm. At this moment, the first fertilizing is applied in the form of a complete complex fertilizer. Fertilizing must be combined with watering.

2 weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings are hardened off - taken outside in the daytime for 1 hour at a temperature of 16 °C. Gradually, the time spent outside is increased to 10 hours, while simultaneously reducing the night temperature in the room to 12 °C.

How to grow tomatoes

After the soil warms up to 18 °C, the seedlings are transplanted into the ground. By this time, 5-7 true leaves and a well-developed root system are formed on the bushes.

Landing

The soil is prepared in advance, dug up and mineral fertilizers are added. Make holes 15 cm deep and fill them with water.

Planting pattern: 50 cm – distance between seedlings, 65-70 cm – between rows. For 1 sq. m place no more than 3 plants.

Plant vertically, deepening to the first leaves. After planting, the soil is compacted watered warm water and leave to get used to the new conditions for 10 days.

Caring for a tomato Orange strawberry

As soon as the young plants take root in the ground, regular watering is established. In normal weather, water no more than 2 times a week.. Depending on drought or precipitation, watering is adjusted as necessary. It is important to prevent the beds from becoming waterlogged, otherwise fungal diseases may spread. In greenhouses, drip irrigation is installed so that the humidity level does not go beyond normal limits.

Water with settled water at the root, without getting on the leaves. After watering, the soil is loosened and weeds with roots are removed.

Mulching the beds retains moisture, which is very convenient on dry days.

Feeding apply 3-4 times during the entire growing season. They are fed for the first time 2 weeks after transplantation. Mullein infusion is used as a fertilizer in a ratio of 1:10. The same feeding given during flowering. At the time of fruiting, they are fed with a full complex of minerals, mainly containing potassium and phosphorus.

Features of care and possible difficulties

Tomatoes are formed to obtain maximum yield. The culture is formed into 2 stems, removing the stepsons. As the stepsons grow, the plantings thicken, which inevitably leads to plant diseases. All lower leaves are cut to the first fruitful branch.

Reference. Stepchildren - These are lateral branches growing from the leaf axils.

You cannot do without a garter when growing indeterminate plants. When transplanting, a support is installed next to each bush, to which the stem and fruitful branches are fixed as they develop. Tall seedlings are also fixed to a trellis, to a horizontally stretched wire. Fixed bushes form a strong and even stem, and it is much easier to collect ripe fruits from tied branches.

Diseases and pests

Tomato is characterized by increased resistance to diseases of the nightshade family, but, nevertheless, prevention cannot be neglected. If you monitor the level of humidity in the beds, preventing them from becoming waterlogged, you can avoid not only the spread of fungal infections, but also prevent invasions of pests such as slugs, aphids and the Colorado potato beetle. Systematic loosening gets rid of pests living in the ground, and planting strong-smelling herbs next to the tomatoes gets rid of flying pests.

It is important to remember that if potatoes or peppers are planted nearby, preventive measures are required for all crops. This is due to the fact that they belong to the same family and are affected by the same diseases.

Traditional recipes advise spraying tomato seedlings with a decoction of nettle and plantain. This strong infusion repels many parasites.

When there is a large concentration of insects, insecticides are used, otherwise many plantings will be destroyed.

Nuances when breeding in open ground and greenhouses

The growth of greenhouse plants reaches 3.5 m. This is a high altitude, and the root system is not always able to fully provide the plant with nutrients. To limit growth, the crown of the plants is pinched. If this is not done, a lot of useful substances will be spent on growing side shoots and leaves, and not on the formation of ovaries.

When planting in open ground, care must be taken to choose the right beds. It is preferable to place them on the sunny side, protected from draft winds. With a lack of sunlight and nutrition, the yield is significantly reduced, while the crop tolerates a drop in temperature calmly. Another threat to fruiting is the north wind.

In a greenhouse, fruits reach greater weight than in open beds; there are even cases where tomatoes grew 1 kg. But here it is important to understand that the larger the fruits, the fewer of them should be in the fruiting cluster. Therefore, the number of ovaries is reduced to 2-3.

Harvesting and application

The mid-season variety ripens in late July – early August. Thanks to extended fruiting, vegetables are harvested until October. When harvesting, cut off the entire fruit cluster.

The purpose of ripe tomatoes is universal: from summer salads to winter preparations. To give canned juices a richer color, add red tomatoes. Yellow vegetables are great for baby food and diet meals.

Ripe vegetables retain their presentation for a long time and withstand transportation well over long distances.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Let's start this section with the many benefits:

• possibility of breeding in all regions;
• the ability to form ovaries in any conditions;
• high fruiting rate;
• strong immunity to diseases;
• unpretentious care;
• extended fruiting;
• excellent taste of fruits;
• unusual shape;
• versatility in cooking;
• long storage;
• possibility of collecting seeds yourself.

Negative characteristics include obligatory gartering, bush formation and pinching.

More details about the German orange strawberry variety

As mentioned just above, this is actually the progenitor of the Orange Strawberry tomato. Therefore, the characteristics and growing conditions are very similar. The only difference is that the German variety can be grown in 2 ways: seedlings and non-seedlings.

The German orange strawberry tomato belongs to the indeterminate type with a plant height of up to 1.8 m in open ground and up to 3.2 m in a greenhouse. The variety is mid-season, harvesting begins 110 days after sowing the seeds. The yield is high, 5-6 kg are harvested from 1 seedling. It is not afraid of sudden temperature changes and forms ovaries under any conditions. It is resistant to diseases and pests. Requires mandatory shaping and garter.

The average weight of the fruit is 400-700 g, the shape resembles a heart, the color is deep yellow or bright orange. The taste is excellent, sweet with a hint of fruit and barely noticeable sourness.

The purpose in cooking is universal: the taste is preserved in both fresh dishes and winter preparations. When transporting over long distances, it is not recommended to pack tomatoes tightly. Ripe vegetables retain their presentation for 2 weeks.

Farmer reviews

Many novice gardeners rely on the opinions of experienced gardeners. Reviews about this variety will help you make the right choice.

Anton, Arkhangelsk region: «Not a single seedling, even in the heat, shed either flowers or ovaries. The bush is tall, but does not take up much space. The tomatoes are smooth, large, warm orange in color. The fruity note in the taste is piquant in salads, and it is noticeable when mixed with any vegetables.”

Nadezhda, Klin: “The bushes grew up to 2 m. Formed into 2 stems. A lot of ovaries were formed, the weight of ripe tomatoes reached 300-450 g. Not all of them had a heart-shaped shape; round tomatoes also appeared. The taste is simply amazing. I advise everyone to plant it in their beds.”

Conclusion

The tomato crop is interesting not only for its giant heart-shaped fruits, but also for its breeding advantages.As a rule, the more unusual the fruit, the more difficult it is to care for during the growing season. But not for the “strawberry” tomato. It is distinguished by simple agricultural technology, immunity to pests and diseases, and high yield.

The taste qualities can leave many popular varieties far behind. This tomato is an undoubted favorite among other yellow-fruited crops.