We collect a rich harvest, following the rules of care - the Lyana tomato and the method of growing it

The Liana tomato, bred in Transnistria and included in the State Register in 1996, is unpretentious in care, so both beginners and experienced gardeners can grow it. Early ripeness, high yield, the ability to grow in different regions of the country and the excellent taste of the fruit make the variety popular among gardeners.

Characteristics and description of the variety

Liana - determinant early ripe tomato for open ground, film shelters or greenhouses. Despite the fact that the variety was bred in Moldova, it is zoned for the Central region, the Urals and Siberia. It is also successfully cultivated in the south of the Russian Federation.

The bushes are compact, up to 50 cm high, densely leafy. The leaves are dark green in color, slightly corrugated. Despite its small size, the variety needs support due to the large weight of the tomato clusters.

Flowering begins 70–90 days after the first shoots, and after 85–100 days the harvest is harvested. The lower inflorescences are located above the 5-6th leaf, and all subsequent ones are located after 1-2 leaves.

Distinctive features

There are two varieties of Lyana: pink and red. Pink fruits are rare among early tomato varieties. These fruits literally melt in your mouth.

The variety is early ripening and high-yielding. It is resistant to temperature changes and is able to form fruits in cold summer conditions.

Fruit characteristics and yield

The fruits are round in shape with smooth thin skin. The average weight of each is 50–80 g.Tomatoes have low acidity, the dry matter content does not exceed 6%. Contains carotene, vitamins C and B. Tasters from the State Commission for Variety Testing gave Lyana the highest rating in taste parameters.

For reference. In private farms, 10–15 kg of fruits are collected from 1 m2, and 2–3 kg from one bush.

How to grow seedlings

Tomatoes are sometimes grown by direct sowing into the ground, but a better solution for most regions of the country is the seedling method.

Seed preparation

Seeds remain viable for several years, but stronger seedlings are obtained from fresh specimens. Before planting, the material is inspected and small and damaged grains are discarded. For better germination, seeds are soaked for 8–15 hours in Energen solution (15 drops per 50 ml of water).

Then immerse for 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Afterwards they are washed and placed in the refrigerator for hardening for 1 day.

Container and soil

For seedlings, various containers are used: special trays with cups purchased in the store, disposable plastic cups, milk cartons. The most important thing is a sufficient volume of soil for the development of roots and drainage holes to drain excess moisture.

You can buy special soil for tomatoes in the store or prepare it yourself from:

• garden or turf land - 50%;
• humus - 25%;
• sand - 25%.

The mixture is thoroughly mixed, 0.5 liters of ash are added.

Any soil is disinfected by heating it in the oven at +100 °C (30 minutes) or steaming it in a colander over boiling water (20 minutes).

Sowing

Optimal sowing time for seedlings: March 20 - April 10. Planting is carried out in one common tray.

The seeds are laid out at a depth of 0.5–1 cm, at a sufficient distance from each other.The top is covered with glass or plastic film. The container itself is placed in a warm, bright place.

Growing and care

The first shoots appear after 4–6 days. The film is immediately removed, and the air temperature is lowered so that the seedlings do not stretch. When true leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate cups. Caring for seedlings comes down to regular watering and fertilizing once every 2 weeks with mineral fertilizers.

1-2 weeks before planting the bushes in the ground, they begin to harden them to increase adaptation to new conditions. The seedlings are taken out onto the balcony or into the greenhouse, first for several hours, gradually increasing the time to the whole day.

Reference! The ready-to-plant crop has dark green foliage and purple stem bottoms.

How to grow tomatoes

To obtain a bountiful harvest, it is important to follow the peculiarities of caring for the variety.

Landing

Tomatoes are planted in open ground or a greenhouse when the soil temperature rises above +16 °C. At low rates, the root system of tomatoes will not develop.

The beds are prepared in advance: add a bucket of humus per 1 m2, 1 tbsp. ash, 30 g of potassium sulfate, 50 g of superphosphate. In the fall, the soil is dug up and weeds are removed.

Fertilizers are added directly to the holes: 0.5 kg of humus, 1 tbsp. l. ash, 1 tsp. potassium sulfate, 1 tsp. superphosphate. Before planting, water the plants well and cut off the lower weak leaves.

The Liana tomato is a low-growing variety, so its planting pattern is 30–40 cm between bushes and 60 cm between rows. After placing the seedlings in the holes, they are watered generously with warm water. After this, watering is stopped for 7–10 days so that the plant’s root system develops. Tomatoes are tied so that the lower leaves do not touch the ground.

Care

Caring for Lyana is usual for low-growing varieties: regular loosening, weeding, watering and fertilizing. The plant is prone to bushiness, so choose the 2 strongest shoots, and the rest stepsons deleted.

Watering is carried out rarely, but abundantly, soaking the soil up to 50 cm in depth. Depending on the air temperature, moisten the soil 1-2 times a week. In August, the amount of watering is reduced.

Throughout the growing season, tomatoes need feeding. Before flowering, they are fertilized with a complex mineral composition, infusion of chicken manure or slurry. During the flowering period, spray with boric acid. When pouring the fruits, feed them with fertilizers containing phosphorus: superphosphate or potassium monophosphate, diluted in water according to the instructions.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Do not plant tomatoes after peppers, eggplants, or potatoes. They belong to the nightshade family, so they are prone to the same diseases. The best predecessors for tomatoes: carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, legumes, garlic.

For the strength of the culture, it is formed into 2-3 stems. The variety has rather dense foliage, so some of it is cut off so that the fruits ripen better.

Lyana is a high-yielding variety with a friendly yield of fruits. The plants are tied up, otherwise the stems will not withstand the weight of the vegetables and will break off.

Diseases and pests

The tomato is genetically immune to blossom end rot and bacterial spot. It has a tendency to a viral disease - tobacco mosaic, when variegated and dark spots appear on the stem and leaves, after which the plant dies. Causes of the disease: high humidity, lack of light and excess nitrogen in the soil.

The stems of infected plants are cut off, and the sections are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. At the initial stage, the bushes are treated with a solution of karbofos: 75 g of pesticide is taken per 10 liters. Spray tomatoes once every 2 weeks.

Preventive treatment against late blight is carried out with low-toxic drugs (“Fitosporin”, “Phenomenon”, “Allirin”) 2 weeks after planting and continues throughout the season, at intervals of 2 weeks.

Pests of the crop - whitefly, Colorado potato beetle, mole cricket, spider mite:

1. Whitefly - a butterfly 0.5 cm in size. Its larvae gnaw leaves and transmit viral diseases. Spraying with “Fitoferm” and watering the insecticide “Aktara” at the root help against the insect.
2. From the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae plants will be protected by treating bushes with Aktara, Iskra, and Inta-vir.
3. If there is a mole cricket on the site, “Medvetox” and “Grizzly” granules are placed in the soil.
4. Fighting spider mites — spraying bushes with “Fitoferm” and acaricidal preparations.

The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses

The variety grows equally well both in open and closed ground. If tomatoes are planted in a greenhouse from May 5–10 (depending on weather conditions), then in open ground - at the end of May - beginning of June, when the danger of return frosts has passed.

In the beds, the height of the plants is slightly lower than in the greenhouse (40–45 cm versus 60 cm or more).

The variety grows to a certain height, and the upper shoot ends in a brush. By leaving a lateral shoot at the top of the plant, you can ensure that the tomato continues to grow. This is done when growing crops indoors.

Attention! In a greenhouse, the yield per bush will be higher, but if the summer is hot and the tomatoes are ripened in the open ground, they will have sweet, aromatic pulp.

Harvesting and application

Early ripening liana: the first ripe fruits are harvested at the end of July. Sometimes there are so many vegetables on a plant that some of them are removed green so that the bush does not break. The harvest continues throughout August until the cold nights set in. The variety manages to fully produce its harvest before frost.

Thanks to their thin skin and juicy pulp, tomatoes are good for fresh consumption. They are small in size and therefore versatile in preparation: suitable for canning for the winter (pickling, pickling), purees, sauces and adjika.

They can be stored fresh for up to 3 months at a temperature of +8…+10 °C.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages include:

• ease of care;
• early fruit ripening;
• excellent taste;
• long shelf life and high transportability;
• presentation of the fruit;
• versatility in application;
• extended fruiting.

Disadvantages - susceptibility to the tobacco mosaic virus and excessive leafiness of the bushes.

Farmer reviews

Positive reviews from farmers about the Liana tomato indicate that the variety is suitable for cultivation both for personal use and for sale.

Sergey, Voronezh: “Liana’s tomato provides the family with a large harvest; the surplus is easily transported without any damage to the fruit to the nearest market. Tomatoes do not lose their appearance during storage.”

Alexey, Volgograd: “Whoever has tried to plant Lyana at least once knows that these tomatoes grow without problems and do not require any hassle or time. As a result, yields are higher than expected.”

Alena, Donetsk: “Lana is hardy, so it always helps out when other crop varieties fail. The presentation, as in the photo, and the taste of the fruit deserve only the highest praise.”

Conclusion

Thanks to its qualities, the Liana tomato has earned recognition from vegetable growers. This is an unpretentious variety with a high yield (10–15 kg per 1 m2), undemanding to weather conditions, drought-resistant, with early fruit ripening. The excellent taste of tomatoes and high transportability make the crop in demand and popular.