What is good about the Raspberry Empire tomato and how to grow it yourself - a practical guide

What should residents of the northern regions of the country do if they have a desire to grow tomatoes in their garden plots, but there are no opportunities in a harsh climate? The answer is simple - look for suitable varieties and hybrids.

The new hybrid Raspberry Empire is ideal for growing in greenhouse conditions. High yield, early ripening and ease of care have made the tomato one of the most popular over the past few years.

Hybrid information

The tomato was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2017. It is suitable for growing in film-type greenhouses and open ground in the southern regions. The manufacturer is a young but successful company “TK Leader”. The hybrid has managed to firmly occupy a leadership position - despite the fact that it only recently appeared on the market.

The Raspberry Empire tomato has a significant advantage over other varieties: it has high genetically determined protection against root and blossom end rot and brown spot.

Tomato Raspberry Empire: characteristics and description of the variety

This early ripening indeterminate The tomato impresses with its performance.

Reference. Indeterminate (tall) tomato hybrids have no restrictions on stem growth. The photo shows what a rich harvest can be obtained from one bush.

Advantages and disadvantages of tomatoes

Culture has many advantages:

• pleasant taste and refined aroma;
• high yield when grown in greenhouses and open ground;
• resistance to pests, which is formed during processing;
• thin and at the same time dense skin, which allows you to transport tomatoes over long distances;
• tender pulp;
• long-term storage;
• the possibility of year-round cultivation in greenhouses subject to certain conditions.

The cultivation process is complicated by some shortcomings of the hybrid:

• tall indeterminate bushes require constant care and formation;
• the need for constant fertilizing of the soil and abundant watering;
• instability to sub-zero temperatures does not make it possible to grow the hybrid in the northern regions in open areas;
• Fleshy fruits are not suitable for making tomato juice.

Growing and care

Raspberry Empire tomatoes are grown using seedlings.Planting in the ground is carried out at the age of 70 days. Ideal conditions occur in late spring, so you can start sowing seeds in the third decade of March.

Seed preparation

Additional disinfectant treatment of seeds before sowing is not carried out. The manufacturer has already taken care of this.

Experienced farmers advise soaking the seeds for 12-15 hours to saturate them with oxygen. Then the water is drained and laid out on a damp cloth or paper towel.

The next step is germination seeds. To do this, they are placed in a closed plastic container and placed in a warm place for two days. Why are such manipulations needed? The seeds are treated with special substances that prevent germination. Pre-soaking allows you to “wake up” the seed and increase germination. As soon as the seeds hatch, they are sown in the ground.

Growing seedlings

In cups for seedlings pour wet soil and make 2 cm depressions, throw seeds into them and cover with soil.

Keep the seedlings in a well-lit area. Water regularly, do not allow the soil to dry out. The first shoots will appear in seven days.

Don't forget about picking tomatoes. This will allow you to obtain seedlings with a strong root system. Start the process after the third leaf appears. Prepare fertile soil for planting seedlings:

• vermicompost – 3 parts;
• river sand - two parts;
• neutralized peat - one part;
• perlite - one part.

Pour a little mixture into 1 liter pots, remove the seedlings from the cups without shaking off the soil, and immerse them in the container. Fill with the remaining soil.

After 65-70 days from the moment of sowing, you will receive seedlings 20-25 cm high.

Monitoring seedlings will help to timely determine the lack of nutrients:

1. Old leaves turn yellow, which means there is not enough nitrogen.
2. Holes with yellow edges appeared on the leaves - there is not enough potassium.
3. Phosphate deficiency is indicated by the death of old leaves.
4. The leaves lighten and dark veins appear - add magnesium.
5. Completely yellowed leaves indicate a lack of iron.
6. New leaves are white or yellow - the plant needs nitrogen.

Growing rules

Hybrid Raspberry Empire is planted in loose, moist soil. Acidity level – 7 pH. Before planting, it is recommended to disinfect the soil. The soil should not be treated with chemicals. Temperature – 12-15 °C. Plant no more than two stems per 1 square meter at intervals of 30-50 cm. Inspect the seedlings, remove dry yellowed leaves.

The best time for planting is evening or cloudy day. The day before, fill the wells with a hot concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

After planting, mulch the soil with straw, bark, wood chips or peat. Fertilize and water the plants on time if you want to achieve high yields.

The formation of the trunk begins in early summer. Excess shoots are broken off and those that appeared above the last flowering are left. The manipulation is performed every 10 days. First, healthy stepsons are removed, then sick ones. This speeds up ripening by two weeks.

Features of care

Raspberry Empire tomatoes do not tolerate waterlogging, especially if moisture gets on the leaves and stems. Therefore, watering is carried out strictly at the root. The optimal method in which the plant cannot be overwatered is a drip system. If you plan to water by hand, use a watering can without a sieve.

Reference. During flowering, water the tomatoes once a week, keeping the proportions - 12 l/1 m².

Raspberry Empire tomatoes are ideal for growing in a greenhouse. Such conditions make it possible to create a favorable microclimate, maintaining the air temperature at +24 °C and humidity at 60%. The stems are tied to the frame of the greenhouse.

Planting in open ground requires more intensive plant care:

• removing the lower leaves and stepsons to form a bush;
• tying to high supports;
• timely soil moisture.

Feeding schedule:

To get a rich harvest from the bush, five or six clusters of fruiting clusters with 2-3 leaves at the top are left on it. Feeding is carried out every 10 days. During the period of fruit ripening, the concentration of the solution is increased.

Diseases and pests

The hybrid is susceptible late blight, which folk remedies and fungicides help fight.

An excess of nitrogen in the soil and uncontrolled watering lead to a decrease in yield. The crop is susceptible to attack by various insects: aphids, mole crickets, cockchafers (larvae), midges and worms. Traps and treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or garlic help control pests.

Garlic infusion recipe:

• pass the peeled garlic through a press, fill with water in equal proportions;
• leave to infuse for two weeks;
• Before spraying, strain and add water in a ratio of 1:5.

Harvest volume and application

Hybrid Raspberry Empire – early ripening. The first harvest appears three months after sowing the seeds. The fruits ripen in clusters. From one bush you can collect up to 5 kg. In greenhouse conditions, the yield is high and amounts to 20 kg/1 m2. On open ground - 30% less.

Tomatoes actively bear fruit in the summer. By autumn, the yield decreases, and the fruits are harvested up to three times a week.

The appearance of pink ripeness on the fruits signals the need for harvesting. It is not recommended to wait until full maturity. This increases the fruitfulness of the cluster; the fruits form small and lose their filling.

Thanks to their fleshy structure, thin skin and wonderful taste, Pink Empire tomatoes are delicious fresh or canned. When cooked, the skin does not crack; the size of the fruit allows you to marinate and salt them whole in jars.

Farmer reviews

Despite the fact that the Raspberry Empire hybrid appeared relatively recently, many amateur gardeners and professional farmers have managed to appreciate it.

Maria, Krasnodar: “I first tried to plant the Raspberry Empire last year. I saw branches covered with fruits in my neighbor’s summer cottage and was inspired. I liked the hybrid. It is unpretentious in care; a large harvest was collected from each bush until late autumn. The tomatoes were eaten fresh, pickled, salted and distributed to relatives.”

Vasily, Liski: “I’ve been growing the hybrid for the second year at the dacha in a greenhouse, I’m very pleased. The yield is high, the tomatoes are tasty and fragrant, and last a long time. The main task is to feed on time. Then the branches will burst with grapes. I was convinced of this from my own experience.”

Olga, Chekhov: “Last year my husband and I decided to try growing a new variety of tomatoes. After reading the reviews, we chose the hybrid Raspberry Empire instead of the variety and were not disappointed. The plant is resistant to rot and spots do not appear on the fruits. Treated against late blight in a timely manner and fed. The result was impressive! There were so many tomatoes that they didn’t know what to do with them. We prepared salads, appetizers and wrapped them up for the winter.”

Conclusion

The hybrid Raspberry Empire is confidently gaining popularity among summer residents and farmers due to its high yield, remarkable taste characteristics of the fruit, and resistance to diseases.

The ideal growing environment is a greenhouse. But even in open ground in the southern regions, tomatoes do well, except that the fruitfulness will be much lower.