Delicious and aromatic tomatoes that look like giant berries - the amazing German Red Strawberry tomato

The tomato variety German Red Strawberry is so named for its resemblance to a huge garden berry. It is also clear from the name that the variety was selected in Germany. It appeared in Russia 30 years ago. It gained popularity among Russian summer residents precisely for the unusual shape of the fruit, which looks like a huge strawberry. In 2015, it entered the top 10 most popular varieties.

Description of the variety

Mid-season indeterminate variety. Suitable for growing in greenhouse conditions. In regions with hot climates, good harvests are obtained when planted in open beds. In warm, dry summers, the fruits ripen faster, and therefore some farmers classify the variety as early ripening. Suitable for growing in central Russia.

Tomatoes of this variety come in two colors - pink and orange.

Distinctive features

The plant is classified as a tall variety. The height of the bushes reaches 2-2.5 m in greenhouses, in open ground - 1.2-1.8 m. The bush is moderately leafy, with medium-sized dark green leaves. An average of 4-6 fruits ripen on one cluster. Ripening begins simultaneously on days 95-116.

Fruit characteristics and yield

The berries are red-pink or orange in color with soft, sugary pulp and a small amount of seeds. The coloring is even, there are no spots or stripes. The skin is smooth and thin, but the fruits do not crack during transportation. The weight of the fruit is 150-300 g, but with proper care it can reach 500-600 g.

According to the taste characteristics of tomatoes sweet, with a slight sourness.

The yield, as manufacturers claim, is up to 8 kg of fruit per plant.

How to grow seedlings

When planting in a greenhouse, the seedling method of cultivation is recommended; in open ground in warm regions, you can plant seeds. Seeds are planted for seedlings in early to mid-March. Let's look at how grains are prepared for seedlings.

Seed preparation

First of all, calibration is carried out - suitable grains are selected. The seeds are poured out and examined. Seeds suitable for planting should be large, even, and not empty to the touch. Light, uneven, hollow seeds are discarded.

Selected grains are placed in a saline solution: Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a glass of water. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom are selected for planting, and those that have floated to the surface are selected for discard.

Next, the seeds are heated by placing them on a cotton cloth on a radiator. There the seeds are kept for 1.5 to 2 days.

At the next stage of preparation, the planting material is disinfected. To do this, prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and place the grains in it for 15-20 minutes. Maximum procedure time – 45 minutes

Important! Potassium permanganate will destroy pathogens that live on the surface of the seeds. It does not affect diseases whose pathogens are inside the grain.

After disinfection, the seeds are washed with warm running water.

Treating purchased seeds is not necessary; this procedure has already been carried out during packaging. However, if the planting material is obtained from last year's tomatoes, disinfection is necessary.

Next comes an interesting stage - bubbling. Many gardeners skip it because it requires constant presence.But in vain - it saturates the grains with oxygen, which increases the germination of seeds and the viability of seedlings.

In industrial conditions, bubbling is carried out with special equipment. At home, for this purpose, the seeds are placed in water heated to +26 - +30 degrees and stirred every hour. The duration of the procedure is 15-18 hours.

Important! If germs appear on the grains, stop bubbling.

Afterwards, the planting material is soaked in water or biostimulants. The grains are placed in a liquid at a temperature of at least +20 degrees for 12 hours. Popular biostimulating drugs among Russian summer residents are Zircon, Epin, and Immunocytophyte.

The next stage is hardening. The seeds are wrapped in cotton cloth and plastic film and placed for 8 hours in a cool place where the temperature does not rise above +2 degrees. The minimum air temperature is -3 degrees. The seeds are removed and kept at room temperature for 8 hours. The procedure is repeated up to 6 times.

Note! This is a complex procedure, and if carried out incorrectly, there is a high chance of destroying the seeds, so novice gardeners are not recommended to harden off all the seed.

The last stage before planting is seed germination. Cotton cloth or gauze is moistened with warm water and laid out on a flat dish (saucer, Petri dish, lid). The seeds are laid out on top and covered with a layer of cloth. To germinate the grains, place them in a warm (+25-30 degrees) place and make sure that the fabric always remains moist. When a sprout measuring 2-3 mm appears on the grains, the seeds are ready for planting.

Container and soil

Any convenient container is suitable for seedlings: plastic cups, cut-off PET bottles, special containers.Before use, the container is disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

For tomatoes of the German red strawberry variety, a universal tomato soil mixture consisting of humus, peat and river sand is suitable.

To prepare the soil for tomato seedlings yourself, combine:

• 1 part of garden soil (it is better to take it from the area where cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, and dill grew);
• 2 parts non-acidic peat (pH 6.5);
• 0.5 parts sand (river or washed);
• 1 part humus or sifted mature compost.

You can add sifted wood ash (or dolomite flour), sphagnum moss and fallen pine needles.

The day before planting the seeds, the soil and soil mixture is disinfected with boiling water or potassium permanganate.

Sowing

The soil is laid out in selected containers, shallow (1.5-2 mm) grooves are made into which the seeds are placed. The soil is sprayed, the containers are covered with film and put in a warm (+23 degrees), bright place.

Important! Tomato seedlings do not like direct sunlight, preferring diffused light.

Growing and care

In favorable conditions, sprouts appear in 3-5 days. As soon as this happens, the film is removed from the containers and placed on the windowsill. Root watering is carried out as the soil dries using a syringe or a teaspoon.

After 2 weeks, 2 true leaves will appear on the plant, then begin picking. Mineral fertilizers are added to the soil for replanting at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon for 5 liters of soil mixture. Holes are made in the container so that excess liquid during watering does not stagnate in the soil.

Small plants are planted in separate containers and covered with soil up to the cotyledon leaves. 10 days after picking, the first fertilizing is carried out with complex fertilizer. Further feed every 10-14 days before planting in the garden.

Water as the soil dries and be sure to water only at the root, avoiding liquid getting on the leaves. 2-3 weeks before planting in a permanent place, seedlings begin to be taken out into the open air: balcony, summer veranda. This acclimates the plants to lower temperatures and sunlight.

How to grow tomatoes

Planted out seedlings to the garden in mid-May (in a greenhouse) - early June (open ground) after establishing a constant above-zero temperature.

Important! In warm regions they are planted earlier. Plants ready for planting in the ground reach 20 cm in height.

Landing

Tomatoes are planted on the south or southeast side of the garden. Choose a place where cucumbers grew, zucchini, dill, parsley. Crops of the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, sweet peppers) are poor predecessors, since these plants are susceptible to similar diseases and suffer from the same harmful insects. The minimum distance between tomato bushes is 50 cm.

Care

The bushes are watered only with warm, settled water. With each watering, weeds are weeded and the soil is loosened. Fertilize 3-4 times during the summer, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.

Important! Tomatoes love water, but in moderation. Maintaining the desired level of humidity is an important maintenance requirement.

Variety indeterminate, therefore, pinching is carried out in one stem. Tall bushes (120-250 cm) need staking.

To avoid rotting tomatoes, the bottom leaves are torn off.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Experienced gardeners carefully monitor the formation of the ovary - deformed flowers are removed to stimulate the growth of a good ovary and thereby increase productivity.

If not properly cared for, the fruits may develop a “non-strawberry” shape. In this case, change the frequency of watering and fertilizing.

Diseases and pests

Manufacturers claim that the variety does not suffer from pathogenic infections. However, in practice, especially in cool, rainy summers, tomatoes often get sick. late blight, brown spotting, gray rot.

To prevent fungal diseases, the soil is spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate before planting seedlings. Biological and chemical preparations will help prevent and reduce the spread of fungal diseases:

• "Fitosporin";
• "Ecosil";
• "Fundazol";
• "Quadris";
• "Ridomil Gold".

For reference. Our summer residents use whey to prevent late blight (fat content - no more than 1%, otherwise you can burn the leaves). Immediately after transplanting the seedlings into the ground, the bushes are sprayed with serum. The procedure is repeated every 10 days.

Sick plants are destroyed immediately to avoid contamination of the entire planting. Green fruits can be removed and disinfected in hot (+60 degrees) water for 2-4 minutes. Garden tools are also treated with drugs.

Bushes are regularly inspected for the presence of harmful insects. If they are detected, tomatoes are treated with special chemicals according to the instructions. The Colorado potato beetle, whitefly and cutworm are destroyed with “Oppercut” or “Aktara”. But they do this only before the ovary appears.

There are also folk, but well-proven ways to combat tomato pests. For example, thrips, spider mites and whiteflies are afraid of a decoction of celandine, slugs are afraid of ammonia, and aphids are afraid of a solution of laundry soap.

The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses

When planting in open ground, German “strawberry” tomatoes are covered with covering material for 2-3 weeks. After a while or when warm and dry weather sets in (both at night and during the day) the material is removed. Some summer residents, when planting German strawberries in open ground, form a bush with 2-3 stems.

In greenhouses, humidity is not allowed to increase, because fungal spores can enter the plant with drops of water. Water only at the root, and remove the lower leaves so that the rest of the bush is well ventilated and dry.

Harvesting and application

The fruits ripen together. They are collected when ripe and still green - they will “arrive” at room temperature. Ripening occurs on days 95-116.

An excellent variety for fresh use, salads, soups, for making juice, lecho, sauces, pastes and snacks. But the variety is not suitable for canning in its entirety - large fruits do not retain their shape and, due to their fleshy pulp, easily fall apart.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages of the variety include early ripening and easy care, excellent taste, original shape of tomatoes and color of the fruit.

The disadvantages are the need for pinching and gartering, susceptibility to fungal infections, reduced yield on infertile land without fertilizer.

Farmer reviews

Farmers note the interesting shape, bright tomato taste, color and size of the fruit. Tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption in salads and for canning. In addition, German red strawberries have earned positive reviews for their easy care. However, some people do not like the variety - due to the need for pinching and bush formation.

Irina Dudina, Moscow region: “This year I planted orange strawberries.The normal color is bright orange, amber or yellow depending on the cross. The fruits can be used fresh or for making jam, juices, and pickling. This year a whitefly attacked, but we got rid of it quickly and the tomato was not damaged.”

Lyubov Ilyasova, Samara: “I liked the variety because of its yield; the whole bush was covered in tomatoes. They write that keeping quality is poor, but I forgot the ones I picked in the basin for a month - not a single one went bad. The color of ripened fruits varies: from pinkish to bright red. Very tasty! I left the seeds. I’ll definitely plant more.”

Elena Kudrina, Belgorod: “The height of the bush is 2 meters, the weight of the fruit is 350 g, the beautiful shape is a heart. Insanely delicious, aromatic, juicy, sweet! The bush is huge and knits from the beginning to the end of the bush. High yielding! I was amazed by my power. This is the first tall, large-fruited variety that bears fruit all over the bush. I highly recommend boarding!”

Andrey Timakhov, Rostov-on-Don: “The fruits of the German berry are tasty and of the correct shape only when the soil is fertile, when there is constant fertilizing and sufficient watering. You also need to remember to form the bush into two stems, no more, otherwise the food will go into the foliage. These nuances can be considered disadvantages, but there are a lot of advantages: tasty, juicy, and store well.”

Conclusion

The German red strawberry tomato is suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground. It does not require special care, but it requires staking and formation of the bush into one stem. It is susceptible to fungal infections and does not bear fruit well in poor, depleted soils.

We love it among summer residents for its sweet, aromatic, fleshy fruits of unusual shape. Great for fresh salads, juice preparations, snacks and sauces. Up to 8 kg of berries are collected from the bush.Suitable for growing by beginning gardeners, but requires careful care.