How to grow a “Geranium Kiss” tomato with compact bushes, rich flavor and stable yield

Particularly popular among gardeners are tomatoes, which are not only highly productive, but also delight the eye with their attractive shape, color and abundant flowering. The high taste qualities of the fruit play an important role.

The variety Geranium Kiss has these characteristics. This is exactly what we will talk about in our article. You will learn about the pros and cons of the crop, the rules of growing in open and closed ground.

Description of the variety

Geranium Kiss tomatoes or Geranium Kiss are the result of the breeding work of Alan Kapuler, a farmer from the American state of Oregon. The variety was registered in 2009.

Distinctive features

Features of the variety:

1. The crop is intended primarily for cultivation in open ground in regions with warm climates. In the middle zone and northern regions, tomatoes are cultivated in greenhouses.
2. The bushes are determinate, reaching a height of 50-60 cm in the garden, and up to 1 m in the greenhouse.
3. Tomatoes are early ripening - 90 days pass from germination to fruit appearance.
4. There are few side shoots, so there is no need to shoot the plants.
5. The main trunk is thick and strong, able to withstand the weight of tomato brushes, and does not require a garter.
6. The foliage is dense, corrugated, green, with slight pubescence. Along the edges of the leaves there are blunt teeth.
7. The plant is self-pollinating and produces 100% ovaries.
8. Lemon colored flowers. During the flowering period the bushes resemble a yellow ball.
9. Inflorescences of complex type.Up to six clusters are formed on each bush. Up to hundreds of small-sized fruits are formed on long clusters.
10. The powerful rhizome goes into the ground no deeper than half a meter and grows along the entire perimeter of the site, providing the plant with nutrients.

Reference. The variety Geranium Kiss is suitable for growing on balconies and loggias in pots with a capacity of at least 5 liters.

In the photo - tomato Geranium Kiss.

Fruit characteristics and yield

Small cocktails tomatoes have this characteristic:

• shape – oval, oblong, with a sharp spout at the end;
• size - no larger than a walnut;
• weight – 15-30 g;
• the skin is bright crimson in color, smooth and thin, does not crack;
• the fruits retain their marketable appearance for a week after picking;
• pulp – juicy, sweet, rich red;
• a cross section reveals six chambers with small seeds.

Productivity from 1 m² – up to 10 kg, from one bush - up to 2 kg.

Agricultural technology varieties

Geranium Kiss tomatoes are grown using two methods: through seedlings and by direct sowing into the ground. The second option is more suitable for regions with warm climates. Sowing work begins in May, after the soil has warmed up sufficiently and the threat of night frosts has disappeared.

Preparing seeds for seedlings

Seeds from the parent plant have excellent germination rates more than three years, without losing the characteristics of the variety.

Assembled the seed is soaked in a strong solution potassium permanganate for 3 hours or in a 2% solution of hydrogen peroxide for 30 minutes. Then they are immersed in growth-stimulating drugs - “Zircon”, “Epin”.

The soil

Soil for seedlings is prepared from turf, river sand and peat in equal proportions or take a ready-made substrate for tomatoes.Both options are disinfected in the oven, in a double boiler, or spilled with a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

About other bunch varieties of tomatoes:

“French grape” tomato ideal for pickling

How to grow a Cio-Cio-san tomato in open ground or a greenhouse

Sowing

The moist soil is placed in seedling boxes or directly into separate peat containers. Seeds are sown in early April, in furrows 2 cm deep with an interval of 1.5 cm. A 1 cm layer of soil is poured on top and watered. To create a greenhouse effect, film is stretched over the containers and taken to a dark place. The seeds hatch in 4-5 days at an air temperature of +25 °C.

Growing seedlings

After the shoots emerge, the film is removed and the containers are placed on a windowsill with good lighting. Watering – moderate, at the root using a syringe.

Seedlings fed with ready-made fertilizers: “Agricola”, “Shine”, “Baikal”, “Effecton”.

Picking into separate containers is carried out after two leaves appear.

A week before planting in the ground The seedlings are taken out to the balcony for hardening. First for half an hour, then the time is gradually increased. The day before planting, seedlings should spend 24 hours in the fresh air.

Landing in the ground

Transfer to seedlings in the ground is carried out as soon as the first flowers appear. This usually happens in early May, as the seedlings grow quickly. Place no more than four bushes per 1 m². The planting pattern is standard for indoor and open ground - 30x50 cm.

Three days before the transfer, watering is suspended.. In the area, dig holes no deeper than the height of the glass in which the seedlings are located. 3 g of superphosphate is added to each and the seedlings are transferred along with the earthen lump.Water the soil generously with warm water, wait until the moisture is completely absorbed, then repeat the procedure twice.

Care

Kiss geraniums are watered moderately with rain or settled water. no more than once every seven days. After each watering, the soil is loosened. Weeding of weeds is carried out periodically.

To reduce the frequency of weeding and make maintenance easier, beds are covered with mulch (hay, straw, sawdust, pine needles).

Important! The bushes do not require pinching, shaping or staking.

During the growing season the crop is fed three times:

• when planting – with organic fertilizers (“Vermix”, “Pixa”);
• during the period of active flowering - phosphorus fertilizers (“Superphosphate”, “Ammophos”, “Nitrophoska”);
• during the formation of tomatoes - potassium (“Potassium Monophosphate”, “Potassium Magnesia”).

Important! Not only the ground part is treated with nutritious fertilizers, but the soil is also watered abundantly. This is due to the growth of the root system in breadth.

Diseases and pests

The early ripening variety is resistant to most nightshade diseases. Fruiting begins long before the peak of virus and fungal activity. Farmers note that the crop rarely suffers from fusarium, verticillium, late blight, and powdery mildew.

But the plant does not have immunity against cladosporiosis and tobacco mosaic. To preserve the harvest, follow preventive measures:

• disinfection of seeds before sowing;
• removal of weak seedlings;
• annual soil renewal;
• spring tillage of the soil with a 5% solution of copper sulfate;
• ensuring an optimal level of soil moisture;
• compliance with the principle of crop rotation (do not plant tomatoes in one place for more than four years in a row).

To control insect pests (Colorado beetle, whitefly, spider mite) the drugs “Confidor”, “Iskra”, “Commander” are used.

Helps get rid of fungus foliar treatment with Barrier or Bordeaux mixture.

Growing difficulties

Tomatoes Geranium Kiss love moisture, but will not be able to grow in wetlands. Therefore, the frequency of watering plays an important role in the successful cultivation of the variety.

At air temperatures above +32 °C the pollen becomes sterile, which leads to the cessation of ovary formation.

In the heat, areas of tomatoes near the stalk turn yellow. This does not affect the taste in any way, but the presentation is lost. To avoid this, the bushes are shaded with a special mesh or agrofibre.

When growing ornamental bushes on loggias and balconies It is important to choose a pot of the appropriate size in which the plant will not be cramped. Otherwise, the tomatoes will stop growing and produce fewer bunches of fruit. In the worst case, this may not happen at all.

Reference. The agricultural technology of tomatoes on the balcony is identical to the rules for growing in a vegetable garden and greenhouse - moderate watering and fertilizing.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

Kiss of geranium loves neutral, fertile soil.

The choice of location for cultivation depends on the region and the weather forecast for the summer. In areas with short and cool summers, tomatoes are planted in greenhouses. In the southern regions, seeds can be safely sown directly into the soil, starting in mid-May. The earth in such areas manages to warm up to +16 °C. If the forecast of weather forecasters is not encouraging, tomatoes are planted indoors.

A plot for tomatoes in unprotected soil is chosen on the south side, with sufficient lighting and without drafts.The ideal place is along a fence, the wall of a house or a greenhouse. In the fall, the soil is dug up and fertilized with humus. In spring, the soil is loosened and fed with chicken droppings mixed with peat and sawdust.

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Rules for growing seedlings in open ground:

1. In the prepared soil, dig holes 1.5 cm deep in a checkerboard pattern (40x60 cm, 30x50 cm) and water with hot water. After cooling, 3 seeds are sown in the holes, covered with soil and pressed with the palm of your hand. Shoots appear in a week. If you germinate the seeds before this, then after 4 days.
2. As soon as three leaves hatch, the seedlings are examined and the strongest ones are left. The weak ones are removed and transplanted into other holes.
3. After sowing, the beds are not watered, but rather wait for the seedlings to appear. Otherwise, a crust forms on the surface of the earth, through which it is difficult for weak shoots to break through.
4. For irrigation use rain or settled warm water. Water in the morning before sunrise or in the evening, strictly at the root, once a week. In hot weather, the frequency of watering is increased up to two times. In rainy weather, on the contrary, they reduce it.

Farmers recommend removing bushes before cold weather sets in, even if they have ovaries. This should be done in the first ten days of September. The fact is that the crop is sensitive to cold, and with a sharp decrease in the average daily temperature, the growing season stops, and the tomatoes begin to rot.

The main advantage of cultivating the variety in greenhouse conditions – the opportunity to get an early harvest.The advantages of growing in the garden are natural hardening of plants, disease resistance and high taste of tomatoes.

Harvest Application

Geranium Kiss tomatoes have a universal purpose. The harvest is harvested together with the clusters at the stage of technical ripeness. This allows you to store products longer without loss of taste and presentation. Unripe tomatoes are stored in wooden boxes in two layers. Several ripe fruits are placed between them to stimulate ripening. The process takes approximately a week.

Ripe tomatoes are stored for a long time in the refrigerator or cellar at a temperature not higher than +10 °C. The fruits are used for making salads, tomato juice, snacks, drying, pickling and pickling.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Advantages of tomatoes:

• ease of cultivation in closed and open ground, in a city apartment;
• there is no need for pinching, tying or shaping bushes;
• the plant has an attractive appearance, abundantly covered with lemon-colored flowers;
• taste qualities are excellent;
• compact bushes do not take up much space on the site;
• Fruits abundantly and ripens early.

Flaws:

• predisposition to bacterial infections;
• intolerance to high air humidity.

Reviews

Bushes of the variety Geranium Kiss attract attention with abundant flowering, neatness and branches strewn with miniature scarlet tomatoes. Everyone who tried to grow the crop was satisfied with the result.

Vera, Liski: “A friend shared her tomato seeds with me. I planted the bushes in the greenhouse in mid-May. The variety is excellent, bears fruit consistently. The fruits are tasty, sweet, aromatic, and can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. Ate fresh".

Irina, Krasnodar: “Two years ago I got hold of the seeds of the Geranium Kiss. I grow it by sowing directly into the ground. In our climate this is permissible. I water according to the rules, I try not to spread dirt in the area, tomatoes don’t like that. I feed with ready-made organic and mineral fertilizers. When it’s hot, I cover it with agrofibre, otherwise the skin burns and turns yellow, but the taste doesn’t change.”.

Conclusion

The early ripening variety Geranium Kiss has many advantages: early ripening, abundant fruiting, visual attractiveness, relative ease of care and the possibility of cultivation in any type of soil. If desired, the plant can be grown on the balcony in large pots.

The excellent taste and universal use in cooking allows the fruits to be used for preparing fresh salads and preparations for the winter.