Fleshy, tasty and very aromatic “Danko” tomato: we get a rich, stable harvest
The Danko tomato variety is known among gardeners and is loved by them for its excellent taste and unpretentiousness. Its fruits resemble a heart, and tomatoes of this shape are considered the most delicious.
In this article we will tell you about the distinctive features of the variety, its advantages and disadvantages, features of cultivation and proper care of tomatoes.
Description of the variety
The main distinguishing feature of the Danko variety is its versatility: it is suitable for cultivation in the climatic conditions of any region. These tomatoes grow both in open ground and in greenhouses and tolerate both high and low temperatures.
The Danko variety is mid-early; tomatoes ripen within four months after planting. The fruits are large, heart-shaped, and the weight of some specimens can reach 250-300 g. Ripe tomatoes have a bright red color, sweet taste and strong aroma, and are suitable for making salads.
Danko is resistant to fungal and viral diseases of nightshades. It is characterized by good presentation, but does not tolerate transportation well: its ability to crack and thin skin contribute to this.
The yield is average: about 3-3.5 kg of tomatoes can be harvested from one bush.
Growing seedlings
Seed preparation should begin at the end of February. After purchasing them or selecting them yourself, pay attention to the quality of the planting material. Check the seeds carefully and separate the empty ones.
To check, fill the planting material with salted water (10 g of salt per glass of water). The floating seeds are empty, and those remaining at the bottom can be used for planting. After this, carry out disinfection potassium permanganate solution or hot water.
You can buy soil or prepare it yourself. An important condition is the correct ratio of sand, peat and fertilized soil. It is good if lime, organic matter, and mineral fertilizers are present in the soil. The soil must have good permeability of water and air.
After the ground has been prepared, take boxes or other containers about 15 cm high. It is convenient to use peat humus tablets as containers:
- advantages: very convenient when transplanting seedlings to a permanent place, they are planted together with the plant, and serve as a good fertilizer for it;
- disadvantages: used only once, expensive, you need to constantly monitor so that the peat does not dry out.
You can grow seedlings in separate cups:
- advantages: cheap, compact, reusable, easy to remove seedlings from;
- Disadvantages: inconvenient to carry; roots may be damaged during transportation.
Boxes (wooden, plastic, foam) are also used:
- advantages: ease of transportation, low price;
- disadvantages: during transplantation, seedlings may be damaged, which is why the plants will take a long time to take root.
Seeds are planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, leaving free space between plantings - about 5 cm. After planting, add plenty of soil watered and cover the top with plastic wrap.
Shoots appear 8-10 days after planting the seeds, after which they need to be provided with the necessary conditions for growth (no drafts, artificial or natural light for 13-14 hours and a temperature of not lower than 18 degrees during the day and not lower than 15 degrees at night). Keep the soil moist and do not allow it to dry out. For watering, it is better to use warm water and water with a spray bottle.
Top dressing Before replanting in open ground, it will not be necessary if the plants look strong and healthy. If the tomatoes look depressed, prepare a weak solution of complex fertilizer. Plants must be pruned after their first leaves appear. This helps prevent tomatoes from stretching and stimulates their root system.
Growing tomatoes
Before planting in the ground, seedlings need to be hardened off and adapted to lower temperatures. Greenhouse plants also need this. Hardening improves adaptation after transplantation.
It is best to plant tomatoes in open ground after frost. The soil should warm up. The optimal time for planting is late May - early June. Seedlings can be planted in the greenhouse as early as the twentieth of May, but it is better not to plant Danko too often - this variety usually grows strongly there. After transplanting, the tomatoes are watered abundantly, and after that they do not need to be watered or fertilized for 2-3 weeks.
Due to its resistance to drought, the variety does not require frequent watering. It will be enough to do this once a week, and in case of extreme heat - once every four days. Afterwards, be sure to loosen the soil - this will provide oxygen access to the roots of the tomatoes.
Bushes need to be weeded and hilled. To avoid doing this too often, mulch the tomatoes. This way, moisture will stay in the soil longer and weeds will grow more slowly. Peat or humus can be used as mulch.
Deleted every week stepsons, preventing fruiting. If you do not remove them, the tomatoes will grow and will not bear much fruit.
Danko is usually formed into 2-3 stems. Tomatoes need to be tied to supports - this way the fruits will have less contact with the ground and rot. Over time, it becomes necessary to tie the bush with twine.
During the growth of tomatoes, you need to fertilize with complex fertilizer 2-3 times: you can use both organic and mineral ones.
Possible difficulties during cultivation
Usually in a greenhouse this tomato grows very much, it needs to be constantly tied up and supported. In this case, we can advise you not to delay tying or pruning the bush, because it is much more difficult to work with a very overgrown plant.
If the soil is over-moistened, tomatoes may begin to crack. Start watering them less often and less; 3-4 liters of water will be enough for each bush.
Diseases and pests
Danko is resistant to fungal and viral diseases of nightshades. However, these diseases can be transmitted through infected tomatoes from neighboring beds. For this reason, tomatoes should not be planted next to other nightshades. Other causes of disease can be excessive watering of plants, poor ventilation and excessive growth of the bush.
Of the pests, Danko is most susceptible to attack by spider mites, whiteflies and mole crickets. Such products as Fitoverm and Karbofos are actively fighting them.
The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses
For planting in open ground, it is necessary to select the most beautiful, strong and healthy plants, since weaker ones may die after planting. In such conditions, there is usually no need to tie up tomatoes: they do not grow much outside. Transplantation can be carried out even if the seedlings have already begun to bloom, and this will not affect the yield.
When planting in a greenhouse, you need to remember that Danko always grows stronger in it. It is necessary to prepare supports for the garter in advance. Another important condition for growing this tomato in a greenhouse is ventilation.
Harvesting and application
The fruits can be collected within 110-120 days from the date of planting. Due to the thin skin, transportation of tomatoes and their long-term storage are not recommended. It is also better not to grow these tomatoes for sale or in large quantities.
The Danko variety has a salad purpose; these tomatoes are best consumed immediately. They also make wonderful winter salads, all kinds of lecho, adjika and sauces.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of the variety include:
- Large beautiful heart-shaped fruits.
- Excellent taste and pleasant aroma.
- Compactness.
- Versatility.
- Unpretentiousness.
- Drought resistance.
- Immunity to many nightshade diseases.
Flaws:
- The need to form a bush.
- It does not tolerate transportation and cracks easily due to its thin skin.
Farmer reviews
In general, reviews about Danko are positive. Many gardeners fell in love with it for its excellent taste and unpretentiousness, but some summer residents have a negative attitude towards the variety due to the fact that it grows so much.
Julia, Samara: “I’ve been growing Danko at my dacha for five years now. I'm quite pleased with this tomato.The choice of pink tomatoes for our climate is not so large: almost all varieties are recommended to be grown in a greenhouse. I don’t have the opportunity to come to the dacha every day to ventilate the greenhouse and care for the tomatoes. That’s why I chose the Danko variety, because it is suitable for open ground. This tomato pleased me: the harvest is stable, the fruits are tasty and quite large.”
Galina, Smolensk: “I really liked it: the variety is productive and disease-resistant, the tomatoes are tasty and beautiful. It is advisable to standardize brushes.”
Olga, Novgorod: “I read positive reviews about the variety. Maybe I just didn’t take good care of it, but other varieties performed much better. I grew Danko both in open ground and in a greenhouse. He didn't show himself well anywhere. I didn’t even like the bush itself: it’s difficult to plant, the branches look like panicles. This strangeness was already visible in the seedlings. In the greenhouse I don’t even remember collecting anything from it. In open ground, the fruits began to appear late; I was not pleased with their appearance.”
Conclusion
The Danko tomato variety is universal: it grows well in any climatic conditions and is suitable for different regions of our country. It is not recommended to grow such tomatoes for sale or in large quantities: they do not store well and are prone to cracking.
This variety is very unpretentious, and its fruits are beautiful, aromatic and tasty, which is why Danko is popular among gardeners and is a welcome guest on the table both in summer - in fresh salads, and in winter - in preparations or juicy lecho.