The “Diabolik” tomato developed by Japanese breeders: why it’s good and why it’s loved by domestic farmers

Every year, many varieties and hybrids of tomatoes appear on the markets. They have different tastes, colors and characteristics. Among them, those that are distinguished by high immunity to diseases and ease of care are especially valued.

Japanese agronomists have achieved high results in breeding. They have developed many hardy varieties. The Diabolic tomato is especially popular. This hybrid appeared on the Russian market more than ten years ago and has not yet lost the favor of gardeners. Why is it so good - read on.

Description of the hybrid

Tomato Diabolik is a first generation hybrid. This is indicated by the designation f1.

This is interesting! Everyone knows that you cannot collect seeds from hybrids. This is due to the fact that plants grown from such material often have parental characteristics (characteristics of one of the varieties through which the hybrid was bred). In rare cases, the same hybrid grows.

Diabolic was developed by Japanese breeders. The French branch of Socata submitted an application to test tomatoes in Russia. In 2008, the hybrid was included in the Russian register.

Distinctive features of the Diabolic tomato

Diabolic tomatoes are characterized by fleshy fruits with red skin and dark pink flesh. They contain a high percentage of dry matter, which does not make them any less juicy. See what the fruits look like in the photo.

The taste of the fruits of this hybrid is sweet and sour. Classic tomato aroma.

The main feature of the hybrid is its high immunity to many tomato diseases.. He is not afraid even of root nematodes and a whole list of viruses that still cannot be treated.

This is one of the few tomatoes that are resistant to both high and low temperatures.. Therefore, Diabolik can be planted in open ground even in central Russia.

Despite the fact that the hybrid is determinate, it still needs garter. After all, its bushes grow above one and a half meters.

Characteristics

The description of the hybrid suggests that even novice gardeners can cope with its cultivation. This is one of the most unpretentious varieties to care for..

Characteristics of Diabolik:

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Tomato variety "Auria" from Novosibirsk breeders

Time-tested tomato "Titan" for open ground

Growing seedlings

Seeds are sown 55-60 days before planting tomatoes in open ground. Tomatoes are planted when the soil reaches the optimal temperature.

In most regions, seeds are sown in March. Before this, you need to look at the indicators of the lunar calendar.

Seed preparation

To speed up seed germination and increase their germination capacity, it is necessary prepare planting material. This will prevent the plants from becoming infected.

Preparing seeds for planting:

1. The seeds are soaked for half an hour in a saline solution. Those that float are removed, and those that sink to the bottom are washed and dried.
2. The planting material is wrapped in gauze and immersed for half an hour in hydrogen peroxide or a solution of potassium permanganate. After this, it must be washed under running water.
3. Stimulating growth helps seeds grow faster. For these purposes, different compositions are used, for example, “Epin”. Among home remedies, soaking seeds in a soda solution shows good results.

Selection of container and soil

Before you start sowing seeds, select suitable containers for them.. Large boxes and trays are sold in gardening stores. Homemade pots are also used for these purposes.You can make containers for sowing seeds by cutting a square-shaped bottle lengthwise, taking a jar of herring and sea cocktail, or using deep disposable plates.

Special containers are used to transplant already sprouted tomatoes.. They must have a volume of at least 3 liters.

Note! Individual peat tablets are often used for planting seeds. They have an optimal composition for growing cultivated plants. The cost of planting tomatoes when using tablets increases, so they are recommended to be used only for expensive varieties and hybrids that are planted in small quantities.

To grow seedlings you need to prepare the soil. To do this, mix peat, humus and sand in equal proportions. A little ash and superphosphate are added to the composition. Purchased soil is also used. For tomatoes, choose soil that has a light composition.

The soil and containers are disinfected before use. The easiest way is to pour hot water over them.

Sowing planting material

After all the preparatory work has been completed, planting begins.. To do this, grooves 1 cm deep are made in the soil. The distance between the grooves should be at least 3 cm. The seeds are laid out at a distance of 2 cm from each other.

The top of the groove is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth.. The seeds are moistened with warm water using a spray bottle. The container is covered with film or glass and placed in a warm place.

Advice. If a layer of mold has formed on the soil, it means it is waterlogged. In this case, remove the affected layer of soil and dry the soil.

Seedling care

Only by following all the rules for caring for seedlings will it be possible to grow healthy and viable plants. The list contains the basic rules:

1. When all the seeds have sprouted, the film is removed. The box with seedlings is moved to a well-lit place.
2. To prevent the plants from stretching out, after the first shoots appear, they are placed in a cool place with a temperature of 12 degrees. After a week, the tomatoes are returned to the premises.
3. Water the tomatoes as the soil dries. To do this, use warm, settled water. Moisten the soil so that water does not get on the greens.
4. The plants are fed three times during the entire period of growing seedlings. For this, complex fertilizers are used. The first time tomatoes are fertilized two weeks after picking the seedlings.
5. Before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are hardened off. To do this, tomatoes are placed outside every day, gradually increasing the time they stay there.

Growing tomatoes

Tomatoes are planted in the second decade of May. It is important that the soil warms up by this time.

Before transplanting, seedlings must be prepared. Plants are fed and watered three days before planting.

Landing in the ground

The soil for tomatoes has been prepared since autumn. Beds suitable for this crop are dug up. The best precursors for tomatoes are cabbage, carrots, onions and cucumbers. Planting in an area where nightshades grew will increase the likelihood of disease.

In autumn, enrich the soil with fertilizers. For 1 sq. m of land take 60 g of superphosphate, 5 kg of humus and 30 g of potassium salt. In the spring, the soil is dug up again, removing all plant roots, and fertilized. To do this, for 1 sq. m, 25 ammonium sulfate, 1 kg of ash and the same amount of bird droppings are scattered.

Two days before planting in open ground, seedlings are watered with a solution of copper oxychloride. To do this, take 15 g of copper oxychloride per 5 ml of water.

To plant Diabolik, dig holes in rows 20 cm deep.. For this, a 40×60 scheme is used. Before planting, the tomatoes are taken out of the pots along with the soil and placed in holes that are filled with water. Then the holes are filled with soil.

More about tomatoes:

Legendary hybrid - tomato "Inkas"

Tomatoes "Torch", bearing fruit until frost

Rules of care

Tomatoes Diabolik – determinate variety. It reaches a height of 1.6 m. Therefore, plant staking is required. To do this, use wooden supports or trellises.

The Diabolik hybrid produces a small number of stepsons. Therefore, stepsoning is not necessary. Usually the bushes are formed into three stems.

Watering the plants as the soil dries out.

Tomatoes are fed at least three times during the season.. For these purposes, purchased or homemade fertilizers are used.

Recipes for feeding tomatoes:

1. The first time the plants are fed with fertilizer containing bird droppings. To prepare it, take 0.5 kg of litter, 0.1 kg of potassium sulfate and 0.4 kg of superphosphate per 10 liters of water. All components are thoroughly mixed. Fertilizing is applied at the root at the rate of 1 liter per 1 tomato.
2. When the first buds appear, the tomatoes are fed a second time. To do this, take 1 kg of ash and 5 g of boric acid per 5 liters of water. The fertilizer is infused for 24 hours. For each tomato take 1 liter of this composition.
3. When fruits appear on the plant, do the next feeding. Mix 5 liters of water with 0.5 tbsp. l. potassium humate and 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate. 1 liter of composition is consumed per plant.

Nuances of cultivation

When growing tomatoes, it is important for a gardener to know several nuances. This will help grow healthy plants and reap a rich harvest.

Tips for caring for tomatoes:

1. For the Diabolik hybrid, choose the most illuminated place on the site.In this case, there will be the highest yields.
2. Yellowed leaves and ugly inflorescences are removed. This procedure will preserve the health of the plants and speed up the ripening of the fruits.
3. Watering and planting are carried out in the evening. During this period, the risks of plant infection are reduced.
4. Tomato beds are loosened after each watering and rain. This helps improve root air exchange.
5. When roots appear on the stems, the plants are earthed up. This sign indicates that the tomatoes lack nutrients.

Harmful insects and diseases

Tomato Diabolik is resistant to most fungal diseases and root nematode. Therefore, the use of chemicals for preventive purposes is not necessary.

To keep plants healthy, you need to follow all the rules of watering and pinching, as well as disinfect soil and seeds. Choosing the right planting location also matters.

Home remedies are used to prevent blossom end and root rot.. For example, plants are sprayed with a composition prepared from 0.5 tbsp. l. calcium nitrate diluted in 5 liters of water.

Plants are treated against insects with a decoction of chamomile or celandine.. Such compositions are sprayed on the above-ground parts of plants without getting on the soil.

Differences between growing in protected and open ground

Diabolic grown mainly in open ground. It can also be planted in a greenhouse.

The greenhouse where such a tomato will grow must have a transparent roof and stand in a well-lit place. Diabolic needs a lot of sunlight, so fluorescent lamps are often additionally used.

When growing this hybrid in open ground choose the sunniest place on the site.In partial shade, yields will be lower. In the first two weeks after planting the seedlings, the beds are covered with film at night so that the tomatoes do not die due to night frosts.

To protect against low temperatures and insects, as well as to preserve moisture in the soil on hot days, the beds with Diabolik are mulched. It is best to use dry grass or straw for these purposes.

Harvest and use

The first harvest of Diabolik is obtained in July. All ripe fruits are harvested immediately, leaving the stalk behind. On cloudy and cool days, green tomatoes are also harvested, reaching a weight of 90 g. They ripen perfectly on the windowsill. In this way you can protect the plant from late blight.

Tomato Diabolik is universal in gastronomic terms. It is suitable for fresh consumption, canning, and drying.

Advantages and disadvantages of Diabolic

Advantages of a hybrid:

• unpretentiousness;
• high productivity;
• resistance to most diseases;
• resistance to cold and heat;
• possibility of growing in open and protected ground;
• versatility of crop use.

No disadvantages have been identified in Diabolik. This is one of the most productive and unpretentious hybrids.

Reviews about the hybrid

Diabolik has good reviews. It is often grown for sale.

Anna Ignatieva, Krasnodar: “I have been growing Diabolik for sale for several years now. Excellent yield indicators. In hot summers from 1 sq. m I collect more than 20 kg of fruits. The taste is normal, tomato. Good both fresh and canned".

Maxim Krivyakin, Belgorod: “I grow tomatoes for myself in open ground. The hybrid is easy to grow. The tomato taste is normal. During the season I collect several buckets of tomatoes from one garden bed.”.

Conclusion

Tomato Diabolik is an unpretentious hybrid that is resistant to many diseases. It is popular with both novice gardeners and experienced farmers. High yield and good transport tolerance make it an excellent option for growing for sale.