Early ripening, high-yielding and versatile tomato “Dubok”: growing instructions from A to Z
The low-growing Dubok variety came to Russia and the CIS countries in the 21st century, falling in love with many for its early ripening and unpretentiousness. In this article we will introduce you to the main characteristics and description of the Dubok tomato variety, and also give advice on growing them. Perhaps after this you will want to plant these tomatoes in your garden.
Description of the variety
Oak is a determinate, early-ripening variety of tomatoes.. It is convenient to grow it in open ground. It is also possible to grow in greenhouses and even at home (on a windowsill).
Important! When growing the tomatoes in question at home, artificial pollination will be required. Without it there will be no harvest.
Distinctive features
Tomatoes The oak tree does not need to be pruned. Thanks to its compactness, a garter is also not necessary. The variety is cold-resistant, but does not tolerate temperature changes well.
Attention! Experienced gardeners recommend supporting the shoots during the ripening of tomatoes so that they do not break under the weight of the fruit.
Dubok tomato bushes are short and compact. They rarely exceed 60 cm in height.
They branch weakly, so they do not require much space. The leaves are small, light green, slightly corrugated. The first cluster is laid over the 6-7th leaf, the subsequent ones are formed every 1-2 leaves. The main stem is covered with 4-6 inflorescences. Each of them produces an average of 5 fruits.
Tomato Oak is a non-hybrid plant. It is highly unpretentious and resistant to major tomato diseases (rot, late blight, mosaic).
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Fruit characteristics and yield
The color of unripe fruits is light green. Once ripe, it changes to bright red. The shape of the tomatoes is almost ideally spherical with slight ribbing. The photo below shows how both unripe and ripe tomatoes are ironed.
The fruits have a smooth, medium-density skin. It almost never cracks. Each Dubok tomato has 3-6 seed nests. At the same time, the pulp of the fruit is fleshy. The taste is sweet, juicy, sometimes a little sour.
The first fruits grow the largest (weighing up to 110 g). The smallest tomatoes weigh 53 g.
The fruits ripen on average 90 days. Fruiting continues until late autumn. The average yield from one bush is 2 kg of vegetables. With proper care and proper cultivation, this figure reaches 5 kg per bush (6-8 kg per square meter).
How to grow seedlings
To grow Dubok tomatoes, the seedling method is used. It is important to properly treat the seeds before sowing, choose a suitable container and provide proper care for the sprouts.
Seed preparation
To select among the available seeds suitable for sowing, a saline solution is used. Seeds are immersed in it, and then those that float to the surface (unsuitable) are removed. Those that have settled to the bottom are washed (these are good seeds).
Next, the seeds are disinfectedby soaking them in a one percent manganese solution for 20 minutes. Treatment with a growth stimulant is also recommended.
For the seeds to germinate, they are laid out in gauze and ensure that it is always wet.
Attention! It is also recommended to harden tomato seeds. To do this, they are placed in a napkin and placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After the procedure, warming is required for several hours at a temperature of 23-24 degrees.
Container and soil
Tomatoes Oak is unpretentious to the soil. Experts recommend using ready-made soil for growing their seedlings. However, some gardeners prepare the soil for seedlings on their own, mixing humus, garden soil and sand. Wood ash or superphosphate is also added to such soil.
The most favorable time for sowing seedlings of the Dubok variety The period is considered to be from mid-March to early April.
Important! It is best to use special seedling cups for seedlings. Place 1-2 seeds in each. This way, the seedlings will not need to be replanted, which means they will not be subject to stress.
Sowing
Before sowing the seeds, water the soil with a solution of manganese. The seeds are buried half a centimeter into the ground and sprinkled with earth on top. It should not be compacted.
After sowing, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle.. The seedling cups are covered with cellophane or glass and placed in a well-lit place with a temperature of 23-24 degrees. The glass is removed after the first shoots appear.
Growing and care
For optimal growth of Dubok tomato seedlings, you need a lot of light.. If there is not enough natural light, provide the room with additional lamps.
The temperature at which seedlings grow well is from 18 to 20 degrees. It is important that the sprouts are provided with sufficient moisture. To do this, water the soil as it dries.
Reference! The seedlings are planted in the ground 60 days after germination. Before this, it is hardened, lowering the daytime temperature to 17 degrees, and the night temperature to 12.
How to grow tomatoes
Growing Dubok tomatoes is simple due to the unpretentiousness of the variety. Even beginners in the field of gardening get a rich harvest when growing such tomatoes. However, it is necessary to follow the rules for planting and caring for them.
Landing
Seedlings are planted in open ground if each bush has 3-4 leaves. This time falls at the end of May.
Important! The Dubok tomato grows best in an area where legumes, cucumbers, onions or carrots previously grew.
Bushes are planted at a distance of 60-70 cm from each other. The optimal distance between rows is 40-50 cm. It is important to place the bushes from north to south. This way the sun will hit the plants all day.
Fertilizer is added to each hole when planting.. It is recommended to use one glass of ash, as well as 1 tsp. superphosphate and urea.
Tomato bushes with one or two stems grow best. Pinching is not necessary for this variety.
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Care
Dubok tomatoes need regular watering. It is important to take into account natural precipitation and weather conditions. It is recommended to water abundantly every 5-6 days. This is better than watering the plants in question often, but little by little. Tomatoes are irrigated early in the morning or late evening.
Important! It is considered optimal to water each bush with 4-5 liters of water.
To protect the roots from overheating, the soil is hilled up and mulched with grass.. This way, less moisture evaporates, and the top layer of soil is fertilized with organic matter and remains loose.
Every 2-3 weeks Dubok tomatoes need to be fed. Add 50 g of superphosphate, 250 g of ash and 2 kg of manure to a bucket of water. The resulting mixture is watered on the bushes in the evening. So that the moisture does not stagnate and the roots receive a sufficient amount of air, the soil is loosened after watering.
Weeding tomato beds is an important procedure that prevents them from being overshadowed by weeds and losing nutrients.
Dubok tomatoes need to be tied only in cases where the bushes are overloaded with fruits. For example, if tomatoes grow in heavy clusters, but the lower fruits are closed (which slows down their ripening).
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Suitable soil composition, favorable climatic conditions and proper care - three components that are necessary for the growth of Dubok tomatoes. If all these conditions are created for the plant, it will produce a rich harvest.
The only difficulty that gardeners sometimes face iswho decided to grow the variety of vegetables in question – poor seed germination.
Reasons why Dubok tomato seeds do not germinate:
- lack of disinfection before sowing;
- use of low-quality soil contaminated with infection;
- the presence of toxic substances in the soil;
- oversaturation of the soil with salts;
- excessive soil density;
- sowing seeds too deep;
- low temperature, which can lead to rotting of seedlings in the soil;
- excess moisture;
- increased soil acidity;
- long-term storage of seeds at low temperatures.
If we exclude these factors, then there will be no problems with seedling germination.
Diseases and pests
Dubok tomatoes resist well known tomato diseases. However, in order to protect them from harmful external influences, it is recommended to treat them with phytosporin.
Pests dangerous to the variety:
- aphid;
- Colorado beetle;
- naked slug;
- white owl.
The plant can be protected from them using insecticidal preparations.. Aphids are afraid of ash. If you treat the bushes with an ash solution or a soap solution, it will retreat. A means to repel other pests is copper sulfate.
The nuances of growing in a greenhouse
Since Dubok tomatoes are low-growing, they are recommended to be grown in open ground. They are also suitable for greenhouses, but in a favorable climate this is simply not necessary. Greenhouses are a more suitable option for growing these tomatoes in northern regions.
Gardeners claim that in closed ground the variety grows faster. At the same time, there are fewer fruits on the bushes, but their volume exceeds the mass of those grown in open beds.
It is important to ventilate greenhouses well when growing these tomatoes in them and regularly loosen the soil - the plants love air.
Tillage in the greenhouse must be thorough. It is better to completely replace the soil that was in place before planting tomatoes, since it is in greenhouses that various diseases rapidly develop.
Harvesting and application
The ripening period of tomatoes is 90-100 days. The harvest is harvested from late July to late autumn.
Important! After harvesting, it is recommended to remove the bushes, dig up the ground and sow it with mustard or barley. This way, weeds will not spread on the ground, and the ground will be fertilized with organic matter.
Dubok tomatoes are universal in use. They are used for preparing salads, appetizers and first courses.The fruits are great for canning and making purees. Healthy tomatoes are stored for a long time and tolerate transportation well.
Recommendations for collecting Oak tomatoes for storage:
- harvest after the fruit has fully ripened;
- removal of the stalk;
- neat placement of tomatoes in boxes;
- for long-term storage, each fruit is wrapped in paper;
- fill each box in no more than three layers;
- For transportation without damaging the presentation, each layer of tomatoes is covered with dry hay or sprinkled with sawdust.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
In the tomato variety in question there are many advantages. As experienced gardeners note, this variety has no disadvantages at all..
Pros of Dubok tomatoes:
- fast ripening;
- compact bushes;
- unpretentiousness;
- high productivity;
- excellent taste;
- resistance to various diseases;
- excellent keeping quality and transportability;
- simultaneous ripening of fruits;
- cold resistance.
Reviews
Despite the fact that Dubok tomatoes have extremely positive properties, never forget to read the reviews of other summer residents and gardeners. They may be able to give you some useful growing tips, which will greatly simplify the process of caring for tomatoes.
Gennady: “I was pleasantly surprised by the resistance of Dubok tomatoes to drought. I planted it at the dacha. Water is provided according to a schedule, but there are problems with watering. The oak tree withstood everything. At the same time, I didn’t have to babysit it as much as I did with other varieties of tomatoes on my site. I was very pleased with the harvest.”
Antonina: “This is the second year I’ve been planting Dubok tomatoes. I like their taste, although my husband finds them a little sour. For me, this sourness gives the variety a special appeal. I pickled dozens of cans of these tomatoes.The larger ones were cut in half, and the middle ones were placed whole in jars.”
Ivan: “I love Dubok tomatoes for their fast ripening and unpretentiousness. Of the ten dachas on our street, only I had ripe tomatoes already in July. They taste a little sour, but I like them. I supplied the local store with these fruits. They are selling like crazy."
Conclusion
Dubok tomatoes are an excellent choice for both experienced gardeners and beginners. Early ripening, ease of care and rich harvest are the main characteristics of the variety, which inspire you to grow them in your garden or greenhouse.