Miniature bushes with neat tomatoes, bearing fruit until frost - “Fakel” tomatoes

Growing tomatoes presents a number of difficulties. Fertilizing, pinching, gartering, treating diseases - all these tasks are included in crop care. Therefore, agronomists are constantly developing new varieties that are resistant to various diseases and easy to care for.

If you are new to gardening and have decided to try planting tomatoes on your plot for the first time, then give preference to productive varieties, the cultivation of which is associated with minimal difficulties. The choice of determinate crops will eliminate the need for pinching and staking. The Torch tomato is a small but productive tomato.

Description of tomato Torch

The Torch variety is a small red-orange tomato.. They are easy to care for, so even novice gardeners can grow them. The variety was bred in Moldova and is intended for cultivation in regions with a similar climate. In northern and central Russia, it is recommended to plant Torch in a greenhouse.

Tomato bushes Torch determinate. After the development of the superior ovary, they stop growing. An adult plant reaches a height of 40-60 cm.

Due to their small size, the bushes do not require staking or pinching. This makes the farmer's work much easier.

Reference. The small growth of Torch tomatoes allows you to grow this crop not only in the garden and in the country, but also on the balcony in boxes.

Distinctive features

Torch tomato fruits are medium in size. One tomato can reach 60-100 g. In rare cases, their weight reaches 120 g.

Fruit color is orange-red. The skin is thin but durable. The shape is correct, round. The taste of Torch fruits is sweet, with a slight sourness, juicy, with a lot of pulp.

The variety is considered universal. Tomatoes are consumed fresh and also used in the preparation of various dishes.

They do not crack when preserved, and due to their small size they look great in a jar.

The variety has average resistance to plant diseases. Gardeners note that it is rarely affected by fungi and viruses.

The main feature of tomatoes is the low growth of bushes.. Thanks to it, they do not require gartering or pinching, which makes the gardener’s work much easier.

Look at the photo to see what Torch tomatoes look like.

Read also:

Low-growing variety - Mongolian Dwarf tomato

Unusual tomato “Black bunch F1”

High-yielding and disease-resistant tomato "Moskvich"

Characteristics of the variety

Torch tomatoes are suitable for both beginners and experienced gardeners. The variety surprises not only with its unpretentiousness, but also with its high yield.

Description of the characteristics of the Fakel variety:

Gardeners note that the Torch tomato rarely suffers from other diseases.. However, preventive measures should not be neglected.

Growing seedlings

Gardeners recommend sowing seedlings 2-2.5 months before planting Torch tomatoes in their permanent place. This is done in early or mid-May. When growing tomatoes in open ground, tomato seedlings are planted later.

Preparation of seed material

Before sowing seeds for seedlings, you need to prepare them. This will increase and speed up their germination and prevent infection by plant diseases.

How to prepare seeds for planting:

1. Check expiration dates planting material. Sort through the seeds, removing damaged and blackened ones.
2. Soak the seeds for half an hour in saline solution. Discard those that float, they will not sprout. Rinse the seeds that have sunk to the bottom and use them for planting.
3. Treat seeds against diseases, soaking them for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate.If there is no potassium permanganate, then it can be replaced with purchased means for disinfecting planting material, aloe juice or soda solution.
4. Soak the seeds in a growth stimulator or warm water. To do this, soak the fabric in the solution, place the planting material on it and wrap it. Place in a warm place. The timing of seed soaking depends on the composition used. If soaked in plain water, it may take several days.
5. Dry the prepared seeds paper towel.

Advice! Soaking seeds in a soda solution will replace their disinfection and growth stimulation. Planting material is placed in such a solution for a day.

Selecting soil and container

The container for growing seedlings can be absolutely any. You can sow seeds in special plastic or wooden boxes. You can also make containers yourself by cutting off a five-liter bottle, plastic packaging for cakes, or taking packaging from instant noodles.

Used as individual seed containers peat and plastic pots, disposable cups, cut bottles, etc.

Advice! To reduce the risk of seed contamination, fill the container with boiling water before using it.

Choosing soil is an important step in growing plants.. Light soil is best for tomatoes. There are many options for soil mixtures. Experienced gardeners prefer to use a mixture of peat, turf and humus, taken in equal proportions.

Ready-made soil mixture is also used. To reduce its acidity, add flour to the soil. Both purchased and homemade mixtures must be disinfected before use. To do this, use a solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water.Also, to disinfect the soil, it is calcined in an oven or in a steam bath.

Sowing seeds

After preparing the planting material, container and soil start sowing seeds.

Seeds are laid out on the soil in rows. There should be a distance of at least 2 cm between each seed, and 3 cm between the rows. The greater the distance between the plants, the longer they can not be transplanted into separate containers. From above, the planting material is covered with a centimeter layer of earth. The soil is moistened with warm water from a spray bottle.

More about tomatoes:

Tomato "Bobcat" - the best of the low-growing ones

Pear-shaped variety with a sweet taste - tomato “Ivan Kupala”

To create an optimal level of humidity, the container is covered with glass or film.. Future seedlings are placed in a warm place with a temperature of at least 23 degrees. Under such conditions, the first shoots will appear in 2-3 weeks.

Seedling care

Basic rules for growing seedlings:

1. As soon as the seeds germinate, place the container in a well-lit place. The lack of sunlight is compensated with the help of fluorescent lamps.
2. When the seeds germinate, the film or glass is removed.
3. If the soil is too moist, remove the greenhouse and wait until it dries.
4. Water the seedlings as the soil dries out. After the first shoots appear, water them not from a spray bottle, but from a pipette.
5. When the first true leaves appear on the plants, make a pick. You need to carefully remove tomatoes from the soil so as not to damage their roots.
6. A second pick may be needed. One grown plant should contain at least a kilogram of soil.
7. Before planting seedlings in open ground, they need to be hardened off.To do this, two weeks before transplanting the plants, they are taken outside for a quarter of an hour, the next day for an hour, then for two. Gradually increase the hardening time to a day.
8. During seedling cultivation, at least two feedings with complex fertilizers are given. The first time was two weeks after picking the tomatoes, the second time was a few days before they were planted in open ground.

How to grow tomatoes

After the seedlings have grown stronger and the soil outside has warmed up, the tomatoes are transplanted to a permanent place in protected or open ground. Without a greenhouse, growing Torch is only possible in regions with a warm climate.

Seedlings are planted in mid or late May. Plants are planted in open ground in early June.

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

You need to prepare the soil in the fall. To do this, it is dug up, cleared of weeds and enriched with ash, humus and dry chlorine.

In spring, the soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate and dug up again. Before planting, the soil is thoroughly moistened and fed. Wells are then formed. They are placed in rows at a distance of 40 cm from each other. The width of the passage between the rows should be 50-60 cm.

Advice! By planting tomatoes in a checkerboard pattern, you will save usable space.

Immediately before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are removed from the pots. There should be a lump of earth on its roots. Tomatoes are placed in holes, placing the root in the center of the holes, which are covered with earth. There is no need to compact the soil.

Tomato care

Torch variety tomatoes require moderate watering. The soil is moistened as its top layer dries. After each watering, the soil is loosened, which helps to avoid the formation of a crust on its surface.The depth of loosening should not exceed 4 cm.

Torch tomatoes do not require pinching. But it is advisable to regularly remove the lower and wilted leaves. Deformed inflorescences also need to be disposed of.

Gartering of tomatoes of this variety is not necessary.. But experienced gardeners recommend tying up bushes that bend to the ground due to the abundance of fruits.

Feed the bushes every two weeks. Root feeding involves alternating mineral compositions with mullein solution. After the first ovaries appear on the lower hands, foliar feeding is carried out. To do this, plants are sprayed with a superphosphate solution.

What difficulties might you encounter?

There are a number of difficulties that a farmer may encounter when growing tomatoes.. Below are the most popular ones:

1. Night frosts. When growing tomatoes in open ground, there is always a risk that in the first week after transplanting they will die due to night frosts. To prevent this from happening, cover the plants with film.
2. The appearance of roots on the stems. This indicates that the plants do not have enough nutrients. Hilling will help correct the situation.
3. Plants have lost turgor. This can happen not only with a lack of moisture, but also with excessive watering.

Diseases and pests

Torch variety tomatoes are resistant to late blight, rot and fusarium. Therefore, the risk of contracting these diseases is minimal.

To prevent tomato diseases, before planting plants in open ground, water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate. Purchased preparations for soil disinfection are also used for these purposes.

It is recommended to spray the plants regularly antifungal agents.This is done before the first inflorescences appear.

No tomato is resistant to harmful insects. Spraying the bushes with special products will protect them from pests. There are several options for such compositions.

Products for protection against harmful insects:

1. Camomile tea. 0.5 kg of plant is brewed in a bucket of water. Insist for 24 hours.
2. Soap solution. A piece of laundry soap is grated and dissolved in a bucket of warm water.
3. Infusion of celandine. 0.5 kg of plant is brewed in a bucket of water. Insist for 24 hours.
4. Insecticides. Use according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Spray tomatoes once every two weeks until the first flowers appear.. It is important that the product does not get into the soil.

Differences between growing tomatoes in a greenhouse and in open ground

Growing Torch tomatoes in a greenhouse does not involve any difficulties. All that is required of you is to follow the rules of care and periodically ventilate the room. When planting tomatoes in open ground, labor costs will be greater.

The first week after transplanting tomatoes into unprotected soil, they need to be covered. overnight with film. On hot days, shading of the bushes is necessary.

For greenhouse tomatoes, it is necessary to mulche. This will protect them from harmful insects and adverse external factors. Use hay, straw or burlap as mulch.

Harvesting and application

The first tomatoes of the Fakel variety are harvested in mid-July. They are formed in 5-7 pieces with brushes, turning red evenly. Remove ripe fruits immediately by cutting them with a knife or twisting them with your hands. On cloudy days, unripe tomatoes that have reached 80-100 g are also harvested. They will ripen at home and the plant will not suffer from late blight.

Harvested tomatoes are consumed fresh, added to hot dishes or canned. This versatile variety is also suitable for drying.

Advantages and disadvantages of tomato Torch

Benefits of Torch tomatoes:

• beautiful shape;
• compactness;
• high productivity;
• versatility of use;
• no need to tie up and step-son;
• resistance to a number of plant diseases;
• possibility of growing in open and protected ground;
• the possibility of using seeds from ripe fruits.

No significant deficiencies were identified in the variety. If you find it, be sure to share it in the comments below the article.

Farmer reviews

Reviews about the Torch tomato variety are mostly positive. This is an unpretentious and productive variety.

Let's look at some online reviews from farmers:

Denis, Crimea: “I’ve been growing Torch tomatoes for several years now. A very productive and unpretentious variety. In our conditions, it feels great in open ground. I use the fruits mainly for preservation.".

Ksenia, Tver: “I’ve been growing Torch in a greenhouse for two years now. The taste and appearance of the fruit are quite mediocre. However, its ease of care and productivity make it my favorite variety. I harvest about 11 kg of tomatoes per square meter.”.

Conclusion

Tomato Torch is an unpretentious variety that got its name because of its original shape. It does not require staking or pinching and produces an excellent harvest. A torch is the best option for summer residents, farmers and beginning gardeners.