How to care for the Sprut Slivka tomato in open ground and in a greenhouse

It is not easy to surprise modern gardeners with new varieties of vegetables, but breeders have managed to create a truly amazing hybrid of tomatoes. It's called Sprut Slivka.

Tomatoes of this crop grow directly on trees! In addition, Sprut Slivka produces a rich harvest, bears fruit from mid-summer until winter frosts, and responds well to nutritious fertilizing.

Characteristics and description of the hybrid

Tomato Octopus Cream f1 is a tall hybrid capable of reaching 4 m in height. The branches of this plant, like vines, spread out to the sides at a distance of 5-6 m. The root system is well developed.

The leaves of the plant are small and dark green in color. The peculiarity of this hybrid is that the tomatoes grow on the branches in large clusters of 6-12 pieces.

The fruits are oblong in shape and weigh 30-50 g. Their skin is dense and therefore rarely cracks. The pulp of tomatoes is juicy and is not inferior in taste to other hybrids and varieties.

If you follow the correct agricultural technology, you will get 10-15 kg of tomatoes per year from one bush tree. The first harvest is at the end of July, fruiting lasts for several months.

Attention. By growing the Sprut Slivka hybrid in greenhouse conditions, you can get not one harvest, but two.

Advantages and disadvantages

This unusual and capricious plant has both advantages and disadvantages.

Gardeners highlight the following advantages of tomato hybrids:

1. High level of productivity. From one bush you get 15 kg of tomatoes.If you plant several, you can organize their profitable sale.
2. Long fruiting period - from 2 to 4 months.
3. Early ripening of tomatoes.
4. Persistent immunity to major diseases.
5. The hybrid does not require pinning.

The main disadvantage: growing a hybrid in open ground conditions is not easy - it is impossible to get the same yield as in greenhouses. Another disadvantage is that it grows in open ground only in southern regions with a mild climate.

How to grow

It is recommended to grow the hybrid Sprut Slivka using seedlings. The main thing is to provide the tomatoes with enough light and heat and not forget about fertilizers.

Growing in greenhouses

For gardeners living in the middle zone, it is better to grow the Sprut Slivka tomato in a greenhouse, where it can produce fruit all year round. By adhering to special agricultural techniques, you can get up to 1.5 tons of fruits per year. To get a harvest in autumn and winter, seeds must be sown in the second half of August.

Attention. Growing tomatoes on an industrial scale in greenhouses requires special equipment, so it is easier and more convenient for gardeners to plant tomatoes for one season within their household plots.

The most important components in growing tomatoes in a greenhouse are good lighting and drip irrigation to maintain the required level of soil moisture. There should be a lot of light in the greenhouse. Additional lighting should work 14-15 hours a day.

Rules of care:

1. 3 weeks after planting the seedlings, the plants are planted in separate containers with a volume of at least 1 liter to ensure healthy growth of the root system.
2. At this stage of growth, water the plants sparingly.
3. Once every 10 days, be sure to feed the plants with vermicompost.
4. From mid-April you can plant seedlings in a greenhouse.
5. Before planting, remove two pairs of lower leaves. Place the plants in the ground to a depth of 15 cm.
6. A handful of humus and wood ash are added to each planting hole.
7. Until the warm season arrives, the plants are covered with non-woven material on arches.

Important. In order for the bush to turn into a tomato tree, remove the ovaries during the first months, preventing it from bearing fruit. After a few months, you will see the yield increase greatly.

Growing in open ground

Only in warm areas is it permissible to grow this hybrid in open ground. Planting is carried out in January or February with purchased seeds, that is, only first-generation hybrids. During a growing season using this method, you can get up to 10 kg of harvest from one plant.

Attention. Self-grown seeds do not retain hybrid characteristics.

During the entire period of plant growth, it is necessary to provide them with heating, maintaining the desired temperature of 20-25 ° C, as well as illumination using a phytolamp.

Maintaining a comfortable temperature is extremely important, since seeds can only sprout under certain conditions.

Important. The rate of seedling maturation decreases significantly at lower temperatures.

Step-by-step instructions for picking seedlings:

1. 1 or 2 days before picking, seedlings abundantly watered. The sprouts will be less damaged if you lift them by the stem.
2. Add superphosphate, vermicompost and potassium sulfate in small quantities to the plant soil. It would not be superfluous to soil with a solution of potassium permanganate (0.5 g per 10 liters of water). Fertilizers are applied right before transplanting seedlings into the ground.
3. Transplant the seedlings into small 100-150 ml pots and wait 2-3 weeks until the plants are ready to be transplanted into open ground.
4. It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground at the beginning of summer. The plant should have from 5 to 7 leaves, and its height should be 15-30 cm. Plants are planted at a distance of 1.5 m from each other.
5. Before planting, make holes about 20 cm deep.
6. Seedlings are planted to a depth of several centimeters lower than in pots. In this case, the lower leaves of the plants should be above the ground.
7. To encourage branching, pinch the main root.

After all the steps, all that remains is to water the tomatoes on time, feed them with fertilizers, remove old yellow leaves, and also tie up the plants.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Hybrid Octopus Slivka is resistant to diseases and pests, but insects can cause concern to farmers. Since they easily spread infections by moving from one fruit to another, it is important to take care of prevention.

Important. Plant dill next to the tomatoes. Its smell will repel insects.

Dangerous diseases and pests:

1. One of the most serious pests is aphid. To get rid of it, spray the leaves of the bushes with cold water. You can add laundry soap to the water.
2. Rotting of plants is considered a serious threat to the crop. This process is caused by wet weather and failure to comply with the correct watering regime. As a result, brown spots form on the stem, which subsequently spread to the leaves and fruits.
3. A dangerous and common disease of tomatoes - late blight. This fungal infection most often destroys tomatoes.If you notice dark brown spots on the stems and leaves, then this is late blight. To avoid it, plant tomatoes away from potatoes, choose a well-ventilated and sunny place, follow the watering regime.

Reviews from gardeners

A huge number of summer residents note the high yield of the hybrid, praise its juicy and tasty fruits, and are satisfied with the long shelf life of ripe tomatoes.

Nina, Torzhok: “Octopus Slivka grows in a greenhouse and is covered with tomatoes. I planted one of the bushes for testing in a greenhouse with peppers, and even there it grew three meters and is blooming. I didn’t expect such a miracle from a tomato! To keep the plants warmer, I installed a heater in the greenhouse.”

Irina, Penza: “I’ve been planting this variety for 4 years now. I like it and my family is delighted - they eat tomatoes instead of fruit. This is a sweet and healthy treat for grandchildren. This variety grows up to 3 meters in height, its stems are flexible and do not break.”

Alexander, Khabarovsk: “For the first time I planted this variety as a test and planted four plants. The plant is powerful, the harvest is beautiful and rich, the tomatoes are even, as in the photo.”

Conclusion

To grow large bushes of Sprut Slivka tomatoes, you need to provide the hybrid with optimal conditions and carry out agrotechnical measures. For an amateur gardener this will not be an easy task. But if you are really interested in a rich harvest, you should pay attention to this hybrid and study its agricultural technology.

If everything works out, the Sprut Slivka hybrid will certainly become your favorite tomato crop.