A fairy tale on your site - the “Frog Princess” tomato: reviews and recommendations for proper cultivation
Most people are used to seeing red, pink and yellow tomatoes on their tables. They are available on almost every gardener’s plot and are presented in abundance on store shelves. At the same time, not everyone knows that breeders have developed many varieties and hybrids that are distinguished by more exotic fruits.
Seeds of black, purple and striped tomatoes are available for sale. Perhaps the most unusual of them are the specimens whose berries remain green even at the ripe stage. These include the Princess Frog tomato. Is it just the color that attracts gardeners to this variety? Read on.
General description of the variety
Tomato Princess Frog was bred by domestic breeders. The variety is relatively young, so it is not yet included in the register.
This is interesting! The Frog Princess is often compared to the Malachite Box tomato. This tomato variety is also green at maturity, but has larger fruits.
Distinctive features
The main feature of Princess Frog tomatoes is the unusual color of the berries. At maturity they are green, with a yellowish tint. Therefore, it is difficult to determine when they are ripe.
These tomatoes taste sweet, with a fruity aftertaste. The sourness is weakly expressed. Contrary to expectations, green fruits are soft. In addition to the fact that the berries of the Frog Princess are unusual and tasty, they are also extremely healthy.
Tomatoes contain a large amount of chlorophyll, which has beneficial effects on the body:
- lowers cholesterol and other harmful substances;
- activates metabolic processes;
- improves regeneration processes;
- increases immunity;
- saturates the body with oxygen.
A negative feature of the Frog Princess is considered to be heat-loving. Plants are not resistant to cold weather, so even in central Russia it is recommended to plant them in greenhouses.
Main characteristics
It will be difficult for an inexperienced gardener to grow Princess Frog tomatoes, since the variety is capricious and demanding to care for. It is because of its characteristics that many gardeners are afraid to grow exotic tomatoes.
Description of the Frog Princess:
| Parameter | Indicators |
| Bush type | Reaches 1.5 m in height. The stems are powerful, thick and durable. The bushes are well leafy and form a large number of shoots. The leaves are bright green and large in size. The inflorescences are simple. The first is formed in the axil of the 7th leaf, the next - after 1-2 leaves. |
| Growing method | Heat-loving. In the northern regions it is cultivated only in heated greenhouses. In the middle zone they are grown in greenhouses without additional heating. In the southern part of Russia, planting in open ground is possible. |
| Productivity | Average. From 1 sq. m get up to 7 kg of fruit. |
| Fruit | Average. The weight of one fruit varies between 160-260 g. There is information about the berries of this variety that reached 400 g. At the ripe stage, the tomatoes are green-yellow, pink and yellow spots may appear. Orange inside, pink in the center. The pulp is green, with yellowish fragments along the edge and dark green seed chambers. The fruits have a lot of pulp and juiciness. They are soft to the touch, sweet in taste, with a fruity aftertaste and slight sourness. Inside each fruit there are 4 chambers with seeds. |
| Transportability | Low.The tomatoes are soft, with thin skin. They can be stored for no more than a week and are not suitable for transportation. |
| Ripening time | Mid-season variety. The first harvest is obtained 110-115 days after emergence. Fruiting continues until cold weather. |
| Disease resistance | It has average immunity to major tomato diseases, but is susceptible to late blight. |
Growing seedlings
Frog Princess tomato seeds are sown for seedlings in March. In all regions they are planted at approximately the same time, since growing this variety in cool climates is possible only in greenhouses.
Preparing seeds for planting
It is important to properly prepare planting material. This will help the seeds germinate faster and protect them from diseases.
Before purchasing, check expiration dates. To check the quality of already purchased planting material, it is soaked in salted water. Only those specimens that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for planting. After half an hour of soaking, the selected seeds are washed.
Most manufacturers produce already treated seeds and indicate this on the packaging. This is also indicated by the color of the disinfected planting material, which is painted orange or green.
To etch the planting material yourself, it is soaked in a special solution. The list contains options that are easy to prepare from available materials:
- Potassium permanganate solution (1 g per 100 ml of water). The seeds are soaked in this mixture for half an hour. After this, they are washed with running water.
- Soda solution (1 tsp soda per 200 ml water). The seeds are soaked for 12 hours. This composition not only disinfects the seeds, but also stimulates growth.
- Aloe juice is diluted with the same amount of boiled water. Planting material is soaked in the mixture for 12 hours. Aloe juice also stimulates plant growth.
There are also special preparations for treating seeds. The most popular of them is “Fitosporin”.
If a disinfectant is used that does not have the ability to stimulate seed germination, they are additionally treated with a growth stimulant. For this, use “Epin” and other purchased drugs or a solution of honey, aloe juice, etc.
What containers are used and how to prepare the soil
As a rule, seeds are sown in one large container. It should be shallow but wide. Stores sell special wooden boxes and plastic trays. Many gardeners use improvised means to plant seeds.
Separate containers are used for picking tomatoes. There are many variations of special pots. Often, disposable tableware and cut-off bottles are used for these purposes. The volume of the container for picking seedlings must be at least 300 ml.
note! Often, exotic tomato varieties are planted in small quantities. Therefore, it is beneficial to use peat tablets for Princess Frog tomatoes. They allow minimal trauma to the roots of plants during transplantation and create ideal conditions for their growth.
For tomatoes, the composition of the soil is important. It should be light, nutritious and slightly acidic. Such mixtures are sold in specialized stores.
Prepare a soil mixture for growing tomato seedlings yourself. The basis of such soil is chernozem and humus, taken in equal proportions. It is useful to add one part of peat to the composition. To make the soil light, it is mixed with half a portion of river sand, sawdust or crushed coconut substrate.To reduce acidity, add ash or lime to the soil.
The soil needs to be disinfected. To do this, it is calcined in the oven at a temperature above 80 degrees, poured with boiling water, and pickled with potassium permanganate.
To disinfect containers for planting, soak them for an hour in a strong solution of potassium permanganate. You can pour boiling water over the container.
Sowing seeds in the usual way and in peat tablets
When sowing seeds in one large container, grooves 1 cm deep are made in the soil. The distance between the grooves should be at least 2 cm.
Seeds are placed in the grooves at a distance of at least 2 cm from each other and covered with a layer of soil, which is moistened with a spray bottle. Containers with seeds are covered with film or glass and placed in a warm place, for example, near a radiator.
Planting seeds in peat tablets has a slightly different technology:
- The tablets are placed in a container with hot water with the hole facing down. This not only soaks the substrate, but also disinfects it.
- When the water is absorbed and the peat preparations increase in size, more boiling water is poured into the container.
- When the tablets swell, they are removed from the container. If necessary, they are allowed to cool.
- Make a hole in the peat with a toothpick. Seed material is placed in it.
- All peat tablets with seeds are placed in one deep container, covered with film and put in a warm place.
Seedling care
Planting seedlings correctly is not everything. It is important to provide her with proper care:
- Before the seeds germinate, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle. When the sprouts appear, they are watered with a syringe. After picking the plants, the soil is moistened with a watering can or bottle. It is important that water does not get on the tomato greens. The temperature of the liquid should not be lower than room temperature.
After the seeds germinate, the containers with seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. The lack of light is compensated with fluorescent lamps.- The film is removed a week after seed germination.
- Seedlings are fed with complex fertilizers or vermicompost. For one plant, take half the portion indicated on the package. They do three feedings.
- After the true leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate containers. The seedlings are not watered for 10 days after this procedure. 14 days after picking, the tomatoes are fed for the first time.
- Two weeks before planting in a permanent place, tomatoes begin to harden. The first time the seedlings are taken outside for half an hour. Then this time is doubled. So the duration of hardening is gradually increased to a whole day.
- Three days before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are watered and fed for the last time.
How to grow tomatoes
Princess frog tomatoes are planted in open ground when the soil warms up. In the southern regions this occurs in early May.
In the north and central Russia, tomatoes of this variety are grown exclusively in greenhouses. The timing depends on the temperature outside and whether the greenhouse is heated.
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
The beds for growing tomatoes are prepared in the fall. First of all, choose a suitable place for this crop. The area for growing tomatoes should be in the sunniest part of the garden.
It is important that no nightshades have grown in the beds over the past three years. You also need to take care of your neighbors. Potatoes should not be planted next to tomato beds.
The selected area is dug up and cleared of plant debris. Then the soil is enriched with manure, lime and lime.
In the spring, the tomato beds are dug up again and treated with a disinfecting solution.
In the selected area, holes are dug in rows using a 50x60 pattern. For 1 sq. m plant no more than 3 plants. The recesses for tomatoes are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
A tablespoon of ash is poured into each hole. Many gardeners also add long-acting granular mineral fertilizer there.
The seedlings are carefully removed from the pot along with a lump of earth and placed in the prepared holes, forming a root towards the center. Warm water is poured into the holes with tomatoes and covered with soil.
Basic rules of care
Despite the fact that Princess Frog tomatoes have a strong and durable stem, they need garter. Therefore, a wooden support or trellis is installed near each bush. The bush is tied to the support as it grows.
Tomatoes of this variety need shaping. One or two stems are left on each plant. The fewer stems there are, the later the harvest will ripen.
Stepping is carried out regularly. Not only excess shoots are removed, but also damaged and yellowed leaves in the lower part of the bush. Gardeners also recommend getting rid of ugly inflorescences.
Tomato Princess frog is picky about the composition of the soil. During the season, plants need to be fed four times. It is best to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.
Moisten the beds as the soil dries out. Watering should be plentiful, but infrequent.
After each watering and rain, it is important to loosen the soil. This is necessary to destroy the earthen crust that impedes air exchange.
The beds with tomatoes must be weeded. Weeds not only interfere with the development of the tomato root system, but also contribute to their infection.
Nuances of cultivation
To grow healthy tomatoes, you need to know the basic nuances of caring for them.
This will ensure a better harvest and save you from many mistakes:
- When watering tomatoes, it is important that water does not get on the greens. This can cause leaf rot and lead to plant infection.
- The water used to water the tomatoes should not be cold. Therefore, before use, it is left to stand for several days.
- Plants are planted in the morning and evening. On cloudy days this procedure is not carried out. You cannot water the plants on the day of taking stepson.
- Water the plants also in the evening or in the morning. At the height of the heat, soil moisture contributes to the occurrence of burns on greenery.
How to protect tomatoes from diseases and pests
Despite the fact that the Frog Princess variety is immune to plant diseases, prevention methods cannot be neglected. According to gardeners, this tomato is still sick.
Disinfection is an important part of disease prevention. It is necessary to disinfect not only the planting material itself, the soil and containers, but also the garden tools with which the plants will interact.
Compliance with the rules of watering and pinching will also help avoid infection of plants. After all, it is in waterlogged or overdried soil that it is easiest for infectious agents to develop.
For prevention, bushes are sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate or “Fitosporin”. This method allows you to warn even late blight.
Attention! Pests carry infectious agents and damage plants. To protect tomatoes from insects, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of soap and a decoction of celandine. Large beetles are removed manually.
Features of cultivation in open ground and greenhouses
In most Russian cities, the frog princess tomato is planted in greenhouses. In such conditions, this variety feels most comfortable. But remember that the room must be regularly ventilated. For ventilation, choose the hottest time of day.
In open ground, it is important to cover the plants with film for the first two weeks, protecting them from night frosts. On cool days it is also worth constructing film shelters.
Mulching the soil in open ground is mandatory. Such protection will protect the beds from frost, diseases and pests.
Harvesting and application
Frog Princess tomatoes ripen by the end of July or beginning of August. They are collected as they ripen. When overripe, they crack and become too soft, and when unripe, they become tough and tasteless.
Determining the ripeness of green tomatoes is difficult. To understand that the fruits are ready for picking, you need to pay attention to their shade. In ripe berries it is green with a bronze tint. These tomatoes are soft to the touch.
When harvesting tomatoes, leave the stem behind. It increases their shelf life.
The frog princess is a salad variety. Its fruits are not suitable for canning. Some gardeners prepare original sauces and juices from it.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Advantages of the Frog Princess:
- exotic appearance of the fruit;
- excellent taste characteristics;
- immunity to plant diseases;
- high chlorophyll content.
This variety also has disadvantages:
- poor keeping quality;
- instability to cold weather;
- the need for gartering and pinching.
Farmer reviews
Reviews about Princess Frog tomatoes are very mixed. Most gardeners note their unusual appearance, but speak negatively about their neediness in care.
Svetlana Manilkina,Lipetsk: «Last year I tried to plant the Frog Princess. Tomatoes, of course, look very unusual. If you tie them up, plant them and fertilize them, then there will be no problems with growing them. However, the result was disappointing. The yield is average, the fruits spoil very quickly. The taste is pleasant, but I like pink tomatoes better.”
Ksenia Ignatieva, Tula: “This is the second year I’ve been growing the Princess Frog tomato. Of course, you will have to tinker with him. But the result is worth it. Tomatoes have an unusual appearance and a sweet, fruity taste. Looks great in salads along with regular tomatoes.”
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Conclusion
Frog Princess tomatoes are an interesting variety whose fruits are green even when ripe. They look beautiful in salads and are good for the body.
These tomatoes are difficult to grow. They are demanding on the composition of the soil, the outside temperature and need staking. Therefore, they are often chosen by experienced gardeners.