We grow the “Tsar’s Gift” tomato in stages, starting with seedlings and ending with harvesting a bountiful harvest.
Large red tomatoes are consistently popular among both gardeners and consumers. They are consumed fresh and canned for the winter. They produce brightly colored tomato juice. Most farmers prefer these fruits.
These are the fruits produced by the Tsarskiy Podar variety. The culture is in demand in all regions of Russia and was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2007.
Characteristics and description of the variety
The Tsar's Gift is a variety bred by Russian breeders for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouses. Because of their round, flattened shape, tomatoes are called barrel fruits. They have a bright, red-pink color.
Tomatoes have dense flesh, so they are stored in the cold for 20-25 days.
The high sugar content gives the fruit a sweetish taste.
Features of the Royal Gift
The main distinguishing feature of the Royal Gift is its bright red color with a pearl tint. You can see in the photo how they are ironed. These are giant tomatoes, with a rounded barrel shape and pronounced ribbing on the sides.
Some specimens reach a weight of 500 g. Juicy, sugary pulp on the break. The matte, dense skin reliably protects against cracking.
The Tsar's Gift is a universal variety. The fruits are suitable for both fresh consumption and canning.
Plant determinant. The height of the bush reaches from 0.8 to 1 m.To prevent the branches of the plant from breaking, it is necessary to tie them to supports. To limit the growth of the bush in height, the stepsons are removed.
Important. The royal gift has a high yield, reaching up to 10 kg per 1 sq. m. Such tomatoes are excellent for growing for sale.
Despite the volumetric size of the tomatoes, the bushes are quite compact.
Fruit characteristics, yield
| Options | Indicators |
| Bush type | The plant is determinate. Branching is moderate. The leaves are dark green, simple in shape, large in size. The bush is small in height, reaching no more than 1 m.
When grown in open ground it becomes more compact. The inflorescence is simple. There is an articulation on the stalk. |
| Growing method | It is recommended to grow in open ground or under film. |
| Productivity | High yield of the variety, 10 kg per 1 sq. m |
| Fruit | They ripen in clusters, three to five pieces each. The fruits are large and have an average weight of 250-300 g. Some fruits reach 500 g.
They have an interesting rounded-barrel shape, with pronounced ribbing on the sides. When ripe, they acquire a bright red color with a pearly tint. The skin is quite hard, which prevents cracking. The pulp of tomatoes is dense, juicy and sugary. There are few seeds; there are at least six seed chambers. The taste is pleasant, richly sweet |
| Transportability | They tolerate transportation well. |
| Ripening time | Mid-season variety. The first ripe fruits appear 105-110 days after germination. |
| Disease resistance | Resistance to major viral and fungal diseases. |
How to grow seedlings
Seeds sown two months before transplanting plants into open ground.
Seed preparation
The seeds are prepared and sowing begins.Taking care of the seeds will speed up germination and protect the plants from diseases.
Preparation of planting seeds:
- All seeds are examined, those capable of germinating are selected, blackened and damaged ones are removed. An easier way: add a little salt to the water and soak the seeds for thirty minutes. Spoiled seeds float to the surface.
- To prevent diseases, they are treated with a disinfecting solution. Use the product of your choice: hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate. The seeds are soaked in the chosen product for two hours, and then thoroughly washed with water.
- For early germination, soak for 12 hours in a growth stimulator. Such drugs (for example, Epin) are sold in all specialized stores for summer residents.
Container and soil
Sow the seeds in a container of sufficient size. Use trays and boxes purchased at the store, or make the pots yourself. When growing several bushes, the seeds are sown immediately in a pot. When the plant has grown, it is picked and transplanted into a separate container, which must be at least 300 g.
Choose light soils. There is a large selection of soil in stores, but it is cheaper to prepare the soil mixture yourself. Take peat, turf and humus in equal proportions. With this composition the soil will be nutritious and light.
We recommend disinfecting not only the seeds, but also the soil and containers. The earth is calcined in the oven and watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Containers are sterilized using alcohol or high temperatures, and the container is also wiped with hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate.
Sowing
When the soil is prepared, proceed to sowing. Small grooves are made, the depth of which does not exceed 2 cm, and are located 3 cm apart. Seeds are poured at a distance of 2 cm from each other.Sprinkle earth on top.
Abundant watering is not required. Cover with film or a transparent lid and leave in a warm place. Plants do not need light before germination. If condensation appears on top of the coating, remove it by wiping with a cloth.
Growing and care
After 2-3 leaves appear, the plant is transplanted into individual containers. The central root is not pinched.
As the soil dries, water it. Settled water at room temperature is suitable for this. When watering, the water should not touch the greenery.
Three times during the growing of seedlings they add feeding. Use a balanced complex of fertilizers. They water the soil in which tomatoes grow. 10 days after transplantation, the first fertilizing is applied. 3 days before transplanting into the ground, fertilize for the last time. The second feeding is done between them.
In order for the plant to take root better in a new place, the seedlings are hardened off. Two weeks before planting in a permanent place, it is taken out into fresh air for 30 minutes, then the time spent on the street is gradually increased. At the same time, the night temperature is reduced to +13 °C
How to grow tomatoes
Seedlings are planted in a permanent location after the soil has warmed up. This is the second half of May.
Landing
The plants are watered and fed abundantly three days before planting, after transplanting they are watered once, then the soil is not moistened for two weeks.
Beds for replanting seedlings been prepared since autumn. Remains of plants are removed and the soil is dug up. The soil is fertilized with ash and humus.
In the spring, the ground is dug up again. The soil should be disinfected by watering it with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.
Dig holes, maintaining a distance of 50-60 cm between them. The distance between rows is 60–70 cm. The seats are placed in a checkerboard pattern to save space. Immediately before planting, the seedlings are carefully removed from the pots along with a lump of earth. Place in the holes, forming roots towards the center. The holes with plants are filled with water at room temperature. When the water is absorbed, cover it with soil.
Plant care
There are no difficulties in caring for Tsar's Gift tomatoes. They are regularly watered, loosened and fertilized. Foliar soil feeding.
Important. Water with moderately warm, settled water, avoiding getting moisture on the leaves.
When the bushes have grown and become stronger, we remove the side shoots so that the plant forms a single stem.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
A novice gardener faces a number of difficulties:
- The bush grows tall. Garter required.
- When the soil is poor, few ovaries are formed. Increase the amount of fertilizing.
- A large amount of greenery on the plant indicates oversaturation of the soil; the fruits become smaller and ripen slowly.
- By reducing the number of flowers, you will increase the weight of the fruit.
- Crackling and watery fruit. This indicates that the gardener removed too much foliage and all the water went into the tomatoes.
Diseases and pests
Due to the high resistance of the tomato variety to typical tomato diseases, it is not afraid of fusarium, verticillium, tobacco mosaic.
However, preventive measures are needed:
- pre-planting soil treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate;
- treatment of bushes with copper-containing preparations for prevention late blight;
- spraying with “Fitosporin” or other non-toxic biological products with an antifungal effect;
- Regular inspection of plantings for pests.A soap solution is used against aphids; in the fight against flying insects, industrial insecticides or a decoction of celandine are used. Ash flour introduced into the soil under the bushes will help prevent the appearance of root parasites and slugs.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
The Tsar's Gift variety is suitable for growing in a greenhouse and in open ground.
When cultivating a plant in a greenhouse, it is important not to forget to ventilate the room. To do this, windows in greenhouses are periodically opened.
In open ground, tomatoes require mulching. They use hay, burlap, straw and special film.
After transplanting into open ground, the bushes are covered with film and removed in warm weather.
Harvesting and application
Bright red rich color is a sign of ripeness of tomatoes.
The variety is characterized by versatility and is well suited for both fresh consumption and canning. Juices, lecho, and winter preparations are prepared from the Royal Gift.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Benefits of the Royal Gift:
- bright fruit color;
- wonderful taste;
- high productivity;
- immunity to major tomato diseases;
- Possibility of growing indoors and outdoors;
- the versatility of fruits; vegetables are perfect for both fresh use and canning;
The disadvantages include:
- necessity garters And stepsons;
- demands on soil composition;
- When there is high humidity, the fruits crack.
Another variety - Royal Gift
The early ripening tomato variety Royal Gift is similar to Tsarsky in many characteristics. Suitable for both film shelters and open ground. The period from germination to harvest is 107-114 days. Plant indeterminate.
The fruits are large, red, with ribbed sides. They have no voids. The average weight is 200-300 g. Some fruits reach 500 g.
Suitable for salads and processing.
Due to its ease of care and high taste characteristics, the Tsarsky Podar tomato variety is in demand among domestic vegetable growers. Due to the high sugar content, the fruits have a pronounced rich taste. The tomato is easy to care for and easily adapts to cold weather.
Reviews, photos and yield indicators indicate that the Tsarsky Gift and Royal Gift varieties are similar to each other in all respects.
Farmer reviews
The royal gift will interest Russian farmers with its productivity, beautiful, tasty and healthy fruits:
Alina, Kazan: “I planted it last year and was pleased. The variety has a high yield - it harvested about 10 kg per square meter. m. In terms of ripening time, the variety is average, but tasty, just like sugar! The fruits turned out just like in the picture.”
Elena Sozinova, Novosibirsk region: “I have been growing this variety for several years and already know many nuances with which I achieve productivity and disease resistance. I live in Siberia, so I plant it in a greenhouse, take careful care and do not use a growth activator. But even without it, the harvest is quite decent.”
Sergey, Voronezh: “Every year I plant the Tsar’s Gift. This is a fairly hardy tomato. It is not afraid of worsening weather, but the temperature should still be taken into account when transplanting seedlings into open ground. At first, it is better to cover the young shoots with film. The harvest is distinguished by large and juicy tomatoes.”
Conclusion
The Tsar's Gift tomato is a variety with bright red fruits with a pearly tint. Some tomatoes reach a weight of 500 g. Even a novice gardener can cope with their cultivation, but in order not to be disappointed in the variety, observe the temperature regime and apply fertilizing in a timely manner.