Recommendations for caring for the “Flash” tomato: what can affect the yield

The Vspishka tomato variety is loved by gardeners due to its sugary, juicy fruit pulp, early ripening, and resistance to disease and weather conditions.

From the article you will learn what the varietal features and characteristics of a tomato are, how to grow it correctly and how to use the crop.

Description and characteristics of the tomato variety

Among the varieties suitable for growing in central Russia, the Vspishka tomato is included in the list of the best. This is an early ripening variety (the duration of the growing season is 95 days). The crop is grown in open ground and greenhouses.

With proper care, the Flash is resistant to major pests and diseases, and adverse weather conditions.

Features of the variety:

• after the formation of 5 racemes on a low-growing plant, the growth of the central apex is limited due to the formation of a flower raceme;
• the average height of the bushes is 45 cm;
• Tomatoes have medium-sized leaves of dark green color;
• the first fruit cluster is formed at the level of 5 leaves;
• Up to 6 fruits ripen on each cluster (weight - 100–120 g);
• the pulp contains a small amount of seeds, the fruits themselves have a bright red skin and weak ribbing at the base.

In terms of yield (up to 6 kg is harvested from 1 m2), Flash is inferior indeterminate tomatoes, but for early determinate plants this is a high figure.

Pros and cons of the variety

Flash is popular among vegetable growers due to its advantages:

• due to their low growth, the bushes do not need additional garter, which simplifies their care;
• the culture is not afraid of adverse weather conditions;
• resistant to many diseases and pests;
• The variety has an extremely early fruit ripening period and good yield for short-growing tomatoes;
• the excellent taste of tomatoes makes them versatile in cooking: vegetables are used fresh, for processing, canning, and pickling;
• Fruit shelf life reaches 3 weeks;
• Almost complete yield of commercial products is observed.

The Flash has no obvious disadvantages. Some farmers consider the following to be negative qualities:

• low yield compared to indeterminate varieties;
• thin skin of the fruit, which makes transportation and storage difficult.

How to grow

Despite its resistance to weather conditions, the Flash requires comprehensive care. The yield indicator directly depends on this.

Agricultural technology in general is simple:

1. Seedlings begin to be prepared in late March - early April. The sowing date is determined taking into account the transplantation of seedlings to a permanent place no earlier than after 50 days. It is advisable to add to this period a week for germination and 5 days for the plants to adapt to the new location.
2. Before sowing, planting material is soaked for 10 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect it.
3. Seedlings are provided with the necessary conditions for effective growth: systematic watering, loosening the soil, and applying fertilizers.
4. Plants are accustomed to sunlight in advance and hardened. To do this, 10 days before transplanting into the ground, the bushes are taken outside and left for several hours.
5. Planting in open ground occurs in early June. Planting pattern - 40x60 cm.
6. To obtain an early harvest, in some cases the stepsons are removed. This will protect the crop from being overloaded with fruits and damaging the branches.
7. They systematically water, weed and fertilize the tomatoes, and do not forget about loosening the soil. Fertilizers are applied once every 3 weeks.

Reference! Liquid organic compounds are the best fertilizers for crops. Suitable infusions include cow manure, chicken manure or grass clippings.

Some summer residents grow compact bushes of low-growing tomatoes Flash in special boxes. To do this, set up a rectangular wooden frame in a small area (6x1.2 m), into which fertile soil is poured.

This method of cultivation has several advantages:

• row spacing does not require maintenance;
• there are convenient passages between the beds;
• the ability to install arcs for covering material that protects plants from adverse weather conditions.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Carrying out agrotechnical measures in compliance with all recommendations does not guarantee a high-quality harvest. When growing tomatoes, farmers face plant infestation or pest attacks.

The Vspashka variety is resistant to many diseases, including late blight. However, certain risks exist, so vegetable growers take preventive measures.

The main fungal diseases of the crop are late blight, black leg, white leaf spot, fusarium wilt, black, white and gray rot.

To prevent infection, the following measures are taken:

• spray the seedlings with copper oxychloride;
• remove non-viable leaves in a timely manner;
• a week before the intended planting, fertilizer “Trichodermin” is applied to the soil.

Other pathogens that cause diseases in tomatoes are viruses. To prevent such diseases, do the following:

• plant the crop in an area where tomatoes have not grown before;
• prevent the appearance of pests that carry viruses;
• clean the soil in a timely manner and remove weeds;
• carefully process all containers, tools and the greenhouse itself.

Another problem is the defeat of tomatoes by bacterial diseases (black bacterial, brown leaf spot, stolbur and bacterial mottling). To prevent infection, planting material is treated with insecticides, antibiotics are used, and the immunity of the shoots is increased.

Often, the yield of a crop decreases due to its damage by non-infectious diseases. They are caused by an imbalance in the mineral nutrition of the bushes. To avoid this, follow the rules and technology of planting, do not neglect fertilizers, but apply them in a balanced amount.

Important! Many summer residents feed the shoots with chlorine-free mixtures. At the same time, chlorine is not completely excluded: this can disrupt water metabolism and the turgor of plant leaves. To prevent a lack of substance, periodically add a small amount of table salt when watering the beds.

In addition to diseases, insects cause damage to the crop. The most dangerous pests for tomatoes are: whiteflies, mole crickets, spider mites, wireworms, germ flies, slugs, gnawing scoops, aphids and Colorado potato beetles.

Insecticides are used to protect plants (Aktaru, Mospilan, Prestige, Fosbecid, Tsitkor). Traditional methods are also effective in the fight against insects - a solution based on laundry soap, an infusion of garlic or tobacco, herbal compounds, cat flea drops, a mixture of tobacco dust, hot pepper and ash.

Reviews from gardeners

Farmers speak positively about the crop, noting its unpretentiousness, early and long-term fruiting, stability and pleasant taste of the fruit. Here are reviews from those who have already planted this variety.

Julia, Moscow: “When growing Flash, the main thing is not to rush to plant seedlings: they quickly grow, outgrow and take root worse. This is generally an early ripening variety. It performed well in open ground. Of course, the yield cannot be compared with two-meter greenhouse plants, but there is practically no care. Low bushes, as in the photo, some even managed without a garter, there are no problems with stepchildren. I liked the tomatoes: medium in size, just right for pickling, but I didn’t get around to it: they were sweet, we ate them all just like that. Vegetables have thin skins, but I don’t like thick-skinned ones, I’m tired of store-bought ones. They began to bear fruit early, and it took a long time for new ones to appear. This year I will plant for sure.”

Svetlana, Voronezh: “Flash was sown in February for an early harvest. The first fruits were harvested in July. Bushes grew in a greenhouse. I thought they would hand over the first harvest and I would free up the beds, but that was not the case. The outbreak bore fruit tirelessly until frost. In the summer it was finished, but it produced stepsons and continued to bear fruit on them. The tomatoes are early, medium-sized, not watery, but quite the opposite: sugary on the surface and sweetish. The height in the greenhouse was about 50 cm, the bushes were quite wide.”

Conclusion

Flash is an unpretentious tomato variety that occupies a leading position in taste and fruiting time. The crop is resistant to weather conditions and diseases, does not require staking, has high productivity among determinate plants (from 1 m2 to 6 kg) and early ripening of fruits. Sugary and juicy vegetables are universal in cooking.