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If you like to eat fresh vegetables from the garden before the onset of frost, then Alyosha Popovich's tomato will fulfill your dreams. The variety is quite new, but has already established itself as a high-yielding crop with tasty fruits, characterized by a long fruiting period. The tomato is quite capricious, it loves careful care. It can only be grown outdoors in warm regions.
Variety characteristics
Now we will try to consider the main characteristics and description of the tomato variety Alyosha Popovich, and also find out what vegetable growers think about the culture. Although there are not so many reviews about the tomato. The variety is a novelty, plus its growing conditions are limited. The tomato bears fruit before the onset of frost, and in the middle lane they start early. We are not even talking about Siberia. In these regions, the crop will fully yield only in the greenhouse. In the south, tomatoes can be grown outdoors without any problems. Colds here come late, and before that time the culture has time to give all the fruits.
Alyosha Popovich belongs to the indeterminate group of tomatoes. The bushes grow up to 1.8 m high. The shape of the leaves is common, as for most tomatoes. Adult plants are fixed to a support, otherwise the weight of the fruits will flood them to the ground. Removal of stepchildren is mandatory. According to vegetable growers, a large tomato yield is observed when a bush is formed into two or three stems.
In terms of ripening, Alyosha Popovich belongs to mid-ripening tomatoes. After sowing the seeds, you can taste the first ripe tomatoes after three months. The fruits are spherical with a slightly flattened top and a base near the stalk. The size of the tomatoes is medium. Usually, the weight of the fruit varies from 160 to 200 g, but larger tomatoes weighing up to 300 g also grow. The flesh of a tomato is fleshy, juicy, and in a mature state it acquires a uniform red color. Sometimes the fruit may have a pink tint. The walls of the tomato are even, only weak convolutions are observed near the stalk.
Tomato is more suitable for fresh consumption. The fruits are used for the preparation of salads, juice, for decorating dishes. Thanks to the fleshy pulp of tomatoes, a thick paste and delicious adjika are obtained. Tomatoes are rarely used in conservation, but you can choose small fruits for rolling into jars.
The reviews that Alyosha Popovich meet about tomato are most often positive. Although, there is a category of vegetable growers who want to get a huge harvest without labor investment and, moreover, quite quickly. Naturally, this variety of tomatoes will not work for such gardeners. The culture will bring a good harvest only with painstaking care. Tomato throws out inflorescences until late autumn. The fruits ripen gradually, uncommonly.
The video provides an overview of tomatoes, among which there is the Alyosha Popovich variety:
Positive and negative traits of the variety
Taking as a basis the reviews, a photo of the tomato Alyosha Popovich, let's try to better characterize this variety. Traditionally, let's start with the positive qualities:
- Good immunity allows the tomato to fight common diseases.In particular, the plant is observed to be resistant to tobacco mosaic, as well as fusarium.
- The variety is high-yielding. Maximum from a plot of 1 m2 up to 15 kg of ripe tomatoes can be harvested.
- Fruiting lasts until late autumn, until the first frost hits.
In addition to the good qualities, the tomato has negative features, and there are many of them:
- Variety Alyosha Popovich loves a lot of sunlight. In a shaded area, you don't even need to try to grow this tomato.
- The culture is sensitive to the weather. Bad summer, cold weather, rains, long spring will affect fruiting. Under such conditions, the tomato will not give even half of its harvest.
- The plant instantly reacts to a mistake made by the grower. Violation of the watering regime, improper feeding or the formation of a bush will affect the wilting of the tomato. The inflorescences may partially fall off or the fruit ovary will stop.
Such serious shortcomings indicate that the Alyosha Popovich variety is not intended for lazy vegetable growers.
Ground requirement
This tomato variety is recommended to be grown in seedlings. Store-bought seeds are usually disinfected and ready to be sown. If there are no corresponding marks on the package, it will be useful to dip the tomato grains in a 1% manganese solution. This tomato variety is very sensitive to the composition of the soil. To grow strong seedlings, it is not enough just to mix garden soil with humus. We need micronutrient supplements. At home, it is very difficult to accurately maintain all the proportions, so it is easier to go to the store and buy soil mixture.
An adult tomato also reacts to the composition of the soil, which can be seen from the yield. The Alyosha Popovich variety will give the maximum fruit if it grows on loamy or sandy loam soil. Before planting tomato seedlings, the soil in the garden must be fertilized.
Sowing seeds
The gardener determines the time of sowing tomato seeds for seedlings individually, taking into account the climatic conditions of his region. It is necessary to calculate that by the time the plants are planted in a permanent place, the earth should warm up well. Every bona fide tomato seed grower indicates the sowing date on the package. It usually falls at the end of February and beginning of March.
Before sowing, the soil mixture in containers is moistened. Tomato seeds are laid out in grooves in 2–3 cm increments. Top of the grain is covered with loose soil 1–1.5 cm thick. The soil is poured over from a sprayer again, after which the container is covered with foil or glass. In this state, they stand at an air temperature of +25aboutFrom until sprouts appear.
After the emergence of seedlings, they get rid of the shelter. The containers are placed on the windowsill, plus artificial lighting is arranged. When two full-fledged leaves grow in tomatoes, the plants dive in separate cups.
Planting tomatoes in a permanent place of growth
At the time of planting, the tomatoes have formed full-fledged leaves under the first brush. By this time, the seedlings must undergo a hardening procedure. Tomatoes are planted in prepared soil. The procedure involves the introduction of humus and fertilizers. If the soil is heavy, sand is added to loosen it.
For the Alyosha Popovich variety, a planting scheme of 60x70 cm is recommended. Tomato bushes grow tall, but not spreading. Thanks to the sustained distance, the grower gains access to each tomato. Plus, good ventilation is provided, which reduces the risk of plant damage by late blight.
Care rules
To get a good harvest from a tomato, the grower will have to devote a lot of time to the culture. Cultivation errors will lead to plant disease. The fruits will grow small, sour and semi-dry.
If you decide to grow the Alyosha Popovich variety, you should adhere to the following rules:
- The tomato is very light-requiring. Growing seedlings will not do without the organization of artificial lighting.Plants are even badly affected by shade.
- The soil under the seedlings and adult tomatoes must be constantly loosened. Mulching gives good results. From this, the roots of tomatoes receive more oxygen.
- The culture is susceptible to frequent feeding. Store-bought fertilizers containing potassium and nitrogen, as well as organic matter in the form of humus, are suitable. You can use manure.
- Preventive measures must be taken, especially against the fungus. The solutions are not only sprayed over the aerial part, but also the roots of the tomatoes are watered.
- A tall tomato requires a pinch. This is a prerequisite for a good harvest. To increase fruiting, it is optimal to form a plant with two or three stems, but such a number of branches increases the density of the foliage. The green mass pulls a lot of nutrients from the plant. Here you need to approach the formation individually. You can reduce foliage by removing it or growing a tomato with one or two stems.
- Weeds are the first enemy of the tomato variety. They should not be in the garden.
- In cold regions, even with greenhouse tomato cultivation at night, the plants are covered with agrofibre or film.
- Regular watering is good for tomatoes, but you shouldn't add a lot of water to prevent silting of the soil.
Compliance with the rules of crop care will enable the vegetable grower to grow the Alyosha Popovich variety in almost any region.
Pest control and disease prevention
The strong immunity of the tomato does not give the vegetable grower the right to relax. There are diseases and pests that can destroy the plant:
- Store-bought preparations serve as prophylaxis against late blight. The most common is Bordeaux liquid solution. You also need to ensure optimal ventilation of the plantings and constantly loosen the soil.
- The Colorado potato beetle sharpens not only potatoes and eggplants, but also loves tomatoes. Moreover, leaves and fruits are used. You can fight the beetle by spraying the bushes with drugs or by manually assembling the enemy. The laid-off larvae are crushed together with the leaf.
- Whitefly causes considerable harm to tomato leaves. Sprinkling the bushes with tobacco dust or ash will help get rid of the pest. There are also store-bought spray preparations.
- Aphids suck sap from leaves and young stems. The method of fighting is the same as with the whitefly. You can also spray the tomato bushes with a soap solution.
If a tomato bush is severely affected by a viral disease during an epidemic, it is almost impossible to cure it. It is better to remove such a plant, and fill the place where it grew with a disinfectant solution.
Testimonials
Summing up, let's read reviews of vegetable growers about the tomato Alyosha Popovich.
I liked the article. For the first time I want to plant the Alyosha Popovich variety.