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To enjoy the taste of ripe tomatoes until the next season, vegetable growers grow varieties of different ripening periods. Mid-season species are very popular. They are inferior to the early ones in terms of harvest time, but are valued for the ability to preserve fruits longer and make high-quality harvests. The mid-season varieties include the magnificent Gazpacho tomato, the characteristics and properties of which we will consider in the article.
Features of a mid-season tomato
The choice of a new variety always causes some difficulties. Tomato varieties differ in many ways. Growing conditions also leave their mark. Ground tomatoes are much tastier, greenhouse tomatoes better resist diseases, early ones do not always have a rich taste, and later ones, in cold summer, often have to be harvested unripe. But there are universal varieties of tomatoes that save vegetable growers from many problems. "Gazpacho" is on the list of species that remain the favorites of summer residents for a long time, thanks to their qualities.
In the description of the tomato variety "Gazpacho" you need to pay attention to the following characteristics:
- Bush type. Determinate, short, strong, medium leafy. The height of an adult plant does not exceed 45-50 cm.
- Ripening period is average. Tomatoes ripen 115-120 days after germination. It is a very convenient time for drawing up a varied menu and culinary preparations.
- Fruit quality. Tomatoes of the Gazpacho variety are cylindrical in shape and rich red. Covered with a smooth, shiny skin. The taste of the fruit is sweet, very pleasant and memorable. The pulp is juicy, fleshy, allows you to use tomatoes for making aromatic juice. The weight of tomatoes ranges from 75 to 90 grams.
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The yield of the variety is high. With good care, more than 4 kg of ripe delicious Gazpacho tomatoes are harvested from one plant (see photo).
- Keeping quality and transportability of the variety deserves the attention of farmers. Tomatoes do not lose their marketability for a long time if you create optimal storage conditions.
- Growing method. The Gazpacho tomato variety is recommended for open ground, but many farmers also grow it in greenhouses. Most importantly, the result is not disappointing.
- The resistance of the Gazpacho tomato to diseases and climatic extremes is quite high.
The described qualities of the variety will be very pronounced with careful adherence to the agricultural technology of growing mid-season tomatoes, which will be discussed below.
Preparing and growing seedlings
If you decide to grow the Gazpacho tomato variety, then it is better to refuse the seedless method.
This will allow you to plant already strengthened seedlings in the ground early and harvest on time.
In their reviews, vegetable growers note that it is better to plant Gazpacho tomato seedlings in a permanent place no later than the first decade of June. Therefore, the sowing date is set for the middle or end of March, so that the seedlings have time to grow. Sowing too early is also undesirable. Tomato seedlings may outgrow and will not take root well. The optimum age for tomato seedlings of the mid-season Gazpacho variety for planting in the ground is 55-60 days.
You should be careful about purchasing seeds. Although the seeds of the Gazpacho tomato variety are able to remain viable for up to 7-8 years, it is better not to use planting material older than 4-5 years. It is good if the tomato seeds are collected on their own in their area. In this case, you can be sure that the healthiest and most productive bushes are selected for collection.
According to gardeners, the seeds of a tomato variety "Gazpacho" can be sown both dry and pre-soaked. This is not reflected in the yield indicator. For soaking use:
- Ash infusion. In 1 liter of hot water, stir 2 tbsp. tablespoons of wood ash and insist for two days.
- Solution "Fitosporin-M". This drug will not only improve the germination of seeds of the tomato "Gazpacho", but also protect against fungal infections.
Before sowing tomato seeds, you need to prepare the soil mixture and container. A good option is to collect all the components for the soil in advance (in the fall). You will need to mix peat (2 parts), compost (1 part), turf soil (1 part), sand (0.5 part), a little complex mineral fertilizer (2 tablespoons) and wood ash (1 glass). According to summer residents, such a composition will increase the yield of the Gazpacho tomato, and the bushes will be strewn with ripe fruits as in the photo.
To properly care for the seedlings, growers sow Gazpacho tomatoes in special containers or plastic containers. When growing seedlings, they must be dived, so the container should be convenient. The containers are washed with a disinfectant, dried and filled with soil.
When sowing in boxes, the seeds are arranged in rows to provide comfortable conditions for maintenance.
Then lightly sprinkle with earth and cover with foil. Until the emergence of tomato shoots, the temperature is maintained at 23 ° C-25 ° C. As soon as sprouts appear on the surface of the earth, the container is transferred closer to the light and the temperature is lowered to 16 ° C -18 ° C.
After 2 weeks, tomato seedlings must be dived. Plants are buried to the cotyledons and shaded from sunlight for a couple of days. When transplanting, they try not to damage the roots.
Further care for seedlings of the variety:
- Very good lighting. Do not forget to turn the container around the axis so that the tomato seedlings do not tilt. And you still have to light up if there is no sun or the day is very short.
- Watering without fanaticism. Excessive zeal will hurt Gazpacho tomatoes more than indifference. Waterlogging will cause trouble in the form of a "black leg" on the seedlings. Therefore, a little warm water will be enough when the topsoil dries.
- Top dressing. If the soil is purchased, then at first the tomato seedlings "Gazpacho" are not fed. There are enough nutrients in the mixture. If the soil was prepared independently, then after 2 weeks the seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizer. The solution is made weak, reducing the concentration by half than it should be for adult tomatoes.
- Hardening. Tomato seedlings are constantly ventilated, and 2 weeks before planting in a permanent place, they begin to harden intensively. Intense does not mean immediately. Gradually they accustom the plants to the temperature in which they will have to grow further. This also applies to solar lighting.
Vegetable growers consider Gazpacho tomato seedlings ready for planting if they have a stem up to 30 cm high and 6 full leaves of a dark green hue.
Disembarkation and care
The first days of June, when it is warm, is the best time to plant the Gazpacho tomato variety. In the southern regions, the term can be shifted by a whole month.
For the first two weeks, plants do not need to do anything except watering. Then growers will need to devote time and attention to tomatoes:
- Weeding, loosening, mulching of ridges. According to summer residents, these procedures should not be ignored when growing Gazpacho tomato.
- Top dressing. The variety responds well to nutrition with complexes of mineral fertilizers. During the growing season, 2-3 dressings are enough for the tomatoes to bear fruit well. At the beginning of tomato growth, formulations are used in which there are more nitrogen components. During flowering and ovary formation - potassium.
- Preventive treatments. In order not to have to deal with pests and the consequences of diseases, at least 3 treatments of the Gazpacho tomato are carried out during the season.The first time is 2 weeks after planting the seedlings, then at intervals of at least 14 days.
Among the pests that can harm the Gazpacho tomatoes, it is worth noting the bear, the Colorado potato beetle, aphids and slugs. Vegetable growers are advised to use drugs to fight parasites:
- Aktofit;
- Bioslimax;
- Natur Guard.
For those who prefer natural remedies, folk recipes are suitable. Infusions of garlic, nettle and soap have proven themselves well.
Sometimes vegetable growers note the poor germination of the seeds of the variety, so there is an alternative solution - to collect the tomato seeds yourself. For this, the best fruits are chosen, which are located on the first or second brushes.
Fully ripe tomatoes are laid on a plate and left in the light. After a week, the fruits are cut, the seeds are taken out with the pulp and again left to ferment. Then the seeds are washed, dried in the shade and sent to storage.
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