Tomato "Novice" - characteristics and description of the variety
Content
Description of fruits
Tomatoes of this shape are commonly called plum tomatoes. The elongated oval fruits are divided into 3-5 chambers. The color is solid red, with no light spots near the stem. Many seed companies produce seeds of this variety. This is likely why variations with pink fruits have appeared. The seeds of these tomatoes from the Poisk company are called Pink Novice Tomato, and the Gavrish company calls them Novice Deluxe.
Regardless of color, the fruits are dense and have excellent flavor. Their weight ranges from 75 to 100 g. Their thick skin protects them from mechanical damage, allowing them to withstand long-distance transportation without damage. Another outstanding quality is their resistance to overripening and cracking. Therefore, these compact, flawless tomatoes are ideal for whole canning.
Video "Description"
This video describes the Novichok tomato variety.
Advantages of the variety
This mid-early variety ripens in 110-127 days. The fruits ripen evenly, making them much easier to harvest. The bush is low, 50 to 85 cm, but not standard. A trellis is not necessary for support; a sturdy stake is sufficient. The plant is determinate, with growth limited by the flower cluster.
Fans of this variety note its low tendency to form side shoots, which only appear at the base of the stem. After 6-7 leaves emerge, the first flower cluster forms, with subsequent clusters forming every two leaves. The cluster consists of 5-6 fruits. This variety is resistant to several serious diseases.
Productivity and application
One bush can produce 1.5-2 kg of firm, delicious tomatoes. Given its compact size, up to 7 plants can be planted per square meter. The yield of this variety is impressive: 12-14 kg per square meter. Its excellent flavor, firmness, beautiful shape, and convenient size allow for versatile use, both in winter preserves and in all sorts of culinary creations.
High yield, unpretentiousness, and excellent commercial characteristics become decisive factors for the commercial use of this variety.
It's easy to find at any city market in late summer. Its nearly simultaneous ripening and crack-resistant nature allow for efficient harvesting. Farmers have been happily growing Novichok tomatoes for years.
Growing and care
Seedlings for planting outdoors begin sowing at the end of March; for unheated greenhouses, a month earlier. First, the seeds are dipped in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes to kill pathogens. Then, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and allowed to sprout.
Sprouted seeds are planted in soil-filled boxes to a depth of 1 cm. Initially, the ambient temperature should be fairly warm—25-23 degrees Celsius—so place the boxes close to heat sources until the sprouts emerge. When 2-3 true leaves appear, transplant the seeds, slightly shortening the root.
This stimulates the development of a strong, branched root system. Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse when the soil has warmed to 15-17 degrees Celsius. All varieties except standard tomato varieties require support, including the Novychok tomato. Its low growth habit eliminates the need for bulky, labor-intensive trellises; a stake driven in next to it will suffice. The bush is trained into two stems. Care requirements are standard—timely watering, loosening the soil, and fertilizing.
Diseases and pests
In their descriptions, many growers note the variety's resistance to serious diseases such as brown spot (cladosporiosis) and root-knot nematode. Other diseases and pests can harm Novychok, as they do other varieties. Here are a few simple preventative measures that will save you from ineffective treatment:
- autumn loosening to a depth of 25 cm (insects and fungal spores die at low temperatures);
- compliance with crop rotation;
- disinfection of seeds before sowing;
- repeated preventive treatment of tomatoes with fungicides (the last one no later than 20 days before harvesting).
Video "Diseases"
From the video you will learn about tomato diseases.