Tomato "Intuition": characteristics and description of the variety

Description and characteristics

To determine whether a tomato variety is a good one, you need to know its characteristics and description. This is the only way to get to know the plant before planting and determine whether the harvest you're looking for is truly worth it.

Intuition is a hybrid, marketed as a variety of this vegetable crop with high resistance to various diseases. It can be considered one of the first hybrids developed by domestic breeders. The patent holder for this variety is the agricultural firm Gavrish. It was registered in the State Register in 1998.

Despite the popular belief that hybrid plants require more care, Intuition disproves this established notion. It's so easy to care for that even a novice gardener can achieve an excellent harvest, by any standard. Furthermore, this variety boasts excellent flavor and consistently ripening fruits.

Since this is a hybrid plant, it has more advanced characteristics than ordinary tomato varieties. However, it's important to remember that it's not recommended to plant the seeds the following year, as unexpected results may occur.

The description of the Intuition variety itself is as follows:

• Indeterminate plants. This means the bushes have no growth points. Therefore, they must be shaped manually by pinching the tops;
• non-standard type of bush with strong stems;
• can grow to a height of over 2 m;
• the fruits hold well on the bushes;
• The inflorescence is bilateral and simple. The first inflorescence is formed above the 9th leaf, and subsequent inflorescences are spaced three leaves apart. Typically, the inflorescence consists of 6-8 fruits attached to a short axis;
• A mid-season variety. It takes 115 days from the first shoots to ripening tomatoes;
• high resistance to most tomato diseases: tobacco mosaic, cladosporiosis, fusarium, etc.;
• Can be grown indoors or outdoors. However, plants are often grown in greenhouses.

  

  

  

The main characteristic of this variety lies in its high marketability. The fruits are smooth and round, without ribbing. The tomatoes have bright red skin. Unripe fruits are green, without dark spots. They have excellent shelf life, allowing for long-term storage. This excellent shelf life is achieved due to the tomatoes' firm texture. To extend their shelf life, the tomatoes should be stored in dark, dry places, away from sudden temperature fluctuations. For good shelf life, they should be kept at room temperature.

All tomatoes are nearly identical in size. They ripen uniformly. The fruits are typically 7 cm in diameter and can weigh 100 g or more. The flesh is protected by a thin, yet fairly dense, smooth, and shiny skin. The flesh itself has a fleshy consistency that is dense and tender. The seeds are evenly distributed across 3-4 chambers. It contains an average dry matter content (approximately 4.5%).

The advantages of Intuition include the following:

• excellent seed germination;
• high yield;
• Excellent taste characteristics. Tomatoes have a typical "tomato" flavor with a slight sourness;
• high resistance to pathogenic microflora, which plants have at the genetic level;
• long shelf life of tomatoes;
• excellent transportability of fruits (even over long distances).

It's worth noting that this variety has no drawbacks as such. This can be judged by numerous reviews from gardeners who grow this variety in their plots.

Tomatoes picked straight from the bush are versatile. They can be used for canning, making ketchup, or adding to salads. They can also be eaten fresh. These tomatoes can also be processed in any way, including freezing, cooking, and so on, without losing their beneficial properties.

As we can see, judging by the description alone, Intuition is truly one of the most profitable tomato varieties. That's why it has become so popular among gardeners.

Video: Choosing Seeds

This video will show you how to select seeds for high-yielding varieties.

Crop yield indicators

The main reason many gardeners in our country choose the Intuition variety today is its high yield. Achieving excellent tomato productivity is quite easy. The key is to follow simple care guidelines. Unlike other varieties, this hybrid is considered completely unpretentious in terms of cultivation. A single plant of this variety can yield a fairly impressive harvest – from 25 to 32 kg, and sometimes even more. The average yield per square meter is 22 kg. These figures are typical for open ground. When grown in a greenhouse, the yield will be slightly higher.

In fact, Intuition's greatest strength is its fruit. Not only do they ripen at the same time and look excellent, but they also produce in large quantities. Moreover, the bushes can easily handle the abundance of tomatoes. The stems don't break under their weight, and the tomatoes don't fall off if the gardener decides to take their time harvesting them.

Planting and growing in a greenhouse

The best option for growing any tomato variety, not just Intuition, is a greenhouse. Not all regions of our country enjoy a warm climate, and tomatoes are a southern vegetable crop that only thrives under favorable conditions. Therefore, greenhouses are the optimal solution in this case.

Growing tomatoes always begins with sowing seeds for seedlings. For this, use either seedling boxes or disposable containers (6-8 cm high).Using disposable containers reduces the risk of infection of planting material when reused. Before planting, seeds should be prepared: disinfected (with special preparations or a weak solution of potassium permanganate), germinated, etc. Seedling containers also require disinfection, even if new.

To grow seedlings, you can buy soil or make your own (mix peat, humus, and turf). To each bucket of homemade soil, add another 1 kg of coarse river sand, 30 g of superphosphate, and 100 g of wood ash.

Intuition seeds are sown for seedlings in February-March. Before sowing, the soil in the containers should be compacted to remove air pockets, which can ruin all your efforts. The soil should also be well-ventilated, disinfected, and fertile.

Seeds should be planted at a depth of 2 cm, with at least 2 cm between them. After planting, the soil should be watered and covered with plastic, which is removed once the first shoots appear. The room temperature should be maintained at 25 degrees Celsius. Once the shoots emerge, the temperature can be lowered by a few degrees.

When the seedlings have developed two true leaves, they are transplanted into separate containers. Hardening off the seedlings should continue until they are 55 days old. Tomatoes should be taken outside for two hours, and a window in the greenhouse or indoors should also be opened.

When the seedlings are 55 days old, they can be transplanted to their permanent location. Planting should be done in deep holes. Maintain a 50 cm distance between adjacent plants. Immediately after planting, it is recommended to tie the bushes to accelerate their growth and development. There is one caveat: use synthetic materials for tying. They do not cause shoot rot.

Once the seedlings have been planted, they require proper care, which consists of the following points:

• Periodic watering. It should be abundant, but not frequent. Water should be poured under the roots;
• it is absolutely necessary to carry out loosening;
• If necessary, weed the beds to remove any weeds that have formed;
• Plants are fertilized once every two weeks;
• It is necessary to pinch out side shoots every two weeks, removing lower leaves and side shoots. Plants should be grown in 1-2 stems.

Properly planted seedlings and subsequent care will allow you to obtain the maximum harvest from the bushes.

Diseases and pests

Despite its high resistance, Intuition requires preventative measures to prevent pests and diseases. For this purpose, it is recommended to spray the bushes with special solutions. Only then will your harvest be protected, tasty, and abundant.

Video "Diseases and Pests"

This video will tell you about tomato diseases and pests.