Among the many early-ripening varieties, it can be difficult to choose one suitable, so today we will tell you about the juggler tomatoes, which are famous for their productivity and taste. In the article, we will consider why many farmers choose this variety, as well as all the necessary information on its cultivation.
Grade description
Tomatoes "Juggler" is a hybrid grade of early ripening. It is considered determinant, that is, a certain number of brushes are formed on the stem, after which the bush growth stops. Here are the main characteristics of the variety:
- the period from sowing to harvesting is 90–95 days;
- bush height in the greenhouse up to 1 m;
- bush height in open ground up to 1 m;
- the average weight of the fetus is 100–180 g;
- the color of the ripened fruit is bright red;
- the shape is round, without features;
- on the brush is from 4 to 6 fruits;
- the stem and leaves are deep green, the stalk is strong;
- the peel is dense, the fruit is well transported and stored.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any tomato variety, the "Juggler" has its advantages and disadvantages. So, let's start with the advantages, among which:
- Grade advantages:
- High yield. From 1 sq.m. You can collect 6 kg of fruit.
- Resistance to major diseases affecting tomatoes (stem necrosis, late blight, white rot, macrosporiosis, gray rot, powdery mildew, black leg, etc.).
- Good adaptation to any climate.Tolerance of low or very high temperature,.
- To the best of juicy and meaty tomatoslightly sweet.
- Universal. Suitable for both salads and for preservation.
- Among the shortcomings should be noted:
- The variety requires top dressing and garter;
- Demanding on soil and regular watering.
Self-growing seedlings
Hybrid tomatoes "Juggler" get along well in any soil, and the only requirement is regular care.
Optimum timing for sowing
In order for the tomatoes to ripen by the appointed time, and also not to freeze and develop normally, seedlings must be planted in the southern regions in the second half of March, in all the rest - in April, about the second week of the month. That is, tomato seedlings are planted two months before they are directly planted already in the open ground.
Pre-hardening of seeds can be carried out, which is very important for the northern regions of cultivation. Without passing this procedure, young sprouts when transplanted into the open ground may die.Important! Note that the soil for seedlings is harvested in the fall. In this case, you can collect all the necessary components.
The soil
In order for seedlings to be strong and resistant to diseases, you need garden land, cultivated.
Important! You can not use the garden land on which species of the Solanaceae family grew before this.
If you don’t have one, then you can take turf land. Non-acid peat is added to it (hydrogen value is 6.5), sand, humus, wood ash. No need to use ordinary sand from the forest or from the road - choose river. If you still do not have the opportunity to find river sand, then the usual is washed and dried.Sand can be replaced with perlite: it also absorbs moisture well and makes the soil loose. In the same way, humus can be replaced with sifted compost, and wood ash with dolomite flour. Do not forget to purchase fertilizers.
In proportions, it looks like this:
- 2 parts of peat;
- 1 part of garden land;
- 0.5 part of humus (or compost);
- 1 part of sand.
After preparing the whole mixture, you need to add wood ash. 1 glass of wood ash is added to one bucket of soil obtained. But when using dolomite flour, a smaller amount is needed - 4 tablespoons per 1 bucket.
Among fertilizers per 1 bucket of soil is added:
- 10 g of urea;
- 30–40 g of superphosphate;
- 10-15 g of potash fertilizer.
This is done with the help of steam both in a double boiler and in a water bath. The procedure is recommended to be carried out a week before planting seedlings. Disinfection of the soil can be carried out in the oven at a temperature of 180-200 ° C. To do this, pour part of the soil on a baking sheet, previously covering it with foil. The procedure lasts from 10 to 15 minutes. If you don’t have an oven, use a microwave. In this case, the power should be 850, and the time should be 2 minutes.
Important! Clay in sand or earth be present should not, because then the soil will become too dense, and this will badly affect the seedlings.
Capacity for growing
For tomatoes, boxes, peat pills and cups can be good options. Let's look at the pros and cons of each type.
Box - this capacity can be from any material, both from wood, and from plastic. It can be built independently.
- Pros:
- low cost;
- many seedlings can be placed;
- breadth of choice (small, large, wide and multi-colored boxes);
- easy to move.
- Minuses:
- when growing in boxes, you must not miss the moment of diving, otherwise the seedlings will acquire a strong root system, and it will be difficult to transplant it;
- there are not always drainage holes that are needed for the proper development of seedlings;
- if the box is homemade, it can ruin the surface on which it will be located.
Peat pills Is a mixture of compressed peat and nutrients. They do not take up much space and are convenient for further diving.
- Pros:
- absorb a sufficient amount of moisture for seedlings;
- let air through;
- there is no need to prepare the soil in advance, because everything is already in the peat tablet;
- thanks to their use, you can skip a dive and plant tomatoes immediately in open ground;
- eco-friendly, because they do not need to be disposed of like plastic containers.
- Minuses:
- high price compared to other containers;
- can not be used several times;
- Frequent watering is the key to successful seedlings in peat tablets. Otherwise, without proper care, even with such ideal containers, seedlings will die.
Plastic trays or cassettes - a container that can be used several times and is one of the most convenient for moving seedlings, and for its further dive.
- Pros:
- if you forget about transplanting seedlings, the root system will not grow much due to space limitations;
- for each seedling there is a branch, so the roots will not be mixed up, each future bush will be separated;
- reusable
- it is convenient to move seedlings;
- compact storage;
- have a drainage system (water drainage);
- low cost.
- Minuses:
- not always high-quality plastic, especially if the composition contains polyvinyl chloride;
- constant watering, because due to lack of space the root system dries the soil faster;
- fragility of the container does not always allow you to accurately transplant or transport seedlings;
- the main difficulty is to get the earthen lump intact, since usually trays or cassettes can be quite tall and narrow.
Seed preparation
First step - This is a seed hardening preparation for seedlings. These principles help to increase the resistance of tomatoes to diseases and temperature extremes. Seed preparation begins in February or March, depending on the region of your residence, because here you also need to consider the factor of transplanting seedlings into open ground.
Experienced gardeners recommend hardening seedlings, because tomatoes are hard enough to tolerate sharp frosts. Hardening is carried out as follows: for 12 hours, the seeds are placed in a place where the temperature holds from –2 ° C to +2 ° C. After they are taken out and kept for 12 hours at a temperature of + 15–20 ° С; so you need to repeat 3 times. After hardening, the seeds more easily tolerate any temperature changes, especially in open ground.The second stage is the rejection of the seed. To do this, draw an almost full glass of water, add one teaspoon of salt (table) and pour them there. After stopping them for one minute, set aside and wait 10-15 minutes. Unsuitable, empty seeds will emerge.
The third step is seed disinfection. To do this, you should prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate: dilute one teaspoon of crystals into 600 ml of water (without a slide). If you do not have sodium permanganate, then use hydrogen peroxide. Dilute 10 ml of perhydrol in 100 ml of water at a temperature of + 45-50 ° С.
Additionally, after seed disinfection, you can do the following: soak overnight in a nutrient solution - this increases the yield of the variety. Such solutions may be:
- "Immunocytophyte."
- Virtan-micro.
Instead of nutrient solutions, growth stimulants can be used: Epin, Zircon, Silk, Heteroauxin and others. When using, follow the instructions.
Sowing seeds
Sowing seeds, as we wrote above, is carried out two months before transplanting seedlings in open ground. Previously, a hole or groove is made for each seedling. The distance between the grooves should be from 1.5 to 2.5 cm. The depth of each is 1-1.5 cm. This landing pattern is usually used for large containers. If you have peat tablets, plastic cups, cassettes or trays, then for each individual container there is its own hole and its own seed.
After sowing, the seeds do not need to be poured with water, you can spray the soil with a spray gun. The container is covered either with cling film or glass to create a microclimate in which future tomatoes will grow comfortably.
Seedling Care
As a place of detention, window sills, balconies, closed basements (subject to constant light) are suitable. The required temperature in the early days is + 25-30 ° C so that the seeds can germinate. A lower temperature will allow seeds to germinate 1-2 weeks after sowing, which will significantly delay the development of plants. After germination, the temperature is maintained in the range + 22–28 ° С.
In the first days after seedling germination, tomatoes need to be provided with as much light as possible - this will make them strong. If they are located on a balcony or window sill, sometimes rotate them so that the light is evenly distributed. Seedlings should receive light continuously, for a total of 16 hours a day, so additional fluorescent lamps should be installed if necessary.
Watering should be regular - drought should not be allowed, but excess moisture would not be favorable, otherwise there is a possibility of the formation of fungal diseases. As soon as you see that the earth has become less wet, water it.
Important! For watering seedlings, you need to use water at room temperature.
In addition, seedlings need additional minerals. Use complex fertilizers in the amount indicated in the instructions. The first feeding is carried out 10 days after sowing, the second - after 35 days (that is, 15 days after the first feeding).
Seedling hardening
In order for the seedlings to be ready to grow in the open ground, hardening is performed. For this, when the air temperature has already been established within + 10–13 ° С, the tomatoes are taken out to the street or ventilated in the room in which they are located. In the southern regions, they begin to do this from the second half of April, in the rest - in May. Hardening helps seedlings become stronger and in the future to withstand temperature changes.
This procedure is carried out daily. If you take out the sowing in the air for the first time, then 1-2 hours is enough. In the future, gradually increase the time spent by the young bushes in the fresh air.
Planting seedlings in a permanent place
After your seedlings have grown and become strong, you need to plant tomatoes in open ground. Landing is recommended to be carried out at night or in the evening, it is possible in cloudy weather so that the seedlings are not damaged by direct sunlight. The temperature of the soil into which the juggler tomatoes are planted is also important: it should be within + 10-15 ° С.
Before transplanting into open ground, you definitely need to make beds. Tomatoes love the sun and heat, so choose places without a shadow. The step between each bed is 20–25 cm, the distance between each hole / groove is 30–40 cm. One bush is planted vertically in the hole, sprinkled with earth to the cotyledon leaves and compacted.
Watering is done during planting twice:
- an hour before planting, wells are watered;
- immediately after landing.
Outdoor Care
In order for the crop to be large and tasty, it is important to properly care for tomato bushes in the open ground. Next, we will tell you how to water tomatoes properly, why you need to pinch, and what types of top dressing will suit the variety in question.
Watering
Watering in open ground does not differ from that which you carried out with seedlings - tomatoes do not like excessive moisture, droughts should not be allowed. Always monitor the moisture of the soil, because in late spring - early summer in different regions there can be radically different weather. On average, 1.5–2 liters of water are needed per bush. Try to water the tomatoes in the evening so that the water does not have time to evaporate or soak as quickly as during the day.
Did you know? There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes. The largest fruits weigh 1.5–2 kg.
Top dressing
Tomatoes need nutrients all the time, therefore, a week after planting, they carry out the first feeding. For her you will need:
- water - 10 l;
- liquid mullein - 0.5 l;
- nitrofoska - 1 tbsp. l
All ingredients should be mixed. For one bush of tomatoes you need 0.5 l of the resulting solution. You can make fertilizer without mullein by stirring only the same amount of nitrophoska in 10 liters of water. One liter of fertilizer is also used per plant.
Top dressing during flowering is as follows: fertilizer "Signor Tomato" in the amount of 5 tbsp. l diluted in 10 liters of water and insist 3 hours. This fertilizer includes nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; it is used only for radical top dressing: 1 liter of the obtained substance per bush.
In addition, in the form of fertilizer during flowering, you can use the following: stir 10 liters of water in 10 liters of chicken manure, 1 tbsp. superphosphate, 1 part potassium sulfate. It turns out complex fertilizer, the consumption of which is 1 liter per plant.
During fruit setting, it is necessary to use other fertilizers, for example, complex. You can cook it yourself: for this, 10 g of boric acid, 10 ml of iodine are diluted in 10 liters of water and 1.5 liters of sifted ash are added. For each bush use 1 liter of such fertilizer.
Important! If you overdid with fertilizing and poured too much fertilizer, then spill the plant abundantly under the root with water.
Stepson
The technology allows tomato bushes to grow evenly, absorbing all the necessary moisture and nutrients from the soil. Sometimes pinching is not necessary - everything may depend on the region in which the variety "Juggler" will grow. However, it is sometimes recommended to carry out the procedure so that the main stem is powerful and can withstand the weight of the fruit.
Pasynkovka is carried out with young stems, which begin to grow at a height of about 5-7 cm from the ground - they must be removed so that the plant does not grow and does not spend all micro and macro elements on new processes. The bush should put all its strength into the development of large, tasty and juicy fruits. Sometimes the formation of two stems is allowed, but all the rest are cut off.
Soil care
Since tomatoes love sandy loam or light loam, soil care should be based on its composition and acidity. In turn, the hydrogen index should not exceed 6–6.5. To improve the soil, sapropel is used, which is divided into three types. For tomatoes, sapropel of type “A” is suitable - it is a universal fertilizer and can be used for any type of soil.
To improve the quality of the soil for loam, peat or coarse sand is used: they make the soil loose and provide the possibility of oxygen entering the soil. But it should be noted that peat may not be suitable for open ground: it is introduced in the winter. To ensure that the water lingers in the root system before planting in open ground, chernozem, compost or humus are added. You can also sprinkle them with plants near the roots or directly in the hole.
Important! To reduce soil acidity, use calcium nitrate.
Bush tying
Despite the fact that the variety has a sufficiently strong stem, it is recommended to carry out a garter. It will save you from decayed, spoiled fruits, because the stems may not withstand the weight of the fruits and fall to the ground. The garter also protects the tomatoes from the many insects that so often appear in the ground, especially after rain. In addition, the procedure will make the stems of the bush strong.
The first garter option is pegs. The height of one is 80–90 cm: about 20 cm is driven into the ground, and a plant is tied to everything else. Pegs need to be installed near each plant when transplanting seedlings in open ground.
You can also use the linear (trellis) and lattice methods, however, they are recommended exclusively for greenhouses.
Preventative treatment
Hybrid variety "Juggler" is resistant to disease, however, preventive measures must be taken to protect tomatoes from pests and diseases.
Experienced gardeners are advised to use Fitosporin in powder form. You can use various fungicides: "Quadris", "Fundazole", "Agate", "Maxim." Please note that biofungicides are not as strong as regular fungicides, but they are more sparing for tomatoes.
Also use folk remedies.
Recipe 1:
- milk of 0% fat content - 1 l;
- iodine - 15 drops;
- 10 liters of water.
- baking yeast - 100 g;
- 10 liters of water.
Recipe 3:
- 1.5–2 cups chopped garlic (can not be peeled);
- 10 liters of water.
To prevent late blight, use recipe 4:
- fungus tinder fungus - 100 g;
- 1 liter of water.
Harvesting
The fruits ripen in early or late July, depending on climatic conditions. Since their peel is dense, they can be overexposed for a couple of days in the sun after picking: the fruits ripen even more and taste better.
You can store tomatoes as you like: in the refrigerator, in drawers, on the veranda. Do not let them stale, try to sort them out every few days, removing damaged ones.
Important! Tear off tomatoes without stalks so that they do not damage other fruits during assembly and storage.
So, the tomato variety “Juggler” is a good idea for your garden. The hybrid tolerates drought and excess moisture well, is resistant to many diseases and gets along with other crops, it develops strong stems, which sometimes do not even require pinching. Tomato is suitable for both beginners in gardening and professionals.