Tomato Lakomka: variety description, characteristics, reviews, photos

For farmers, the Lakomka tomato has become a valuable find. In addition to high productivity, it is distinguished by its delicious taste, colorful, presentable appearance, and absolutely uncomplicated agricultural technology. Everyone who plants it leaves only positive reviews.

Growing

As already written above, this variety is one of the most difficult to care for. It does not require constant stepsoning.

Gourmet - tomatoes are very unpretentious.

Due to the determinant nature of the bush (plant height no more than 50-60 cm), tomatoes do not require staking. They practically do not need to be fed (depending on the characteristics of the variety). In fact, all a growing tomato needs is a normal level of moisture in the soil and getting rid of weeds. Tomato diseases and pests practically do not attack it.

Growing seedlings

The seedling method is one of the most common methods of growing tomato bushes. In the south, based on climatic conditions, seeds can be sown directly in open ground. But in Russia the weather is often changeable, so they first grow seedlings and then transplant them to a permanent place. The most painstaking care begins just after transplanting into the ground. Growing seedlings is not difficult even for a novice gardener; all you need to do is know where to start:

• Purchasing seed material or unpacking self-collected ones.
• Seed rejection.
• Processing seed material to avoid diseases.
• Germination.
• Buy soil or prepare it yourself.
• Soil disinfection.
• Sowing procedure.
• Picking seedlings.
• Caring for seedlings.
• Hardening of seedlings.
• Landing in a permanent place.

And now - about each stage of cultivation separately:

• Buying or unpacking your own seeds: Gourmet is an independent variety, so if you have grown it before, you can collect seeds from a ripe fruit and use them next year. If not, the seeds can be purchased at a special store. The price is inexpensive.
• Rejection. This procedure will significantly reduce waiting time. Thanks to it, the gardener will immediately understand which seeds are suitable for sowing and which are not. What you need to do for this: soak the seeds in a water-salt solution for 20 minutes. Dummy seeds will float to the surface. Good seeds will sink to the bottom. After collecting suitable seeds, they need to be washed in running water and dried.
• Seed treatment: this procedure applies only to your own seeds. Purchased seeds are already pre-processed. Soak your own seeds for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then washed and dried.
• Germination. This procedure will save time. Many experienced summer residents still use it. During germination, normal seeds germinate immediately and can be planted in containers. What you need to do for this: wrap the seeds in a damp cloth, periodically moistening it. In a couple of days, the first shoots should appear. They can be transplanted into boxes.
• Purchase of soil. It’s better to buy soil in a store, since it already contains everything you need. But if you want to do everything yourself, you can prepare it by taking equal parts of garden soil, river sand, peat and humus.
• Soil disinfection. Any substrate must be pre-treated to avoid the spread of diseases and pest invasions. Purchased soil is either steamed covered in a bucket of boiling water, or heated for an hour in the oven at maximum temperature.
• Sowing in planting containers. The optimal sowing time is mid-March. Boxes (wooden or plastic) must also be treated with a hot solution of manganese or boiling water. The procedure itself looks like this: drainage is poured into the bottom of the box. Then - the soil itself, not reaching the top of the box a couple of cm. Grooves are made in the soil, no more than 1.5 cm deep. Seeds are poured into them, which are then sprinkled with a layer of soil, no more than 1 cm thick. The distance between the seeds is 2 cm. Next, the soil needs to be moistened with a spray bottle, covered with a transparent film or glass, and put in a warm place. The first shoots should appear within a week. Be sure to let the sprouts breathe by removing the protective covering at least once a day for 10-15 minutes. When the shoots appear, remove the covering and place the containers on a lighted windowsill.
• Picking. This procedure will allow the sprouts to grow stronger and stronger. When a pair of true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are transplanted into separate containers: plastic or cardboard cups, peat pots.
• Care. There are no difficulties in caring for seedlings; it is enough to provide them with normal soil moisture and an optimal level of light. Lamps make up for the lack of light. The gourmet variety is early ripening and does not require additional fertilizing.
• Hardening. Not everyone uses this procedure. But it is very important for young seedlings. In order for the seedlings to better establish themselves in the soil and become accustomed to weather conditions, they need to be hardened off. A couple of weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings are taken out into the fresh air every day: a balcony or street. Initial interval: 20-25 minutes. Every day the time is increased.
• Landing. The seedlings must be strong, healthy, and the soil must be warm.

Landing rules

A normal summer resident prepares a place for planting in advance. To do this, in the fall, before the onset of frost, he must clean up the garden: dig up the ground, remove plant debris and add fertilizer inside the prepared holes. In the summer, when it is time for planting, the ground should be well warmed up (the optimal temperature is at least + 15 degrees). The holes must be pre-fertilized with ash or other fertilizers and well watered.

Since the plant is determinate and does not grow much, the plantings can be made denser. Up to 7 bushes are placed per square meter. Planting pattern - 30*40 cm. It is better to plant in the evening, as seedlings adapt more easily at night.

Watering and fertilizing

The gourmet variety loves water, but still try not to overdo it with hydration. The plant needs to be watered abundantly, but not often, and only at the root. The reason for this is simple: firstly, too much moisture can provoke the development of late blight. Secondly, if even one drop of water gets on the greens in sunny weather, it will cause sunburn.

As soon as the bushes begin to bloom, reduce the frequency of watering. Since the variety is early ripening, in just over a month it manages to absorb all the necessary elements and vitamins from the soil. The plant is rarely fed, only to increase the yield. Types of fertilizer: for seedlings - mullein solution (1:5), for seedlings in the ground - ash, compost, potassium, phosphorus, organic matter.

Pinching and tying

The Lakomka variety is low-growing, so it does not need to be tied up. Sometimes fruit clusters are tied up due to yield. And stepchildren grow so slowly that they do not require removal.

Advantages and disadvantages

Positive qualities of the Gourmand tomato:

• excellent appearance and taste of the fruit;
• early ripening;
• fruiting for a long period;
• suitable for fresh use and canning;
• full tying of tassels in any weather;
• unpretentiousness, ease of care;
• drought resistance, cold resistance;

Flaws:

• average immunity to fungal diseases;
• cannot withstand transportation without loss of presentation;
• high yields are achieved only by regular fertilizing and watering.

According to reviews from those who planted the variety, Lakomka tomatoes are distinguished by their exquisite taste and pleasant aroma. The cultivar has a lot of advantages and minor disadvantages, which can be easily avoided by following the rules of cultivation.

Tomato is not a hybrid. The collected seeds retain valuable varietal qualities and have excellent germination.

Planting tomatoes in open ground

Gourmand feels best on the southern slope. It is desirable that green vegetables grow in this place in the previous season. Tomatoes or potatoes themselves are considered undesirable precursors.

Mulching the soil, especially in spring, is of great importance for the successful cultivation of Gourmand. To do this, just cover the soil between the seedlings with a transparent film. This mode will help maintain soil temperature and moisture in optimal condition.

Shoots are planted in heated soil. The holes are prepared and fertilized about a week before planting. Immediately before lowering the tomato into the hole, water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

An early ripening variety will successfully take root and produce a bountiful harvest if you pour a little onion peel into the hole. A bed for early ripening tomatoes is usually formed in two rows, keeping a distance of 40-50 centimeters between plants.

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Seedling care

Subject to optimal sowing conditions, the first shoots of the Gourmand tomato appear within a week. As soon as the first pair of leaves is formed, you should pick, in other words, thin out the seedlings by transplanting the seedlings into separate cups. Before this, you need to fertilize the soil again.

It is recommended to regulate watering of Lakomka based on drying of the soil, that is, as needed. If excess moisture is allowed to appear, the plant will stretch out, but the root system will not have time to develop properly. The optimal regime is watering once a week.

Important! Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off.

Reviews from gardeners

Oksana, 32 years old. Barnaul:

“This is my second year growing Lakomka. A small bush with many approximately identical fruits, which is very convenient for canning. They were planted without a greenhouse, directly into open ground. I got a decent harvest before the rains and didn’t notice any cracking. There were no illnesses anywhere near. I really liked it in salads, I prepared a lot of juices for the kids. I will definitely plant it.”

Veronica, 47 years old. Chkalov:

“We were scared that 2022 is an unfavorable year for tomatoes in all respects. Since we already bought the seeds, we decided to try it. My grandson has been eating fresh tomatoes since July 19th. This season was very rainy, I think that’s why Lakomka cracked. But this did not stop our family. We ate it in salads and prepared a lot of juices.”

Valery, 52 years old. Kursk:

“My experience as a gardener is not great - last year there was an early Gourmand. In general, everything that is written on the bag is true. The only thing is that we received the first fruits after 60 days, but no offense. The taste is excellent.”

Description of the variety

Gourmand is considered a low-growing tomato. The height of the bush reaches 60 cm. The shape of the plant is semi-spreading, the number of leaves is small. In general, the bush is compact and does not require tying up.

During the growth process, several brushes are formed, the first is formed above the 8-9 leaf, the next ones - at intervals of 1-2 leaves. The fruits are raspberry-colored, round in shape, weighing about 130 g, and have a characteristic sweet tomato taste.

Interesting ! There is a black-fruited version of Gourmet - the Black Gourmet tomato, but their similarity is limited only by the name. The dark representative of the nightshade family is tall and grows up to 2 m. The percentage of sugar in the Black Gourmet tomato is 2.5 times higher than the amount of organic acids.

Features, advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Tomato compares favorably with other varieties in a number of ways:

• fruit ripening is one-time;
• resistant to pathogens of fungal and bacterial diseases;
• resistant to adverse weather conditions and lack of water;
• due to the compactness of the bushes, it does not take up much space;
• there is no need to form a bush;
• Tomatoes tolerate transportation well, as they have durable skin.

No defects were noticed during the entire growing period.