For a Russian gardener, a tomato in a personal plot is an almost obligatory crop to grow. But the choice of varieties bred by domestic and foreign breeders is so wide that it is easy to get confused in this variety, especially for an inexperienced gardener. New varieties are constantly appearing on the market, and not everyone manages to gain popularity for a long time. The Rio Grande tomato receives consistently good reviews. Gardeners value it for its low maintenance requirements, high productivity, ability to adapt to different weather and climatic conditions, and the versatility of the fruit's purpose.
Description and characteristics of the variety
This variety, bred by breeders from Holland, appeared in Russia a long time ago and over the years has gained popularity among many Russian gardeners and farmers.
- Recommended for open and closed ground. In regions with cool summers, it is better to grow tomatoes under film so that all the ovaries have time to develop. These bushes can also be planted in flowerpots or large pots and installed on verandas and glazed loggias.
- Average ripening period. The first ripe fruits appear 120 days after sprouts emerge from the ground. Long-term fruiting throughout the season.
- Determinate type of bush, grows up to 60-70 cm in height.
- The bushes are compact and take up little space in the garden bed. They do not require support, gartering or pinching.
- The stems are thick and powerful. Tomato-shaped leaves form on them. There are few leaves, they are colored bright green.
- 8-10 ovaries are formed on each shoot. Fruits are produced throughout the summer, from June to September.
- Productivity is high. From 1 bush you can collect up to 8-10 kg of ripe vegetables.
- Has high immunity to viral and fungal diseases.
- Easy to care for, tolerates adverse weather conditions well.
Fruit characteristics
- The tomatoes are bright red.
- The shape is oval, plum-shaped.
- The average fruit weight reaches 100-115 g.
- The pulp is juicy, aromatic, fleshy, there are few seeds.
- The taste is sweetish with barely noticeable sourness.
- High concentration of dry matter.
- The fruits can be harvested at technical and physiological maturity. Green tomatoes ripen well outside the bush.
- It is recommended to keep the collected tomatoes in the sun for an hour to dry them. This way they will be stored longer.
- Tomatoes store well in a cool room.
- Resistant to long-distance transportation.
Tomato cream Rio Grande. Rio Grande tomatoes. Own experience. (Restored post).
I have grown all sorts of tomatoes, but I settled on this variety a long time ago (about 10 years ago). We often have dry winds in the summer, the sun bakes mercilessly. Even the leaves on the trees fade. Therefore, growing a good crop of tomatoes is problematic. All the tomatoes that I grew before this variety were baked in the sun. This means that the liquid boils under the thin skin of the tomato and the tomato becomes yellow, naturally unusable. The thermometer shows the temperature on the surface of the straw that covers the ground.
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Photo
The following are photos of the Rio Grande tomato variety .
Features of cultivation
The Rio Grande tomato variety is grown from seeds. In regions with cold climatic conditions, it is recommended to grow this variety using seedlings.
In warm areas of the country, seeds can be sown directly in open ground.
How and when to plant seeds for seedlings
Seeds for seedlings are sown in March.
The soil chosen is loose and light. You can prepare it yourself from turf and humus.
Important! It is recommended to first disinfect the soil in the oven or treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
This procedure will help destroy pest larvae and diseases that have overwintered in the seeds.
The soil is poured into plastic cups or general containers. Before sowing, seeds are treated with the growth stimulator Zircon or Epin.
The soil is watered with warm water, the seeds are buried 1 cm and sprinkled with a small layer of peat on top. The containers are covered with transparent material and left in a room with an air temperature of at least 25 degrees for seed germination.
The seedlings are provided with regular watering and spraying with warm water from a spray bottle. After the first shoots appear on the surface of the earth, the film is removed and the containers are transferred to a well-lit place. If necessary, arrange additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.
After the formation of 1-2 true leaves when growing seedlings in a common container, the plants are picked into separate cups. After this procedure, the seedlings must be fed with complex mineral fertilizer. To do this, dilute 2 tbsp in 5 liters of water. spoons of urea.
Transplanting into a greenhouse
When the seedlings are 45 days old, they are transferred to a greenhouse or greenhouse. Planting scheme - no more than 4 bushes per 1 square meter. In this case, the soil in the greenhouse should be loamy and breathable. The beds must be formed 14 days before transplanting the seedlings.
In each bed, holes are made at intervals of 40-50 cm from each other, at the bottom of which a little humus or mineral fertilizer (1 tablespoon of superphosphate) is placed. It is better to leave about 70 cm between rows.
Each seedling is placed in a hole along with a lump of earth and sprinkled with soil. At the end of planting, water generously with warm water.
Planting in open ground
In southern Russia, Rio Grande tomatoes can be grown in open ground. To do this, it is also recommended to grow seedlings and then transplant them into open ground when the risk of night frosts has passed.
These tomatoes can also be grown using the seedless method.
To do this, choose a site on the sunny side and prepare beds there. In April, the soil is dug up and humus is added. After this, the surface of the area is leveled and holes are dug at intervals of 50 cm. The ground is covered with garden film.
Important! Seeds are sown in open ground at the end of April or beginning of May.
By the time the seeds are sowed, the soil should warm up to 13-15 degrees. Place 3-5 seeds in each hole, then select the strongest sprout and remove the rest.
After this, the seeds are sprinkled with a layer of soil and watered generously with warm water. Since the seeds are under a layer of soil and covering material, they are not afraid of slight frosts.
When the sprouts grow up, they are cared for as usual: watered, fertilized, weeds are removed and the soil around the bushes is mulched.
More information about growing tomatoes is described in the article: Technology of growing tomatoes. Secrets of planting and care
You might be interested in: How to properly plant tomatoes in a greenhouse: bush formation diagram, care features, photos and videos
Useful information: How to properly tie tomatoes in open ground: the best methods, step-by-step photo and video instructions
Pests and diseases: how to deal with them
The Rio Grande tomato variety is quite resistant to major diseases: late blight, mosaics, gray and white rot. To prevent viral and fungal diseases, it is recommended to change the soil in the greenhouse annually. For preventive purposes, the soil can be spilled with a hot aqueous solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. When planning to plant seedlings in open ground, it is better to choose beds in which legumes, cabbage, and herbs (parsley, mustard greens or celery) grew.
You should not place tomatoes in areas that were occupied by other nightshades (peppers or eggplants) . To prevent fungal diseases, frequent spraying of bushes with phytosporin or other non-toxic biological preparation is recommended. Mulching the soil with straw or humus, ventilating the greenhouse and moderate watering to dry the top layer of soil will help to avoid many problems.
Insecticides can destroy pests, but they can only be used before abundant flowering and formation of ovaries. Naked slugs, which often appear in vegetable gardens, can be removed by regular spraying with an aqueous solution of ammonia. Soapy water, which is used to gently wash the affected stems and leaves, helps fight aphids.
Rio Grande is worth growing for those who are taking their first steps in gardening. Original Rio Grande tomatoes are unpretentious, as the description of the variety says, they tolerate minor agrotechnical imperfections, easily tolerate heat, lack of moisture and slight acidification of the soil. Compact bushes will not take up much space in the greenhouse or garden beds and will certainly delight you with a bountiful harvest.
