New super early tomato “Bullfinch”: characteristics and description of the variety, photo

Tomato Bullfinch: variety description

Bullfinch is a new super early variety.
The bush is determinate, miniature, not standard, with a height of 30 to 40 cm. The formation of green mass is average, no formation is required. The leaves are small, dark green. The fruits ripen in small clusters of 3-5 pieces. The fruits are medium-sized, weighing 130-150 g, flat-round, with barely noticeable ribbing. The color of ripe tomatoes is deep red. The skin is thin, but protects the fruit well from cracking. The pulp is moderately dense, juicy, with a small number of seeds. The taste is pleasant, sweetish, not watery.

The Snegir tomato variety was created by Russian breeders. Zoned for the central black earth and northern regions, intended for cultivation in open ground and under film. Miniature, strong bushes can be planted in containers and flowerpots for placement on verandas, window sills, and balconies. Tomatoes tolerate short-term drops in temperature and lack of moisture, but under ideal conditions the yield will be higher.

The fruits are universal, they can be eaten fresh, used for preparing salads, soups, hot dishes, purees, and juices. Tomatoes are suitable for whole-fruit canning.

The table below provides comparison data on fruit weight for other tomato varieties:

Read on our website: the most common diseases of tomatoes in greenhouses and ways to combat them. Which tomatoes are resistant to most diseases and immune to late blight? What methods of protection against late blight exist?

Features of planting and growing

The Snegiryok variety, for cultivation in open ground and on the estate, can be sown in several stages from February to May. To create indoor compositions and if phyto lamps are available, this is done all year round.

Planting seedlings

The sowing time for growing in open ground is chosen so that the seedlings are 60-65 days old at the time of planting. Since the variety is very compact and the plant is not large, it is possible to practice the cultivation method without seedlings.

The sowing technique is as follows:

1. Fill the tub or individual containers with universal soil mixture for seedlings and compact them.
2. Spread the seeds and cover with soil.
3. Pour warm water over it, cover it with glass and send it to a warm place.
4. As soon as the shoots appear, we lower the temperature to 21℃ during the day and 17℃ at night and set it in the brightest place. If necessary, turn on the lighting lamp for at least 15 hours.
5. When sowing in a common tub, we dive when two true leaves appear.

Attention! If the seedlings are stretched, the temperature should be reduced and the illumination increased.

Transfer

Seedlings are planted in open ground when return frosts are no longer possible. Before planting, the tubs are taken out for ventilation. Initially for 10-15 minutes, then the time increases.

When growing in individual pots without replanting, you need to take into account that the amount of soil in the container must be at least 0.5 kg. In addition, you should take care of feeding.

How to water bushes

The tomato does not like excess moisture, but the soil ball should not be allowed to dry out for a long time. Watering is carried out:

• abundantly;
• not often (1-2 times a week depending on natural moisture);
• warm water;
• with the addition of fertilizing solutions.

Attention! When watering a potted crop, you need to wait until the water comes out of the drainage hole and drain the water from the pan.

Top dressing

If the seedlings were grown in purchased soil, then you can do without fertilizing during this period.

As soon as the buds appear, you should start fertilizing.

It is enough to dissolve 15-20 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water and pour the solution over the bushes after first moistening the soil. For one bush, 200 mg in open ground and 100 g in a pot are enough.

The frequency of fertilizing is 1-2 times a month. When flowering is over and the tomato grows fruit, fertilizing should be stopped.

Organic fertilizers can also be used. As such, preference is given to the following:

• farm animal manure;
• rabbit and goat manure;
• bird droppings;
• infusion of hay dust;
• solutions with the addition of compost.

Attention! Use alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. In this case, plant nutrition will be more balanced.

Loosening and weeding

Weeds are in constant struggle with tomatoes for water and light. In open ground, weeding is carried out as weeds grow. This should not be done deeply, so as not to damage the root system of the tomato.

When growing in pots, there is no point in loosening.

Harvest and storage

Tomato Snegiryok does not require immediate harvesting of fruits. Tomatoes can hang on the trusses for up to a month, improving the design. They mature simultaneously.

The collected fruits can be ripened for some time, but it should be taken into account that the variety cannot be stored for a long time without processing.

Features of growing in a greenhouse and in open ground

The variety is not used as a greenhouse crop. It is not profitable to use expensive areas of closed ground for low-yielding varieties. In open ground, Snegirok is planted as a primary crop, and after harvesting, the soil is occupied for second rotation crops.

It is most effective to grow the variety as a tub plant. The planted plants are kept in a place inaccessible to the prevailing winds until they gain their habit and are cared for. When the bushes take shape, they are used as design elements for a manor, house, or kitchen.

Diseases and pests

Spraying with complex fungicidal preparations will help prevent fungal diseases in open ground. The most effective for this purpose are:

• Quadris;
• Home;
• Bordeaux mixture;
• Acrobat;
• Speed;
• Thanos.

Carefully observing the bushes and following the instructions in the instructions, you can promptly detect the pathogen and carry out preventive treatments.

If a tomato is planted in pots and is attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, then a small sprayer and a complex systemic insecticide are used to control pests. You can give preference to the following:

• Aktara;
• Inta-vir;
• Corado;
• Commander;
• Taboo;
• Proxy.

Attacks by pests and pathogens must not be allowed. Damaged shoots will not recover and the harvest will be lost.

Characteristics

Among the main advantages of the variety:

• excellent taste of fruits;
• miniature bushes can be grown in open beds or under film;
• cold tolerance;
• unpretentiousness to living conditions;
• resistance to fungal diseases, brown spot, late blight.

No disadvantages have been noticed in the Bullfinch tomato variety . Productivity is good.

You can see the yield of other varieties in the table:

Characteristics of tomatoes

For gardeners trying to grow tomatoes in less than favorable conditions, it is very important that the resulting fruits have all the characteristics of full-fledged tomatoes. And the Snegir variety will not disappoint them in this sense. Its fruits have the following characteristics:

• The shape of tomatoes is traditionally round, they are smooth and aligned.
• During the ripening process, the fruits acquire a bright red color, and at the stage of technical maturity they are dark green.
• The pulp of tomatoes is juicy, and the skin, although thin, can cope with cracking of the fruit.
• Despite the small size of the bushes, the Bullfinch variety tomatoes have quite decent sizes; the weight of one fruit averages 140-160 grams. In particularly favorable conditions, the weight of the fruit can reach 200 grams.
• Tomatoes have quite good marketability because they are rarely damaged by diseases.
• The taste characteristics of tomatoes are good; they can be eaten fresh and used for various types of preservation.

Photo

The photo shows Bullfinch tomatoes

Harvest and storage

Since the skin of tomatoes is relatively dense, the collected vegetables are perfectly stored for one and a half to two months. To ensure that the harvest is preserved, several conditions must be met:

• tomatoes are picked together with the stalk;
• ripe, healthy fruits are stored for storage, without mechanical damage;
• the room should be well ventilated, suitable storage temperature is 10-12°C;
• The tomatoes are placed in boxes in one layer and sprinkled with dry small sawdust.

If there is a threat of frost, green tomatoes are also picked and stored for ripening. Unripe fruits are stored in a separate room to slow down the ripening period. Boxes with fruits are constantly sorted and ripe tomatoes are selected. If there is a need for rapid ripening of green tomatoes, it is enough to move the containers to a warmer room and put several ripe fruits in the boxes.

Features of cultivation

Tomatoes of the Bullfinch variety are best grown in seedlings. Before planting, seeds can be treated with a growth stimulant, which significantly improves germination. The substrate is made up of garden soil mixed with the same amount of humus. It is possible to add a small portion of washed river sand. Seeds are sown in containers with a depth of no more than 2 cm. Germination requires a temperature of about 25 degrees.

After the first shoots appear, it is reduced and the containers are moved to bright light. When the first true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are picked and then fed with a complete complex fertilizer. Fertilizing with a high nitrogen content is preferable, allowing you to quickly gain leaf mass and strengthen the stems. A week before transplanting, the seedlings are hardened by taking them out onto the balcony or veranda, first for a few hours, and then for the whole day.

The seedlings are moved to the beds closer to the beginning of June, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently. Tomatoes are planted in places occupied by legumes, carrots or cabbage. It is not advisable to plant them in beds where other nightshades were grown: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers.

The soil is fertilized with humus, the bushes are planted at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. The row spacing is at least 70 cm. In the first days, young plants can be covered with film. Tomatoes are watered infrequently, but abundantly, using soft, warm water. Every 2 weeks, plantings are fed with mineral fertilizer based on phosphorus or potassium, applying it at the root or spraying the bushes. There is no need to tie up compact tomatoes, but for better air exchange it is worth removing the lower leaves.

Growing rules

Since this tomato variety is intended for cultivation in risky farming areas, it is recommended to grow it from seeds through seedlings.

Store-bought tomato seeds are tested for germination. For this:

1. They are poured into melted or settled water, heated to 50-60 degrees.
2. Those that float are discarded immediately (these seeds are hollow, and therefore light).

Next, a growth stimulator is added to the cooled solution:

• "Epin";
• aloe (agagave), 20 drops of juice per glass of water;
• honey, 1 tsp. per glass of water.

After 3 hours, the seeds are removed from the solution and dried.

Planting seedlings

In order for the seedlings to grow strong and healthy, a number of actions are carried out before planting the seeds:

1. Prepare boxes and containers for tomato seedlings.
2. Use purchased soil or mix garden soil with humus (compost), peat, sand and ash in a ratio of 1:1:2:1/3:1/3. It is better to take the soil from the area where nightshades did not grow the previous year.
3. The prepared earthen mixture is calcined in the oven.
4. Prepare a warm place (+25 degrees) with good lighting, not in bright sunlight.
5. Make furrows 2 cm deep on the surface of the soil with a match or skewer, lay out the seeds at a distance of about 1-2 cm from each other and cover them with earth.
6. To make seeds hatch faster, you can cover the boxes with tomato seedlings with plastic wrap.
7. It is necessary to remove the film from time to time for ventilation so that the ground does not become moldy.
8. After seedling loops appear on the surface of the ground, the shelter is removed, the boxes and pots are moved to a sunny place, and if necessary, the tomato seedlings are illuminated.

Advice! You cannot water the soil with a watering can at the time of planting. All the tomato seeds will be washed away. You should spray the surface of the soil with a spray bottle.

After 2-3 true leaves appear, tomato seedlings are planted in separate containers, selecting strong sprouts and removing weak ones.

A week later, the first fertilizing is carried out with a complete complex mineral fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen. Water the tomato seedlings as the earthen ball dries out. If tomatoes grow poorly, you can feed them after 2 weeks with a weak solution of urea or ammonium nitrate. Take half the recommended amount.

About 2 weeks before planting in the ground or greenhouse, the plants begin to harden off. First, they are taken out onto an unheated balcony or terrace for 1-2 hours. Gradually, the hardening time for Snegir tomatoes is increased to the whole daylight hours.

Tomato transplant

The time of transplanting tomatoes into a greenhouse is correlated with the region of residence. In the central part of Russia, planting can be done at the end of April - beginning of May, and in more northern regions with recurrent frosts it is worth doing this in the middle or end of May. Tomatoes are planted in open ground when the threat of frost subsides. This usually happens in early June. The distance between bushes must be left at least 40 cm, and between rows - about 70 cm.

To plant the Bullfinch tomato in the ground:

1. Make a hole 30*30*30.
2. Place 1 tbsp on the bottom. l. superphosphate or OMU for tomatoes (these fertilizers are poorly soluble in water and will gradually nourish the plant throughout the growing season), a handful of ash, a handful of dry chicken or horse droppings, 0.5 liters of humus or compost.
3. All ingredients are mixed and the well is filled with water.
4. Before planting, tomato seedlings are carefully removed from the container without damaging the earthen ball, placed in a hole and covered with earth.

Bullfinch tomatoes, for better survival, should not be watered for a week.

Subsequent care for tomatoes

Subsequent care for Bullfinch tomatoes consists of:

• feeding;
• watering;
• mulching;
• loosening.

When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, ventilation is a must. Due to high temperature and humidity, there is a high probability of an outbreak of fungal diseases. And high temperature helps to sterilize pollen in tomato flowers.

The first feeding of tomatoes is carried out 2 weeks after planting. For this you can use:

• infusion of manure;
• green fertilizer made from herbs;
• complex fertilizer with a predominance of nitrogen.

The second feeding of tomatoes of this variety is carried out during the budding period. Plants need phosphorus and potassium at this time. To do this, add ash to the roots or make an infusion with ash and water it, or use potassium monophosphate for feeding.

Warning! Tomatoes love rare but abundant watering, about 1 liter per plant, otherwise the roots will not go deep in search of water, but will be located on the surface of the earth.

After watering, in order to avoid evaporation of moisture and the formation of a crust on the surface, the ground around the tomatoes is mulched with peat, rotted sawdust, hay, and grass.

Since the Bullfinch tomato is a determinate variety, reaching a certain height, it simply stops growing. The bush is formed into 2 or 3 shoots. When pouring fruit, it does not need a garter, but support. Take a thick peg of small height and tie the trunk to it in a figure eight using twine.

Diseases and pests: prevention and control methods

Tomatoes of the Bullfinch variety are resistant to many diseases: brown leaf spot, gray or blossom end rot. To prevent the appearance of fungus or viruses, it is recommended to spill the soil with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. Young plants are sprayed with phytosporin or other biological preparation. Frequent loosening of the soil and timely removal of weeds will help protect the plantings.

Insecticides will help get rid of pests. They can be used before flowering begins; after fruit set, folk remedies are used: infusion of celandine or onion peel, an aqueous solution of laundry soap.

Cold-resistant and unpretentious Bullfinch tomatoes are an excellent choice for a beginning gardener who does not have a greenhouse. The bright red fruits are very tasty, and they ripen earlier than many common varieties.

Pest and disease control

Bullfinch tomatoes are resistant to late blight, brown spot, rot and other fungal diseases. To protect the plant, the soil is disinfected before planting the seeds by pouring boiling water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The same procedure is carried out in the beds if there is a high probability of infection.

It is important to hill up grown bushes with tomatoes in time and remove weeds. This way you can avoid the proliferation of fungus and harmful insects.

When pests appear, tomatoes are sprayed with chemicals. I use them at the flowering stage. When the first ovaries appear, only traditional methods of controlling pests and diseases are used.

Useful video

Watch the video: Bullfinch tomato variety

In the table below you will find links to tomato varieties with different ripening periods:

Reviews from gardeners

The tomato variety Bullfinch, the characteristics and description of which you could read above, receives good reviews from summer residents and gardeners, primarily due to its unpretentiousness to a wide variety of growing conditions.

Evgeniy, 36 years old, Perm region

In our area, it is customary to grow tomatoes exclusively in greenhouses or greenhouses. But I recently got a summer cottage, so I’m trying to grow tomatoes in the open air. They have to be picked in early August when they are green, because late blight begins to rampage later. I heard from a friend about new cold-resistant tomato varieties from the Biotechnika company and ordered Snegir tomato seeds online. Yes, indeed, everything was without deception, the seedlings took root well after planting in the ground, quickly began to grow, and I tried a ripe tomato from the bush for the first time at the very end of July. I didn’t do anything special with the tomato bushes during the summer, I just set up pegs and tied them up when the tomatoes started to pour in - they were quite large and there were a lot of them, so I was afraid that the branches would not withstand such weight. I am also quite pleased with the yield - my wife even made twists from her own red tomatoes for the first time, so I will grow it next year.

Elena, 43 years old, Chelyabinsk

I sowed the Bullfinch seeds at several times, since only a few of my own seeds sprouted from the early sowings. And when I started planting seedlings, I saw another bush that was stretching out from under the branches that I had thrown over the edge of the beds to hold back the snow. Apparently, seeds from the fruits of this tomato that I had not noticed last year have sprouted. So all summer I grew several dozen bushes of different sowing dates and two more bushes that grew by self-sowing. I didn’t care for the latter at all, I just watered them sometimes in company with other plants. And it had to happen that in August I saw a lot of tomatoes on them. Some were quite large. As a result, I can say that from these two bushes I collected the largest harvest of tomatoes - about 25 fruits from each.