Characteristics and description of the Watermelon tomato variety, its yield

General characteristics of the Watermelon variety

The Watermelon tomato has the usual description. Brief information is always useful if you want to grow this variety for the first time. So you will understand whether you need it or not. This variety was created (according to agricultural standards) relatively recently, in 2004. The originators were agricultural breeders. In general, tomatoes of Siberian selection are some of the best in terms of taste and varietal characteristics. The same tomatoes are supplied to the market. The Watermelon tomato variety has the following characteristics:

• Variety type: natural.
• Growth type: indeterminate.
• Type of ripening: mid-early.
• Type of cultivation: indoor soil.
• Attachment to support: required.
• Stepsonning: required.
• Bush formation: 1-2 stems.
• Productivity: good.

Appearance of bushes

The Watermelon tomato bush is considered a tall plant. The height of an adult tomato reaches more than two meters, which, in principle, is natural when grown in a greenhouse. The stems of the plant are powerful and hold the bush well. The root system is just as powerful. The leaves are medium in size and dark green in color.

Description of fruits, photo

It is not for nothing that the description of the variety says that this variety lives up to its name - Watermelon. Just look at the photo of the fruits (a selection is presented below). The size of the fruit is quite large, flat-round in shape, weighing at least 200 grams. Some tomatoes reach half a kilogram. Ripe fruits are red-brown in color, with dark stripes. Because of this, the tomato is called Watermelon. Of course, the tomato tastes sweet and sour, it couldn’t be otherwise. When cut, the fruit is very beautiful, with juicy watermelon pulp. The pulp itself is very juicy and tender, and because of this property, the Watermelon variety has several significant disadvantages.

Mini-selection of photos of Watermelon tomato fruits:

Ripe fruits

Fruit close up

Fruits in section

Green fruits

Bushes in a greenhouse

Ripening time and yield

The characteristics and description of the variety say that the Watermelon tomato belongs to the mid-early varieties. From the beginning of the first shoots to the appearance of fruits, a little more than three months pass. The yield of the variety is quite good: at least 3 kg of tomatoes are harvested from one bush. Per square meter it turns out to be about 4.5-5.5 kg. Not a bad harvest.

Areas of application of fruits

Watermelon tomato is a variety with amazingly tasty watermelon pulp. Tomato fruits make excellent juices, tomato paste, homemade ketchup, and canned salads. Of course, it is indispensable in preparing fresh salads: the watermelon notes will appeal to almost everyone, bringing you back to the summer mood for a few moments. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to enjoy the watermelon pulp in its salted form: it is too juicy, and during heat treatment it falls apart and the skin cracks. And it’s blasphemy: wasting such delicious tomatoes for pickling.

Resistance to diseases and pests

Reviews from summer residents and information on the packaging say that the Watermelon tomato has average immunity. It tolerates cold well, and normally resists most diseases, such as:

• Late blight.
• Leaf curl.
• Tobacco mosaic virus.
• Gray and apical rot.

Prevention of fungal diseases - spraying with copper-containing preparations: Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, and others.

Among the pests (especially when grown in closed ground conditions), tomatoes are attacked by aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. Use insecticides for prevention.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Watermelon variety

Tomato Watermelon has mostly positive reviews. Almost everything concerns its taste properties. In the end, any tomatoes go to the table. What are the advantages of the variety:

• Excellent taste characteristics.
• Produces large fruits throughout the season.
• Unusual fruit color.
• Good immunity.
• Extended fruiting (from July to September).
• Good yield indicators.

The disadvantages may only relate to transportability and care features:

• Poor keeping quality and short shelf life (due to the juiciness of the pulp): no more than three days.
• Impossibility of whole-fruit preservation (due to large fruit size).
• Tendency to cracking.
• The need to constantly tie up fruit clusters and stems.
• Growing in open ground is possible only in the south.

general description

The Watermelon tomato belongs to the group of indeterminate varieties. Such bushes can grow above 2 m per season. In most regions of Russia, this variety is recommended to be cultivated in a greenhouse. Unfortunately, the Watermelon tomato is not frost-resistant.

Planting these tomatoes in open ground is also allowed. However, it is possible to cultivate the Watermelon tomato in this way only in the southern regions of the country. Sometimes these tomatoes are grown directly in open-air garden beds in central Russia. However, in spring and early summer, it is recommended to cover Watermelon tomatoes in such regions with film or any other similar material designed to protect garden plants from the cold.

Features of cultivation and care

At the end of February or beginning of March, most gardeners begin sowing seeds for seedlings. The standard period is 65-70 days before final planting in the ground. Seeds are sown in a pre-treated container and soil (or in peat tablets or cups), periodically irrigated, fed, and all optimal conditions for growth and development are created.

The seed preparation process will be described below. Now familiarize yourself with the stage of pre-preparation of soil and containers, and further care of seedlings. What you need to know about soil mixture:

You can buy soil for tomatoes or prepare it yourself. To do this, take equal proportions of river sand, garden soil, peat or humus. But remember that even purchased soil needs disinfection. Soil contaminated with pathogens will provoke the development of diseases and further death of seedlings. How to process: place the purchased mixture in a bucket of boiling water without disturbing the integrity of the packaging. Time - hour. Heat your own soil for the same time in the oven, at maximum temperature.

What you need to know about the landing tank:

Any container where you intend to sow seeds needs pre-treatment, be it a box or a cut bottle. Pour boiling water over it, wash with hot water and soap or steam in potassium permanganate.

The sowing and care process looks like this:

• The soil is poured into the container, then shallow grooves (0.5-1 cm) are made.
• The seeds are laid out with a small distance from each other (1 cm).
• Sprinkle and compact with a layer of earth (1 cm).
• The soil is irrigated from a sprayer, the box is covered with film or glass, and put away in a warm and bright place. The period before germination begins is a week.
• All this time, the seedlings are ventilated (the film is opened slightly).
• After germination, the boxes are removed to the windowsill. The gardener must provide them with sufficient light and heat. In case of light deficiency, phytolamps are used.
• When a couple of leaves appear on the seedlings, they are picked out in separate cups.
• A couple of weeks before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are hardened off by taking them out into the fresh air every day.
• If you decide to plant seeds in peat tablets or cups, picking is not necessary.

Preparing tomato seeds for planting

Tomatoes of Siberian selection are famous for their good quality. Watermelon tomato can be bought on the official website of the manufacturer. When purchasing, try to check all the data in advance so that there are no errors later. What does the seed preparation process look like:

1. Calibration This procedure is necessary to identify unsuitable seeds. What it looks like: pour warm water into a glass and dissolve a teaspoon of salt in it. Next, the seeds are sprinkled. The floating seed is no good; it is caught and thrown away. What has settled to the bottom is caught, washed in running water, and dried.
2. Disinfection. This is necessary so that future tomatoes are protected from diseases. What it looks like: potassium permanganate is diluted in a glass of warm water to a pink solution, and the seeds are placed. After half an hour they are caught, washed and dried.
3. Growth stimulation: soaking seeds in a special stimulating solution several hours before sowing.

Planting scheme

Usually, when planting, they adhere to the following scheme: up to four bushes per square meter, with a scheme of 40*60 cm. The plant is tall and needs more space.

Features of care

The most important work after replanting is caring for the bushes. If you don’t take care of it, the plant will get sick, won’t bear fruit, and will die. What is included in the care:

• Regular watering. Any tomatoes, whether Siberian selection or imported, need a normal amount of water. Water the tomatoes a couple of times a week, spending about 5 liters per bush. When the plant blooms, water it more often, but reduce the amount of water to three liters.
• Loosening. It is carried out after each watering. This procedure maintains the balance of moisture and delivers it to the roots of the plant.
• Weeding. Weeds take light and air from tomatoes, and nutrients. Try to remove them from the roots. It is best to do this after loosening.
• Feeding. Frequency - no more than 3-4 times per season. Type of fertilizer: at the beginning of flowering, tomato needs nitrogen and phosphorus for the growth of green mass and roots. It is best to use liquid organic matter during this period (diluted chicken droppings, mullein, nettle infusion, diluted wood ash, and others). When the plant forms ovaries and begins to bloom, it requires more phosphorus. When the fruit begins to fill - potassium and phosphorus. Keep in mind that approximately three weeks before harvesting, all fertilizing is stopped.
• Mulching. If you don’t want to frequently weed and loosen, cover the beds with dry hay, leaves, sawdust or dark non-woven material.

Pest and disease control

The most unpleasant thing is when the plant is attacked by pests. Some of them feed on leaves, others suck life-giving juices from the stems. Still others gnaw through the roots. How to fight: sticky fly traps (for whiteflies), decoctions of bitter herbs, a solution of laundry soap (aphids, mites), special potato traps (for wireworms) will help.

Transplanting

Thus, we found out what Watermelon tomatoes are. Reviews and photos on the page allow us to judge these tomatoes as very well suited for growing in a suburban area. But how to properly plant and care for this variety?

They are starting to grow Watermelon tomatoes in our country, like almost any other tomatoes, of course, on the windowsill. Seedlings of this variety are planted using standard technology. Experienced summer residents believe that it is best to plant Watermelon seeds directly in cups. You can, of course, sow them in boxes. But in this case, young plants in the phase of two true leaves will have to be plucked.

The soil for Watermelon tomatoes is neutral or slightly acidic. Sowing the seeds should be done to a depth of 1.5 cm. Before planting tomatoes of this variety, even though it is considered resistant to diseases, it is advisable to pour boiling water on the soil. After sowing, the box or cups with seeds should be covered with film.

After the plants have germinated, the covering material from the containers with tomatoes must be removed. The cups themselves or the box should be placed on the windowsill on the south or east side of the house. It is not recommended to grow watermelon seedlings on a north window. In this case, the plants may stretch too much.

Reviews from gardeners about the Watermelon tomato

If brief information about the variety and photos is not enough for you, read the reviews from summer residents:

Boris, Voronezh

Where grown: greenhouse

“I want to leave my first review. Last year I purchased a tomato of Siberian selection, from Gavrish. In principle, I grew up quite well and had few illnesses, but I still carried out preventative measures. I tied it on time and collected fruits until September. What I liked: the tomatoes are very tasty, they really taste like watermelon, only tomato. What disappointed me: despite the impressive growth and sweet taste, the yield leaves much to be desired. It could have been better."

Albert, Ivanovo

Where grown: greenhouse

“I don’t really like greenhouse varieties, but this time I decided to try it. I bought Watermelon. I liked that it ripens quickly, the fruits are large and sweet. But unfortunately, they are stored for a very short time. Within a couple of days they began to rot. And it’s impossible to salt, the pulp is too juicy. And it’s a wonderful variety!”

Albina, Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory

Where it was grown: greenhouse.

“Delicious, juicy, sweet, ideal for fresh salads and juice!”

Delicious product

“Watermelon” has a special gastronomic value of the fruit and is perfect for fresh salad, making it much sweeter and tastier. This value is also multiplied by the fact that the fruits of this variety can ripen in quantities of several pieces on one bush, and, once ripe, remain on it for a long time.

In general, the bushes will have fruit all the time, from the beginning of ripening until the first frost. Therefore, even with a practically empty garden, you will still have the opportunity to enjoy fresh and tasty tomatoes from planting.

Methods of use

When harvesting, you should be careful: if the tomato is overripe, it may crack and leak if not handled carefully. Watermelon tomatoes are ideal for salads. They are also used for preparing various dishes without preservation. Large fruits are difficult to place in a jar, so they are not often used for pickles.

To get a good harvest, you should regularly loosen the soil, water it as it dries, and clean it from weeds.

Expert opinion

Valentina Rareko

Editor-in-Chief of Repka.online. Experienced summer resident and gardener.

The variety is productive. It is quite resistant to diseases and pests and does not require additional care. The main thing is not to forget to tie up the bushes and carry out preventive treatment.

How to care for a permanent place

In a greenhouse or in beds, Watermelon tomatoes are planted in three bushes per 1 m2. This grade, as already mentioned, is very high. In a greenhouse, such tomatoes grow to a height of 210 cm, and in open ground - usually up to 190 cm. Therefore, next to the beds in which these tomatoes grow, you should definitely install a trellis and immediately tie the seedlings to the ropes.

Like almost any other indeterminate variety, Watermelon requires the formation of bushes. The shoots should be removed from these tomatoes in such a way that one stem remains on each plant.