Tomato Apricot F1 (Fluffy Apricot): characteristics and description of the variety, photos of tomato yields and reviews of seeds from the Gardens of Russia brand

Once you have seen such a miracle as the Apricot tomato, it is difficult to pass by. The bushes bring a rich harvest and are unpretentious in care; they are suitable for different climatic conditions. The fruits are distinguished by high taste and beneficial qualities.

Height	Landing location	Ripening time	Fruit color	Fruit size	Origin	Fruit shape
Medium height	Greenhouse, Open ground	Early ripening	Yellow	Small	Hybrid	Round

Description and characteristics of the variety

Breeders offer several varieties of tomatoes. Large-fruited “hairy” pink hybrid and bright yellow variant. Farmers are happy with both varieties. Tomato from the Gardens of Russia brand is an early F1 hybrid. The plant has low compact stems, the fruits ripen in a neat, friendly cluster. The taste is sweetish, the flesh is tender and juicy.

The pubescent hybrid has fruits covered with whitish hairs and reminiscent of apricots. Ripens in 100-105 days. The taste is sweet with a slight sourness, the pulp is sugary. A beautiful and high-yielding variety. The fruits have an excellent market appearance; this is an important criterion for sellers.

Tomato care

Proper care of plants will allow you to get a harvest without any complications. An important point is watering; at least 1 watering per week is required. To retain moisture in the soil, the beds are mulched. Loosening the crust that forms after precipitation and watering also helps preserve moisture.

Experienced summer residents recommend installing a drip irrigation system, so the required amount of water gets directly under the root.

Apricot summer tomatoes should be fed at least 3 times per season. The first time 2 weeks after transplanting to a permanent place, the second time during flowering, the third at the time of fruit formation. For this purpose, organic fertilizers or complex preparations are used.

Productivity

The first harvest of yellow apricot ripens 80-90 days after germination. A variety with an ultra-fast ripening period is characterized by high yield. From 1 m2 with proper care you get from 12 to 15 kg of fruit. The average weight varies from 80 to 100 g. The pulp is sweet and juicy. The skin is dense, smooth, and does not crack. Used for salads, whole-fruit canning.

The pubescent tomato has the largest fruits among its hairy counterparts - 350-500g. The yield is high - 5 kg or more per bush with proper care. From 1m2 – at least 20 kg. Salads and cuts from them turn out colorful and unusual. Ideal for sauces, pastes, juices, barrel pickles.

Yellow and fluffy tomatoes of the “Apricot” series

We are used to red tomatoes. Black and yellow are still rare in Russia. Yellow tomatoes are already found on store shelves, but in the gardens of those who love to tend to their plots, dig in the ground and grow everything new and unusual, multi-colored fruits can be seen quite often. One of these favorite varieties is called “Apricot”, because it resembles this fruit with its golden color and sweetness.

Pros and cons of the variety

Yellow tomatoes have more advantages than disadvantages. Despite the fact that they grow better in the southern regions in open ground, in the middle zone they can be grown in greenhouses. According to reviews, Apricot tomatoes are afraid of temperature changes and bear fruit better in warm conditions.

The advantages of this variety:

Excellent taste.
High yield.
Disease resistance.
Early ripeness. This vegetable ripens in the open ground at the same time as other varieties that live in the greenhouse, and gives its first harvest at exactly the same time.
High resistance to diseases: fungi and viruses.
Suitable for people allergic to regular tomatoes.

This plant variety has its disadvantages, but they are fewer than the advantages. The disadvantages include a weak trunk and weak branches that break off under the weight of the fruit. Experienced gardeners always make supports, to which they tie thin branches with ropes.

Varieties with similar names

Amateur gardeners not only grow what is well known, but also regularly plant new types of plants. Among the tomatoes there are not only “Apricot”, but also its hybrids, as well as those that have similar names.

“Fluffy apricot” is a dark pink tomato, not smooth (as we are used to), with a velvety skin that feels reminiscent of a peach. He is jokingly called hairy. Tomatoes of this variety grow large, up to 700 grams, have an interesting taste, are good in salads and in processed form (juice, lecho). Productivity is high, fruiting begins late.
“Peach” is very similar to the “apricot” representatives, it is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and average yield. The taste is interesting, children like it because it resembles a fruit, not a vegetable.
“Apricot bast shoe” is a rare variety. The fruits ripen red-pink, they are also covered with fluff.
“Apricot f1” is a hybrid variety, the fruits are fleshy, ripe, dark pink in color, “hairy”, i.e. covered with delicate fluff. It was bred specifically for growing in beds in open ground or in ordinary greenhouses that do not require heating or burning.

Tomato care

To ensure that growing Apricot tomatoes does not cause much trouble, take into account the following features:

Before planting, the seeds must be treated with a pink manganese solution.
Cultivation begins with seedlings. Each plant is planted in a separate container.
Tomatoes are afraid of temperature changes and cold, so they are kept warm under film. The temperature should be at least 20 degrees.
Before moving seedlings to the beds, they need to be hardened off. Firstly, the tomatoes will become denser and, secondly, they will be sweeter.
The bushes are weak, so it is worth removing the stepsons and tying the plant to pegs or trellises.

Caring for such tomatoes is standard: regularly loosen the soil around the bushes, water with warm water, weed and monitor for weeds. During the season you need to carry out several fertilizing with fertilizers.

Tomatoes need to be watered at least once every seven to ten days so that the moisture does not evaporate too much; it is recommended to lay a 3-5 centimeter thick layer of sawdust, last year’s leaves or straw on the soil between the plants. The moist soil under the milch layer attracts beneficial earthworms, they begin to actively reproduce and improve the fertility of the soil.

Tomatoes require feeding. You can use complex fertilizers and manure for it. The solution, which is made from mullein and chicken droppings, is poured strictly at the root of the bush, because the substances contained in it can burn the tender leaves.

Diseases and pests

Bushes of this variety hardly get sick; diseases occur due to improper care, when the tomato is not ventilated, poorly or very abundantly watered. In order for “Apricot” to grow strong, it is necessary to maintain the temperature regime in the greenhouse, loosen the soil and monitor the lighting.

If tomatoes grow in open beds, then they may encounter insect pests: aphids, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets and whiteflies. There is salvation from them: regular inspection and removal of insects from bushes and fruits, treatment with products intended for tomatoes, as well as with a soap solution. It happens that the use of drugs is not required, but traditional methods are sufficient; their description can be found in this article.

Use of fruits

Due to its characteristics and composition, Apricot tomatoes are useful for people who cannot eat red fruits and vegetables. The fruits contain niacin, the use of which strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and lycopene, a natural antioxidant. Yellow tomatoes look great on a plate fresh, as well as in jars. They can be used in canning, making juice, lecho, and decorating holiday dishes.

Children like delicious fruits because they taste like fruit. Experienced farmers say that tomatoes grown and ripened in garden beds under the open sun taste better than those that were protected. But greenhouse “apricots” produce a larger harvest and delight meals earlier than the fruits of those varieties that are familiar in our region.

Tall tomatoes for the greenhouse

I definitely plant the listed varieties, but there are also some that I just liked, and I periodically grow them in the greenhouse, but I have not become a fan of them. Of the indeterminates, I like the raceme varieties the most. Again, this is primarily because they look beautiful on the bush. There are only three varieties, and each has a special reason to grow it.

“Intuition F1” is a mid-season hybrid, but I would classify it as a late-season hybrid. Not only does it reach harvest ripeness only by mid-August, but biological maturity also comes quite late. Some specimens of these tomatoes ripen even until the end of October. But, on the other hand, this is convenient because as a result, we have our own fresh tomatoes at home for a very long time. That's why I sow it in February.

Rice. 12. Photo from the end of July, but the fruits have not yet begun to ripen.

But “Intuition F1” is very easy. This hybrid is great for freezing for future use. In winter, I make pizza and frittata with them, as they do not defrost like porridge, but retain their meatiness well when cut.

Rice. 13. The fruits are all smooth and beautiful.

Rice. 14. In this form, I send “Intuition F1” to deep freeze.

“Scarlet Candles” is a cluster variety, mid-season. They don’t have a special taste, but what a shape! Looks impressive in preparations with cucumbers. However, this is why I grow them. It’s nice to admire such a jar later in the winter.

Rice. 15. The length of “Scarlet Candles” is almost like pickling cucumbers.

Rice. 16. “Scarlet candles” look neat, they all have a characteristic “spout”.

“De Barao” is quite late-ripening; I sow it earlier than the bulk of tomatoes. I really like it in preparations, it does not crack and is very tasty, both fresh and pickled.

Rice. 17. "De Barao" is resistant to disease. I always plant it on the north side, tying it above the entrance to the greenhouse, because it is very tall, and the upper tier ripens even in the last ten days of August, despite the first cold nights.

Rice. 18. The fruits are beautiful, all as one.

I have tried a great variety of salad varieties, I still want to find the most delicious one. Of the unusually colored tomatoes, I really like the taste of Malachite Box and Black Prince . Both are tall and require pinching, gartering, and formation into 1-2 stems, but the effort is worth it, the fruits are magnificent. “Black Prince” is dark burgundy when fully ripe.

Rice. 19. “Malachite box” in biological maturity – green.

Rice. 20. All these “Malachite Box” tomatoes are already ripe, although in appearance they seem unripe.

The yellow giants are not inferior in taste, of which the most fleshy and tasty for me are “Yellow Truffle” - of an unusual shape, “Persimmon” - indeed, the pulp is cut like the fruit of the same name, “Golden King” and sweet as a melon, “ Golden Bull" . “Golden Heart” and “Altai Yellow” were less impressive But it should be noted that the shelf life of yellow tomatoes is inferior to red ones. From salad reds, I grew “King of Large”, “Cardinal”, “Canary”, “Bear’s Paw”, “Mazarin”, “Altai Red” . What can I say about them - they are all equal, as if they were selected. It tires them to constantly tug and tie them up. One good thing is that they are large.

Rice. 21. Everyone looks the same on the bush. This is Cardinal.

Rice. 22. “Cardinal” is well kept.

Rice. 24. In the foreground is “Mazarin”. It differs only in shape, in taste - like all other red-fruited ones.

Rice. 25. “Altai Reds”, however, can be praised for their friendly maturation.

Separately, I would like to mention the pink-fruited tomatoes “Miracle of the Earth”. If you are lucky with the summer and it is not very hot, then you can get a good harvest from this variety.

Rice. 26. “Miracle of the Earth” are also tall.

But, if there is not very good ventilation in the greenhouse, then this variety will give a characteristic light yellow border, I don’t like it, and I cut it off before use.

Rice. 27. “Miracle of the Earth” - on the right. They are the same size as the Red Giant on the left.

Separately, it should be said about tall cherry tomatoes, for example, “Chio-chio-san”, “Sweet Cherry F1” and others. Yes, many of them are sweet, they look elegant both in the greenhouse and in pickles, but many of them are thrown away and require careful care. No matter how much I refuse to plant them, I still “break down”, I really want to admire the brushes.

Rice. 28. “Red date” is, of course, delicious.

Rice. 29. “Goldilocks” also tastes good if you resist and don’t eat it half-ripe - and it can be eaten even half-ripe.

Features of cultivation

Among the features of this hybrid, it is worth highlighting its large fruit size and duration of fruiting. You can also talk about its resistance to temperature changes and resistance to diseases.

The trunk and branches of the bush, due to their high growth, need garters and supports. The bush is most often formed into two or three stems, but three is better. At the stage of development and growth, it is in great need of complex feeding.

Hybrid tomato "Apricot" is grown through seedlings.

You need to purchase seed material for growing seedlings only in specialized stores. To speed up germination and form strong seedlings, seeds are treated using an aqueous solution of aloe juice and growth stimulants.

How to sow seeds correctly:

Sowing of seed material begins 55-60 days before planting in a permanent place;
Before sowing, planting containers are disinfected and then filled with prepared soil mixture or substrate. Fine charcoal is placed at the bottom of the container for drainage;
The seed material is buried 1 cm, watered with warm water using a spray bottle;
Containers with planted seeds are covered with film, which is removed after the first shoots appear;
At the stage of two true leaves, the seedlings are planted in a separate container. Peat pots are used for this;

Throughout the entire period of development and growth, it is necessary to apply complex fertilizing, according to the manufacturer’s scheme;
7-10 days before planting, seedlings begin to harden.

Instructions for planting seedlings:

It is advisable to plant seedlings on a cloudy day. Two to three days before planting, stop watering; Immediately before planting, the planting holes are shed generously with warm water.

Compost and wood ash are also added; Use a thickened planting according to the 40x40 cm pattern; Carefully remove each seedling from the seedling container; Place in the holes with the root system in the south direction, the crown in the north, preferably at an angle of 45ºС, while the root system should be slightly lower than the crown; Part of the excavated soil is covered with the roots of the seedlings. The soil is pressed quite carefully to the root system so that no air spaces are formed; Watering is carried out from a watering can with a solution of calcium nitrate in the ratio of one tablespoon per bucket of warm water; Cover the watered seedlings with the remaining dry soil

No more watering from above.

Although the Apricot hybrid is early, it is still recommended to grow it in seedlings, this will significantly reduce the waiting period for the fruit to ripen. Seeds are sown 2 months before transferring to a permanent place. The gardener calculates the period himself, taking into account the climate of the growing region.

Requirements for growing high-quality seedling material:

Lighting. At least 14-16 hours a day; if there is a lack of sunlight, it is recommended to install special lighting devices.
Temperature. In the room where the containers with seedlings are located, it should be 20-22 ⁰C.
Watering. In moderation, do not overfill and do not let it dry out.
Feeding. In order for tomatoes to gain strength, fertilizing with growth stimulants or complex fertilizers is required.

Following these simple rules will help you grow strong seedlings that will produce the desired harvest in the future.

Fruit characteristics

Tomatoes are round or round-flat, slightly ribbed, red in color.
The fruits weigh approximately 60-100 g.
Inside there are about 10-12 seed chambers, with an average number of seeds.
Solids concentration 7%.
The fruits ripen early and contain a lot of vitamins A and C, amino acids, carotene, and microelements.
The skin is dense and practically does not crack during transportation and ripening.
Tomatoes ripen well outside the bush, while maintaining all their taste and presentation. The main thing is to place unripe tomatoes in a bright place.

Advantages and disadvantages

Excellent taste.
Rich vitamin set.
Low risk of exposure to various types of diseases.
High yield.
Fast maturation.

There are some disadvantages; gardeners write about this in reviews. But the disadvantages are so insignificant that they do not allow summer residents to refuse to grow Apricot f1.

The only thing that gardeners don’t like is weak boles. When the fruits ripen, the stem may break under their weight. Therefore, the Apricot tomato needs to be tied up.

Disease and pest control

Apricot tomatoes are resistant to tobacco mosaic and late blight. But, if such a nuisance occurs, then the “Barrier” remedy will come to the aid of the gardener, and in severe cases – “Barrier”. To avoid such misfortunes, you can treat the bushes with copper sulfate.

For what reasons do fungal and other diseases occur?

young plants were planted too often;
the air is over-humidified;
tomatoes were watered little, although they do not require much moisture;
it is too cold at night and very warm during the day;
the earth is oversaturated with nitrogen, but low in calcium.

The pests that affect Apricot tomatoes are codling moths, whiteflies, and sawflies. In modern plant growing, Lepidocide is used against them. The new generation product “Zubr” helps to get rid of nightshade miner and rust mite.