Tomato tree "Octopus Cherry" F1: the intricacies of growing a perennial tomato with a Russian character

Description of the variety

The variety is distinguished by very strong growth and an abundance of branches . It can be grown in standard form (with constant pinching) or in several stems. The crown of one “Octopus cherry” tomato bush occupies an area of ​​at least 50 square meters. , and the height of the main stem reaches 5.5 meters.

The "Octopus cherry" variety is early ripening. No more than 110 days pass from sowing seedlings to fruiting . Suitable for growing in open ground or in a greenhouse, including a heated one (with a long-term cultivation scheme). The variety has good resistance to most tomato infections and pests.

You can find out about other varieties of cherry tomatoes: Sweet Cherry, Strawberry, Lisa, Ampel Cherry Falls, Ira, Cherripalchiki on our website.

The fruits of the Octopus cherry tomato are dense, sweet and sour in taste, with small seed chambers (no more than 4 per fruit). The dry matter content is high, the skin is dense and of medium thickness.

Each cluster (and there can be about 50 ) contains from 4 to 6 fruits weighing up to 50 g. Round, bright red in color, they are perfectly preserved in refrigerators for several months and are easily transported.

You can compare the weights of different varieties in the table below:

Tomato Octopus cream

Among the Sprut tomato varieties registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, only cherry Octopus (2012) and golden Octopus (2018) are listed. The very interesting hybrid Octopus cream has not yet been officially registered. The cherry octopus is distinguished by its early ripening and good, for small fruits, yield (up to 9 kg/m2), the golden octopus bears fruit in ellipsoidal tomatoes weighing about 40 g, orange in color and excellent taste, its yield is at the same level.

The Octopus cream tomato F1 is also a cultivar tomato and is intended for greenhouse cultivation. They care for it like an ordinary indeterminate hybrid, growing a bush with two or three stems. At the same time, if the proper conditions are created, the Sprut cream tomato can also grow in the form of a five-meter tree and have a liana-like “crown” structure: the shoots can spread sideways by 5–6 meters.

Tomato Octopus Cream in the greenhouse is not bad, it is a very productive and tasty “cream”

Cream fruits have a shape that corresponds to the name: they are oval, medium-sized (weighing only 30–40 g), and can, depending on the variety, have different colors. Orange, red and chocolate creams are known. Regardless of color, the fruits are collected in clusters of 8–10 pieces. They are dense, do not crack, and the taste of all varieties is rated as excellent. The yield is the same as that of other Octopus variants: up to 10 kg/m2. Regardless of the tier, the size and weight of the fruits are almost the same. Fruiting is long, from mid-July to the end of October: cream, rather, can be considered a mid-early hybrid. The cream is resistant to most known diseases.

Country of origin and year of registration

The tomato variety “Cherry Sprut” f1 is a product of Russian breeders of the Sedek agricultural holding. The variety was bred in 2003 and registered in the State Register in 2005.

The tomato is suitable for growing in the southern regions of Russia, in the middle zone, the Urals and Siberia . In a word, “Octopus cherry” can grow anywhere where from June to September the air temperature does not drop below +10ºC.

You can learn more about the most common tomato diseases in greenhouses here. We will also tell you about ways to deal with them. On our website you will find reliable information about such scourges as Alternaria, Fusarium, Verticillium, late blight and methods of protection against late blight.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

When characterizing a tree-shaped tomato, take into account that the “pros” and “cons” are indicated for traditional growing conditions (in a greenhouse or in a garden bed).

Advantages:

• sweet fruits;
• versatility of using tomatoes;
• high productivity;
• not afraid of diseases and pests;
• drought-resistant;
• easy care;
• subject to long-term storage.

Flaws:

• the ripening period of tomatoes is medium-late, so the fruits are most often picked brown to ripen at home;
• Sprut F1 tomatoes are a hybrid tomato variety; you cannot take seeds from them for subsequent sowing;
• Increased fertilizing is necessary, otherwise the yield will be below average.

To get a “tomato tree”, you need to use a special growing technology, and for ordinary summer residents such know-how is not available (and is not particularly needed). We need special greenhouses with year-round heating and lighting, nutrient soils, and irrigation systems.

Characteristics

The fruits of the Octopus cherry tomato perfectly retain their taste and nutritional value when stored in basements or refrigerators until the New Year. This is what became the basis for declaring the variety a salad variety. However, its fruits are excellent for pickling and making juices .

"Octopus cherry" is a record holder for yield. From one plant you can harvest up to 12 kg of leveled fruits with high technical and taste characteristics.

You can compare the yield of the variety in the table below:

The advantages of the variety are its very high yield and excellent plant resistance to tomato diseases and pests. Among the disadvantages, one can highlight the constant rapid growth of new shoots, which need immediate tying to supports .

Grow the tomato, grow!

Indeed, when using cultivation technologies (hyponics, hydroponics), an ordinary indeterminate plant turns into a tomato tree with gigantic yields. This is not science fiction, it is possible, but only if certain conditions are created and processes are fully automated.

But for ordinary summer residents, the Octopus F1 tomato is interesting in terms of planting in greenhouses. A tomato tree will not grow in them, but an ordinary hybrid tomato bush with high yields will do. Moreover, agro offers to purchase tomato seeds, which received registration in 2007 in the State Register. Many people are interested in how to grow an unusual tomato, how it differs from other varieties.

Octopus F1 is an indeterminate tomato; its peculiarity is the intensive growth of stepsons. The side shoots of the plant are not removed; they are tied to supports, cutting off only the lower shoots (up to the first cluster).

Carpal tomato, in inflorescences - up to 5-6 fruits, equal in shape and weight. The tomatoes are round, weighing from 100 to 130 grams, rich red in color. The taste is high; the fruits are used for salads and any preparations (pickling, canning).

Dense Sprut tomatoes store well and do not deteriorate during transportation.

ON A NOTE! According to reviews from those who planted the hybrid, the fruits, when optimal conditions are created, are stored until the beginning of December.

Under normal cultivation conditions in a greenhouse or open ground, Sprut is a hybrid indete with good (up to 7-8 kg of fruit per bush) yield indicators.

Growing

The variety requires constant formation of the bush, which consists of gartering, removing excess shoots and leaf blades. Several fairly large supports may be required to support the plant in an upright position.

Most often, the hybrid “Cherry Octopus” is tied to trellises (like grapes) or grown as a vine with stems tied to the walls of a gazebo or arch.

The plant needs increased watering and nutrition, especially when grown in open ground.

About technologies for growing tomatoes Octopus

Many manufacturers indicate on the packaging that Sprut tomatoes can be grown as a tomato tree. Now we will amaze you with some numbers describing the characteristics of the variety. It is believed that the height of such a tree can reach 5 meters, and it can be grown even for two years, the crown of a tomato tree can take up to 50 square meters, and, attention, drum roll, from one tree you can collect 1500 kg of ripe tomatoes of the Sprut f1 variety. Say it's a myth or fiction, whatever the case may be. In reality they exist, scientists have confirmed this data, so by creating special conditions, you can grow this most fabulous tomato tree on your site. But don't think it's that simple.

Sprut tomatoes are grown in more than one summer season, and even in the south of our country you will not be able to do this, so to achieve such high rates, having a greenhouse is a must. Moreover, it must be heated in winter. Additional lighting is also considered essential. In addition, such trees cannot be grown in regular soil; these plants need hydroponics.

Octopus tomatoes: photo of variety

Of course, you know that Japan is a country with a high technological level of development, so they were even able to automate the process of supplying nutrients and oxygen to the roots of the tomato tree. Of course, you won’t be able to do anything like this on your own plot. But it is precisely thanks to this hype that such fantastic results can be achieved; the trees will always be powerful and branched, and the fruits will be incredibly tasty and aromatic. In principle, one of the Russian agricultural firms managed to develop a similar technology that will help to obtain a result close to the declared one. However, all processes of supplying oxygen and nutrients to the roots of the plant will need to be regulated manually, so this process is labor-intensive. Even the classic technology of growing plants using hydroponics will not be of interest to you, since it is used only on an industrial scale, and, of course, it will be difficult for most summer residents to recreate similar conditions.

How to grow Octopus tomato in a greenhouse

As you understand, gardeners in our country should grow the Octopus tomato in greenhouses, since the climatic conditions of temperate latitudes do not allow growing this hybrid in open ground. At least remember that this is a late-ripening tomato. Of course, you won’t grow trees in greenhouses, but you can easily get 15 buckets of ripe tomatoes from one bush. So, this hybrid is planted for seedlings in January, preferably by the end of the month.

• You should not prepare soil for tomato seedlings Sprut f1 yourself; remember that the soil must contain vermicompost and vermiculite. The soil should also be thoroughly disinfected. In order for seedlings to appear earlier, the temperature regime should be observed, and most importantly, do not forget about the light.
• Be sure to build an artificial lighting system, since Octopus tomato seedlings need no less than 15 hours of daylight for normal development. In winter, of course, there won’t be as much light on the windowsill.
• Some recommend supplementing the plants with light around the clock in the first two weeks in order for the seedlings to develop better.
• After 3 weeks, the plants will need to be planted into separate pots. Moreover, the volume of one such container must be at least 1 liter. This is exactly how much is needed for the root system of seedlings to fully develop.
• Once every 10 days, tomatoes should be fed with vermicompost; it is best to do this before watering.
• Around mid-April, it is recommended to plant plants in greenhouses; the beds for Octopus should be insulated and raised.
• It is advisable to remove the lower pairs of leaves of Sprut f1 tomatoes before planting in a greenhouse.

Tomatoes Sprut f1: photo of the variety

The plant is buried about 15 cm in the ground. Wood ash and humus are also added to the planting holes. Before warm weather sets in, the greenhouse must be heated and the seedlings must be covered with any non-woven material. You should not plant tomatoes of the Sprut variety; this is the only way you can get a rich harvest. On the contrary, newly formed stepchildren are recommended to be tied to a tensioned wire or to a support. So, in the summer you will have a real tomato tree, of course, it will not be the promised 5 meters in height, but you can easily grow 2 meters including the crown.

Remember that plants also grow a lot in width.

Do not forget to ventilate the room, since in hot weather trees need an influx of fresh air.

Trees should be watered every day early in the morning, this is especially important on hot days.

Sprut tomatoes are fed with vermicompost, as well as other organic fertilizers; it is best to do this once a week, or more often. If all the rules of agricultural technology are followed, you will be able to get your first harvest in mid-June. And the tree will bear fruit until late autumn.

Octopus tomatoes in open ground

Now we will tell you about growing Sprut tomatoes in open ground. It should be noted that the basic rules for growing these tomatoes will be the same as for a greenhouse. It should only be said that it is best to grow Sprut tomatoes in open space in the southern regions of Russia; for the middle zone this will be problematic, since the crop usually does not have time to ripen.

• It is imperative to build a structure on the beds in order to tie growing shoots to it.
• If you plant Sprut tomato seedlings in open ground early, it is advisable to place the tomatoes in shelter at night, namely, stretch a film on top that protects the plants from night frosts.
• Particular attention must be paid to prevention, since it is in open space that plants get sick more often.
• However, the Sprut tomato has high immunity, so in principle it can cope with various problems without your help. Pests also avoid tomatoes.

Octopus tomatoes: photo of variety

Diseases and pests

The variety is very resistant to numerous pests and diseases of tomatoes. If the norms of agricultural technology are observed, it is sufficient to carry out preventive treatments of plantings with phytoverm or phytosporin.

“Cherry Octopus” is one of the most unusual-looking cherry hybrids. Despite this, the taste of its fruits cannot be called outstanding, despite the pronounced sweet-sour taste and the high content of dry substances in the fruits. It can be grown by a gardener who has basic knowledge of gardening practice.

Useful video about the Spurt Cherry tomato variety:

Transplantation into open ground

In order for Sprut tomato seedlings to quickly adapt to new conditions and grow, you need to know how and when to place them in a permanent place.

Site selection and preparation

Octopus grows and develops best in a well-lit area of ​​the garden, where there are no drafts. The soil for it should be light, loose and fertile. For these purposes, it is effective to use mature humus or compost, which is applied in advance - in the fall, to a depth of 25 cm.

Planting scheme

According to the observations of those who planted the Octopus tomato, the distance between seedlings should be 150 cm. The seedlings are transferred to a permanent place when their height reaches 15–30 cm and there are 5–7 leaves. Before planting in holes, the roots of plants should be treated with iodine, where 1 bottle of pharmaceutical product is used per 10 liters of water. The depth of planting tomatoes is 20 cm.

Using a barrel without a bottom

The Octopus hybrid is also grown in a barrel without a bottom. Place it there when the length of the stem is 1 m. It is necessary to place compost and fertile soil in layers in a large container. To prepare the organic component, you need to take rotted tree leaves, plant stems, bird droppings, peat, and manure.

See also Tomato variety Intuition: yield and cultivation characteristics