The Novichok tomato, the description and characteristics of which are presented in this article, has good yield and excellent taste. Therefore, gardeners and farmers who cannot choose a specific variety can safely choose it for cultivation.
The tomato variety Novichok has long proven itself to be the best and is very popular, as it was bred by breeders for universal cultivation.
Important! In the southern regions of Russia, the Novichok tomato can be grown in open ground. In the climatic conditions of central Russia and Siberia, it is better to grow in greenhouses and film shelters.
Characteristics and description of the variety
Tomato Novichok is a variety that was bred by domestic breeders in the Volgograd region and registered in the State Register in 1986.
- Mid-early variety. The first tomatoes ripen 110-125 after germination.
- Determinate, the growth of the bush is limited by the flower raceme. It usually grows to 50-80 cm in height.
- Medium-leafed, medium-sized leaves of bright green color.
- The bushes must be tied to supports (trellises, pegs).
- To obtain a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to constantly remove all stepsons. They are carefully pinched, leaving a stump of 5-7 mm so as not to damage the main stem.
- The first brush is formed after 5-7 leaves. Subsequent ones are formed every 1-2 leaves. 6-7 identical tomatoes develop on one brush.
Important! The tomato forms a small number of stepsons and only at the bottom of the stem.
- Productivity is high - up to 4.7-5.5 kg per 1 sq. m landings. About 2 kg of tomatoes are usually harvested from 1 bush.
- Resistant to cold and drought. Thanks to these qualities, the variety can be grown in all corners of Russia in open ground, in a greenhouse and under film cover.
- It is unpretentious in care and resistant to nightshade diseases.
Important! Tomatoes retain all the qualities of the variety when seeds are prepared independently.
Reviews
Below you can read popular reviews about this variety:
Irina, Privolzhsk
Where grown: open ground.
“This is just the perfect variety for our climate! It grows quickly, does not require constant care, and has excellent immunity. During all the time of its growth and flowering, I do not remember that it became infected with anything. And the berries are simply delicious! I’ve been planting for 13 years.”
Ruslan, Moscow
Where it was grown: greenhouse.
“I sometimes grow tomatoes for sale. It makes good money. I chose the newcomer because it tolerates transportation well. Its skin is thick, so I don’t have to worry about them suddenly cracking or spoiling. Moreover, in a greenhouse the yield is much higher. From one bush I collect more than 10 kg. In this regard, a newbie is better for me than Boni mm or Demidov"
Elena, s. Kuibyshevo
Where grown: open ground
“I recently got married and moved to the village with my husband. Naturally, like a real villager, I became a summer resident. My husband loves salted tomatoes. When I was little, my mother salted the rocket all the time. I didn’t like it: the shape was kind of incomprehensible, and it was small and would crack in the jar. I asked my mother-in-law for advice and she advised me to buy a new variety. And I didn’t regret it: its fruits are so smooth and even that I can immediately slip into the jar! Perfect!"
Fruit characteristics
- The fruits are red.
- The shape is oval, ovoid.
- On average they weigh 85-105 g.
- Resistant to overripening and cracking.
- The pulp is dense, fleshy.
- The skin is dense, even, smooth.
- Tasty, slightly sour.
- The fruits have 3-5 seed chambers.
- They ripen at the same time, making harvesting easier.
- Keeps fresh for a long time.
- They have good shelf life and resistance to transportation over long distances.
Productivity
Novichok fruits are harvested as they ripen. Not only red and pink fruits are harvested, but also unripe ones with an orange color. Tomatoes of this variety will delight any vegetable grower with the friendly yield of the harvest. Depending on the planting scheme, you can get about 12 kg of smooth cream per square meter of area. And from a bush - 2 kg or more. Tomatoes will last longer if picked in the morning and immediately placed in a box in a single layer with the stems facing up.
Novichok tomatoes can be used both for salads and for making sauces and ketchups. But most of all this variety is suitable for preservation.
The yield of Novichok tomato is up to 2 kg per bush
If you really want the fruits to ripen earlier, you can use a sharp knife to make a through slit of about 5 cm on the stem in the area of the root collar and insert a wooden toothpick or other wooden pin with a diameter of 0.5 cm into it.
Photo
Look at the photos of the Novichok tomato , which show many of the characteristics of the variety
Diseases and pests
The most common diseases of nightshades are late blight, brown spot and others. The novice tomato has good immunity, due to which it is almost not affected by diseases. Its pests are aphids, mole crickets, Colorado potato beetles and root-knot nematodes.
Disease and pest control
The drugs Fitosporin, Hom or Ordan will help against late blight. The drug Tabu, which can be bought at any farm store, will help against the nasty Colorado potato beetle. A solution of laundry soap (its composition is stronger) will help against aphids. Sometimes the cabbage plant sits on young flowering tomatoes. Their caterpillars eat more than just cabbage. A menthol toothpaste solution will help prevent this.
Preventative treatment
The most common disease, late blight, can be prevented if the soil is not over-moistened. Or sprinkle dry ash on the ground. Insecticides will save you from other possible diseases.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tomato Novichok pink , like red, has the same advantages:
- Fast and simultaneous ripening of fruits.
- Stable and reliable yield.
- Easy to care for.
- Resistance to diseases is inherent in this culture.
- Long shelf life of fresh tomatoes.
- Resistance to transportation.
- Versatility.
- They practically do not overripe and do not crack.
Flaws
The Novichok variety has no obvious disadvantages. However, some gardeners consider the smooth ripening of fruits not an advantage, but rather a disadvantage, since they want more extended fruiting.
Tomatoes Novichok, video
If you grew Novichok tomatoes, please write whether you liked them or not. Will you grow them again? How do you rate the disease resistance of this variety? What was the yield and taste of the fruits like under your climatic conditions? What advantages and disadvantages did you see in this tomato? If possible, attach a photo of the fruits you grew to your comment. Thank you!
Your reviews of the Novichok tomato and additions to the description will help many gardeners evaluate this variety more objectively and decide whether it is worth planting or not.
This is a natural variety of tomato. Therefore, we recommend taking seeds from a ripe fruit and using them for planting in subsequent seasons.
Features of cultivation
Seeds are sown 60-65 days before planting in a permanent place. The time for sowing seeds for seedlings depends on where they will be planted in the future:
- For open ground – mid-March.
- For a greenhouse without heating - late February - early March.
It is possible to grow the Novichok tomato variety without seedlings only in the southernmost regions. Seeds are sown in holes 2–2.5 cm deep in a checkerboard pattern according to the scheme: 4–5 bushes per 1 square meter. This procedure is carried out when the soil warms up to at least 15°C. For example, in the Astrakhan or southern Volgograd region, sowing can be done as early as early May. Then the tomatoes will ripen by the beginning of autumn.
Most often, Novichok tomatoes, like most varieties, are grown through seedlings, which can be transplanted into open ground in the southern regions in the third decade of May. Seeds are sown 60 days before planting in a permanent place, approximately March 20. In the middle zone and Moscow region it is possible - at the end of March (7-10 days later).
The prepared seeds are buried 1.5 cm into the soil at intervals of 2.5–3 cm from each other. After 2-3 true leaves appear, they are picked into larger pots, maintaining a distance between shoots of 6–7 cm. When picking, you need to pinch the tip of the main root. The seedlings are transplanted into the greenhouse when the soil temperature warms up to 15-17 degrees according to the scheme: 1 sq. m 4-5 bushes.
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
How to care for tomatoes
When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is not recommended to carry out foliar spraying on the leaves, because High humidity can trigger an outbreak of fungal diseases.
Having planted seedlings in open ground, all care procedures are carried out based on the ambient temperature.
In warm weather, the roots actively perceive moisture, fertilizers and medications, and in cool weather the perception of the green part of the plant is more active.
Hot weather also has a negative effect on tomatoes, as does cold weather. At temperatures of +30 degrees and above, the pollen in flowers becomes sterile and the formation of an ovary does not occur. Already set fruits can crumble at high air temperatures, and in overheated soil, tomato roots stop absorbing a number of important microelements, which leads to their deficiency. It is necessary to monitor the temperature in the greenhouse and ventilate it in a timely manner, and shade it during the hottest period of summer.
Watering
The Newbie tomato likes moderate humidity, so it should be watered generously once a week. Cold water negatively affects the development of the root system, so it is collected in a barrel and pre-heated in the sun.
At least 4-5 liters of water are added to each plant.
Top dressing
The bed for tomatoes is fertilized in the fall: 8-10 kg of humus or well-decomposed manure is added per meter.
During the growing season, the crop is fed three times:
- 2 weeks after transplantation, the strengthened plant is fed with organic fertilizer, to prepare it, 200 g of humus is poured into 10 liters of water and left for 7 days, and then 1 liter of the resulting infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water, 0.5 liter is added to each plant;
- during the flowering period, the tomato responds well to the application of a solution (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water) of the Kemira Lux complex fertilizer (detailed description in the instructions);
- When fruit sets, the application of Kemira Lux fertilizing is repeated.
Mulching and loosening
The soil in the beds needs to be loosened periodically
Tomato responds well to loosening the soil after watering and mulching the beds. Buckwheat husks, straw or sawdust are suitable as covering materials.
The last two types, during the decomposition process, take nutrients from the soil, so they are first mixed with ash and watered with a urea solution (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).
Features of outdoor care
Novichok tomatoes are absolutely unpretentious in care. Only initially, during the first seven days after planting in open space, should they be shaded from strong sunlight or protected from unexpected drops in temperature.
Watering
The beginner loves warmth, sun and moisture. But it is necessary to take into account that it begins to feel bad both with a lack of moisture and with its excess, especially during cool periods. Tomatoes should be watered as needed. On hot days without precipitation, it is recommended to water once every few days in the evening.
Feeding
Even with high-quality fertilized soil on which Novichok tomatoes are planted, over time you will have to feed it several more times:
- the first time - in June, a couple of weeks after planting the seedlings, you can fertilize with infused mullein or herbs with urea;
- the second time - in July with nitroammophos;
- the third time - in August, spray the leaves with a solution of boric acid (1-2 g per bucket) or milk with iodine, adding any phosphorus-potassium fertilizer under the root.
Superphosphate fertilizers, wood ash, and eggshells are suitable for fertilizing Novichok tomatoes.
Mineral and organic fertilizers alternate. Did you know? Tomatoes are relatives of potatoes and tobacco: they belong to the same family - nightshade.
Pinching and tying up a bush
The newbie is not a standard variety, so the bushes should be tied up. It is better to make supports for the garter immediately after planting, so as not to damage the root system of the plants. The distance from the plant stem to the stick should be at least 10 cm, the stem should not be tightly grasped by the garter.
Novichok tomatoes practically do not require pinching. They usually develop one stem, less often two. This variety of tomatoes has few stepsons, but when they appear, they still need to be removed.
Important! During the process of fruit ripening, it is also worth removing yellowed leaves and those that are clearly unnecessary, covering the tomatoes from the rays of the sun.
Soil care
When growing Novichok tomatoes, there is no way to do without weeding, loosening, hilling, and removing weeds near the plants and throughout the entire area where they are grown. The soil in these places should be loose. It would be a good idea to loosen the soil between the rows after each watering. In the first period, up to 20 days after planting, the seedlings should be loosened to a depth of 10 to 12 cm, then, in order to avoid damage to the root system, up to 8 cm. At the same time, emerging weeds should also be weeded and removed.
Preventative treatment
The newbie is very resistant to pests and diseases, but preventive treatment of plants is still necessary. For this purpose, Fitosporin, Trichodermin, boric acid, and milk are used. As autumn approaches, the nights become cool and dewy, so the plants are treated with Bordeaux mixture and copper-containing products. When affected by late blight, tomatoes should be harvested. Sometimes you can get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, spider mites and other pests using manual assembly; specially designed insecticides and folk remedies (spraying plants with a solution of laundry soap, iodine, milk and other natural ingredients) also help in this matter.
Novichok tomatoes are deservedly popular among gardeners. Their universal purpose, high yield level, excellent behavior under different storage and transportation conditions and excellent presentation make this variety successful for cultivation.
Growing seedlings
How to properly prepare seeds and grow a healthy plant? This question is asked by many new gardeners. Below we provide specific instructions for properly growing seedlings.
Seed preparation
To grow seedlings, first prepare the seeds. The best time to germinate seeds is the second half of March. When preparing the seeds, soak them in hot water for about half an hour, which will ensure they are disinfected.
Next step: germination. Place the seeds on a hard surface and cover with damp gauze.
Important! Do not cover the seeds with thick cloth, this will prevent oxygen from reaching them.
Make sure that the gauze remains moist, because moisture is what ensures germination.
Sowing
After two days have passed, start sowing the seeds, but be sure to do so in moist soil. Plant in rows, 1.5 cm apart from each seedling, maintaining a depth of about 2 cm. It is advisable to place 2-3 seeds per seedling so that they are sure to germinate.
For better conditions, close to greenhouse conditions, cover the box with seedlings with cellophane. With regular watering, problems with seed germination will not arise if all of the above instructions have been followed.
Growing and care
Next, we place the container closer to the light: on the window, and also observe the temperature norm for favorable cultivation - about +25 ºС.
After a week, gradually bring the temperature closer to normal room temperature. Light should come from all sides so that the seedlings do not stretch in a certain direction (to do this, change the location of the boxes or add an additional method of lighting - special fluorescent lamps).
As soon as the seedlings have leaves, transplant them into separate containers. Alternatively, use plastic cups or regular pots. For further successful cultivation, it is better to periodically take the seedlings outside - this will harden them and prepare them for further transplantation into the greenhouse.
