Harvest beauty for every taste - Altai tomato red, pink, orange

Altai tomatoes: variety description

Altai is a high-yielding late-ripening hybrid.
From the emergence of seedlings to ripening, 110-115 days pass. The bush is indeterminate, tall, moderately leafy. The height of an adult plant is about 150 cm. The leaves are large, simple, dark green. The inflorescences are simple. The fruits ripen in clusters of 4-6 pieces. The fruiting period is extended; tomatoes can be harvested from mid-summer until frost. The fruits are medium-sized, weighing from 250 to 300 g. The weight of individual specimens reaches 500 g. The shape is flat-round, with slight ribbing at the stalk. The tomatoes are fleshy, juicy, with tender, melt-in-your-mouth pulp.

You can compare the weight of tomatoes of this variety with others in the table below:

The number of seed chambers is from 3 to 6. The skin is thin but dense, well protecting the fruits from cracking.

The color of ripe tomatoes depends on the variety. The Altai red tomato has fruits of a warm red hue. The skin is shiny and thin. The taste is bright, richly sweet, with barely noticeable sourness. The fruits are rich in lycopene, amino acids and beta-carotene. The high content of sugars and solids allows us to recommend the fruits for baby and dietary nutrition.

• Altai pink tomatoes are colored in a warm pink color, and the pulp has the same shade. Excellent taste, the fruits are sweet, juicy, not watery.
• Pink tomatoes are very tender and suitable for people who are allergic to traditional red tomatoes. Altai orange tomatoes are distinguished by fruits of a juicy orange-yellow color.
• The bright orange flesh is sweet, with subtle fruity notes. The variety is ideal for making juices and purees.

Plant characteristics

The bush is indeterminate and not very leafy. The plant grows tall and reaches a height of 1.5 meters, so it requires pinching and gartering. The leaves of the variety are large and dark green in color. The bush has simple inflorescences on which 4-6 fruits are formed. In addition, the plant has a good immune system and is not afraid of diseases such as late blight. The tomato begins to bear fruit in mid-summer, and with proper care, tomatoes can be harvested before frost. Caring for the plant is simple. It is necessary to regularly water, loosen the soil and periodically feed the bushes. To increase productivity, the use of drip irrigation is recommended.

Origin and application

The Altai tomato variety was bred by Russian breeders. Recommended for growing in open ground and under film, in glass and polycarbonate greenhouses. The collected fruits are well stored and can be transported.

Tomatoes are used for amateur or industrial cultivation and are excellent for sale. Tomatoes picked green ripen quickly at room temperature. Tomatoes of the Altai red, pink and orange varieties belong to the salad type. Fleshy, juicy fruits are delicious fresh; they are used to make sandwiches, sauces, soups, and purees.

Ripe tomatoes produce delicious sweet juice that can be drunk freshly squeezed or stored for future use. From three varieties of tomatoes you can make a tasty and beautiful vegetable platter; the tomatoes are salted and pickled. They go well with other vegetables: cucumbers, peppers, cauliflower.

Reviews

Nikolay, 43 years old

I planted the Altai variety for the first year and am pleased with the result. The downside is its formation and tying, since the bushes grow tall, but it pays off. The results are remarkable, high yields, as well as good taste characteristics. Tomatoes make wonderful, tasty tomato juice.

Alisa, 53 years old

I used to grow tomatoes, but I was already tired of the same varieties and wanted to try something new. A friend gave me seedlings of the Altai variety. I read the description of the variety on the Internet. At first a tall bush grew, and I thought that nothing useful would come of it. But by mid-summer things returned to normal, and the bush began to bear its first fruits. I would like to note that the yield is high. In addition, the fruits are universal, I have used them for salads and canned them. Wonderful tomatoes. I recommend.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the main advantages of the variety:

• color variety of fruits;
• good yield;
• excellent taste of tomatoes;
• easy care;
• tolerance to the vagaries of the weather;
• resistance to major diseases.

Features include the need to form and tie up the bush. The variety is sensitive to the nutritional value of the soil; with insufficient fertilizing, the yield decreases.

You can compare the yield of Altai with other varieties in the table below:

Tomato care

Tomatoes of the Altai masterpiece variety are unpretentious in care. By observing regular watering, applying mineral fertilizers and carrying out the formation of the bush, you can easily grow a bountiful harvest.

Watering

During the summer heat, seedlings need to be watered abundantly every 2-3 days. Use settled and not cold water for these purposes.

If you are growing tomatoes indoors, do it early in the morning. Plants planted in the garden bed are watered in the evening, after the heat has subsided.

Not only drought, but also excessive humidity is detrimental to tomatoes. Don't forget to regularly loosen the soil around the plants. By carrying out this procedure, you enrich the root system of plants with oxygen, which contributes to their faster growth.

Feeding

Fertilize the plants four times

The first feeding is as soon as the seedlings take root after transplantation (after 14-16 days). The procedure must be repeated every 2-3 weeks.

You can use both organic substances (banana peels, eggshells, coffee grounds) and ready-made mixtures: ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate.

Plants absorb nutrients when they have already been converted into simple elements: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc. Plants do not feed on plant debris in the form of banana peels and coffee grounds, etc. They need to rot and completely decompose. This takes time from 2 to 5 months. Therefore, such fertilizing will not have any effect on the growth and development of tomatoes. And the place for all these plant debris is in the compost heap!

The crop also requires foliar feeding. For this, manganese, calcium nitrate, and boric acid are used. After diluting the mineral in water, the liquid is sprayed onto the plants using a sprayer with good atomization.

During the active growing season, tomatoes are fertilized with calcium nitrate (at the rate of 1 tablespoon of the substance per 5 liters of water).

Bush formation

Care includes the formation of a bush. To stop the growth of the stem of plants, pinch the top.

1. For tomatoes growing in greenhouse conditions, 2 main stems are left, which allows you to increase the amount of harvest.
2. Tomatoes planted in open ground are grown in 1 stem.

The variety is distinguished by the multiple formation of lateral shoots. Carry out periodic removal of stepchildren.

Features of cultivation

Altai variety tomatoes are best grown in seedlings.
Before sowing, seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate, washed with clean water and dried. After this, the seed can be treated with a growth stimulant, which significantly increases germination. Soil for seedlings is made from a mixture of garden soil with humus or peat. It is possible to add a small portion of washed river sand, superphosphate and wood ash. Seeds are sown in containers or peat cups with a small depth, sprinkled with peat and sprayed with water. You can use mini-greenhouses.

Using individual containers will avoid subsequent picking. The plantings are covered with film and placed in a warm place. For seed germination, a temperature of at least 25 degrees is required. Tomatoes need to be planted in beds that were occupied by legumes, cabbage, lettuce, carrots or other cruciferous vegetables.

It is not advisable to use soil in which eggplants, physalis or peppers were grown. If there is no other option (for example, when using a shared greenhouse), it is recommended to replace the topsoil by thoroughly mixing it with peat or humus. Read how to prepare greenhouse soil here.

Before planting, the soil is loosened. Tomatoes are planted in holes located at a distance of 40 to 50 cm from each other. Row spacing 70-80 cm wide is required. Superphosphate mixed with potassium salts or wood ash (1 tablespoon per plant) is laid out in the holes.

When transplanting, supports are installed next to each bush: strong stakes or metal rods. It is possible to use rope trellises, to which you need to tie stems and branches with fruits. Tomatoes should be watered as the top layer of soil dries, with warm, settled water. In the intervals between waterings, the soil is loosened so that a hard crust does not form on it, which impedes the access of oxygen.

During the season, 3-4 feedings are carried out with a complete complex fertilizer or organic matter (diluted mullein or bird droppings). Root and extra-root feeding is possible, for example, spraying with superphosphate diluted in water.

Stepson and tie up

Diseases and pests

Striped mosaic
The Altai tomato variety is quite resistant to the main diseases of nightshades.
It is rarely affected by fusarosis, verticillium, and tobacco mosaic. For prevention, it is recommended to spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate. Copper-containing preparations help against late blight. To prevent fungal diseases, crown and root rot, you need to carefully loosen the soil, removing weeds. Mulching the soil with straw, peat or humus will also help. It is useful to spray plantings with phytosporin or other non-toxic biological preparation. Read about other disease control measures here.

In open ground, tomatoes are threatened by insect pests. During the flowering period, the plant is attacked by spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, and later mole crickets, Colorado beetles, and naked slugs appear. A weekly inspection of the plantings will help detect uninvited guests.

For preventive purposes, spraying with a weak solution of potassium permanganate is recommended. Industrial insecticides help against spider mites, but they can only be used before fruiting begins. Later, toxic compounds are replaced with proven folk remedies: a decoction of celandine or onion peel.

Slugs, mole crickets, and Colorado potato beetle larvae are collected by hand, and the plants are sprayed with an aqueous solution of ammonia. Stems affected by aphids are washed with warm soapy water, preventing it from getting on the soil.

By choosing Altai tomato varieties, you can be sure of the high quality of the harvest. With proper care, plants bear fruit all season, delighting with color and taste diversity. Seeds for subsequent plantings can be collected independently from ripe tomatoes.

Garden chores: care features

In May or early June, a productive tomato is replanted, and the following must be taken into account:

• the soil should warm up to 14ºC... 16ºC;
• seedlings should be strong, with 7-8 leaves, not elongated;
• There should be stable warm weather outside.

The area should be warm, closed from drafts. The soil is prepared in the fall, carefully digging and adding the necessary fertilizers (mullein, superphosphate, wood ash).

Since the plants are indeterminate, they subsequently need to be tied up. When planting, immediately install stands and ropes for trellises or stakes, which will serve as a support for a tall tomato.

Both in shelter, and even more so in beds, tomato seedlings can be covered with covering material for the first time so that they adapt faster.

Further care includes:

• watering;
• loosening;
• bush formation;
• stepsoning;
• application of fertilizers.

The powerful Altai masterpiece needs abundant but rare watering. Use warm, 22ºC water, which must be settled.

Water should not get on the leaves and shoots of plants, so it is advisable to water them in holes or grooves.

After watering, loosen the soil and ventilate the greenhouse. High humidity is harmful to tomatoes, and even the most resistant varieties can become diseased.

The first feeding is carried out 18-20 days after planting, then every 10 days. Mineral fertilizing is alternated with organic matter, but do not forget to follow the norm. The plant is usually planted in one trunk, removing all side shoots.

Useful video

Watch the video: a brief overview of tomato varieties and hybrids

We also bring to your attention articles about tomato varieties with different ripening periods:

Landing

The optimal time for planting seeds of the Altai Masterpiece variety is considered to be the end of February or the beginning of March. To improve plant growth, low-quality seed material is culled. To do this, place them in a container with salted water (1/10) for about 10 minutes. All floating seeds are thrown away, and those that have sunk to the bottom are washed in clean water and prepared for planting:

• Treated in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.
• Sprayed with a growth stimulator.

Growing seedlings

After the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the seedling boxes are installed in a well-lit place. If there is a lack of sunlight, it is advisable to provide additional lighting. Temperature and humidity are maintained at the same level.

After the appearance of four true leaves, the plants should be hardened off by taking the seedlings outside for about two hours in the first few days. Then this period is gradually increased. At 60 days of age, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. A special feature of the variety is its resistance to low temperatures, which allows you to grow tomatoes in open ground until the first frost.

Planting plants in the ground

The Altai masterpiece is sensitive to fertilizers, so you should pay close attention to the selection of fertilizing. Plants are formed into 1 or 2 stems

In the first case, it is enough to plant 3 plants per 1 m2, and in the second, 4. Before planting, it is advisable to add organic fertilizers to each hole:

1. About 1 kg of peat.
2. Well-rotted humus - 1 kg.
3. Wood ash - 0.5 kg.

This will allow the plants to quickly recover and take root.

Pollination

According to reviews, the yield of the “Altai pink” tomato, photos of which show large, fleshy fruits, can be increased if flowers are pollinated by hand. In general, these plants belong to self-pollinating crops. However, to ensure that the plant produces a large number of tomatoes, during flowering it is recommended to shake each plant once every two days, holding it by the stem.

When growing tomatoes outdoors, you can attract pollinating insects. To do this, bright annual flowers are planted between the rows. Marigolds and monarda are considered the best. They attract butterflies and bees. According to many gardeners, growing vegetables and flowers together improves the taste of tomatoes.

The crop should be harvested when it is fully ripe. You can pick tomatoes at the browning stage, but in this case they should be given the opportunity to ripen by placing them in boxes along with apples or bananas or ripe tomatoes.

How to grow

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out in the second half of March (approximately two months before the intended planting of plants in a permanent place of growth).

The soil for this can be purchased from a specialized store or prepared independently. A drainage layer must be made in the container for seedlings, small pebbles or expanded clay are poured, and soil is placed on top.

Planting seeds

Grow seedlings as follows:

1. Hybrid seed material is disinfected by the manufacturer, so Red Arrow tomato grains are simply soaked in damp cotton cloth for 2-3 days before germination.
2. Next, the seeds are hardened. To do this, the grains are placed in the refrigerator for 18 hours, after which they are heated for 5 hours near a radiator or any heating device.
3. In moist soil for seedlings, grooves are made 1 cm deep, seeds are placed in them, covered with soil and moistened. The container is covered with transparent glass or film. When the first shoots appear, the container with seedlings is opened and placed in a well-lit place, for example, on a windowsill.
4. When the plants have two leaves, they are picked into separate containers. To do this, purchase peat pots or use plastic cups. 10-14 days after transplantation, the first fertilizing with mullein is applied.

Two weeks before transplanting to a permanent location, the plants begin to harden off. To do this, containers with seedlings are taken outside or onto a balcony for 1-2 hours. The time the plants spend in the fresh air is gradually increased. This is how the culture gets used to new conditions and becomes stronger.

Planting tomatoes in a permanent place

At the age of two months, the Red Arrow hybrid has 5-7 leaves. Plants are planted in the greenhouse in mid-May, and in open ground in mid-June. When planting, a distance of 40-50 cm is left between the bushes, and 80-90 cm between the rows. To obtain a rich harvest, well-lit, heated and protected from the wind areas are selected.

How to water and feed

The soil is moistened as the soil dries. For the normal development of the Red Arrow, one watering per week is enough. Vegetable growers do not allow the soil to dry out too much, otherwise the tomatoes will be small or even fall off. During the period of fruit ripening, the volume of water is gradually increased.

To reduce the risk of late blight on plants, watering is carried out strictly at the root of tomatoes. After moistening, the soil is loosened, hilled, weeds are removed from the ground and mulched. Thanks to this, the soil retains moisture longer. Straw and grass clippings are used as mulch.

During the entire growing season, the crop needs fertilizer. Feeding is carried out as follows:

1. The first fertilizer is carried out 10 days after transplanting the plants to a permanent place. For this, mineral fertilizers are used: 30-50 g of urea, 50-60 g of superphosphate, 20-30 g of potassium salt, 30-40 g of ammonium sulfate and 100 g of ash are dissolved in 10 liters of water. 0.5-1 liter of mineral fertilizer is poured under each plant.
2. The next fertilizing is carried out 21 days after the first fertilization. To do this, 50 g of potassium salt, 80 g of double superphosphate, 3-5 g of urea and 300 g of wood ash are diluted in a bucket of water. To prevent the fertilizer from harming the roots and stem, holes are made around the bush 15 cm from the plant, where the solution is poured.
3. During the fruiting period, tomatoes are fed with nitrophoska or superphosphate with sodium humate. Summer residents who prefer to apply organic fertilizers use a solution of manganese, iodine or ash. To prepare the fertilizer, pour 2 liters of wood ash into 5 liters of boiling water. After cooling, pour in another 5 liters of water, a bottle of iodine (25 ml) and add 10 g of boric acid. The solution is allowed to brew for a day. Before watering, the infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. 1 liter of fertilizer is poured under one bush. Some summer residents alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizers are also combined. To stimulate the formation of fruits, add 1-2 tablespoons of the preparations “Rastvorin” or “Kemira” to the mullein infusion.

Fertilize tomatoes when watering. To choose the right fertilizer, pay attention to the appearance of the Red Arrow. If the green mass is growing rapidly, reduce the application of nitrogen fertilizers. Yellowing of the foliage indicates an excess of phosphorus, and the appearance of a purple tint on the back of the leaves means that the plant does not have enough of this element. To accelerate the formation of ovaries and ripening of fruits, foliar feeding of tomatoes is practiced. To do this, use diluted iodine or superphosphate.