Tomato Boy with Thumb: characteristics and description of the variety, opinion of gardeners with photos

The original Tomato Thumb will appeal to all gardeners. What's the highlight of it? Ultra-early, compact, low bushes, easy to grow. The variety is resistant to return frosts and cold snaps.

Height	Landing location	Ripening time	Fruit color	Fruit size	Origin	Fruit shape
Tall	Greenhouse, Open ground	Ultra early	Reds	Small	Variety	Round

Description

The variety is intended for early harvest. From the date of emergence to the harvest of ripe tomatoes, only 80–95 days pass. The tomato variety Boy with a Thumb is considered ultra-early ripening; it is recommended to grow it in open ground and in tunnels. Low bushes are compact, standard type. They do not need support, the stepchildren do not need to be removed. Mature plants do not exceed 40 cm. The first inflorescence is formed above the 5 (6) leaf.

The fruits are healthy due to lycopene, which is part of the pulp. The tomatoes are small, weighing about 60 g, and quickly turn red when ripe. The skin is smooth and durable. The fruits are eaten in salads and used for winter preparations. The taste of the fruit is good.

Tomato Boy with a Thumb - description and characteristics of the variety

Many gardeners prefer low-growing tomato varieties. If there is not enough space in your summer cottage, or for growing at home, this is an ideal option. Such plants are grown in open ground, in greenhouses, and are also used to decorate balconies and loggias.

The variety is considered early ripening, so fresh, healthy and tasty tomatoes may appear on the table already in mid-summer. Due to their compact appearance, the bushes do not require tying up or cutting off the shoots, which greatly facilitates the physical labor of caring for tomatoes.

Description of the variety

Low bushes of the plant barely reach 40 cm in length. The leaves of the plants are small and frequent. If the foliage is too thick, you need to remove some of the leaves so that they do not take away nutrients. The first inflorescence begins to form above 5-6 leaves, repeated every 2-3 leaves.

Small fruits have an average weight of about 60 grams. When tomatoes are fully ripe, their color turns red. The skin is smooth and durable. Thanks to this, tomatoes can be stored for a long time and transported over long distances. From one bush you can get from 1.5 to 2.5 fruits.

The variety has stable immunity to diseases and pests, and is not affected by late blight.

Cultivation

Sowing seeds should be done at the end of March. After the appearance of the first shoots and before planting in a greenhouse or soil, 40-45 days should pass. Seeds can be treated with a growth accelerator for faster germination. The soil must be mixed with peat and humus, and also disinfected by pouring boiling water on it or calcining it in the oven. Seeds purchased in a store do not require disinfection.

After sowing the seeds, the container is covered with film to create a greenhouse effect. The container with seeds should be placed in a warm, sunny place. In a week the first shoots will appear. It should take 40-45 days until you are planted in a permanent place.

Features of care

If Thumb-sized tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, then regular ventilation must be ensured.

Watering should be done in the evening no more than once a week. Tomatoes do not like drought, so you need to monitor the condition of the soil.
The lower leaves of the bushes should be torn off, this way you can protect the plants from pests, and the fruits will be larger.
Warm, settled water is used for irrigation.
Fertilizing should be introduced monthly, alternating organic and mineral complex supplements.
We must not forget to loosen the soil and remove weeds.

Advantages of the variety

Early ripening tomatoes are valued by gardeners and summer residents. The Boy with a Thumb variety has the following advantages:

By the time various infections to which nightshade crops are susceptible develop, the tomatoes are already strong and quite resistant. Fresh fruits can be tasted from the end of spring.
Easy to grow, no need to tie it up and periodically pruning. For busy gardeners, this is a definite plus.
Tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption, for preparing many dishes and for all types of canning.
Durable peel allows tomatoes to be transported over distances and ensures long-term storage.
Possibility of growing on a loggia and balcony as a decorative decoration. In addition to the attractive appearance of the plant, you can eat tasty and healthy fruits.
Tomatoes are almost immune to fungal diseases and pests, but for preventive purposes they should be sprayed with special preparations.

Sowing seedlings and care

Seeds for seedlings are sown at the end of March - early April. Viable seedlings are ready 40–45 days after germination. Seedlings can be planted in open ground in early April. In the southern regions earlier.

Care comes down to watering, weeding, loosening the soil around the stem. There is no need to worry about late blight. The tomatoes ripen together, and by the time the infection is activated, the fruiting of the Thumb Boy is over.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Culture

According to the description of the originator, this variety has a very wide range of useful characteristics:

Good yield. Greenhouse owners harvest up to 5 kg of tomatoes from 1 bush.
High quality fruits. The share of the marketable harvest tends to 100%. The usual figure is 13-14 kg per 1 sq. m.
Excellent tasting properties. The aroma of tomatoes.
Culinary versatility. The shape and size of tomatoes make them convenient for pickling in jars. The taste shines through in other forms and dishes.
Good keeping quality of ripe fruits. Transportability.

Cons of tomato:

low performance in open soil;
the need for gartering, cutting off excess shoots and forming a bush.

Reviews

Anna: “I liked the description of the Little Thumb variety. The package indicated that the variety was very productive, ripened early, and was low (40 cm). I bought seeds and planted 2 roots in open ground. The bushes grew larger than promised. I specially measured each one - 60 cm. I collected 35-40 tomatoes from each plant. From two bushes - a bucket with a slide. They were all completely covered with tomatoes. I regularly picked off the leaves and didn’t pluck the bushes.”

Valentina, Moscow region: “I always plant tomatoes in well-fertilized soil. I plant an ultra-early tomato, a boy the size of a finger, for my children. They love its small cherry-like tomatoes. Thumb-sized boy will be one of the first to sing tomatoes. To get an early harvest, I plant them in warm beds under arches with covering material.”

Katerina: “I planted a boy the size of a finger once. Grown in open ground. The bushes were, as indicated in the description, 40 cm, strong. There were a lot of tomatoes on the bushes, they sang together. I liked the taste of tomatoes. Most of the harvest was eaten, the rest was pickled. The pickled tomatoes taste good.”

Alexandra, Stavropol Territory: “I bought seeds for a boy the size of a finger from. I took care of it as recommended in the description: I didn’t pluck the stepsons at all, I fed them twice. The tomatoes sang quickly. I liked the taste. The weight of the fruit, as stated by the manufacturer, did not exceed 60 g.”

Varieties for the Middle Zone

To achieve early ripening of fruits, it is advisable to grow them in protected soil. Ripening occurs 2-3 weeks earlier than when grown outside. In the middle zone, you can plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse from mid-April, as soon as the soil warms up well after winter. Before planting, it is better to fertilize the soil with humus, peat and ash, then the seedlings will quickly take root and begin to actively bear fruit.

Alpha

For greenhouse and outdoor planting in the central zone of the country, gardeners choose the Alpha variety. The variety is unpretentious in cultivation, grows well in outdoor conditions, and does not take up much space on the site. Determinate bush, 50 cm high, with a thick stem. The bushes tolerate spring frosts well and are not susceptible to disease. The fruiting period begins early, after 60-70 days from the formation of sprouts, the yield indicator is 7 kg/m2.

The tomatoes are small in size, weighing 60-70 g. The shape is flattened, the skin is red, glossy. The skin is durable and protects the flesh from cracking. Tomatoes are suitable for long-term storage; in cooking they are used for cutting into salads. The advantages of Alpha are:

early ripening period;
strong immunity;
marketability;
compactness of bushes.

Alpha has no disadvantages; the variety is loved by gardeners and is very popular not only in Russia, but also in Belarus and Ukraine.

Aphrodite

Under the film, determinate plants reach a height of 90 cm. Few stepchildren are formed, the bushes have average foliage. The hybrid produces red fruits within 90 days from the start of cultivation. The weight of the fruit is from 90 to 110 g, the taste is sweet and sour. Aphrodite is grown for fresh consumption and for pickling. Productivity – 5-6 kg/m2. The variety exhibits high resistance to late blight and powdery mildew.

The Aphrodite variety has many positive qualities:

attractive appetizing appearance;
long-term storage;
possibility of long-distance transportation;
universal use.

Aphrodite accepts organic and mineral supplements well, and its taste improves.

Attention! A garter to a tomato trellis is recommended if the bushes exceed a height of 70-80 cm

Valentina

A determinate variety with an early fruiting period, which has proven itself to be planted among gardeners, is Valentina. Ripening occurs approximately 3 months from the moment of sowing the seedlings. Valentina is grown in a greenhouse, but the variety is suitable for outdoor soil. Plants with excellent immune properties, viruses and pests are not afraid of them. The yield indicator is at least 10 kg/m2. The variety is easy to plant and easy to care for.

Oval-shaped tomatoes are colored red. The taste is standard for the culture, sweet and sour. Valentina is mainly grown for canning, since the skin is dense and not prone to cracking. The tomatoes are beautiful, small, weighing 100 g, and easily fit into a jar of any size. The advantages of Valentina are:

resistance to late blight and other diseases;
early and abundant fruiting;
compact bushes up to half a meter high;
unpretentiousness in cultivation.

Disadvantages include the mediocre taste of the fruit and a slightly harsh skin.

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Recipes for finger tomatoes

Using green tomatoes, you can make a finger-licking tomato sauce for the winter, which does not require sterilization and includes the following components:

fresh herbs (dill, parsley, cherry or currant leaves) - 200 g;
onion - 100 g;
head of garlic - 1 pc.;
green tomatoes - 3 kg.

Preparation for the winter without sterilization can be prepared with the addition of vinegar (1 tbsp) and ingredients such as:

water - 1.5 l;
table salt - 1 tbsp. l.;
sugar - 1 tbsp. l.;
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l.

You should prepare the container in advance, into which you then add herbs, garlic, pour in sunflower oil, then add green tomatoes and onions (for a 1-liter container - 1/2 onion). After adding vinegar, the boiling liquid is poured into filled jars. Then the green tomato filling is immediately sealed without sterilization.

Tomatoes grown independently and prepared according to a recipe will be healthy and tasty in winter. Recipes with photos of finger-licking tomatoes certainly live up to their name.

Care

Gartering of Metelitsa tomato bushes is not required; it is advisable to mulch the beds. Plant only until the first inflorescence appears. It is necessary to remove the lower leaves located under the first lower inflorescence.

The bushes need regular watering depending on weather conditions, loosening the soil and ridding the surrounding soil of weeds. For prevention, you can treat with insecticidal and fungicidal preparations, but this is not necessary.

Diseases and pests

Tomatoes of this variety are resistant to diseases. Most often they are faced with the development of mosaics. When the disease appears, you need to pick and burn the affected leaves.

So, the main pathologies of tomatoes of this variety include the following:

Mosaic is a viral infection spread by aphids. As pathology develops, white spots appear on tomatoes. In this case, the foliage becomes covered with brown and yellow marks. If the damage is severe, the leaves curl and die. Greenhouse varieties are more susceptible to pathology. At the same time, it is impossible to cope with the disease - the affected bushes must be pulled out by the roots, taken away from other crops and burned.

Late blight - in this case, the bushes suffer from late blight fungus. Leaves and fruits become covered with brown spots. To avoid the development of the disease, use Fitosporin. Mefenoxam can be used for medicinal purposes. If a problem is detected early, it is quite possible to cope with it on your own.

Black leg - seedlings are more susceptible to pathology. To prevent this disease, the soil must be disinfected and the seeds treated with fungicides.

Brown spot is a fungal infection that is accompanied by the formation of light yellow spots. Most often, pathology develops in conditions of high humidity. To prevent it, it is worth using drugs that have a wide spectrum of action.

The falling of fruits indicates the development of one of the types of rot. Such symptoms appear in conditions of high humidity. To cope with the problem, it is worth treating the plantings with copper sulfate. Zinc and urea are also great. Naturally, any types of rot require normalized watering.

Important! The most common parasite is chafer beetles. They damage the root system of plants, which leads to their death. It is possible to remove the larvae by digging up the soil in spring.

You can also use special remedies against mole crickets and other parasites. Such substances are mixed with cereals and placed in the ground. When eating the bait, the pests die.

Of the leaf pests, tomatoes most often suffer from aphid attacks. To cope with parasites, you should use Proteus. Plantings should be sprayed in dry and windless weather. If necessary, the treatment is repeated after 3-5 days.

Common pests of tomatoes include whiteflies, spider mites, and cutworms. Insecticides help control these parasites.

"red cherry"

Franchi, Lementi.
Use - until 12.2020.
Number of seeds - 1.3 g.
Height: limited sizes.

The “Red cherry” tomato is an early ripening variety, a plant of limited size with small fruits, strong and highly productive. Also intended for growing in flower pots.

Manufacturer: Franchi sementi ShA

Opinion: a very good tomato for pickling.

Results of 2022: the most successful tomato variety of this year was all hung with tomatoes that were ripening on the bush. Extended ripening made it possible to preserve many cans of both just tomatoes and various assorted ones. The tomato was not undersized (up to 60 cm).