Description of the tomato Gift of Zavolzhye
After reading the description of the Dar Zavolzhya tomatoes on a bag of seeds, it is difficult to understand what the crop is. You need to have a more detailed idea in order to understand whether to plant a variety on the site or not.
Important! Determinate type variety, grown as a bush. There is no need to remove the top of the plant, since it limits its growth by itself.
The tomato root system is well developed, going half a meter deep. The stem is thick, powerful, up to 70 cm high. There are not too many leaves on the bush. They are small, wrinkled, light green in color, similar to potatoes. There is no pubescence on the leaves.
The inflorescences are simple, the first one is formed above the 6-7th leaf, then every 2. In total, on the Dar Zavolzhya variety, 6-8 clusters are formed on which the flowers are fertilized.
Advice! To get large tomatoes, it is recommended to pick off 2-3 flowers on each inflorescence.
Tomatoes ripen in 100-110 days from the moment of germination, depending on the place of cultivation. You can plant bushes in greenhouses, hotbeds and ordinary beds.
Description of fruits
Tomatoes are a gift from the Volga region, according to the description and photo of those who grew them, round in shape, slightly compressed at the top and bottom. The ribbing is present, but insignificant. The average fruit weight is 100 g, diameter is up to 7 cm.
The pouring tomatoes are pale green, there is no darkening at the stem. Ripe tomatoes are red-pink in color with smooth, dense and thin skin.
The variety is distinguished by its fleshy and juicy red pulp. There are from 3 to 6 seed chambers, containing a large number of medium-sized seeds. The taste of tomatoes is rather sweet, although with abundant watering, more acid appears in the fruit.
Bush care
Determinate plants do not require staking or pinching, which makes caring for them much easier.
However, “Dar Zavolzhya pink” is very sensitive to watering and fertilizing, so special attention should be paid to these measures. Water the beds at least 2 times a week. During periods of drought, irrigation should be more intense, and less during normal weather.
The average watering rate is about 7 liters per bush, but the figure varies depending on the density of the soil. It is necessary that water penetrates 30-35 cm into the ground, but does not stagnate in the upper layers of the soil. Insufficient watering leads to withering of plants, excessive watering leads to the spread of fungal infections. Vietnamese pigs - features of the breed, pros and cons of keeping, recommendations and tips (photo + video)
In order for the ripened fruits to correspond to the nominal size, the bushes must be fed in a timely manner. It is preferable to use ready-made NPK complexes as fertilizers. You can use self-prepared organic fertilizers based on litter or manure. Fertilizing is applied by the root method after abundant watering. “Dar Zavolzhye pink” should be fed at least once every 2 weeks.
Characteristics of tomatoes Gift of Zavolzhye
It is difficult to understand the characteristics of any variety of cultivated plants if you do not know their characteristics. The tomato variety, created by Russian breeders, has a lot of advantages that beginning gardeners need to know about.
Productivity and fruiting
Judging by the description, photos and reviews from gardeners, tomatoes of the Dar Zavolzhya variety belong to the mid-early varieties. From 1 sq. m they collect more than 7 kg of delicious fruits. Compliance with agricultural technology allows you to remove up to 5 kg of tomatoes from a bush. Improper watering and lack of nutrition can reduce the yield and quality of fruits.
Ripening begins at the end of June and continues until frost.
Area of application of fruits
Tomatoes of the Dary Zavolzhye variety have a universal purpose. They are perfect for preparing fresh salads and whole-fruit canning.
Tomatoes of the Dar Zavolzhya variety make delicious ketchups and sauces. You can make tomato juice, but it will be too thick and not red.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Thanks to the efforts of breeders, tomatoes are resistant to many diseases of nightshade crops. But if agricultural cultivation techniques are violated, the bushes may be affected by late blight and various rots.
Among the pests that like the Dar Zavolzhya tomato variety, gardeners in their reviews note spider mites and aphids.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Gardeners who have been working with Dar Zavolzhya tomatoes for many years note in their reviews that they actually correspond to the characteristics given by the originators.
Among the advantages of tomatoes, the following should be noted:
- mid-early ripening, fruit set and yield;
- unpretentiousness of care;
- the possibility of obtaining your own seeds, the germination rate of which is about 99%;
- high shelf life and long shelf life (up to 2 months) without loss of presentation and nutrients;
- the ability to collect tomatoes at ripeness for further ripening;
- excellent transportability of tomatoes;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- versatility of application.
If we talk about disadvantages, the variety probably has only one: temperature changes and excessive watering can lead to cracking of the fruit.
We grow seedlings
It is worth choosing seeds in trusted stores that have received a license to sell.
Preparing and planting seeds
Preparation of seeds for planting begins in the second ten days of March.
- The seeds are placed in a growth stimulator for 30 minutes, then they are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate for another 30 minutes. The seeds, enriched with useful substances, are ready for sowing.
- Productivity directly depends on the soil mixture. It can be purchased at a specialized store or made independently from garden soil, humus or peat, sand and superphosphate, in case of heavy soil (proportions 1:1). The soil must be breathable, nutritious and moist.
- The prepared mixture is poured into a wooden or plastic box. Seeds are sown in furrows no more than 2 cm deep. The distance between plants is 3 cm.
- The crops are moistened with water, sprayed from a spray bottle to prevent soil erosion and covered with film.
- Seedlings need sunlight and stable air temperature. The pallet is placed on windows facing south. The optimal temperature is 24-26 °. At 1° the plant will die.
- Hatched sprouts are freed from the film to prevent the development of a black leg.
Tatyana Orlova (Vasilidchenko) (candidate of agricultural sciences):
Most often, this disease, known as “black leg” (rhizoctonia), appears where the seedlings are thickened during sowing and the soil moisture is excessive. But the source of infection is contaminated soil. Therefore, before sowing, it is imperative to disinfect the soil mixture in any available way: steaming in the oven, spilling boiling water or hot potassium permanganate.
Picking
The first shoots appear after 8-10 days; they are transplanted at the stage of 2-3 true leaves. Picking is carried out in special peat cups (they can be planted in open ground along with the plant). The containers are filled with a mixture similar in composition to the one in which the seeds are sown.
Picked tomatoes are sent to partial shade for adaptation for 2–3 days. The condition of the seedlings is assessed by external indicators: if there are no drooping plants, then they are moved to the windowsill. Water as the soil dries, about 2-3 times in 7 days.
Tomatoes need to be rotated 180° every day to ensure even distribution of sunlight. They are hardened 10 days before transplantation. The procedure increases the chance of adaptation to a new place.
Transplanting seedlings
Seedlings must be hardened off before planting.
Seedlings of the Dar Zavolzhya variety are transferred to open ground in May, after the threat of repeated frosts has disappeared. It is recommended to replant plants in cloudy weather or in the late afternoon to allow the tomatoes to acclimatize.
On the prepared plot of land, holes are dug into which humus or peat and complex fertilizer are placed. The root system of the seedling is placed in the hole, watered abundantly and sprinkled with soil. The soil at the root is compacted, but not compacted. Care should be taken to ensure that no air pockets are formed, but that oxygen can still circulate.
Growing rules
The agricultural technology for growing tomatoes of the Dar Zavolzhya variety is simple, which attracts novice gardeners. Seedlings can be replanted as many times as possible, this is only for the benefit of the plants, their root system is strengthened. Due to it, the bush itself becomes more powerful.
Planting seedlings
Sowing of tomato seeds Dar Zavolzhye is carried out in mid-March. A week before the work is completed, the soil is prepared. You can use a homemade soil mixture or sow the seeds in store-bought soil. The quality of the soil is the key to a healthy and rich harvest. If soil from the garden is used, then you need to add humus or peat to it, and a little sand to give the substrate looseness and breathability.
Attention! You need to add wood ash. It contains many useful substances necessary for the proper development of plants.
The soil and containers are spilled with boiling water with dissolved potassium permanganate to prevent the disease of tomatoes with blackleg and late blight.
The seeds are also treated in a pink solution of manganese, then washed in clean water. If possible, the seeds can be soaked in a growth stimulator for 2 hours. They are sown to a depth of 2 cm in grooves spaced at 3 cm intervals and carefully watered with a spray bottle. Cover the top with film to speed up germination.
Attention! The best temperature for seed germination is 20-23 degrees.
When the first hooks appear, the shelter is removed and the seedlings are placed in a warm, well-lit window.
Plants of the Dar Zavolzhya variety should be watered moderately, since excess moisture can cause blackleg to develop.
With the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the tomatoes are dived into separate cups. The soil is taken exactly the same as when sowing seeds.
In 2-3 weeks, the seedlings are accustomed to new conditions and hardened. The plants are first taken outside for a few minutes in partial shade, then the residence time is increased.
Tomato transplant
The timing of planting tomatoes of the Dar Zavolzhya variety depends on the chosen growing location. Seedlings are transferred to ordinary beds after the onset of above-zero temperatures. To the greenhouse - 3 weeks earlier.
The bushes grow greatly in width, so when planting seedlings, holes are made with a diameter of 40 cm. When growing in 2 rows, the distance should be at least 60 cm. Half a bucket of water is poured into each hole.
Before planting, the seedlings are watered, then the seedlings are removed along with the soil and the plant is installed in the center.
Advice! Overgrown seedlings are planted in a lying position.
Immediately after planting, the soil is compacted to remove air bubbles from under the roots and watered. A stick is placed in the center and the plant is tied up. In a greenhouse, a trellis can be used to secure the stems and trusses.
Subsequent care for tomatoes
Tomato is a heat-loving crop. Sudden changes are destructive for him:
- may be stunted;
- lack phosphorus, which will reduce productivity.
You can tell when tomatoes need help by looking at the stem: it turns purple.
You need to water the bushes moderately and only at the roots, and maintain air humidity if the plants are grown in a greenhouse. Since pollination is reduced in dry air, experienced gardeners recommend spraying the bushes. In hot weather, this procedure is also carried out in open ground. After watering, the soil must be loosened.
During the season, at least 3 fertilizing is carried out, which is carried out on moist soil:
- before planting in a permanent place, add superphosphate and potassium fertilizers to the holes;
- during fruit setting, the plants are fed with complex mineral fertilizers, mullein, chicken droppings or herbal infusion;
- If there are a lot of fruits on the bushes of the variety, you will have to feed it again.
Warning! Fresh manure is not used to feed tomatoes.
It is advisable to mulch the plantings. This will not only retain moisture, but also prevent the growth of weeds, which must be fought mercilessly.
Sowing seeds
The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings should be calculated taking into account the time when the plant is planned to be planted. For example, if it is planned to plant seedlings of the first Maya, then sowing the seeds is recommended in early March.
According to the description, Dary Zavolzhye tomatoes must be sown in loose, nutritious soil, to a depth of about two centimeters. When sowing, maintain a distance of 3 cm.
After sowing, the soil is shed with warm water. Containers with crops are placed in a bright place with a temperature of at least 23 degrees. A week later the first shoots appear.
When two true leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate containers with a volume of about 300 ml. At the age of 60 days, tomatoes are planted in a permanent place.
If the seedlings are planted in open ground, then the optimal sowing time is the beginning of March. If planting in the OG is planned at the end of May - beginning of June, sowing should be done at the end of March. When growing tomatoes in greenhouses, the timing may shift. For example, when planting seedlings in April, seedlings are sown in February.
Pest and disease control
According to the description given by the originators, as well as reviews from gardeners, tomatoes of the Dar Zavolzhya variety are practically not sick. But other nightshades also grow in the garden, so prevention is necessary.
Before planting tomatoes, you can treat the soil with copper sulfate. And during the growing season, plants are sprayed with pesticides. Iodine “baths” help a lot. Add 7 drops of the drug to a bucket of water, spray the bushes and the soil around them.
You can treat tomatoes against pests with folk remedies - infusion of celandine or onion and garlic peels.
Reviews from gardeners
- Victor from Kazan. Two years ago I purchased the seeds of this tomato based on the photo. I planted the seedlings in the garden bed. A lot of ovaries have formed. At the end of July I harvested a decent harvest. I liked the taste of the tomato and the aroma too. Last season I also planted this variety, but there were not so many fruits. Perhaps the cold weather with prolonged rains had an effect.
- Natalya from Volgograd. I planted a tomato in my garden plot on the advice of a neighbor. I took the seedlings from her. The summer turned out to be rainy, so almost all the tomatoes suffered from late blight. But several fruits managed to ripen. I liked the taste. I will definitely plant this variety next season.
- Vladimir from Tambov. My father has been growing this tomato at his dacha for more than 10 years. Last year, my wife and I decided to plant several bushes under film cover. The short plants bore a lot of fruit. Most of it was eaten fresh. The rest were sent to winter preparations.
The tomato called Gift of the Volga region has long been familiar to many gardeners. The variety will definitely reward you with a generous harvest for your attention and care.
