Compact bush with large fruits - tomato Gnome Uluru Ocher: description of the variety and its characteristics

Description and characteristics of the variety

Dwarf Uluru ocher is a determinate, low-growing variety. The bushes are compact and low, do not exceed 60 cm. They do not require pinching.

The shape of the tomatoes is round and slightly flattened, the flesh is juicy and fleshy. The skin is dense and does not crack. There are few seed chambers. The fruits are well transported.

Ripening time is average - 112-120 days from germination. The weight of tomatoes reaches 200-350 g.

Tomatoes are used to prepare aromatic salads, winter preparations, and used for stewing.

Description of the variety

Belongs to mid-season varieties, the bushes are of a determinate type, they can be either 60 centimeters in height or reach 1.5 meters, it all depends on the growing conditions. The stems are quite powerful, medium leafy, the leaves are emerald green, large, wrinkled of the standard type.

Tomatoes have a flat-round shape, ribbed, with lush shoulders. When fully ripe, they turn brownish-orange (ocher) in color. Tomatoes are large, their weight can vary from 200 to 350 grams. The skin is dense, the flesh is fleshy, juicy, small and tender, it simply melts in the mouth, and has a rich tomato taste. Ripe tomatoes can be used fresh for food, and can also be used to make vegetable juices and various sauces, or canned for the winter, but not entirely, since huge tomatoes will not fit in a jar.

This wonderful variety can be grown both in a greenhouse and in the garden. By providing the bushes with good care, you can get a decent harvest of up to 2.5 kilograms per plant. “Uluru Ocher” really loves warmth and light; if the plant does not have enough sun, this can affect the quality of the fruit.

Advantages

• Attractive presentation of the fruit.
• Excellent taste.
• High yield.
• Resistance to common diseases.

Flaws

• Demanding conditions and care.
• The need to install a support.

Main features of gnome tomatoes

Main features of tomatoes from the “Gnome” line:

• attractive, productive, height up to 140 cm depending on the variety;
• all cultivars are varieties, not hybrids;
• dark, dense, wrinkled foliage, thick central stem;
• fruits - all sizes and shapes, including large-fruited ones weighing up to 500 g;
• a wide choice of flavors: sweet, spicy, fruity, salty - for every taste,
• fruit colors include: red, green (when ripe), bicolor, striped, black (purple or brown), pink, yellow, orange, ivory,
• Gnomes are easy to grow in pots, on balconies or other places where space is limited.

Despite the fact that the project is only 15 years old, the Dwarf tomato type has been around for a century, since the first such variety, New Big Dwarf and its descendants.

Tomato Seeds Uluru Ochre Dwarf Uluru Ochre

An exotic variety from the Dwarf Tomato series (Dwarf Tomato Project).
The original name of the variety is Uluru Ocher. The variety received its name in honor of the Uluru rock, sacred to the Australian aborigines. This unique rock formation in the middle of the desert is composed of iron oxide-rich sandstone and is rusty orange in color.

Authors: Patrina Nuske Small, Australia. Appeared from crossing: Orange Heirloom x Rosella Purple.

Medium height up to 1 m in the exhaust zone and up to 1.5 in the greenhouse. Mid-season 100-110 days. The leaf is wrinkled (like most "Gnomes"). The number of fruits in a brush is 3-5 pcs. Fruit weight 150-350 g (possibly up to 1 kg). Productivity is 4-7 kg per bush from 1 plant (subject to agricultural practices). Fruiting until frost. Uluru Ocher tomatoes are flat-round, slightly ribbed on top. At ripeness, orange-brown in color with dense, fleshy pulp, few seeds, with a rich, balanced taste. The taste is sweet, with bright fruity notes and spice. These tomatoes are good for fresh consumption, juicing and cooking. Tomatoes are shelf-stable and transportable. Resistance to major tomato diseases. A variety with long fruiting. A garter to the support and partial stepsoning are required.

This is a natural variety of tomato. Therefore, we recommend taking seeds from a ripe fruit and using them for planting in subsequent seasons.

Growing is possible:

In pots, flowerpots. window sills, balconies. In the garden, in open ground. In closed ground plantings, greenhouses.

The history of the Gnome tomato

In 2006, an international project called the Dwarf Tomato Project was created. The organization was created in response to requests from amateur vegetable growers who want to grow tomatoes in small areas, those who want to make the most of a small garden, terrace, patio or balcony for growing tomatoes.

The organizers of the project were vegetable grower-enthusiast, writer and teacher Craig LeHullier from North Carolina (USA) and Patrina Nuske Small from Australia. Craig gathered volunteers from the USA and Canada, and Patrina from Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. As a result, they launched a hemisphere-wide project covering two growing seasons in one calendar year (resulting in halving the time it takes to create and test a new tomato variety).

In total, 260 people from 14 countries and 45 US states took part in this project. Enthusiastic breeders crossed dwarf varieties with indets, as well as hybrids with varietal specimens.

The requirements for the dwarf tomatoes the project worked on were as follows:

• height from 40 to 140 cm;
• strong thick stem;
• fruits of all possible sizes, colors and shapes;
• taste from sweet to tart;
• minimum requirements for bush formation;
• the ability of bushes to grow to a limited size;
• tomatoes that can be grown in containers or straw bale beds.

As a result of the project, 67 dwarf varieties of tomatoes have been obtained to date. The work of breeders continues.

Tomato Uluru Ocher Dwarf Uluru Ocher Growing and Care

Growing indoors

“Vegetable garden on the window” is gaining popularity in cities, and when tomatoes are from the Gnome Tomato series, it’s pleasant and convenient.

Caring for Uluru Ocher Gnome Uluru Ocher tomatoes at home is not difficult, you just need to comply with certain conditions:

The pot must be large enough for the plant (from 5 liters). The soil in the growing container should be superior in fertility to garden soil. Sufficient daylight hours. Compliance with the feeding regime.

These conditions that dictate how to grow the Uluru Ochre Dwarf tomato are due to the limited space in which the plant's root system can develop. There are also advantages to growing Uluru Ocher Dwarf tomato Uluru Ocher from seeds on a windowsill: the seeds can be immediately planted in the desired container.

Choose a sunny place for it and a pot with good nutritious soil with a volume of at least 5 liters. And it will delight you for a long time.

As it grows, turn it to evenly distribute sunlight, then the plant will be more symmetrical. All those who like to grow tomatoes in pots will surprise themselves and their guests!

Sowing seeds To sow tomatoes, you must use special containers: plastic containers, seedling cassettes, and so on. Any containers must have special drainage holes at the bottom, otherwise the plants will be susceptible to blackleg disease. Before starting sowing, it is necessary to ensure good lighting, regular temperature and air ventilation.

To sow tomato seedlings, you can use any universal substrate or a mixture of sand and peat, taken in equal parts. You should not sow too thickly, otherwise the seedlings will stretch out and be thin and weak. In a greenhouse, sowing should be done in rows, this will allow the lighting to be used to maximum advantage.

Immediately before sowing, the substrate must be thoroughly moistened. You can sow dry or pre-soaked in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Place the seeds in a glass with the solution and leave for about half an hour. After this, the seeds must be washed in running water for about 10 minutes. Immediately after sowing, the substrate must be covered with film or a thin (about 5 mm) layer of vermiculite, this will help maintain soil moisture.

Until the first shoots, the temperature must be maintained no higher than +28°C. And immediately after their appearance, the film must be removed from the seedling containers. In order not to expose the still very weak seedlings to excessive evaporation, it is better to remove the film in the afternoon. Watering should be done with a finely sprayed stream; the seedlings should not be overly flooded with water. It is also necessary to observe the temperature regime: as soon as the first shoots appear, the temperature should be reduced to +8...+10 °C at night and +10...+15 during the day - within 3 days, thus hardening the seedlings from the first days of their growth. Hardening must be continued until it is transplanted into the greenhouse, but for no less than 15 days during the entire period of its growth.

When the seedlings get a little stronger, the temperature is again raised to 20-25 degrees. The recommended air humidity for growing seedlings is 60-70%.

At two weeks of age, the seedlings are planted in separate cups. Plants are planted in the garden at the age of 60-70 days.

Planting in the Ground In order for tomatoes to produce a good harvest and not get sick, it is necessary to observe crop rotation. The best predecessors for them will be root vegetables (excluding potatoes), all types of cabbage, and perennial herbs.

The soil should be neutral or slightly acidic. Light and fertile soil contributes to earlier harvesting.

Tomatoes are planted in open ground after the threat of frost has disappeared; the seedlings must first be hardened.

At first, it is recommended to cover the plants with film or agricultural material to protect them from the cold.

Drop off rules:

Most often, tomatoes are planted in two rows with an interval between plants of 25-30 cm. Row spacing should be 50-65 cm wide. Overgrown seedlings are planted obliquely, with their tops facing north. After planting, make sure that a hard crust does not form; the soil is regularly loosened after watering.

15-20 days after planting, the tomatoes need to be hilled; in the future, this procedure is carried out twice more. Simultaneously with hilling, mineral fertilizers are applied. Their deficiency can be identified by the appearance of the plants.

Tomatoes do not like irrigation by sprinkling; moisture is applied strictly at the root. The culture requires rare but abundant watering. You can determine the need for moisture by the appearance of the tomatoes - the leaves darken and become drooping.

For the first 10-15 days after planting the seedlings, tomatoes do not need to be watered; the moisture added during planting will be enough for them. With the appearance of ovaries, the need for water in tomatoes increases sharply. At this time, the plants are watered at intervals of 5-7 days, adding up to 10 liters of water under each bush.

To retain moisture in the soil during the fruiting period, mulching is used. When the tomatoes begin to yield, watering is reduced.

Varieties of Gnome tomatoes that I grew

Tomato "Gnome DSA" (DSA)

Tomato “Gnome DSA” (Dwarf DSA) is a new variety, 1.2 m high, mid-season, compact. The fruits are round in shape and have a very beautiful two-tone color - light orange with crimson stripes. Fruit weight up to 200 g. The pulp is yellow with a red center, juicy, very sweet taste. Medium height. Fruit weight up to 200 g.

Tomato "Gnome DSA" (Dwarf DSA).

Tomato "Gnome DSA" in section.

My impressions. One of the most beautiful tomatoes I have grown, it combines taste and beauty in the perfect way. It was interesting to see that the fruits are two-colored not only on the outside, but also on the inside.

Tomato "Gnome Uluru Ocher"

Tomato "Dwarf Uluru Ocher" is a mid-season variety with unusual orange-green ocher-colored fruits. It was named after a giant monolithic rock located in central Australia. The fruits are medium to large in size, flattened, weighing 200-450 g. Very juicy and tender, with a delicious sweet taste and pleasant aroma. The flesh is orange with a green tint. They have strong stems, wrinkled foliage and reach approximately 1.2 m in height.

Tomato “Dwarf Uluru Ochre”.

Tomato "Gnome Uluru Ocher" in a section.

My impressions. Amazing tomatoes, which in appearance are very easy to confuse with persimmons. This tomato variety has a really rare and beautiful color. The fruits are dense, fleshy and very sweet. It’s nice not only to look at them, but also to eat them.

Tomato "Gnome Rosella Giant"

The Giant Dwarf Rosella Tomato has red-pink, fleshy and sugary fruits. The taste is rich, with the perfect balance of acid and sweetness. The fruits are quite large, weighing up to 300 g. The bush is low, 40-60 cm. The variety was bred in Australia. The ripening period is mid-early.

Tomato "Gnome Rosella Giant" (Giant Dwarf Rosella Tomato).

Tomato "Gnome Rosella Giant" in section.

My impressions . The largest of all the tomatoes I grew was “Gnome” last season. Most of the fruits weighed 300 g. The taste was sweet and harmonious.

Tomato "Gnome Rosella violet"

Tomato “ Dwarf Rosella Purple” is mid-season in terms of ripening (65 days from the date of planting in the ground). The fruits are flattened, medium in size, up to 200 g. When ripe, they become dark pink-purple in color. The taste is rich, sweet with sourness and slight saltiness. The variety is prolific. The height of the bush is up to 80 cm. The pulp is juicy and fleshy.

Tomato “Dwarf Rosella Purple”.

Tomato "Gnome Rosella violet" in section.

My impressions . Beautiful appetizing fruits of rich crimson color with a darkened top. The pulp is very fleshy. Indeed, tasty and productive tomatoes.

Tomato "Dwarf Kangaroo Paw brown"

Brown tomato produces numerous small, red-brown, rounded fruits. They taste spicy with a sweet fruity note, truly delicious. This variety is part of the "Kangaroo Paw" series, which includes red, brown, green and yellow varieties. Plants with strong stems and healthy, wrinkled foliage. By the end of the season they reach a height of one meter.

Tomato “Dwarf Kangaroo Paw Brown”.

Tomato “Gnome Kangaroo Paw brown” in cross section.

My impressions . The sweetest and most delicious variety from the “Gnome” series. The fruits are small in size and can be compared to cocktail fruits. The taste is fruity, very reminiscent of fruit cherries, but the fruits are much larger than cherry and are collected in small clusters. Externally, the tomatoes are bright and elegant, they also have very expressive stalks, like the tomatoes in the picture.

Tomato “Gnome Shadowboxing”

Tomato “ Dwarf Shadow Boxing” is a mid-season, very productive variety. Plant height is 40-60 cm. The fruits are very original - elongated (7-9 cm), the main color is raspberry-red. At the same time, the fruits are dotted with wide yellow stripes, with a deep purple-black spot on top (on the sunny side). Tomatoes have a dense consistency, fleshy with a small amount of juice, fruit weight up to 100-120 g. The variety is highly resistant to fungal diseases.

Tomato “Dwarf Shadow Boxing”.

Tomato “Gnome Shadowboxing” in a section.

My impressions . In my experience, this is one of the most unsuccessful varieties from the Gnome series. Externally, the tomatoes were certainly very beautiful. Some fruits on the sunny side turned out to be almost completely black. This gnome also had dark purple foliage that was beautifully rugged. But one of the main disadvantages of the variety is its strong shedding. If you accidentally touch a bush while passing by, unripe fruits begin to fall from it. When left to ripen, they had a very inexpressive taste. But even those that were fully ripened on the bush were tough, with a sour and slightly spicy taste without sweetness.