The early ripening Leningrad tomato will appeal to gardeners and farmers in regions where the summer is cool and short. The variety is intended for northwestern areas. It has many undeniable bonuses - high productivity, excellent taste, simple agricultural technology.
| Height | Landing location | Ripening time | Fruit color | Fruit size | Origin | Fruit shape |
| short | Greenhouse, Open ground | Early ripening | Reds | Average | Variety | Round |
Description and characteristics of the variety
The Leningradsky early ripening tomato is a determinate, low-growing variety. The bushes are low, standard, and do not exceed 30 cm in height. They do not require pinching or pinching. In greenhouse conditions they can grow up to 60-80 cm. 11-13 tomatoes are tied on fruiting clusters.
Early ripening - begins on the 20th of July, 90-95 days from germination.
Description of tomatoes:
- average weight 50-70 g;
- round shape;
- watermelon pulp, fleshy;
- the taste is sweetish with a slight sourness;
- the skin is strong;
- sugar level 3-3.5%;
- dry matter index 7-7.5%;
- ribbing is weakly expressed.
The fruits are prepared into salads and canned whole. Tomatoes are processed into juice, paste, and ketchup.
Tall tomatoes for the greenhouse
There are must-have varieties that I always plant every year. I like them not only for their taste and unpretentiousness, but also for the way they look on the bush. I’ll paraphrase one bearded joke: “I don’t really like tomatoes... But the process itself...”. I love going into the greenhouse and admiring the tomato plantations. And I don’t hesitate to show off my particularly spectacular huge tomatoes to my neighbors, and then post photos on the forum. It’s a shame to hide it – we all love it!
The following varieties are among the favorites also because they do not need to be fanatically cultivated and shaped. And they will always give a harvest: small, large, and a lot, depending on the variety and what I grow them for - for salads, for preparations, or, the smallest and sweetest ones, so that “like seeds, they click.” .
The “Rocket” variety is suitable for both greenhouses and open ground. The fruits are identical in shape and sweet. We love to eat them by the handful. Look good in blanks. The bush requires garter, despite the fact that the package says the opposite. This is because a lot of fruits grow, and the bush bends from the weight. Its height in open ground is about 40 cm, and in a greenhouse it can reach up to 60 cm. This is a mid-season variety; it does not need to be pinched.
Rice. 1. “Rocket” matures smoothly and is well stored in both technical and biological maturity.
I got the “Big Man” variety from a neighbor. During a tour of her greenhouse, I really liked the way it looked on the bush. The neighbor said that she has been planting it for a long time, that it is unpretentious and always sets fruit, even if the ventilation regime in the greenhouse is not followed. Of course, I took one fruit for seeding. “Zdorovyak” can grow up to 100 cm in height, so it is better to grow it in a greenhouse, although it produces large tomatoes in open ground.
Rice. 2. There is almost no need to pin the “Big Man” wrist.
Rice. 3. It ripens in batches, gradually, which is very convenient.
Among the vigorous-growing tomatoes with large fruits, I singled out the “Red Giant” variety. This amateur variety was bred by simple gardeners. Despite the fact that it grows a lot of leaves, it does not have to be pruned too often. The fruits on the lower tiers are the largest. If I had not been lazy and plucked out the inflorescences, leaving no more than 3-4 in the brush, the fruits would have been even larger. It is fleshy inside and contains few seeds.
Rice. 4. “Red Giant” in mid-July.
Rice. 5. You can take your own seeds, but the fruit must ripen on the bush and come from the second cluster from the bottom.
Rice. 6. The fruits are slightly ribbed, quite transportable, there is never a yellow-pink top from unbalanced care, as in pink-fruited varieties.
Rice. 7. Both the side of the stalk and the reverse side always have a marketable appearance.
Rice. 8. The only drawback of the “Red Giant” is that the largest fruits require a garter.
However, almost all large-fruited tomatoes require additional tying of the brushes. Except for my next favorite, Bull's Heart. I also always grow it year after year, as my grandmother advised me. “He will never let you down!” - she said, and every year I am convinced of this. Even if I took my own seeds and not factory ones, “Bull’s Heart” invariably bears fruit and does not require pinching at all, although it is vigorous.
Rice. 9. The hands grow in such a way that they do not need to be additionally secured with a garter to prevent them from falling.
Rice. 10. There is one feature of the “Bull’s Heart” - a predisposition to the formation of such gnarled fruits.
Therefore, if you see a bud or flower that is too large, feel free to cut it with scissors, it will still take a long time to ripen, even though it will be large, the skin will be hard and gray, you cannot take seeds from it.
Rice. 11. But the bulk of the “Bull’s Heart” fruits are very beautiful, tasty and fleshy. By the way, this variety comes in both orange and red.
I definitely plant the listed varieties, but there are also some that I just liked, and I periodically grow them in the greenhouse, but I have not become a fan of them. Of the indeterminates, I like the raceme varieties the most. Again, this is primarily because they look beautiful on the bush. There are only three varieties, and each has a special reason to grow it.
Planting and care
The bushes are transplanted into beds at the age of 50-55 days.
5-6 plants are placed per 1 m2.
Subtleties of caring for tomatoes:
- moderate watering 2 times a week, the norm is 4-5 liters at the root;
- garter to a low support;
- fertilizing with liquid organic matter and phosphorus-potassium mixtures.
Ripe tomatoes can be stored for up to 4 weeks in the dark and cool.
Recommended tomato varieties
Early maturing / Low growing
Non-stick orange with spout User rating: 4/5
Mid-season / Low-growing
Tsar Peter User rating: 5/5
Early maturing / Low growing
General F1 User rating: 5/5
Early maturing / Low growing
Baby Four Summer User rating: 5/5
How to choose tomatoes for the Leningrad region
The area is characterized by frequent precipitation, high clouds and an extended, cold spring. Return frosts can occur in early June; summer is short and the weather is unstable. The morning may be warm and sunny, there will be a shower in the afternoon, and the evening will begin with gusty winds that will persist until the next day.
In the northwest, due to the short summer, gardeners plant only early and mid-early tomatoes. Especially if you plan to plant in unprotected beds or under film.
Summer residents who have the opportunity to grow crops in a greenhouse have nothing to worry about, but owners of small gardens will have to set up greenhouses or organize film shelters. There are few varieties that can be planted in open beds for this area. As in other regions of Russia, tomatoes are cultivated by seedlings, but with one obligatory condition - the seedlings need to be hardened off.
In addition to the ripening period and immunity to negative factors, gardeners pay attention to such characteristics as yield and fruit size. Large tomatoes in unheated greenhouses, greenhouses, and open beds do not have time to fully ripen before a significant fall in temperature. Some fruits do not even reach technical maturity, which makes them unsuitable for ripening and pickling (an unpleasant bitterness remains).
Pests
"Sugar giant" is moderately resistant to most diseases of nightshade crops. Most often, problems when growing large-fruited varieties are associated with cracking of fruits caused by unbalanced watering. A good preventive measure against cracking is periodic application of nitrate to the soil.
It is impossible to describe the reaction to pathogens and pests of different varieties. However, the fact is obvious that carrying out preventive measures makes it possible to obtain a harvest under any sensitivity of the variety and in any weather conditions.
Experienced vegetable growers fulfill a number of strict requirements when carrying out treatments:
- the first spraying is carried out during the budding period, then every 15-20 days, depending on humidity indicators;
- treatment is carried out with constant alternation of fungicidal preparations, which will not allow microscopic fungi to develop resistance;
- Fungicide solutions are prepared only in accordance with the instructions and before use.
It is very important to eliminate pests as soon as you notice them, as they can cause great damage to the fruits and also strip the bushes of all leaves. Whitefly
Whitefly
The whitefly butterfly is no more than 3 mm long, has a white body and wings that are covered with powdery pollen. The butterfly, like its larvae, feed on tomato juice, which can even lead to the death of the plant - the leaves of the bush lose color and vitality and dry out over time. Detecting a whitefly is easy - it looks like a small moth.
Spider mite
These mites look like small spiders; the largest representatives reach 1 mm in length. Their color changes depending on the season: in summer they are grayish-yellow with green and black spots, in winter they are bright orange. They live on the underside of leaves, where they envelop them in their web. The mite feeds on the sap of the leaves, causing them to acquire a marbled, lifeless color.
Pests are small in size (up to 2 mm), yellow or black in color. They move around the plant in groups at high speed. Thrips multiply quickly, which is why they pose a great threat - due to prolonged exposure to pests, tomatoes become infected with viral diseases; after the death of one bush, the insects move to the neighboring one.
If tomatoes grow in a humid climate, then favorable conditions are created for the fungus, which provokes the appearance of dark spots on the leaves located at the very bottom of the bush
Therefore, it is especially important to trim unhealthy leaves.
Late infection is also possible, leading to the rapid death of tomatoes. To prevent it you must:
- spray the leaves with a solution containing a fungicide;
- remove weeds and debris from the garden.
Nina: “I grew it in a greenhouse, the bush grew up to 2 meters. I got an average harvest, but what a delicious taste. All the tomatoes grew in the shape of a heart. I definitely advise others to plant this variety.”
“Orange strawberries” deserve their place of honor in every garden, both in the garden and in the greenhouse. Even an inexperienced gardener can handle it. It is better to collect seeds for planting yourself, which will allow future tomatoes to absorb the best qualities of the mother plants.
Rate this article
Agricultural cultivation technology
The Leningradsky variety is grown in seedlings. Seeds are placed in boxes with prepared soil 50-55 days before planting in the ground. It is recommended to use a soil composition containing 2 parts each of turf soil and humus, and 1 part sand.
The seeds are placed on the surface and sprinkled with a layer of soil 1 cm thick on top. The container is kept at a temperature not lower than +16 °C. When the seedlings form 2 true leaves, they are planted in pots.
When growing planting material, it is recommended to fertilize with complex fertilizers. A week before planting, mineral components containing phosphorus and potassium are added to the permanent site.
When planting in the ground, 5-6 bushes are placed per 1 m². Caring for the crop involves timely loosening of the soil, removal of weeds, and watering.
