The Sprint Timer tomato is characterized by sweet and large fruits. The variety is the result of folk selection, so it is not in the official register. It is often distributed by small agricultural firms or private breeders. At the same time, the characteristics of the variety may be different relative to the manufacturer, which must be remembered when purchasing planting material. Below you can find a description and characteristics of the culture.
Characteristics of the variety
Tomato Sprint Timer (a description of the variety is presented in the article to familiarize yourself with the culture) is characterized by an average ripening speed. After 115 days from the moment of germination, the first harvest can be harvested.
Characteristics of tomatoes of the Sprint Timer variety.
The fruits are large, fleshy, round or heart-shaped and sweet, therefore suitable for fresh consumption. On average, one tomato weighs approximately 300-500 g. In order for the weight to reach 1 kg, the fruit must be rationed.
The flesh inside is burgundy, sweet and juicy. Along the perimeter there are seed chambers that are practically invisible. The hue of the fruit is red, but unsaturated. The inside of the tomato is brighter in color than the outside.
The fruits appear on tall vines of an indeterminate type. When cultivated in open areas, the height is 60 cm, in greenhouse conditions - approximately 2 m. Fruit set occurs in small clusters, approximately 3-5 pieces each.
The yield rate is quite high, especially if you form shrubs with 1 or 2 stems. When growing in 1 trunk, the number of tomatoes will be small, but they will be large. From 1 bush you can get approximately 5 kg of harvest.
The variety is suitable for southern regions and areas with a temperate climate zone.
Tomatoes can be added to salads, combined with vegetables, vegetable oil or dairy products. The fruits are suitable for processing into purees, making sauces and ketchup. Tomatoes can be baked and stewed. However, it is not recommended to use them for preservation because they are very large.
lemon
The Lemon tomato can be easily grown without seedlings. Seeds are sown in prepared soil, watered and covered with film. 50 days after germination, you need to transfer the plant to the garden bed, maintaining a density of three tomatoes per square meter.
Lemongrass shoots stretch up to 2 m. The brush consists of 6-8 tomatoes. When growing Limonchik tomatoes in protected soil, it is necessary to ventilate the greenhouses. The flower brush is protected from creases.
Fruit ripening occurs 112-120 days after emergence. Tomatoes are harvested at ripeness. They are small, 100 g each, with fleshy and very sweet pulp, and contain almost no grains. The fruits are valued for their commercial qualities and are used to compose children's diets.
Preparation of planting material and propagation
Tomato Sprint Timer (the description of the variety will help gardeners prepare planting material for propagation) is grown in the same way as other varieties of tomatoes. From seeds, you first need to grow seedlings, which requires initial preparation.
Planting material is soaked in an ash solution prepared from 1 liter of water and 1 tbsp. l. wood ash, leaving in this form for 6 hours. During this period, the seeds will swell and absorb the required amount of nutrients.
Next, the seeds will need to be disinfected by soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate. The procedure lasts no more than 20 minutes. After this, the contents must be washed and placed in the refrigerator for 3 days to harden the material.
The soil mixture in which the tomatoes will be planted should be taken from the garden, preferably in the place where cabbage or cucumbers grew. The soil layer on which potatoes, peppers or onions grew is not recommended.
To avoid contamination, containers must be disinfected. When planting seeds at the end of the winter period, it should be taken into account that the container must be heated to a temperature not lower than + 23℃. After germination, the boxes can be moved to a cooler room.
Hardening of the sprouts begins the moment the outdoor temperature reaches + 12℃. To do this, the seedlings are initially taken out for 1 hour, increasing the period by several minutes every day. Experienced gardeners recommend picking tomatoes, as this has a positive effect on their further development and increases the yield.
Seedling method
The seed method of propagating tomatoes is described in the following paragraphs:
- Dilute potassium permanganate in an amount of 1 g in 1 liter of water. Place the planting material into the solution and keep it in such conditions for 20 minutes.
- To speed up the emergence of seedlings, treat the seeds with Epin. Add 4 drops of the drug to 1 liter of water and mix, dropping the seeds into the mixture.
- Place the soil mixture in an oven preheated to 150℃ to calcinate and destroy pathogenic bacteria and microbes.
- Prepare the containers and fill them with the prepared substrate in such an amount that there is about 4 cm of free space left from the edge.
- Plant the seeds, maintaining a distance of 1 cm from each other, to a depth of 1 cm.
- Cover the seeds with the remaining substrate and irrigate with warm liquid.
- Cover each pot with plastic wrap and ensure the temperature is within + 25℃.
1 week after the appearance of the first shoots, the film can be removed and the seedlings can be moistened using a spray bottle. When each seedling has 2 true leaves, you should plant the seedlings into separate cups. During the transplantation process, it is necessary to purposefully and carefully disrupt the root system to stimulate the formation of lateral roots in the seedlings.
For full growth, seedlings need sunlight 12 hours a day. If this is not possible, you should be prepared for the tomatoes to become pale and stretch out a little. In this case, you can use additional lighting in the form of fluorescent lamps, which must be turned on in the mornings and evenings.
During the process of growing seedlings, plants require care in the form of constant irrigation and fertilization. Watering should be moderate so that the soil mixture does not remain dry or over-moistened, as this can lead to seedlings becoming infected with blackleg.
It is recommended to irrigate with warm, chlorine-free running water using a fine-mesh nozzle or a small watering can.
You can fertilize the substrate on which the seedlings grow with complex mineral fertilizers. They should be added to the soil layer every 14 days, which will ensure normal growth and development of tomatoes.
A week before transplanting seedlings into an open soil layer, the seedlings will need to be hardened off. To do this, they need to be taken out into the open air for a period of up to 1 hour, increasing the stay time by 30 minutes every day. If the plant is cultivated in greenhouse conditions, this procedure can be skipped.
Stupak and Nepryaeva came back with medals, but Germany created a super sensation
The first two stages of the women's final passed calmly: Stupak kept Russia at the head of the group, Nepryaeva sank slightly, passing into fifth, but there was no reason to worry - the girls walked in a dense group, from which almost no one fell out.
But on the third lap, trouble happened to Tiril Weng: Yulia Stupak changed lanes in front of the Norwegian on the descent, after which Weng’s pole broke! True, from another point it was clear that the Norwegian broke the stick rather on the Swede. Weng passed the baton with a lag of 5.8 seconds, which is a lot for a team sprint.
At the fourth stage, Natalya Nepryaeva began to seriously worry: she again fell slightly into the depths and even allowed the leaders led by Krista Parmakoski and Jonna Sundling to break away. But after that, Nepryaeva still had the last lap ahead, and apparently she no longer had the strength.
Nepryaeva passed the baton to fourth already 3.2 seconds behind. Alas, Stupak did not look so great at her last stage: she failed to return to the group of leaders, and given Nepryaeva’s condition at the previous stages, this did not look very promising. What was surprising was that Dahlqvist passed behind Stupak - the main favorites were only fifth, but ours were 2.9 seconds behind.
Nevertheless, Nepryaeva pulled out all her reserves, quickly pulled herself up and managed to fit into the company of leaders. The American quickly fell away from the leading quartet. And closer to the finish line there were three of them left: Parmakoski had eaten her fill.
The undisputed winner of the personal sprint, Jonna Sundling, who last week managed to make breaks even at such a short distance, looked like a clear favorite in this situation. And despite Nepryaeva’s excellent pull at the final push, she reached the finish line first.
But here Victoria Karl simply amazed. The German managed to defeat the sprint queen in a straight line and created an amazing sensation. Nepryaeva could not compete in this company, but Nepryaeva and Stupak will not have to cry like they did after fourth place at the last World Cup!
The best lines for the Olympics
Preparing the soil and planting site
Tomato Sprint Timer can be cultivated in open areas or in greenhouse conditions. According to the description of the variety on the package with seeds, the optimal planting pattern is 50x40 cm.
To ensure that the root system of the seedlings is not damaged and the shrubs do not shade each other, it is recommended to place no more than 4 plants per 1 m2 of land. Tomato seedlings must be planted in a pre-prepared area, which will allow the bushes to grow and develop normally.
Step-by-step description of soil and planting site preparation:
- A few months before the start of planting work, dig up the selected area.
- Add compost to the soil layer and spill the surface with manganese solution. Dig up the soil cover again.
- Install trellises for tying up tall bushes.
Landing algorithm
It is recommended to transplant prepared and strengthened seedlings into open areas in the middle or end of May. During this period of time, the soil cover will have time to warm up normally, and the weather will be constantly stable.
It is advisable to carry out planting work in the evening or on a calm, cloudy day. During replanting, you must try not to deform the young roots of the seedlings. Therefore, it is recommended to transfer the seedlings into prepared holes along with a lump of earth.
Step-by-step process for transplanting seedlings:
- Prepare holes by digging them to a depth of no more than 15 cm.
- Add a handful of wood ash to the base of each hole. Additionally, add superphosphate, eggshells and ash to the dug holes.
- Transfer the seedlings with a lump of earth into the holes.
- Sprinkle the roots of the seedlings with substrate without touching the first foliage.
- Sprinkle 1 liter of warm water on each seat. When the earth settles, add substrate as needed. Mulch the beds.
It is better to add high-quality organic fertilizers in the form of mature compost or humus to the planting holes. If you add an excessively large amount of ash, the root system of the seedlings can get severely burned. Egg shells will decompose in the soil cover for about 2 years, and they do not have a positive effect on the seedlings.
Men's sprint results
| № | Skiers | A country | Lag |
| 1 | E. Valnes, J. Klebo | Norway | 19:22.99 |
| 2 | I. Niskanen, J. Mäki | Finland | +2.46 |
| 3 | A. Bolshunov, A. Terentyev | Russia | +4.29 |
| 4 | V. Poromaa, O. Svensson | Sweden | +15.06 |
| 5 | A. Cyr, G. Ritchie | Canada | +22.31 |
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Care
Tomato Sprint Timer (the description of the variety will tell novice growers of the crop how to care for the plant), when grown in open beds, must be irrigated with water, fed with fertilizers and tied to supports so that the bushes do not break under the weight of the fruit.
Additionally, it is recommended to protect seedlings from the invasion of dangerous pests and late blight. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly loosen the soil cover and remove weeds. When weeding the soil, it is recommended to bring the shovel to a depth of 4 cm.
Spraying and watering
If the region experiences moderate precipitation, the amount of irrigation should be no more than once every 7 days. During hot periods, the volume of watering increases to 2 times a week. If the temperature constantly remains above + 20℃, the bushes can be irrigated three times a week. The number of waterings can be up to 6 times a week if the air temperature is above + 30℃.
During the growing season, the soil cover must be loosened and hilled up so that the surface of the soil layer does not dry out too quickly and the moisture can be evenly distributed throughout the beds. In rare cases, the ground can be covered with a mulch layer. You can use black fiber for this.
Top dressing
Tomato bushes need to be fertilized 3 times per season. For this it is recommended to use mineral components. The break between feedings is approximately 15 days.
For the first time, seedlings are fertilized 2 weeks after transplanting into open areas. The soil cover is fed with a solution of ammonium nitrate or urea. To do this, dissolve 100 g of the component in 10 liters of water.
For the second feeding, superphosphate is used. To prepare a solution, stir 200 g of the substance in 6 liters of water. For the third feeding, a solution based on potassium sulfate is required.
Trimming
Pruning is a must for this variety. To obtain large fruits weighing approximately 1 kg, shrubs must be grown in 1 trunk. To obtain a large amount of harvest, but light weight, seedlings need to be planted in 2 trunks. When choosing the second option, you should leave the main stem, as well as the first or strongest stepson.
When stepsoning, you must adhere to the basic rules:
- when the stepsons reach 7-10 cm in length, they must be removed;
- when pruning stepchildren, small stumps should be left so that they do not begin to form again;
- To prevent the culture from weakening too much, you do not need to remove all the stepsons at once.
For tall shrubs, it is recommended to remove all foliage step by step down to the first cluster. Thanks to this, the seedlings will receive more oxygen.
Tying up
Since the Sprint Timer variety is considered tall, it must be tied up. Otherwise, the trunk will break under the weight of the fruit, and the tomatoes will end up on the ground. They will end up dirty, rotting and becoming food for pests.
For tying, you can use trellises, separate stakes, or 2 long stakes that are driven into each edge of the row. For this variety, a garter is required both for the trunk and for each brush.
The material must be durable, but it must not deform the branches. You can use nylon or fabric strips, the width of which will be about 2 cm. With the growth of bushes and the filling of tomatoes, the garter needs to be adjusted.
Optimal conditions
Tomato Sprint Timer (the description of the variety will help gardeners create optimal conditions for cultivating the plant) can withstand short-term lack of sunlight.
The humidity level should be moderate. To harvest a large volume of crops, the region must be free of heavy rains, frosts and sudden changes in temperature.
Variety of planting methods
Tomatoes can have two types of bushes: very tall (indeterminate) and short (determinant). Low varieties have the peculiarity of growing no more than 1 meter. Its bushes have from 3 to 6 main and lateral stems, and stepsons are usually formed on the lower part.
Indeterminate varieties can have significant stem heights. A flower raceme is formed at the end of the main stem. Stepchildren located in the vicinity of the main stem do not stop growing. This process continues throughout the growing season and stops only with the onset of cold autumn days.
The height of such tomato bushes can reach more than 2 meters. However, as a rule, the intensity of the appearance of fruiting clusters and ovaries is much less than that of low-growing tomato representatives.
The description of tomatoes includes the fact that they prefer warmth. If the temperature drops to 10 degrees, then the pollen does not have the opportunity to ripen and the ovaries remain without fertilization and crumble. The optimal temperature for growing tomatoes is considered to be from +21 to +25 degrees. Although plants love moisture, its excess can negatively affect the growth of bushes and the ripening of fruits.
The need for luminous flux is of great importance. If it is not enough, then the plants stretch in height, and the roots develop poorly.
Tomatoes prefer light soil with a high content of nutrients, but they can also grow in other soils. The only exceptions are those that are highly acidic or too salty.
Possible diseases and pests, ways to get rid of them
Insects that can harm the plant are described in the following list:
- Whitefly. Appears on tomatoes growing in greenhouse conditions. You can get rid of the insect by using the drug "Confidor".
- Medvedka. To combat it, it is recommended to weed the soil layer near the bush, as well as using the preparation “Gnome”.
- Slugs. A mixture made from hot pepper and dry mustard will help control pests. To treat an area of 1 m2, you need to apply 1 tbsp. l. dry product.
Late blight or late blight is a very common fungal disease that can affect up to 50 crops growing in the garden. Tomatoes suffer the most. Due to the fact that the fungus spreads by spores, it very quickly and en masse affects tomato plantations.
To infect all the bushes, the fungus only needs 2 days.
Initially, leaves and fruits are affected, which significantly reduces the yield of the plant. Often the pathogen is initially located in the soil cover. It becomes active only in the middle of summer, when the nights become cooler and wetter.
Symptoms of late blight are shown in the following stages:
- during rains, on foliage affected by late blight, you can notice the formation of shiny and oily shades;
- dark spots appear on the foliage, then they dry out and fall off;
- the fruits become covered with gray-brown or dark spots;
- the tomatoes subsequently rot and begin to emit an unpleasant odor;
- Tomato flowers darken, dry out and fall off.
One of the reasons that has a beneficial effect on the appearance of late blight is the rather high humidity of the soil layer. If it rains heavily in the summer, the fungus will appear. This disease massively affects tomato bushes, which leads to the loss of a large amount of crop.
Other causes of infection are listed below:
- large difference between day and night temperatures;
- large amounts of morning dew;
- large presence of lime in the soil layer;
- low daily temperature;
- lack of potassium, copper, manganese and iodine in the soil mixture;
- abundant watering in August;
- poor ventilation and neglected seedlings.
- planting seedlings near growing potatoes (it is he who first gets sick with late blight);
- excessive fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
Treatment should be carried out using the drugs "Hom", "Ridomil Gold" and "Fitosporin". It is necessary to prevent the disease by following agricultural practices.
An integrated approach requires the prevention of late blight in open soil mixtures:
- At the time of planting the seedlings, add 3 tbsp of dry sand to each hole. l.
- The landing site should be sunny and without stagnant water.
- It is not recommended to plant tomatoes for 3 years in an area where cucumbers, beets, onions, carrots or potatoes grew.
- Watering is carried out in the evening and only at the root. In case of frequent rains, the frequency of irrigation must be reduced.
- Deoxidation of the soil layer by adding lime; to restore acidity, peat should be added when digging.
- Regular weeding of the soil cover will provide oxygen access to the root system.
Rules for choosing a place for sowing
Select the right site for planting tomatoes with soil that is moisture-absorbing and easily aerated. Clayey, heavy areas warm up more slowly and tend to compact quickly. On such soils it is impossible to expect an early harvest. In addition, close groundwater, which passes near the root system, negatively affects planted tomatoes.
Tomato without seedlings requires sufficient sunlight for normal growth. Therefore, the beds are located on southern slopes. In this place the soil warms up faster and better. The earliest harvest can be obtained on the south-eastern slopes of the site. There is less chance of spring frosts here.
If the garden plot has a flat surface, then it is better to plant the tomatoes in a place where there is protection from the wind, or to build a special protection. You can arrange beds close to a medium-height hedge.
According to the rules of crop rotation, for tomatoes they choose areas where they were previously grown:
- cucumbers;
- cabbage;
- zucchini.
After potatoes and peppers, it is better to wait two to three years before planting tomatoes. It is also not recommended to plant tomatoes next to planted potatoes. Harmful insects and potato diseases can also affect tomatoes.
Peculiarities
The positive and negative qualities of tomato are described in the following table:
| pros | Minuses |
| The plant produces large fruits. | Needs pinching and tying up. |
| Tomatoes are characterized by excellent taste. | The variety requires greenhouse conditions for normal development. |
| Delicate texture and rich fruit aroma. |
Unlike other varieties of tomatoes, the Sprint Timer variety has high yields and large fruits. According to the description, it can be cultivated in a greenhouse and in open areas. In open beds, the yield and fruit size will not be too large, but they will contain a lot of sugar.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- Seedless Sprint 2 is declared by the manufacturer as the earliest.
- Does not require money or time to grow seedlings.
- Due to the short stature and properties of the trunk, there is no need to tie up, remove foliage and stepsons.
- Tomatoes are acclimatized for growing in open ground in the middle zone and the Urals.
- They lay ovaries even under unfavorable conditions.
- They are resistant to root rot, and late blight has time to bear fruit before mass development.
Minuses:
- Plants obtained from seedlings begin to bear fruit a month earlier.
- Quite a short fruiting period, limited number of brushes.
