The hybrid Afen f1 was bred by French breeders, the originator is Clause. The tomato was included in the Russian State Register in 2011. Recommended for industrial cultivation in greenhouses, as well as for private farms.
| Height | Landing location | Ripening time | Fruit color | Fruit size | Origin | Fruit shape |
| Tall | Greenhouse | Early ripening | Pink | Large | Hybrid | Flat-round |
Description and characteristics of the variety
The hybrid is early ripening, indeterminate, tall. It is characterized by early ripening of the crop; the first tomatoes are harvested 95-100 days after germination. The stem is powerful, with short internodes and dense foliage. The leaves are medium in size, classic in shape, light green in color.
When working with this hybrid, you need to spend enough time periodically gartering, pinching and removing excess green mass.
The inflorescences are complex, formed after 6 leaves; in total, the plant is capable of forming 7-9 clusters on one stem. The brushes grow strong and do not break. Each inflorescence bears 3-6 fairly large tomatoes. The fruits are round, multi-chambered, slightly flattened, and have slight ribbing near the stalk. At the stage of biological maturity they acquire a rich crimson-pink color. The taste is tomato, sweet. The pink flesh of the tomato is juicy, multi-chambered, dense, with an average seed content.
Tomato Afen - tasty, capricious and early
A favorite of farmers and summer residents, an excellent solution for off-season greenhouses, industrial production and garden beds is the controversial Afen tomato, but very productive. Review, information about the variety (F1 hybrid), assessment of prospects, nuances of agricultural technology.
Tomato Afen: background information
The originator is the French company Clause, in the State Register since 2011. Recommended for closed ground (heated, unheated greenhouses, tunnels, film shelters), in mild climates - for amateur cultivation for open ground.
Large-fruited pink-fruited tomato Afen F1 of early ripening (62-65 days), one of the earliest in the pink-fruited niche. The seeds are distinguished by excellent germination, the seedlings are characterized by harmonious development: they do not outgrow, are not particularly powerful, do not show dominance of the vegetative mass over the root system, and are not prone to elongation.
Tomato Afen: description of the variety. Detailed review of the French hybrid form, characteristics, assessment of prospects.
- The plant is of an indeterminate type, height in a greenhouse is up to (1.5-1.8 to 2.5 or more), in open ground it is much lower.
- The bush is compact, internodes are relatively short. On 2 m of green mass it forms about 9 clusters.
- The leaf apparatus is well developed, which makes it possible to protect the fruits from sunburn when normalizing the leaves in closed ground.
- The fruits are pink (rich crimson-pink color), uniform, regular rounded-flattened shape, dense, heavy, fleshy and sugary. Weight on average 220-250 g.
- Taste is the main advantage of the Afen variety (more precisely, a hybrid): true tomato, with appropriate sourness and a high sugar content. It is thanks to the taste that Afen forgives all the shortcomings - about which below.
Purpose : salad, but suitable for juices and canning. Whole-fruit canning is questionable due to its large size.
The declared yield is 23 kg/m2 (in industrial areas with intensive agricultural technology), on average 7-9 kg/m2.
Resistant to major diseases: verticelium wilt, fusarium wilt, nematode, yellow curl virus.
Tomato Afen F1: description, reviews of the variety from those who planted it, performance assessment, strengths and weaknesses of the variety (hybrid form).
Advantages:
- Excellent taste, presentation;
- Early ripening - later than Fenda by 5-7 and up to 10 days;
- Resistant to cracking;
- A green spot on the stalk rarely appears, only when there are serious flaws in agricultural technology: high temperature in the greenhouse, high difference between night and day temperatures, nutritional imbalance. Yellow falling spots are not observed.
- High transportability, incl. over long distances makes cultivation on farms promising.
Flaws:
- Insufficient tendency to cladosporiosis, moderate tendency to blossom end rot;
- Requires a high level of agricultural technology;
- According to reviews, it has a weak root system, needs rationing of vegetative mass and berries, in order to avoid wilting, yellowing of leaves, and high-quality fertilizing.
Agrotechnics of cultivation
It is grown in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and is promising for commercial areas and homestead farming. Used for the spring-summer and summer-autumn season, for 1 and 2 turns.
The recommended planting density is 180-200 seeds/acre, in small areas no more than 2-3 plants per m2 (stated 1.8-2.5 pcs/m2).
It belongs to the generative type (sometimes conventionally called vegetative-generative) due to the powerful green mass and the abundance of large berries. Afen tomatoes are formed into one stem, cared for and grown according to all the rules applicable to indeterminate vegetative forms.
So, often to speed up collections, incl. by the end of the season, the number of berries is normalized to 4 - in this case, the weight of the berries is possible up to 300 g, the number of clusters is situationally normalized.
- When rationing leaves, do not reduce their number to 16-18 at peak high temperatures.
- The leaves are removed under the fruiting clusters.
- The tomato reacts sensitively to lack of nutrition, as well as overload - it needs a well-thought-out feeding scheme and rationing.
- Despite the powerful stems, to avoid kinks, the brushes are tied using brush holders.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- Beautiful, large pink tomatoes of early ripening.
- Excellent fruit taste for an early hybrid.
- The tomatoes on the bunch ripen very smoothly.
- Tomatoes do not crack.
- Productivity is above average.
- Good keeping quality and transportability.
- Resistant to the main range of diseases.
Minuses:
- Tomato does not tolerate dampness; it is advisable to grow it in heated, ventilated greenhouses.
- Sometimes, in cold weather and high humidity, cladosporiosis infections occur.
- It forms a lot of greenery, which has to be dealt with regularly.
Diseases and pests
The description notes resistance to the following diseases:
- like fusarium;
- fungal cladosporium;
- yellow curl virus;
- verticillium wilt;
- nematodes.
Verticillium wilt
Reviews of Afen tomatoes, presented directly on the Internet, almost all look in a positive way; first of all, they note the attractive appearance of the ripened fruits. Diseases and pests for these tomatoes are not so terrible. Therefore, every gardener recommends growing tomato bushes of the same variety as Afen in his greenhouse.
Have your tomatoes suffered from Fusarium blight?
Not really
Features of cultivation
The hybrid loves loose soil that can retain moisture well. To obtain good soil, you can dilute the garden soil with turf, add rotted manure, vermicompost, river sand, and special leavening agents such as perlite. The soil is placed in the greenhouse in summer or autumn.
High air humidity increases the incidence of cladosporiosis, so for the Afen f1 hybrid, open planting is a risky business. Growing in unheated greenhouses during a rainy, cool period greatly reduces the chances of a large harvest. Fruits set poorly at low temperatures.
Tomato Pink Paradise F1
Hybrid Pink Paradise F1 was bred in Japan for growing in greenhouses. The average ripening period is 100-120 days after germination. Main characteristics: increased marketability and ease of care. The weight of the fruit is about 150 g. The skin is shiny and quite resistant to cracking.
Pink Paradise F1 shows shelf life, unusual for pink tomatoes, and good transportability. The pulp is relatively dense, sweetish in taste, with four seed chambers.
Harvest these tomatoes slightly unripe, and then the crop will have time to acquire the inherent taste and aroma of the hybrid, and the shelf life will increase significantly.
The application is quite universal, usually salads are made from such tomatoes, but they also turn out excellent when canned. The yield of the hybrid is stated to be high, although some argue that achieving these indicators is not easy. But 2-3 kg per bush with proper care is practically guaranteed.
Pink Paradise F1 bushes are indeterminate (with unlimited growth), they need to use trellises or other supports. You should stop the growth yourself by pinching the top so that all the brushes left on the bush have time to ripen.
Pink Paradise F1 seeds have already been treated with thiram, so there is no need to pickle them in a solution of potassium permanganate and soak them in growth stimulants.
Seeds for seedlings are sown in March, and in May the seedlings are planted in a permanent place. In the southern regions, you can do without a greenhouse, limiting yourself to a film cover on top. Recommended planting frequency: 70x70 cm in a checkerboard pattern.
Tasty and easy to grow, Pink Paradise F1 is recognized by domestic vegetable growers as an excellent promising hybrid.
Landing
Afen f1 is grown through seedlings. Seeds for it are sown in March, after the second leaf they are picked. The seedlings ripen quite quickly; after just 1.5 months, young tomatoes can be planted in a greenhouse, and two months after transplanting, the first fruits will ripen on the bushes. The soil is prepared in advance; it must overwinter.
Plants are planted at the rate of 3-4 bushes per 1m2. Plantings cannot be thickened: the hybrid requires good nutrition, and if there is a lack of micro- and macroelements, the fruits become smaller. When laying beds, you must ensure that there are trellises or other devices for fixing the tomatoes in a vertical position.
Agricultural technology varieties
Bushes are planted at the rate of 3–4 units per 1 square meter. The distance between bushes is 40 cm, the distance between rows is 50 cm.
The indeterminate tomato variety Afen is formed into one stem. To do this, cut off the side shoots - stepchildren, which take away a lot of nutrients. The procedure is carried out once every 10–15 days. Get rid of all the leaves under the lower flowering cluster - this speeds up the formation and ripening of the fruits. To stop growth and direct all forces to the fruits, the top of the main stem is pinched. The action is performed a month before the end of the harvest.
To maintain seedlings in the greenhouse, fertilizing is carried out. 1–2 weeks after planting, spill with the following solution (per 10 liters of water):
- 1 liter of liquid mullein;
- 8 tbsp. l. ash (60 g);
- 25–30 g superphosphate;
- A pinch of manganese and boric acid.
With the beginning of active flowering, tomatoes are supported with complex liquid fertilizer. During the period of formation of ovaries on the bushes, tomatoes are spilled with an ash solution with the addition of boric acid. The mixture is infused for 24 hours, per 10 liters of water take 2 g of boric acid and 2 tbsp. l. ash.
As the fruit grows, the tomatoes are fertilized with liquid sodium humate and superphosphate. A month before harvesting, fertilizing and watering are stopped. Anyone, even a novice gardener, can get a beautiful Afen variety tomato that matches the descriptions and characteristics.
Timing and specifics of planting tomatoes
The timing and technology of planting may vary depending on the place where the seed material will be planted. In greenhouse conditions, tomatoes begin to be grown a little earlier than in an open garden plot.
In greenhouses
Tomatoes are planted in greenhouses in early to mid-March. To sow seeds, you must first purchase commercial soil for early-ripening tomatoes or mix it yourself from turf soil, peat, or sand. Seeds are treated with disinfectants before planting. It is also recommended to pre-soak the seedling material in a nutrient solution (Immunocytophyte) one day before the procedure. Holes are dug in the ground at a distance of 20 cm from each other, seedlings are planted in them, watered with warm water and the soil is carefully compacted.
Before the first shoots appear, it is recommended to cover the tomatoes with film, which will help maintain an acceptable level of humidity. The bushes are watered 2-3 times a week. Gardeners need to monitor the water level in the holes. If it has not had time to be absorbed since the last watering, you will need to wait a few days.
In the open ground
In open garden plots, Debut tomatoes are planted in late March-early April. Seed material is also pre-soaked in nutrient solutions and treated with disinfectants. The soil is mixed with peat and sand and moistened with warm water. After this, they dig holes at a distance of 15-25 cm from each other, plant tomatoes in them and bury them with earth, simultaneously compacting it.
Care to follow seedlings
Tomato seeds must be prepared in advance. Prevention helps to produce healthy and hardy seedlings. The seeds must be placed in a canvas bag and dipped in potassium permanganate emulsoid for 20 minutes. You need to dilute 1 gram of crystals in a glass of water at room temperature.
The next step is to place the bag of seeds in a solution of nitrophoska (mineral fertility granules). It should sit there for 2 hours. To make the seeds resistant to cold and heat, they must be kept warm for one kalpa, and then kept in the cold for two days.
The bottom is scattered over the containers, where it is moistened and compacted. Then the seeds are planted. They should be present 2 cm from each other and at a depth of 1.5 cm. Give you the sprouted seeds, cover the tray with soil with polyethylene film. It is recommended to place it in a place where the sun often shines.
Seedlings need to be groomed as follows:
- Water every 1-2 weeks. What happens depends on the condition of the soil surface.
- Stick to the temperature regime. This is a particularly important point. Sprouts will sprout faster if the environment is less than 16 degrees Celsius in the first week, no word all the following weeks - below 20 degrees.
- Pick up the seedlings until 3 leaves appear.
- Feed the seedlings after transplantation with nitrophoska. Ball – 15 grams per bucket of water.
- A week before transferring the sprouts to greenhouse conditions, each bush should be bruised with boric acid.
How to care
Experienced gardeners advise watering Fenda tomatoes every 4-5 days until the flowering period, and after that - twice as often. It is not recommended to pour water on the leaves. Hybrid plants need to be moistened at the root, in the morning. When removing stepchildren, the “stumps” should be preserved in order to prevent overgrowth. This is necessary for the normal development of the main trunk and brushes on which the fruits will form.
The Fenda F1 tomato was created by breeders with the goal of obtaining large yields, and therefore, plants take nutrients from the soil faster than all known varieties. Of course, for this reason, it is worth adding fertilizers to the soil in the garden bed more often. However, it is not recommended to exceed their norm in this situation. It is quite possible to compensate for the lack of nutrients only by increasing the frequency of fertilizing. According to reviews, the Fenda tomato produces a good harvest with foliar application of fertilizers.
Let us clarify what nutrients are added to the soil to improve the growth of the hybrid and accelerate the process of fruit ripening:
- Potassium. It is able to increase the growth of the root system, promotes the normal transport of water and nutrients along the stems, and accelerates the accumulation of carbohydrates. Potassium is directly involved in the synthesis of vitamin C. When a sufficient amount of potassium fertilizer is applied, the fruits of the Fenda tomato become brighter and more aromatic, and are able to maintain excellent taste for a long time. Hybrid varieties, for example, Fenda F1, consume several times more potassium nutrient mixtures than conventional varieties require.
- Phosphorus. This component is important for the normal ripening of fruits, the growth of stems and seeds. With a lack of phosphorus, shoot growth is delayed, the color crumbles or does not appear at all.
- Nitrogen. Thanks to this element, the growth of the bush increases and the tops turn a rich green color. If you do not calculate the proportions and add more nitrogen to the soil, then the plant will “fatten” - all the nutrition will be spent on the development of stems and foliage.
Advice: when fertilizing, it is important to maintain the proportions of fertilizer application so that there is 4 times more potassium than nitrogen
