A large-fruited variety with a pleasant taste - the Akulina tomato and a step-by-step guide to growing it

Description of the variety

The Akulina tomato is an early-ripening variety bred by biologists of the Research Institute for Breeding Vegetable Crops and the Gavrish Agrofirm. The variety was included in the State Register of Russia in 2011. The culture is intended for cultivation in film greenhouses and in open ground.

Determinate bushes with a limited growth point reach 80 cm in height and do not require pinching or shaping. Clusters of fruit are tied to wooden stakes for support.

The photo shows the fruits of the Akulina variety.

The table shows its main characteristics.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Included in the register in 2011. Recommended for cultivation in all regions. The variety was developed by the breeding company Gavrish and the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing in Protected Soil (Moscow).

The variety is early ripening, 110-118 days pass from entry to fruiting. The stem is of a determinate type, the plants stop growing on their own when they reach a height of 80 cm. The leaves are small, light green, the inflorescence is simple.

Tomato fruits are round, slightly flattened, with slightly pronounced ribs. The flesh is firm, the skin is durable. When ripe, the fruits are bright red, with glossy barrels, and look appetizing and attractive. Each tomato has from 4 to 6 nests.

Akulina is notable for its fruit size, which is unusual for early-ripening tomatoes - up to 200 g.

The variety is suitable for fresh salads and homemade preparations. The taste is good. The fruits have a high content of dry matter and sugar.

How to grow seedlings

Akulina tomato is grown using the seedling method. Sowing is carried out in the last ten days of February - the first ten days of March, 50-60 days before transferring to a permanent place.

Seed preparation

Varietal seeds need to be disinfected and soaked in germination stimulants. This rule especially applies to seeds collected by hand from previously grown tomatoes.

To begin with, the seed material is soaked for 10 minutes in a saline solution (1 tsp per 250 ml of water). Empty grains, unsuitable for germination, rise to the surface. High-quality material remains at the bottom of the glass. These seeds are washed with warm running water and poured with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30-60 minutes.

To protect seeds from mold and rot, use the drug “Baikal EM” (5 drops of liquid per 200 ml of settled water). The seeds are wrapped in gauze and immersed in the solution. The holding time is two hours. The seeds are not washed, dried on a napkin and sown.

To speed up germination, seeds are treated with the preparations “Radifarm”, “Epin Extra”, “Heteroauxin”, “Biostim”.

Container and soil

Seedlings are grown in fertile and loose soil. For this purpose, a ready-made substrate from the store or a mixture prepared at home is suitable. In a large bucket, mix 70% earth, 15% river sand, wood ash or peat, 15% humus.

Plastic trays, containers, and seedling cassettes are suitable as containers. Drainage holes are made in the bottom to drain excess water.

In practice, the second method of growing seedlings is often used - without picking. Seeds are sown in individual plastic or peat cups with a volume of 300 ml.

Advantages of the method:

• no need for transplantation;
• seedlings do not experience unnecessary stress;
• a strong root system is formed;
• there is no risk of infection spreading to neighboring seedlings.

Before sowing, the soil and containers are disinfected in the oven, microwave, steamer, or treated with Fitosporin. After this, the soil is watered and left for two weeks.

Sowing

Containers are filled 2/3 with prepared soil and lightly compacted. The seeds are laid out to a depth of 1.5 cm at a distance of 2 cm. Watered with a syringe and covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. The containers are moved to a warm place without direct sunlight.

Growing and care

When the first shoots appear, the containers are placed on a sunny windowsill. Daylight hours are at least 16 hours. If there is a lack of lighting, the seedlings are illuminated with a phytolamp.

Watering is moderate, 2-3 times every 10 days, after the top layer has dried. The sprouts are sprayed with a spray bottle once a week.

Sentsy is taken out to the balcony for 15-30 minutes, when the average daytime temperature reaches +10 °C. The hardening procedure increases resistance to temperature changes in open ground or under film cover.

Before the seedlings are transferred to the soil, they are fertilized twice with mineral complexes.

For the first feeding, dissolve in 1 liter of water:

• urea – 0.5 g;
• potassium salt – 1.5 g;
• superphosphate – 4 g.

For the second feeding, dissolve in 1 liter of water:

• superphosphate – 4 g;
• ammonium nitrate – 0.6 g;
• potassium sulfate – 2 g.

The break between feedings is 2-3 weeks.

Features of cultivation and storage

Before sowing, the seeds are treated in the Baikal EM preparation - 5 drops of liquid per 200 ml of water. The water must be free of chlorine - the preparation contains beneficial microorganisms that will die in chlorinated liquid. Namely, they must protect the seeds in the soil from mold and rot.

Treatment of tomato seeds with Baikal EM:

1. the seeds are wrapped in cotton cloth and immersed in the solution;
2. stand for 1-2 hours;
3. without washing, dry until flowable and sow.

The fruits of the plant are well transported and stored. Due to their dense flesh, they tolerate transportation well and do not become stained or dent.

Agricultural technology of tomatoes

The rules for cultivating the Akulina variety are not particularly complicated. The bushes do not need pinching or shaping. Plants prefer moderate watering in combination with soil mulching and the application of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Landing

Seedlings are planted in prepared soil:

• in the fall, remove the remains of plants and dig up the ground;
• fertilize with humus (10 l per 1 m²);
• in the spring, the ground is dug up again and fed with humus (10 liters per 1 m²);
• the soil is disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate (50 g/10 l).

To plant bushes, choose a site on the south side, without drafts. Tomatoes grow best in light, sandy loam soil. The holes are prepared in advance - dug at a depth of 20 cm and filled with boiling water.

Seedlings are planted according to a 40x50 cm pattern, 4-5 bushes per 1 m². Garter stakes are dug in nearby.

Advice. To get a high yield, plant tomatoes in the area where you previously grew zucchini, cabbage, dill, parsley, onions, and carrots.

Care

Rules for caring for Akulina tomatoes:

1. Moderate watering with warm settled or rain water at the root - 1-2 times a week, or installing drip irrigation.
2. Regular loosening and weeding of beds to remove weeds.
3. Mulching with straw, peat, pine needles, sawdust.
4. Removing dry and yellowed leaves.

Tomatoes are fertilized at least twice during the entire growing season:

1. A week after planting in the ground, to stimulate growth, the plants are watered with a urea solution (5 g/10 l per 1 m²).
2. During flowering and formation of ovaries - azofoska solution (10 g/10 l per 1 m²).

Ready-made organic fertilizers (Pixa, Virmix) and mineral fertilizers (Kemira, Mortar) are especially popular among gardeners. The products have a balanced composition, eliminating the need to mix the components yourself. The packaging indicates the proportions and frequency of their use.

Diseases and pests

The Akulina variety is immune to Fusarium wilt and verticillium at the genetic level. Farmers note the resistance of tomatoes to cladosporiosis and late blight.

However, preventive measures will not hurt:

• compliance with crop rotation rules;
• regular ventilation of greenhouses;
• soil treatment with copper sulfate;
• disinfection of seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate;
• normalization of humidity in the greenhouse;
• compliance with watering standards;
• mulching the soil with straw, sawdust, pine needles, agrofibre;
• removing the lower leaves;
• treatment (twice a month) with the preparations “Integral”, “Fitosporin M”.

Tomato bushes are most often attacked by the Colorado potato beetle, spider mite, and whitefly. The following insecticides are most effective: “Decis Profi”, “Strela”, “Confidor”, “Flumite”, “Borneo”, “Fitoverm”, “Iskra”.

To combat the gnawing cutworm use:

• biological agent "Lepidocid";
• universal contact preparation “Decis Expert”;
• insecticide "Proclam".

Folk remedies against insect pests:

• infusion of garlic arrows (400 g of raw material, pour 3 liters of water, leave for five days, filter and add 50 g of soap shavings);
• wormwood decoction (600 g of herb is poured into 5 liters of boiling water, left for 3-4 days and the concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10);
• universal infusion (50 g of celandine, 70 g of tobacco shag, 50 g of wormwood, 150 g of chopped garlic, pour 10 liters of boiling water, leave for 25 hours, then mix in 25 g of laundry soap shavings).

Reference. Folk remedies are used to spray plants every two weeks.

Features of growing Akulina tomatoes, planting and care

sowing the seeds of this tomato for seedlings 55-60 days before the intended planting in the ground . When planting seedlings in a permanent place per 1 sq. per meter of plot, it is recommended to place up to 4 plants (when grown without pinching) or up to 6 plants with the formation of a bush up to the first cluster.

After looking at the selection of Tomato Seeds from collectors and seeing catalogs of private owners with photos and descriptions, you can choose the most interesting and productive varieties of tomatoes. Reviews from gardeners will also help you with this. Enjoy watching.

Further care for tomatoes consists of timely watering, fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizer, weed removal and preventive measures to protect against diseases and pests.

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

If you grew Akulina tomatoes, please write whether you liked them or not. What was the yield and taste of the fruits like under your climatic conditions? How do you rate the disease resistance of this variety? If possible, attach a photo of the entire bush or individual fruits you grew to your comment. Thank you!

Your reviews of the Akulina tomato and additions to the description will help many gardeners evaluate this variety objectively and decide whether it is worth planting or not.

The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse

In Russia, the Akulina tomato is cultivated almost everywhere:

• in the southern regions of the country the crop is grown in open ground;
• in the middle zone - under film covers or in greenhouses without heating;
• in the north - in heated glass greenhouses.

Due to its short stature and early ripening, the variety is grown on balconies in large pots.

There are no particular differences in plant care depending on where they grow. A garter is used for all growing methods so that the stems do not break and the fruits do not come into contact with the ground.

When cultivating in a greenhouse or balcony, the room is regularly ventilated and the humidity level is controlled.

Harvesting and application

The fruits begin to be harvested at the stage of full ripeness at the end of July. Due to their high sugar content, tomatoes have excellent taste and are suitable for preparing salads, appetizers, sauces, pasta, juice, soups, and vegetable caviar. The thick skin does not crack when treated with hot marinades, which makes it possible to preserve tomatoes.

Tomatoes are distinguished by their keeping quality and retain their presentation when stored in the cellar for up to 20 days. You can extend the shelf life by collecting the fruits along with the stalk.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the variety:

• high productivity;
• wonderful taste;
• resistance to major tomato diseases;
• ease of care;
• possibility of transportation over long distances;
• keeping quality;
• universal use in cooking;
• Possibility of growing in the garden and greenhouse.

Flaws:

• need for garter;
• when grown in regions with cold climates, it needs shelter.

Reviews

Reviews from gardeners about the Akulina variety are mostly positive.

Alla, Krasnodar: “Disease-resistant variety, does not require special care. Low-growing bushes do not need pinching. I only tie up fruit clusters. The tomato ripens early and has high yields.”

Alevtina, Roslavl: “Growing tomatoes is not difficult, and the yield is always pleasing. The fruits are large, bright red, slightly ribbed. The taste is sweet. The pulp is fleshy and juicy, ideal for fresh salads.”

Alexander, Liski: “I got acquainted with the variety last year. We have never had such juicy and meaty tomatoes. We use the fruits for winter preparations, cook tomato sauce and lecho. It’s easy to care for plants, just water and feed them moderately.”

Description of the Akulina tomato variety, its characteristics and yield

Tomato "Akulina" is a mid-season determinate large-fruited tomato variety intended for cultivation in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.

Features of cultivation

The plant is low-growing, growing up to 80 cm in height. A garter to the support is optional, but it won’t be superfluous. Partial pinching is also required.

Seedlings are sown 55-60 days before planting in a permanent place. On one square per meter of land, it is recommended to place no more than 4 bushes. The first ripe fruits appear 110-120 days after germination. The yield of the variety, subject to agricultural technology, reaches 3.5-6 kg per plant.

Caring for tomatoes includes the following activities:

• Regular watering with warm water;
• Timely weeding and loosening of the soil;
• Preventive measures aimed at protecting against diseases;
• Fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers (preferably based on potassium and phosphorus).

Fruit characteristics

The fruits of the Akulina tomato are flat-round, glossy, deep red, with dense skin. They weigh 150-200 g and have a good taste. These tomatoes are suitable for fresh consumption, canning and other processing methods.

The best predecessors of the Akulina tomato are carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, cauliflower, and herbs.

Pros of tomato

Experts highlight several advantages of the Akulina variety. These include:

• high productivity;
• excellent marketability and taste of fruits;
• resistance to major tomato diseases, in particular fusarium and verticillium;
• good transportability;
• long shelf life.

Reviews

Akulina tomatoes quickly became leaders in sales, thanks to their ease of cultivation and excellent taste. You can learn more about them by reading the gardeners' assessments below.

1. I found the characteristics and description of the Akulina tomato variety on one well-known website for gardeners. The information interested me, and I planted 6 bushes in the greenhouse. The opinion about the tomato was positive. He is unpretentious and non-capricious. Caring for him is a real pleasure. As for the harvest, my 6 bushes produced 30 kg of large, ripe, juicy tomatoes that taste great. I definitely recommend this variety to all summer residents. (Vladimir Alexandrovich, Nizhny Novgorod region, Tonashevo village)
2. I can only leave positive reviews about this tomato. It is not at all difficult to grow, and the yield is very pleasing. The tomatoes are healthy, bright red, slightly ribbed. They turned out to be simply ideal for fresh salads. Also perfect for homemade preparations. Next year I will plant again and more. I also recommended it to all my friends. (Alevtina Vasilievna, Samara)
3. We met Akulina only this year and are very happy about it. We have probably never had such juicy and meaty tomatoes. Both whole fruits and slices are suitable for rolling into jars. We also made tomato sauce and lecho. It turned out very tasty. In addition, they are bright and beautiful to look at and have become an excellent decoration for our greenhouse. (Alexandra Fedorovna, Vologda region, Cherepovets)