The Tsar's Branch tomato is one of those crop varieties whose cultivation does not cause any particular difficulties even for novice gardeners. Recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia in open ground and film greenhouses. This species is characterized by high productivity and early fruiting. To achieve maximum performance from the variety, you need to plant it correctly and follow simple care recommendations.
Tsar's branch is a compact variety that can be grown even on the balcony
Description of the tomato variety Tsarskaya Vetka with photo
This tomato is a natural variety; the seeds collected from the harvest are suitable for further sowing. The royal branch is a determinate species, so the growth of the bush is limited. The height of tomatoes in open ground reaches 70 cm, and in greenhouses 90 cm. The shoots are strong, strong, and erect. However, under the weight of numerous fruits, they bend to the ground. Therefore, it is recommended to tie the bushes to a support. The plants are sparsely leafy, which promotes uniform ripening of tomatoes.
The leaves of the Royal branch are of standard size and shape, dark green. The inflorescences are simple, the stalk has an articulation. The first fruit cluster grows between 3-4 leaves, and subsequently forms after two. Each of them produces 6-7 fruits.
Important! This variety does not require pinching.
Tsarskaya Vetka tomatoes have a high content of beta-carotene
This tomato is early ripening. The harvest ripens 3-3.5 months after the appearance of friendly shoots. Its fruits are round, uniform in the cluster, with slight ribbing on the surface. When tomatoes ripen, they initially turn yellow and then turn orange. Average weight 90-100 g.
Each tomato has 3-4 seed chambers. The pulp is moderately dense and juicy. The taste of tomatoes is sweetish. And even in cool, short summer conditions, they do not become sour. The skin is dense and durable. Even with high humidity, tomatoes retain their integrity. The variety is resistant to shedding. The crop easily tolerates transportation and is able to retain its consumer qualities for 2-3 weeks when kept cool.
The fruiting period of the Royal branch lasts about 2-3 weeks
Characteristics and description of the variety
A tomato worthy of a royal table ripens early: neat round fruits appear 105-110 days after the first shoots “hatched”.
Tomato bushes are low, up to 90 cm, but due to the abundance of brushes (6-7 on each bush) and fruits on them, they need support. Tomatoes are smooth, round, elegant orange in the phase of full ripeness. Beta-carotene (the pigment that colors it orange) appears in tomatoes gradually - first, the fruits turn from light green to yellow, and only then they take on a golden-orange tone that is pleasing to the eye.
Attention! Beta-carotene not only makes tomatoes decorative, but also has a positive effect on taste.
The tomato variety was included in the State Register relatively recently (in 2011), and is recommended for cultivation in greenhouses and under film covers.
According to ripening time | By type of growth | By type of use | By growing method | Fruit weight (g) | Productivity (kg/m2) | Ripe fruit color | Fetal characteristics |
| Early ripe, 105-110 days | Determinant, 70-90 cm | Universal | For film greenhouses and open ground | 90-110 | 8-9 kg | Orange | Round shape, weak ribbing, 3-4 slots |
Characteristics of the Tsar's Branch tomato
To assess the level of productivity of the Tsarskaya Vetka tomato, you need to familiarize yourself with its characteristics. This will make it possible to compare performance with other types of crops.
Tomato yield Tsar's branch
The variety belongs to the high-yielding category. From one bush you can collect up to 4 kg of fruit. The yield of marketable tomatoes at the Tsarskaya branch is 85-92%.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Thanks to its early ripening, the Tsarskaya Vetka tomato yields before the massive appearance of late blight. The variety is also resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and other common fungal diseases of the crop.
Among the pests, the Colorado potato beetle can annoy Tsar's branch plantings at an early stage of development.
How to use
This tomato belongs to the category of universal. The harvest is suitable for fresh consumption and further processing. The small size of tomatoes allows them to be used for whole-fruit canning. Yellow Tsar's Branch tomatoes look appetizing in jars.
Important! During heat treatment, the fruit pulp does not lose its consistency.
Features of agricultural technology and reviews from farmers
By following the simple growing rules recommended by the manufacturer, you can get a truly royal harvest.
- the ideal time for sowing Tsar's Branch tomato seeds for seedlings is the third ten days of March;
- picking after the appearance of 1-2 true leaves;
- if you plan to plant seedlings under film, then this should be done in mid-May;
- for transferring seedlings to open ground, the most favorable days will be the beginning of June, when 5-7 true leaves are formed;
- landing pattern - 50x40.
We described in detail how to properly transplant bushes into a garden bed in this article.
The review of tomato crops will be supplemented by reviews from those who have already grown the Tsar’s Branch on their plots and were able to fully appreciate the variety.
Elena from Tula writes that at first her attention was attracted by the photo of this tomato on a bag of seeds, and only then she assessed its characteristics. I decided to plant it in my garden and was right – I got a good harvest (3-4 kg from each bush). She claims that she collected tomatoes until the last days of September.
Konstantin Egorovich from Gdansk decided to go against the advice of the variety’s producers and removed the side shoots on the bushes, which he recommends to other gardeners.
Galina from the Smolensk region was surprised by the fact that already ripe tomatoes were difficult to separate from the branches. It was necessary, she writes, to cut it off at the stalk with scissors. Otherwise, if you pull the fruit, as a summer resident does with other tomatoes, not only the stalk, but also a piece of the tomato remains on the bush. But Galina sees this as a plus of the variety - the tomatoes tenaciously hold on to the brushes and do not fall off when there is gusts of wind.
Varvara Leonidovna from Ivanovo shares that she has been growing this sunny tomato for the 4th year in a row, and loves the variety for its unpretentiousness and consistently rich harvest. The summer resident claims that she purchased the seeds only once and uses her own seed material in subsequent seasons.
It is possible that after getting acquainted with this easy-to-grow, but inherently noble tomato, the royal orange fruits will decorate your garden.
Advantages and disadvantages
This type of crop has many advantages, which is why gardeners choose it. But the Tsar's branch also has certain disadvantages that should not be ignored.
Tomato varieties have a rich aroma
Main advantages:
- high productivity;
- excellent taste;
- increased content of vitamins;
- resistance to cracking and shedding;
- high natural immunity;
- suitability for transportation and storage;
- versatility of use;
- marketability;
- friendly ripening of tomatoes;
- fruit uniformity.
Flaws:
- short fruiting period;
- needs to be tied to a support;
- requires regular feeding.
The nuances of growing a variety
According to reviews from vegetable growers who grow this variety with seeds for seedlings, seed material should be planted at home approximately two months before the planned planting of young plants in the beds.
There are no special recommendations for growing this variety in garden beds - all care comes down to regular watering and fertilizing, loosening the soil and removing weeds. A certain distance should be maintained when planting seedlings in beds - 3-4 bushes are planted per 1 m². Those who planted this vegetable plant more often created difficulties for themselves in caring for the tomato, as well as difficulties in harvesting.
Features of planting and care
Experienced gardeners recommend growing the Tsarskaya Vetka variety in seedlings. This allows you to get the harvest two weeks earlier. By the time of transplantation into open ground or a greenhouse, the age of the seedlings should be 55-60 days. Therefore, sowing in containers should be done in mid-March.
Important! It is not recommended to delay transplanting to a permanent place, as this negatively affects the further development of plants.
The germination rate of the seeds of the Royal Branch is high. Friendly sprouts appear 5-7 days after planting at a temperature of +23 -25 °C. And when 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings should be planted in separate containers.
Tsar's branch seedlings should be planted in a greenhouse at the end of April or at the beginning of the next month, and in open ground - in the last ten days of May. But weather conditions should also be taken into account. For rapid adaptation of plants, it is necessary that the soil warms up to a temperature of + 15 ° C to a depth of 20 cm. When planting, seedlings need to be buried down to the first pair of leaves, which will allow them to grow a strong root system.
The recommended planting pattern is four tomatoes per 1 square meter. m
Tomato Tsarskaya Vetka needs moderate watering. Moistening should be carried out at the root so that water does not fall on the leaves. When growing in greenhouses, the temperature must not rise above +32 °C, since in this case the tomato pollen becomes sterile. Therefore, greenhouses need to be ventilated regularly.
After replanting, the Tsar's branch bushes need to be fertilized three times a season. The first time fertilizing is carried out when the seedlings adapt and begin to grow. During this period, it is recommended to use mullein 1:10 or chicken manure 1:15.
In the future, fertilizers must be applied at the stage of ovary formation and fruit ripening. At this time, the use of phosphorus-potassium mineral mixtures is relevant. You can also use a hood based on wood ash. To do this, you need to pour 200 g of the component into 1 liter of hot water and leave for a day. After time, strain the solution and bring the total volume of liquid to 10 liters. After this, pour it over the tomatoes, pouring 1 liter under each bush.
Features of cultivation
Like most tomatoes, the Tsar's branch is grown in seedlings. Seed material can be purchased or prepared independently. Seeds for seedlings are sown in February - the first half of March, since by the time they are planted in the ground they should be about 2 months old. Cassettes, containers, cups and other containers are suitable for sowing. To ensure adequate nutrition of seeds, fertile soil is required, light and loose to the soil. It is best to use a ready-made soil mixture, but you can prepare it yourself by adding peat and humus to the garden soil.
When growing tomato seedlings, I always try to use separate large containers to avoid picking the seedlings and to give the roots more space. Even when using purchased soil, I always add a little river sand and complex fertilizers in granules. When I grow tomatoes on the balcony, I plant the seeds directly in a bucket. According to my observations, the larger the container with soil, the larger both the bush and the fruits themselves are. I feed indoor tomato bushes only with the Agricola complex for tomatoes and peppers 3 times a season.
Seeds must be prepared for sowing - select full-fledged seeds by soaking, then disinfect them (for example, with potassium permanganate) and treat them with growth stimulants. The use of aloe juice allows for both disinfection and stimulation.
Aloe juice is a good disinfectant and also a growth stimulator.
Treated seeds are placed in moistened soil to a depth of 1.5–2 cm, covered with soil and covered with film to create a greenhouse effect. Seeds placed in a dark room begin to grow in 3–5 days. Then the film is removed, and the sprouted seeds are placed in the most illuminated room and grown at a temperature of 22–25 oC. If necessary, the seedlings are additionally illuminated, for which it is better to use phytolamps.
Phytolamps are specially designed for lighting plants, as they create the necessary type of spectrum
Caring for seedlings is not difficult - moderate watering is required as the soil dries and 1-2 feedings with Kemira-Lux, Krepysh or Mortar. If the seeds were sown in boxes or cassettes, picking is necessary when 2 true leaves appear.
Pest and disease control
The Tsar's Branch tomato does not particularly need to be treated with fungicides. But in the event of a cool, rainy summer, the bushes should be sprayed for preventive purposes. For this you can use Revus or Ridomil Gold. The frequency of treatment is once every 2-3 weeks.
Important! When repeating applications, fungicides should be alternated to prevent pathogens from becoming accustomed.
To protect seedlings from the Colorado potato beetle, you need to water them after transplanting them to a permanent place with Aktara’s working solution at the rate of 200 ml for each.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Let's note the main advantages of the Tsarskaya Vetka variety:
- high level of productivity;
- the bushes are very compact;
- the fruits ripen very early and quite uniformly;
- plants do not need pinching;
- The variety is resistant to viral diseases such as late blight and tobacco mosaic.
It should be noted that there are quite a few negative reviews about this variety.
If you follow the recommendations given by experienced vegetable growers, then it is necessary to plant planting material 55-65 days before planting the plants in the ground in a permanent place.
There are no special tips and recommendations that would distinguish planting tomatoes of this variety from other hybrids. They, like other varieties, need to be regularly watered and fed. The soil needs to be loosened and weeds must be removed. It is recommended to plant no more than 3-4 plants per square meter. If the bushes are planted quite densely, this will lead to difficulties in care, and this can also be a problem when harvesting ripe tomatoes.
