What is good about the Raspberry Empire tomato and how to grow it yourself - a practical guide

Raspberry Empire F1 is an early ripening hybrid for salad purposes with tasty bright fruits. Like all hybrids, it is resistant to diseases and deviations from optimal growing conditions.

Hybrid information

The tomato was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2022. It is suitable for growing in film-type greenhouses and open ground in the southern regions. The manufacturer is young but successful. The hybrid has managed to firmly occupy a leadership position - despite the fact that it only recently appeared on the market.

The Raspberry Empire tomato has a significant advantage over other varieties: it has high genetically determined protection against root and blossom end rot and brown spot.

Tomato Raspberry Empire: characteristics and description of the variety

This early ripening indeterminate tomato impresses with its performance.

Reference. Indeterminate (tall) tomato hybrids have no restrictions on stem growth. The photo shows what a rich harvest can be obtained from one bush.

Advantages and disadvantages of tomatoes

Culture has many advantages:

• pleasant taste and refined aroma;
• high yield when grown in greenhouses and open ground;
• resistance to pests, which is formed during processing;
• thin and at the same time dense skin, which allows you to transport tomatoes over long distances;
• tender pulp;
• long-term storage;
• the possibility of year-round cultivation in greenhouses subject to certain conditions.

The cultivation process is complicated by some shortcomings of the hybrid:

• tall indeterminate bushes require constant care and formation;
• the need for constant fertilizing of the soil and abundant watering;
• instability to sub-zero temperatures does not make it possible to grow the hybrid in the northern regions in open areas;
• Fleshy fruits are not suitable for making tomato juice.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• exceptionally high yield;
• genetic immunity to a number of diseases;
• precocity;
• attractive presentation;
• universal purpose.

Minuses:

• unlimited stem growth, which requires special care from the gardener;
• To get a large harvest you need a greenhouse; in open ground, half as much fruit is harvested.

Despite its rich taste and large fruit, tomatoes cannot be processed into juice. Its pulp contains an extremely high amount of dry matter - the juice will be too thick, similar to puree.

Growing and care

Raspberry Empire tomatoes are grown using seedlings. Planting in the ground is carried out at the age of 70 days. Ideal conditions occur in late spring, so you can start sowing seeds in the third decade of March.

Seed preparation

Additional disinfectant treatment of seeds before sowing is not carried out. The manufacturer has already taken care of this.

Experienced farmers advise soaking the seeds for 12-15 hours to saturate them with oxygen. Then the water is drained and laid out on a damp cloth or paper towel.

The next step is to germinate the seeds. To do this, they are placed in a closed plastic container and placed in a warm place for two days. Why are such manipulations needed? The seeds are treated with special substances that prevent germination. Pre-soaking allows you to “wake up” the seed and increase germination. As soon as the seeds hatch, they are sown in the ground.

Growing seedlings

Pour damp soil into the seedling cups and make 2 cm depressions, throw the seeds into them and sprinkle with soil.

Keep the seedlings in a well-lit area. Water regularly, do not allow the soil to dry out. The first shoots will appear in seven days.

Don't forget about picking tomatoes. This will allow you to obtain seedlings with a strong root system. Start the process after the third leaf appears. Prepare fertile soil for planting seedlings:

• vermicompost – 3 parts;
• river sand - two parts;
• neutralized peat - one part;
• perlite - one part.

Pour a little mixture into 1 liter pots, remove the seedlings from the cups without shaking off the soil, and immerse them in the container. Fill with the remaining soil.

After 65-70 days from the moment of sowing, you will receive seedlings 20-25 cm high.

Monitoring seedlings will help to timely determine the lack of nutrients:

1. Old leaves turn yellow, which means there is not enough nitrogen.
2. Holes with yellow edges appeared on the leaves - there is not enough potassium.
3. Phosphate deficiency is indicated by the death of old leaves.
4. The leaves lighten and dark veins appear - add magnesium.
5. Completely yellowed leaves indicate a lack of iron.
6. New leaves are white or yellow - the plant needs nitrogen.

Growing rules

Hybrid Raspberry Empire is planted in loose, moist soil.
Acidity level – 7 pH. Before planting, it is recommended to disinfect the soil. The soil should not be treated with chemicals. Temperature – 12-15 °C. Plant no more than two stems per 1 square meter at intervals of 30-50 cm. Inspect the seedlings, remove dry yellowed leaves. The best time for planting is evening or cloudy day. The day before, fill the wells with a hot concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.

After planting, mulch the soil with straw, bark, wood chips or peat. Fertilize and water the plants on time if you want to achieve high yields.

The formation of the trunk begins in early summer. Excess shoots are broken off and those that appeared above the last flowering are left. The manipulation is performed every 10 days. First, healthy stepsons are removed, then sick ones. This speeds up ripening by two weeks.

Features of care

Raspberry Empire tomatoes do not tolerate waterlogging, especially if moisture gets on the leaves and stems. Therefore, watering is carried out strictly at the root. The optimal method in which the plant cannot be overwatered is a drip system. If you plan to water by hand, use a watering can without a sieve.

Reference. During flowering, water the tomatoes once a week, keeping the proportions - 12 l/1 m².

Raspberry Empire tomatoes are ideal for growing in a greenhouse. Such conditions make it possible to create a favorable microclimate, maintaining the air temperature at +24 °C and humidity at 60%. The stems are tied to the frame of the greenhouse.

Planting in open ground requires more intensive plant care:

• removing the lower leaves and stepsons to form a bush;
• tying to high supports;
• timely soil moisture.

Feeding schedule:

To get a rich harvest from the bush, five or six clusters of fruiting clusters with 2-3 leaves at the top are left on it. Feeding is carried out every 10 days. During the period of fruit ripening, the concentration of the solution is increased.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

To grow seedlings, you need high-quality seeds from a trusted supplier.

Did you know? Hybrid

"
f1
"
cannot be grown from self-collected seeds.
To get a tomato with the appropriate characteristics, you need to buy seed again from the manufacturer. This hybrid was bred by Russian agro.

Optimal timing

Seedlings are prepared 60–65 days before transplanting into a greenhouse or open bed. The exact sowing time depends on the region and the ability to use additional lighting. The average date is mid-March.

Soil mixture

A large selection of soil mixtures for growing seedlings is available in shopping and garden centers. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, it is necessary to carry out preliminary disinfection of the soil collected in the garden or other place.

There are several ways to destroy possible sources of diseases and pests:

• pour in a solution of potassium permanganate;
• expose to water vapor for 7–8 minutes followed by cooling;
• leave for 30 minutes in the oven at +70°C–+90°C;
• freeze and let thaw (repeat the procedure 2-3 times). The temperature in the cold should be –15°C––20°C, and the ground should thaw within 3–5 days.

The selected soil should not contain clay, pieces of roots and sticks.
To obtain seedling soil, mix one part of cultivated soil, peat, rotted sawdust and humus. We recommend reading about such tomato varieties as “Oxheart” and “Sugar Bison”.
Fertilizers are added to the bucket of the resulting mixture:

• a teaspoon of urea;
• a tablespoon of potassium sulfate;
• three tablespoons of superphosphate.

The finished soil is thoroughly mixed and compacted.

Growing container

The optimal container for seedlings is ready-made plastic or peat containers with a transparent lid that will not touch the ground. Such a shelter will provide a greenhouse microclimate favorable for seed germination. If there is no lid, you can use glass or film.

Seed preparation

The first rejection consists of inspecting the seed and removing damaged seeds. Further:

• soak in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds that have sunk to the bottom are tested for germination;
• Soak selected seeds in “Epin-extra”, “Zircon” or “Kornevin”, which are modern growth stimulants.

Treatment with potassium permanganate is also disinfection.
Find out also about the features of using copper wire against late blight.

Sowing seeds

Sowing is carried out according to the standard scheme to a depth of 1–1.5 cm. The first watering with warm water is done from a spray bottle to avoid washing out the seed with a stream of water. Then you need to close the container with a lid and put it in a warm place.

The tomato germinates in 7-10 days. Until this point, the lid is opened only to spray dried soil. If condensation appears on the walls, it must be removed.

Seedling care

Sprouted tomatoes are placed in a well-lit place at a temperature of +15°C–+16°C, and then it is raised again to room temperature.

For healthy seedlings it is necessary to provide:

• careful watering by spraying warm water under the roots;
• no waterlogging;
• good lighting.

When the sprout shows 2 true leaves, the plant needs to be transplanted to a new location.
This process is called diving. Did you know? It is believed that replanting with cutting off the main root by one third stimulates the growth of the lateral root system. This method provides the future plant with better nutrition.

When planting, the seedling is buried down to the cotyledon leaves. Watering after picking should be moderate.

Fertilizing of seedlings is carried out in case of obvious lack of nutrients, which can be judged by the appearance of the plants:

• lack of potassium is manifested by leaf wrinkling;
• lack of phosphorus is visible by purple veins on the stems and lower parts of the leaves;
• yellowing and falling of the lower leaves is a signal of nitrogen deficiency.

The first feeding can be done 10 days after the dive, and the next one – after 2 weeks.

Hardening of seedlings

To prevent the seedlings from being subjected to too much stress in their permanent location, they begin to prepare them for new conditions in advance. The hardening process begins 7–10 days before transplantation.

The plants are taken out into the open air, first for half an hour, and then the time is increased to full daylight. It is necessary to monitor the temperature: the minimum mark for tomatoes is +8°C. The place chosen for the procedure should not be in a draft and should not be illuminated by direct rays of the sun. For hardening at home, you can use a balcony with open windows.

Diseases and pests

The hybrid is susceptible to late blight, which can be combated with folk remedies and fungicides.

An excess of nitrogen in the soil and uncontrolled watering lead to a decrease in yield. The crop is susceptible to attack by various insects: aphids, mole crickets, chafer beetles (larvae), midges and worms. Traps and treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate or garlic help control pests.

Garlic infusion recipe:

• pass the peeled garlic through a press, add water in equal proportions;
• leave to infuse for two weeks;
• Before spraying, strain and add water in a ratio of 1:5.

Distinctive features of the hybrid

Among the early ripening varieties, Raspberry Empire is distinguished. When writing a description of a vegetable crop, it is noted that the variety has:

• the bush reaches a height of up to one and a half meters and above;
• fruiting occurs 95-110 days after the appearance of the first shoots;
• up to ten or more pink fruits without a green spot are formed on the clusters;
• the weight of heart-shaped tomatoes reaches 100 - 150 grams;
• high resistance of the hybrid to crown and root rot, brown spot;
• The tomato yield ranges from eighteen to twenty kilograms per square meter of planting.

Harvest volume and application

Hybrid Raspberry Empire – early ripening. The first harvest appears three months after sowing the seeds. The fruits ripen in clusters. From one bush you can collect up to 5 kg. In greenhouse conditions, the yield is high and amounts to 20 kg/1 m2. On open ground - 30% less.

Tomatoes actively bear fruit in the summer. By autumn, the yield decreases, and the fruits are harvested up to three times a week.

The appearance of pink ripeness on the fruits signals the need for harvesting. It is not recommended to wait until full maturity. This increases the fruitfulness of the cluster; the fruits form small and lose their filling.

Thanks to their fleshy structure, thin skin and wonderful taste, Pink Empire tomatoes are delicious fresh or canned. When cooked, the skin does not crack; the size of the fruit allows you to marinate and salt them whole in jars.

Characteristics of the variety

Farmer reviews

Despite the fact that the Raspberry Empire hybrid appeared relatively recently, many amateur gardeners and professional farmers have managed to appreciate it.

Maria, Krasnodar: “I first tried to plant the Raspberry Empire last year. I saw branches covered with fruits in my neighbor’s summer cottage and was inspired. I liked the hybrid. It is unpretentious in care; a large harvest was collected from each bush until late autumn. The tomatoes were eaten fresh, pickled, salted and distributed to relatives.”

Vasily, Liski: “I’ve been growing the hybrid for the second year at the dacha in a greenhouse, I’m very pleased. The yield is high, the tomatoes are tasty and fragrant, and last a long time. The main task is to feed on time. Then the branches will burst with grapes. I was convinced of this from my own experience.”

Olga, Chekhov: “Last year my husband and I decided to try to grow a new variety of tomatoes. After reading the reviews, we chose the hybrid Raspberry Empire instead of the variety and were not disappointed. The plant is resistant to rot and spots do not appear on the fruits. They were treated for late blight and fed in a timely manner. The result was impressive! There were so many tomatoes that they didn’t know what to do with them. We prepared salads, appetizers and wrapped them up for the winter.”

Description of the variety

According to the description of the variety, Raspberry Empire belongs to the indeterminate group of classic tomato varieties. In open ground, bushes grow up to 1.7 m high, in a greenhouse - up to 2 m or more. The variety can be called a new product, but at the same time it has already gained popularity in the Russian Federation.

The bushes form strong shoots on which stepsons regularly appear. The color of the leaves is light green. During the day, the leaf blades curl slightly and straighten out in the evening. The first fruit cluster is formed above the 8th leaf. Plants have a powerful root system that requires a lot of free space.

The harvest does not ripen all at once, but gradually. The bushes can bear fruit until late autumn if conditions are favorable. The seeds of the hybrid are unsuitable for sowing, since they do not pass on the qualities of the mother plant to subsequent generations. Planting material will have to be purchased anew each time.

The price for a package of seeds is on average a little more than 100 rubles. Due to their dense pulp, Raspberry Empire tomatoes are not suitable for juice production, but otherwise their use is not limited. Tomatoes are used to make salads, add them to first and second courses, preserve them in jars, and use them to make sauces and ketchup.

Plant care rules

To get a high-quality and large harvest, you need to know how to care for tomatoes during flowering. Gardeners identify several basic rules.

1. In order for the plant to produce a lot of fruit, it is left with 5-6 fruit clusters. Then the top of the base of the plant is pinched, but so that the upper clusters of 2-3 leaves remain. This procedure will help saturate the fruits with useful elements.
2. Since this variety reaches a height of 1.5-2 m, it must be tied up.
3. You should not water tomatoes very often. So that moisture can remain for a long time, a thick layer of peat or straw is poured around the plant.
4. The plant must be fed every 10 days. Fertilizers are prepared independently; for this, take 1:5 manure, 1 bucket of solution mixed with 10g of ammonium nitrate, 50g of superphosphate and 15g of potassium salt. When the fruits begin to ripen, the amount of potassium salt should be increased to 80g, and ammonium nitrate to 30g. For 1 m2 of area you need to use a bucket of solution.
5. During cultivation, it is necessary to monitor the air temperature and humidity.

It is also worth knowing that the amount of harvest depends on the formed bushes. Usually it is formed into 1-2 stems.

Possible diseases

Tomatoes of this variety have very strong immunity. They tolerate root and top rot well, and also do not suffer from brown spot.