Description of tomato Lady fingers
Tomato Lady fingers belongs to the determinant type,
and their growth is limited by a brush with flowers formed at the top.
On a note!
In terms of ripening time, the Lady's fingers tomato is early ripening - from the moment of seed germination to the harvesting of the first elongated tomatoes, it usually takes a little more than 3 months.
Photo of tomato Lady fingers
When planting seedlings in a permanent place in the first or second ten days of May, the harvest begins already in the last ten days of June. But fruiting of this tomato variety is extended over time - the last fruits can ripen at the end of September.
Lady fingers tomato bushes are compact - when grown in garden beds in open ground, their height can reach 0.6 m, and when planted in greenhouses - up to 1.2 m.
The shoots are erect, strong, of medium thickness, well leafy, dark green in color.
The foliage is medium in size, slightly wavy at the edges, slightly wrinkled, rich green in color.
Small flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences, each of which can form from 3 to 6 ovaries. The first inflorescence is usually formed above 4-5 permanent leaves, and each subsequent one - after two leaves.
Black tomatoes are the best varieties!
Varieties of black tomatoes
Note!
The main feature of the Lady's Fingers tomato bushes is that only a couple of shoots appear on them, and there are no more lateral branches. Therefore, vegetable growers are freed from the need to constantly shoot plants.
This tomato variety got its name because of the shape of the ripe fruits - oblong cylinders with a characteristic rounded top or a sharp spout at the end.
In the area of the top, slight ribbing is noticeable, the skin is thin, smooth, shiny, and in a state of full maturity is bright red. After full ripening, there is no green spot in the stalk area.
The pulp is slightly compacted, contains a pair of seed chambers with an average amount of seed material.
Cross-sectional photo of tomato Lady's fingers
Ripening tomatoes are approximately the same size, with an average weight of about 60 g, but the first fruits can be larger - up to 110-120 g.
Ripe lady fingers tomatoes have a pleasant taste, sweetish with a well-perceived sourness. Lady finger tomatoes are low in calories, contain a large amount of vitamins and a sufficient amount of dry matter.
The harvested crop can be transported to any distance, they do not crack during transportation, and can be stored in appropriate conditions for quite a long time.
Varieties
The author of Lady's Fingers L. Myazina offers seed material of two color variations of a well-known variety. They are not included in the State Register.
Crimson
Determinate plant 50 cm high, grows up to 1 meter in a greenhouse. The foliage is weak. The fruits have a beautiful elongated shape, smooth, dense, with thick walls. The color is deep crimson. The taste is excellent. The weight of the tomato is about 100 grams. The pulp does not contain allergens, so this tomato is recommended for baby and diet food.
The raspberry variety of Ladyfingers is suitable for open ground. Sowing of seedlings is carried out 50 - 60 days before the intended planting in the ground. The beginning of ripening in a greenhouse is 95 days after the appearance of full shoots, or 105 days in open ground. The plant is not whimsical, the bush does not need to be pinched, but it is tied up in the greenhouse. Excellent performance is possible if the crop is grown at temperatures between 15 °C and 25 °C. 2 weeks before the start of harvesting, you need to stop watering. Prolonged periods of low or high temperatures affect the characteristics of the variety. The harvest can be used in its natural form, for pickling, drying, freezing. Tomatoes store well. A feature of the variety is its early ripeness and rapid ripening.
Application area
According to reviews of the Lady's Fingers tomato, the harvest from the bushes is distinguished by its versatility in use. Vegetable salads are prepared from the fruits, and preparations for the winter are made - ketchup, tomato paste or lecho.
Photos of growing tomato Lady fingers
Many housewives dry the fruits of this variety in pieces - the result is a very tasty delicacy. Also, due to the small size of the fruits, they can be pickled whole. At the same time, the fruits do not burst during heat treatment.
Tomato harvesting and processing
The collection of the first fruits begins around the end of June, but if necessary, you can leave the ripe fruits on the plants for several days or even weeks; they do not crack or spoil for a long time. With proper care of plants, the harvest will delight you with abundance and quality.
It is advisable to loosen the soil under the plants or cover it with agrofibre
Harvested tomatoes can be used for eating, processing or storage. They keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. To store longer, it is worth picking tomatoes unripe and placing them in boxes in layers. The fruits are distinguished by their versatility of use. They make delicious summer salads, snacks, preserves (whole or crushed), ketchups, sauces, lecho. If there is a lot of harvest, you can partially dry it.
Positive qualities and disadvantages
The main advantages of the Lady Fingers variety include:
- cold resistance - the crop can be harvested right up to frost;
- the bushes are unpretentious; their development and ripening of fruits are not negatively affected by periods of drought or rain, as well as heat;
- the fruits do not crack in the area of the stalk;
- fruiting is consistent, and ripe tomatoes do not fall from the bushes until they are harvested;
- since Lady's Fingers is a variety, vegetable growers can collect their own seeds from the fruit, and they have good germination over 5 seasons;
- the harvested crop can be transported to any distance and stored for a long time in the refrigerator or cellar;
- tomato is resistant to many diseases;
- ripe fruits are of universal use.
Among the disadvantages of the Lady Fingers tomato, the following can be noted:
- the fruit contains too many dry substances and not enough liquid, so it will not be possible to obtain tomato juice from collected tomatoes;
- since the variety is quite heat-loving, rich harvests are obtained in the southern regions of the country;
- in areas with a short summer period, this tomato should be grown in greenhouse conditions or under film covers.
Characteristics of the variety
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The Lady Fingers tomato variety has a number of special characteristics.
- Lady fingers can be grown in unprotected and protected soil, but in risky farming areas it is better to give preference to greenhouse cultivation.
- Cold resistance - fruits ripen until the first frost.
- The variety is resistant to drought, heat, and rainy weather.
- The fruits ripen in several stages and are excellently stored on the plants until harvested.
The fruits ripen in several stages and are excellently stored on the plants until harvested.
- There is immunity to many diseases that are characteristic of tomatoes.
- The yield per square meter of plantings when grown in unprotected soil is about 7 kg. In a greenhouse this figure can reach 15 kg.
- The harvested crop is well stored.
- The transportability of the crop is high.
- The fruits are suitable for canning, fresh consumption, and drying, but they are not used for squeezing juice.
Interesting!
Lady's finger tomato fruits do not crack when ripe.
Further care for Lady fingers tomatoes
Caring for bushes of this variety is quite simple, because the plants are compact and low-growing, so there is no need to tie up shoots or remove shoots. In addition, the lady fingers tomato is practically not affected by diseases characteristic of other varieties of tomatoes, so there is no need to carry out preventive treatments of the bushes or fight infections.
Irrigation regime
Although this variety is resistant to periods of drought, it is better to water regularly so that the fruits ripen large and tasty. The soil should be constantly moist, but without stagnation of moisture. Therefore, moisture is added to the soil once every 2-3 days, and in hot, dry weather – daily.
Water the Lady's fingers tomato in the evening with warm, settled water.
Loosening and weeding
After watering and rain, you should loosen the root zone of tomato bushes to break up the dry crust that forms.
Only large weeds should be removed from the root zone, and low plants will protect growing tomatoes from the hot rays of the sun.
How to feed tomatoes
Top dressing for the Lady's Fingers tomato variety is applied once every 10-12 days, alternating the application of organic matter and complex mineral fertilizers.
Slurry is also suitable as a fertilizer, with mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, or chicken manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:15. The resulting composition is infused before feeding the tomatoes for a week in a warm place.
The Lady's Fingers tomato is also responsive to the addition of greenberries. To prepare this fertilizer, you need to fill a large tank 1/3 with mowed grass, add water to the top and leave for a week.
When applying tomato bushes, you need to add 500 ml of herbal infusion to a bucket of water, and 500 ml of this fertilizer is poured under each plant.
Growing tomato seedlings
Lady's finger tomatoes are always grown using the seedling method. Seeds are sown for seedlings approximately 55-60 nets before the seedlings are planted on the plot. Before sowing, the seeds are sorted and disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The soil for seedlings must be fertilized and loose; if you did it yourself, it is advisable to water it with boiling water or the same weak solution of potassium permanganate before using it.
Lady's finger tomatoes are always grown only by seedlings.
Seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm. Furrows should be made at a distance of 2 cm, row spacing - 3 cm. After sowing, the box is covered with film and transferred to a warm, bright place. After the sprouts appear, the film must be removed and the temperature reduced to +16 degrees so that the seedlings do not rush to grow and do not stretch out. Later (after approximately 3-7 days) the temperature can be increased to +22 degrees.
When 2-3 leaves appear, it is necessary to pick the seedlings into separate cups. While growing seedlings, it is important, first of all, to provide them with regular watering; it doesn’t hurt to loosen the soil as necessary. Fertilizing is done rarely, using a weak tincture of wood ash.
Monomakh's hat
6th step of the conditional “pedestal”. These bright red tomatoes will appeal to lovers of large fruits - they weigh from 400 to 900 g. The pulp has a balanced taste thanks to the harmonious ratio of acids and sugar.
The type of fruiting is mid-early (90-110 days pass from the moment the seedlings are planted). The bushes are indeterminate, formed on a trunk. The plant successfully resists diseases, but prefers warmth to cold, so in the northern regions it is better to plant it in a greenhouse. In protected soil conditions, the yield is impressive and reaches 20 kg per 1 sq.m. In the garden, the indicators are also decent - up to 8 kg per bush.
Eagle beak
The bronze “medal” and 3rd place in the ranking goes to Eagle’s Beak, popular among many tomato growers! The variety is mid-season (110-115 days), semi-determinate - the height of strong bushes reaches 120-150 cm. Proper shaping, tying to a trellis and timely pinching will help them develop harmoniously and bear fruit well. Under ideal conditions and with proper agricultural technology, the yield can be up to 8 kg per bush.
“Eagle beak is the best, I have no competition yet, the leader for today.” Olga Nesmeyanova.
The fruits are large, of unusual shape, with an elongated and curved tip, similar to a beak. On average, they weigh 200-400 g, but some grow up to 800 g. The pulp is dense and juicy, with a sweetish taste.
The variety is resistant to the main nightshade diseases - late blight, fusarium and tobacco mosaic virus. Tomatoes tolerate transportation well due to their thick skin and do not crack during canning.
“I really like Eagle Beak. ". Nina Belevtseva.
Reviews, who planted
Valery, Transbaikal region:
The description and characteristics of the Lady Fingers variety indicate that they should be grown in warm regions of the country. I produce tomatoes in the harsh conditions of Transbaikalia. True, I breed them in a greenhouse, tying them to a trellis. Every year I get a magnificent harvest. I recommend using tomatoes for canning.
Elena, Krasnodar:
I grow many different varieties of tomatoes. I have been planting ladyfingers in open soil for about 15 years now. At the same time, the harvest is rich and stable every year. By the way, I got the seeds from my mother. The bushes are practically bursting with a large number of tomatoes. Delicious, sweet and sour tomatoes are perfect for pickling and making salads.
Dmitry, Moscow region:
I grow tomatoes of this variety mainly for whole-fruit canning. And they have never let me down yet. I collect my own seeds, as it is not difficult. It is only important to select the ripest fruits for this purpose. Over the years of cultivation, the bushes have never been exposed to diseases. So I thank the creator of the variety.
