Exotic with a delicious taste - Gargamel tomato: description of the variety and its characteristics

Gargamel is a tomato with an unusual fruit color, which combines orange with purple spots and stripes. This exotic variety will delight you with its excellent taste, unpretentiousness, and stability.

History of the variety's creation

The creator of this variety is the American breeder Phil Seneca, who bred the Gargamel tomato several decades ago. Since then, the tomato variety, named after the evil wizard from the animated series about the Smurfs, has become quite popular not only in its homeland, but also in many other countries of the world.

It is also grown in Russia, but today the Gargamel tomato is not included in the Russian State Register. Therefore, all the characteristics, as well as information about the regions and nuances of growing this tomato, were obtained from reviews and stories of Russian vegetable growers who have already planted the Gargamel tomato in their garden plots.

There are also no specific recommendations in what climatic conditions and where this tomato variety can be grown. But Russian summer residents, who have already successfully grown the Gargamel tomato on their plots, write on the forum that this vegetable plant grows well and bears fruit not only in garden beds, but also in greenhouse conditions, as well as in film greenhouses.

Features of the Gargamel tomato variety

The Gargamel tomato, a description of the variety and photographs of which will be given in the article, is distinguished by its elegant coloring and unusual fruity taste of the fruit. This type of tomato was bred by American breeders and very quickly gained popularity among local farmers.

Unusual rich bright orange fruits with dark purple stripes and specks quickly attracted the attention of consumers, which led to the wide distribution of the variety in other countries, and has recently attracted the interest of Russian gardeners.

The fruits of this variety are excellent for fresh consumption, whole-fruit canning or drying, have very good keeping quality, and are easily stored unchanged after picking for about a month.

Description

Many vegetable growers strive to grow vegetable crops in their garden beds with unprecedented yields, with an original appearance or shape of fruits. Therefore, such summer residents almost immediately paid attention to the Gargamel tomato, which, in addition to its unusual name, is distinguished by the original color of ripe tomatoes.

But before you start growing such tomatoes, you need to learn more about their characteristics, the nuances of planting seedlings and further growing Gargamel tomato bushes.

Description of the bushes

The bushes of this tomato are tall, semi-spreading, in greenhouses they grow up to 2.0 m in height, and in open ground - about 1.5-1.6 m. Therefore, we can say with confidence that these tomatoes belong to the indeterminate type, their shoots They are not limited in growth, which is why they have such a height.

Although the Gargamel tomato is intended for growing in garden beds and in greenhouse conditions, the majority of Russian vegetable growers who have already planted this tomato on their plots say that the variety shows the best yield in greenhouses and film greenhouses.

This vegetable crop belongs to the mid-season varieties - when grown in garden beds, 105-110 days pass from the moment the seeds germinate until the first ripe tomatoes are harvested. And summer residents who grew the Gargamel tomato in greenhouse conditions say that in such conditions the first harvest of fruits from the bushes of this tomato is harvested already 3 months after the sprouts appear.

Important! The bushes of this variety have medium vigor, they are strong and powerful, as are the thick central shoots, which are distinguished by medium foliage.

The foliage of the Gargamel tomato is medium in size, elongated, with sharp tips, slightly corrugated, slightly pubescent, rich emerald color.

The inflorescences are simple, racemose, with 3 to 6 ovaries appearing in each of them. The first of the inflorescences appears under the 9-11th leaf, and each subsequent one appears after 2-3 true leaves. Moreover, inflorescences on the bushes of this tomato can appear throughout the entire growing season.

Description of fruits

But this tomato’s main advantage is its fruits, which have an unusual color.

Ripening tomatoes have a blue-black skin color. But as the fruits ripen, their color changes dramatically - stripes of orange, yellow, red and blue appear on the surface of the fruit.

Moreover, the arrangement of such stripes is chaotic, and even on one Gargomel tomato bush you cannot find two fruits with absolutely the same surface color. But in any case, the color of the juicy, fleshy pulp is rich red.

The skin of ripe tomatoes is compacted, strong, with a characteristic shine, without ribbing. Therefore, the fruits are not prone to cracking and do not burst during heat treatment.

Not only the color of ripe tomatoes is unusual, but also their shape. Ripe fruits look like large plums, slightly elongated and flattened around the stalk. Some fruits may have a sharp nose.

The average weight of tomatoes is 110-150 g.

But the size of the fruits collected from one bush can be different. The first ripening fruits at the base of the bush can weigh more than 200 g, and the last harvested tomatoes more closely resemble a cherry tomato with an average weight of about 50 g.

The tomato pulp is quite fleshy and juicy; each tomato contains up to several seed chambers with a sufficient amount of liquid. But at the same time there are few seeds in them.

The taste of the fruit is typical for tomatoes: sweetish with a characteristic sourness. But if this tomato variety is grown in partial shade, and the soil is constantly too wet, then the taste of the fruit will be too sour, without sufficient sweetness.

Since the skin of these tomatoes is very dense, and the separation from the stalks is dry, the harvested crop can easily withstand transportation over any distance, and the fruits do not burst or flow. Vegetable growers also note a fairly long shelf life of the collected fruits.

Advantages and disadvantages

Tomato Gargamel (a description of the variety and photographs will be presented in the following sections of the article) has the following advantages:

• original appearance;
• pleasant rich-sweet taste with slight sourness;
• juicy fleshy pulp without wateriness;
• ease of care;
• possibility of growing in a greenhouse or in open ground;
• resistance to many diseases and fungal infections;
• mid-ripening of fruits;
• high productivity;
• duration of fruiting;
• ease of transportation of ripe tomatoes;
• excellent keeping quality;
• versatility of application.

The disadvantages of this variety of tomatoes include:

• tall bushes;
• the need for pinching and mandatory gartering;
• low prevalence of seed material.

Characteristics of the variety

The Gargamel tomato is characterized by unlimited growth force, so many vegetable growers prefer to pinch the top of the central shoot at a height of 1.9-2.0 m. In this case, the bushes will develop lateral shoots faster, on which inflorescences with ovaries will form after the central stem fruiting ends.

Disease resistance

There is no special data on how resistant the Gargamel tomato is to diseases and the appearance of harmful insects on the bushes. But according to vegetable growers who regularly grow this tomato variety, it is known that it is resistant to all kinds of rot, late blight and cladosporiosis.

Advantages and disadvantages

The following positive qualities of the Gargamel tomato should be noted:

• good taste of ripe fruits when grown in sunny, moderately moist areas;
• original color of tomatoes;
• if the harvested crop is stored in a wooden container under appropriate conditions, the fruits will not spoil within a month;
• the Gargamel variety is resistant to various rots, shoot damage and late blight;
• the collected fruits tolerate transportation well at any distance.

This tomato has no particular disadvantages. But you need to remember that the bushes grow tall, so they require obligatory garter as they grow. To prevent the plants from becoming too thick, the shoots should be regularly removed. In addition, since the variety is not registered in the Russian State Register, seed material can only be purchased from collectors.

Growing region

According to reviews from vegetable growers, this tomato variety is grown in almost all Russian regions, but in greenhouse conditions. And only in the south of the country can Gargamel tomato seedlings be planted in garden beds.

Harvesting and application

By the end of July you will receive your first harvest of Gargamel tomatoes. Pick the fruits with your hands or cut them with a knife along with the stalk.

Harvest as it ripens. Remember that overripe tomatoes are an ideal place for the development of bacteria and harmful insects.

Tomatoes that touch the ground are best picked while still green. Otherwise, there is a possibility of plants becoming infected with late blight.

Gargamel tomatoes are suitable for transport over long distances. They are stored for a month.

Tomatoes of this variety are mainly consumed fresh, but they are also suitable for canning.

Growing seedlings

The Gargamel tomato is grown exclusively by seedlings. To grow strong, healthy seedlings, you should purchase high-quality seed material, sow it only in a nutrient substrate and provide appropriate care.

Working with planting material

Since the Gargamel variety has not yet been included in the Russian State Register, agricultural companies do not produce seeds of this tomato. Therefore, they can only be purchased from private collectors. These sellers usually value their reputation, so they always carry out pre-planting preparation of seed material.

However, summer residents still play it safe and carry out the pre-sowing preparation of seeds on their own. To do this, they perform the following procedures:

• calibration. The seeds are placed in a container with salted water. Only the seed material that sinks to the bottom is selected for planting;
• disinfection. To do this, the seeds are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, then washed;
• disinfected seeds should be placed in a growth accelerator solution so that they germinate faster.

After these procedures, the seed material will be ready for planting.

Options for containers and soil

Planting containers can be wide and long, with low sides and drainage holes in the bottom to allow excess moisture to escape. They can be plastic or wooden. But when growing seedlings in such containers, they will have to be picked at the stage of several true leaves.

Therefore, many vegetable growers prefer to immediately plant seeds in separate containers. These can be plastic cups or peat pots, which also have drainage holes in the bottom.

Soil for planting seed material for seedlings is usually purchased in specialized stores. The nutrient substrate purchased in such places has already been prepared - fertilizers and special components have been added to it to make it loose.

You can also prepare such a nutritious soil mixture yourself at home. There are several ways to prepare such a nutrient substrate:

1. First way. Mix turf soil, high peat and compost in equal proportions. To make this mixture loose, coarse river sand or rotted sawdust is added to it.
2. Second way. You need to mix turf, fine river sand and peat in a ratio of 1:1:2. If there is no turf soil, you can replace it with leaf soil. All ingredients must be thoroughly mixed and only then placed into containers.
3. Third way. To prepare a nutrient substrate, mix humus, wood ash, peat and garden soil in a ratio of 1:1:2:2. All components are thoroughly mixed and poured with liquid fertilizer. It is prepared as follows: dissolve superphosphate (20 g), ammonium nitrate (5 g), and potassium sulfate (15 g) in a bucket of water. The prepared substrate is watered with a similar fertilizer to increase its fertility.

Proper soil preparation

The nutrient substrate purchased from a specialized store does not need to be specially prepared before being placed in containers. It is only watered after being placed in containers.

And the nutrient soil mixture prepared by any of the methods should be disinfected before placing it in the container. To do this, it can be steamed in a water bath, calcined in a preheated oven, or spilled with a manganese solution. And only after this the soil is ready for use.

Sowing seeds

The seed material is laid out on the surface of the moistened soil in rows, the distance between which should be at least 2 cm. Sprinkle it with a thin layer of soil on top, spray it again with a spray bottle and cover it with glass or plastic film to create a greenhouse effect inside - in such conditions, sprouts will appear faster .

Containers with seeds are placed in a warm place for germination. Usually the first shoots appear 5-7 days after planting the seed.

After the emergence of mass shoots, the film must be removed from the containers, and the plants themselves must be transferred to a well-lit place.

Seedling care

Further care of seedlings includes regular watering and picking. fertilizing, as well as hardening before transplanting to a permanent place.

Water the seedlings only with warm water at the roots as the top layer of soil dries. Typically, the soil is moistened once every 3-4 days, adding moisture in small portions.

When the first true leaves appear on the sprouts, they should be picked into separate containers. To do this, plants are carefully dug out from containers with moistened soil one at a time and transplanted into separate cups.

A couple of weeks after the picking procedure, you can feed the seedlings for the first time. To do this, you can use any fertilizer containing nitrogen, for example, urea. The second time, the same fertilizing should be done 12-14 days after the first, but no later than two weeks before transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place.

10-12 days before transplanting Gargamel tomato seedlings to a permanent place, it should be hardened. To do this, the plants need to be taken outside first for 60-90 minutes, but gradually the time the seedlings stay outside is increased. At the end of the period, young tomatoes are left in the fresh air day and night.

Growing Tomato

The seedlings of this tomato are transplanted into garden beds in the last ten days of May or the first ten days of June. Seedlings should be planted in the greenhouse in the second half of May.

The site for planting this tomato should be sunny, because only under the influence of sunlight will a sufficient amount of sugars be formed in the ripening fruits, giving the fruits a pleasant taste.

Rules for planting crops

The soil on the site should be prepared in advance, removing all the weeds along with the roots. Lime is also added to the soil to reduce soil acidity, humus and a mineral complex. When digging, all fertilizers are embedded in the soil.

In the spring, holes in garden beds or in a greenhouse should be dug in a checkerboard pattern, with the distance between them being 0.5 m and the row spacing 0.6 m. No more than 3 tall bushes can be planted on each square of area.

25 g of ash are poured into the bottom of the prepared holes and watered. The seedlings are taken out of the cups along with a lump of earth and placed in the center of the hole. Then they fill the hole with earth (no need to compact it!) and water it.

Growing in open ground

Further cultivation of the Gargamel tomato will not give gardeners any special worries. It is important to regularly water the plants, apply fertilizers, form bushes and tie up shoots.

Care in the garden

Watering the bushes of this tomato is carried out according to the following scheme:

• For the first time, moisture should be added 10-12 days after transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place;
• subsequent waterings are carried out every 3-4 days. If the weather is dry, hot, then the amount of watering is increased; in rainy times, you need to water the tomato less often.

Important! Watering is done with settled water heated in the sun in the evening hours. Water is applied strictly at the root so that drops of moisture do not fall on the leaf blades.

Three weeks after transplanting the Gargamel tomato to a permanent place, the first feeding is carried out - a mineral complex containing nitrogen and phosphorus is used as a fertilizer. Subsequently, the tomato is fed once every 12-14 days, using a complex of mineral fertilizers as a top dressing. You can also alternate the application of mineral fertilizers with organic ones. An infusion of chicken manure is suitable as an organic material.

It is also important to form Gargamel tomato bushes in time - they are usually grown in 2-3 shoots. To do this, a pair of stepsons are left under the first brush, from which side shoots are subsequently formed. During the growth process, bushes need to be tied to strong stakes or trellises so that they do not break under the weight of the ripening crop.

The remaining stepsons are removed as they appear, so that the stems formed from them do not thicken the bushes and do not take away the nutrition necessary for the ripening of tomatoes.

Mulching and soil cultivation

After each watering or rain, the root zone of vegetable plants should be loosened to break up the dry crust that forms.

Important! After such loosening, oxygen reaches the roots faster.

After the root zone has been loosened, it is covered with a layer of mulch so that moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil. You can use straw, grass clippings or humus as mulch.

Mulching and soil cultivation

To enrich the soil with oxygen and prevent the outer layer of the soil from hardening, you need to periodically loosen the soil and carry out mulching. Bury the prepared mulch to 10 cm, then loosen it with a hoe to 5 cm. In greenhouses, the soil is also loosened after the first watering, and then every two weeks.

To retain moisture in the ground as much as possible, mulch the top layer with straw or peat. The average layer of mulch should be about 8 centimeters. In addition, you can add ordinary sheets of paper, fine tree bark, and dry grass. To get a high yield, take good seeds. The fruits begin to ripen approximately 105 days after the sprouts hatch.

Reviews from those who planted this variety say that tomatoes grow even in a shaded place, but at the same time, summer residents receive a smaller harvest. All tomatoes, one way or another, love the sun, so do not neglect this important rule.

Description, characteristics of the Gargamel F1 variety with photos

The bush is considered indeterminate in its growth type and reaches from 1.5 to 2 m in height, depending on the place where the seedlings are planted. Can be grown in open and protected ground.

• The growth vigor of the hybrid bushes is average: the shoots grow at an average speed and are characterized by low foliage.
• The stem is medium thick.
• The leaf is slightly pubescent, wrinkled, and has a relatively small size.
• High resistance to a complex of tomato diseases was noted.

For gardener-collectors, it is not the characteristics of the bushes themselves that are of particular value, but the fruits themselves.

• A distinctive feature of the Gargamel tomato is its blue-black color. They have this skin color when unripe.
• During the ripening process, the color of the skin undergoes amazing metamorphoses and becomes multi-colored with bright stripes of blue, orange, yellow, and red.
• Each tomato has a completely individual color.
• The skin of the fruit is very dense and durable, glossy.
• Despite this “painting” of the color of the skin, the flesh has a uniform bright red color.
• The shape of the fruit is elongated, plum-shaped.
• Some specimens may have a slightly elongated nose.
• The fruits are smooth, without ribbing.
• The pulp of the Gargamel tomato has the most common tomato characteristics: a sweet and sour taste, characteristic of most mid-season hybrids, a dense, fleshy consistency.
• There is a lot of juice in the pulp, but this does not mean that the tomato is watery.

The average weight of the fruits of the Gargamel hybrid ranges from 100 to 120 g, but this figure is distinguished by its unevenness. For example, from one bush you can pick small tomatoes, more reminiscent of large cherry tomatoes, weighing 50 g and quite large ones weighing up to 250 g.

In describing the fruits of the Gargamel tomato, one cannot fail to mention the high commercial qualities of the fruit. Thanks to their durable skin, they tolerate transportation well and exhibit good shelf life during storage.

Mistakes when growing tomatoes

In order for tomato bushes to grow strong and healthy and produce good yields, you need to try to avoid the following mistakes:

• Many vegetable growers refuse to hill up tomato bushes, but this is wrong. After hilling, new roots are formed on the shoots, with the help of which the plant will receive more nutrition. As a result, yields can increase dramatically;
• seedlings should not be kept at home - as a result, they will outgrow, become sick and take longer to acclimatize after transplantation, which will negatively affect the development of the bushes and their yield;
• You shouldn’t grow different types of vegetable plants in the same greenhouse - they have different care requirements: level of watering, temperature, lighting;
• improper removal of stepchildren. Many vegetable growers leave large stumps, which can lead to infection of the bushes with pathogenic microorganisms;
• removing too much foliage. Many gardeners believe that by removing foliage, they provide more nutrition to the fruits. However, as a result, the tomatoes become more watery and may crack.

Buy tomato seeds "Gargamel"

If you appreciate the benefits of the Gargamel tomato variety and want to purchase seeds, go to our website in the Tomato Seeds section. We sell only original and high-quality products that are suitable for planting in your garden.

On the website, the buyer will find the plant crops he likes and will be able to purchase them. We provide reliable information about varieties, characteristics and properties of plants. Buyers can choose from a large assortment of planting materials and seeds to suit every taste.

Diseases and pests

There is no official data on the resistance of the Gargamel tomato to diseases and pests. But vegetable growers talk about their good resistance to most diseases, including late blight, as well as attacks by harmful insects.

Disease and pest control

Since Gargamel tomato bushes are not damaged by diseases and pests, there is no need to fight them.

Preventative treatment

But often plants can be affected by various types of rot due to non-compliance with care rules. Therefore, it is recommended to follow the irrigation regime and monitor the level of humidity, especially when growing Gargamel tomatoes in greenhouse conditions. It is also advisable not to remove all the foliage on tomato bushes so that the fruits do not crack.

Regular weeding will protect tomato bushes from harmful insects and root rot. Mulching the soil will also provide additional protection for this vegetable crop from diseases and pests. You can use hay or straw as a mulch layer.

Against slugs and aphids, you can wash the leaf plates with a soap solution. Other pests are usually removed by hand.

Reviews

Maria, 44 years old, Moscow region: planted Gargamel tomatoes in garden beds and in a greenhouse on her property. I can say that in greenhouse conditions the bushes of this variety grow taller and produce more ripe fruits. Tomatoes have an original shape, unusual color and pleasant taste, and practically do not get sick. My family really liked the marinated fruits of this tomato - they acquired a pleasant sour taste, did not burst during heat treatment and looked original in the jars. I will continue to plant this variety, but in a greenhouse.

Galina, 50 years old, Samara region: she decided to plant some unusual tomato variety in her greenhouse. I accidentally bought Gargamel tomato seeds. The seller explained how to grow this tomato, I did everything according to his advice. As a result, the bushes grew tall and formed a large number of ovaries. The bushes had 3 stems, and 3 plants were grown in one square. But I can say that the variety requires regular moderate watering and fertilizing for abundant harvests. And in our region it is still better to plant this tomato in greenhouse conditions.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the Raspberry Flame tomato variety are:

1. uniform ripening of fruits, so the harvest is harvested with tassels;
2. the hybrid is highly resistant to a number of diseases, practically not affected by fusarium, brown spot, and tomato mosaic virus;
3. formation of ovaries with any weather changes.

Of the shortcomings, only one should be noted:

1. since this tomato is a hybrid, seed material obtained from ripe tomatoes is not suitable for further cultivation - new plants will not show positive parental qualities. Therefore, vegetable growers will have to annually purchase Raspberry Flame tomato seeds in specialized stores.