Tomato Rocket - description and characteristics of an early ripening variety

The Rocket tomato was bred by Russian breeders in 1997, two years later the variety passed state registration. Over the course of several years, these tomatoes have gained wide popularity among farmers and summer residents. Below are the features, photos, productivity and reviews of the Rocket tomato.

The variety is recommended for cultivation in the southern regions, where planting is done in open ground. In the central strip, these tomatoes are covered with film. In areas with cold climates, the variety is planted in a greenhouse.

History of the variety's creation

This tomato was bred at the end of the third quarter of the last century by breeders from the city of Krymsk. This tomato was included in the State Register in 1975, but only 5 years later the variety was included in this register.

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However, the recommendations for places where the variety was grown were unexpected: North Caucasus, Central Black Earth, West Siberian and Ural regions. But it was not entirely clear why, among the proposed places for growing tomatoes, the North Caucasus with its warm climate and the Urals with unpredictable weather conditions and a short summer season are adjacent.

Vegetable growers read the description of the variety and decided in their own way - they began to grow the Raketa tomato everywhere in Russia, both in garden beds and in greenhouse conditions.

Irrigation activities

When growing tomatoes in home gardening conditions, it is necessary to remember that the productivity of this popular and useful vegetable crop will depend on creating the most favorable conditions:

• the plant does not like drought and excess water, and feels most comfortable with soil moisture at 85-90% and air humidity within 50%;
• insufficient or excessive watering often becomes one of the main causes of wilting and curling of leaves, shedding of buds and ovaries, disease and cracking of fruits;
• after planting tomato seedlings in the ground, the plants must be watered very generously, and then take a break from irrigation activities for two days;

the irrigation regime should take into account the condition and characteristics of the soil, as well as the needs of the vegetable crop at different stages of development; Irrigation activities must be carried out early in the morning or in the evening hours, after sunset; when watering, it is very important to avoid getting water on the aboveground part of tomato bushes, including leaves, ovaries and fruits; the water for irrigation should be warm, and after watering at the root, it is necessary to shallowly loosen the soil around the tomato bush; The ideal is to use a drip irrigation system for vegetable crops, which allows you to supplement dosed watering with the introduction of all the necessary liquid fertilizers.

It is important to remember that watering the Rocket tomato can be quite rare, about once or twice a week, but abundant, allowing moisture to penetrate to a depth of at least 15−20 cm. In order to reduce the level of moisture evaporation from the soil, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the tomato plants. bushes with cut straw, mown and dried grass or sawdust

Such mulch not only reduces the need for plants to water, but also helps reduce the growth of weeds, and also improves the quality characteristics of the soil, enriching it with humus.

Description of the variety

Tomato seeds Rocket “Aelita”
This tomato variety is classified as a mid-early tomato; usually the harvest begins 120 days after germination of the seed material. The bushes themselves are of a determinate type, so they do not grow tall - the height of their shoots is about 0.5 m, and their width is not too large, which allows you to plant more bushes of this variety on each square of area.

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The bushes do not require formation; few stepsons are formed. Also, tying up the shoots is not required, only if there are too many fruits on the bushes, then it is worth tying the stems to strong supports.

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The shoots are not too densely leafy, so the ripening fruits will be well illuminated by the sun's rays. The foliage is medium wide and quite long, shiny, rich emerald color.

Tomato Rocket

The flowers are small, yellow, collected in racemose inflorescences, each inflorescence can form up to 6 ovaries. The first brush is formed under the 6th or 7th true leaf, and each subsequent brush forms after a couple of leaves.

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Ripe tomatoes have an elongated plum-shaped shape with smooth, even skin. It is quite compacted, rich red in color, and not prone to cracking. The fruits are small in size, weighing about 40-55 g. The taste of ripe fruits is not considered too pleasant; the fruits contain a fairly large amount of acid, so their tasting score is about 4 points out of 4 possible.

The pulp in the fruit is fleshy, quite juicy, and can contain up to 3 seed chambers with an average content of seed material.

Ripe tomatoes, after full ripening, can hang on the bushes for quite a long time without over-ripening. The harvest ripens smoothly, it can be harvested mechanized, which is very convenient when growing Rocket tomatoes on an industrial scale.

Tomato Rocket

The harvested crop can be transported to different distances; under appropriate storage conditions, the fruits can retain their beautiful appearance and quite pleasant taste for a long time.

Tomato varieties for open ground, video

If you grew Rocket tomatoes, please write whether you liked them or not. How do you rate the disease resistance of this variety? Briefly describe the advantages and disadvantages of this variety in your opinion. If possible, post a photo of these tomatoes you grew. Thank you!

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

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

Productivity

Despite the fact that the bushes of this variety do not grow tall, the yield of the Raketa tomato is quite high for a determinate plant: when grown on an industrial scale, up to 590 centners of ripe fruit can be harvested by mechanization from each hectare. After such assembly, single fruits remain on the shoots, which gradually ripen.

Rocket tomatoes in cross section

When grown on private plots, up to 6.5 kg of tomatoes are harvested from each square of area. Moreover, when grown in greenhouse conditions, the tomato yield may be slightly higher.

Characteristics of tomato

The distinctive features of the “Rocket” variety, due to which tomatoes have become masters of beds on personal and farm plots, are: compactness, good yield, and minimal maintenance costs.

Productivity and fruiting

For a low-growing, standard-type bush, the “Rocket” tomato yields quite high. Due to its compactness, planting density is allowed up to 6 plants per 1 m2 in an unprotected area. In greenhouse structures, the tomato grows taller and becomes more spreading; here the planting density is less.

Agricultural techniques do not affect the amount of harvest. 2.5 kg of fruits are harvested from one tomato; in open ground, an average of 12 kg of tomato grows from 1 m2. In the greenhouse, the level of the indicator is maintained by extending the fruiting period. “Rocket” tomatoes reach biological ripeness by mid-August, early September, depending on the region and weather conditions.

If spring is late, planting seedlings is delayed, and the timing of fruit harvesting is delayed. Lack of moisture affects the amount of harvest; the “Rocket” tomato loves abundant watering and tolerates excess ultraviolet radiation well. In a shaded area, tomatoes are smaller and growth is lower.

Area of ​​application of fruits

A variety of universal use. Tomatoes are well stored and transported. It is grown on farm plots for delivery to retail outlets and restaurants. They are used in the food industry for the production of tomato paste, ketchup, and sauces. The harvested harvest from a personal farmstead is used for pickling in its entirety, as an ingredient for homemade preparations. The taste rating of the Rocket tomato is high.

Resistance to diseases and pests

“Rocket” tomatoes are not hybrid varieties; they do not have genetic immunity against infection. The tomato is recommended for growing in open areas, so there is a risk of late blight, mosaic infection, and leaf spot. Gray rot does not affect tomatoes. The degree of crop sustainability depends on compliance with agricultural technology standards. Pests attack the variety, like all representatives of the nightshade species.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages, according to the description provided by the originators of the Raketa tomato variety, include:

• compactness of the bushes, they take up little space on the site;
• high yields achieved through planting density;
• no need to remove stepsons from a standard tomato and form a bush;
• undemanding to soil composition;
• good UV tolerance;
• resistance of fruits and root systems to gray rot;
• convenient fruit size;
• possibility of cultivation in closed and open conditions;
• long shelf life, resistance to transportation.

The disadvantage of the culture is the tendency to crack the fruits and demands for watering.

Advantages

Rocket tomatoes
The main advantages of the Rocket tomato include:

• the plants are compact, the height of the bushes is not too high, so more Rocket tomatoes can be planted on each square;
• the variety is resistant to most diseases;
• no bush formation required;
• the harvested crop can be transported to different distances and stored for quite a long time;
• mid-early period of fruit ripening;
• ripe fruits can be harvested mechanically;
• for a determinate type tomato, the Raketa variety has good yields;
• the fruits look beautiful;
• the ability to collect seed material from ripe fruits for further planting;
• the possibility of growing the variety in the garden, in greenhouses and on balconies.

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Among the disadvantages , it can be noted that the fruits ripen at the same time, although many gardeners consider this an advantage. Also, ripe fruits do not have a very pleasant taste, and tomato bushes are demanding in terms of watering and regular fertilizing.

Reviews from gardeners

Valentina, 36 years old, Izhevsk

I have been growing tomatoes on my plot for more than 10 years. Every year in mid-March I plant the Rocket variety. In May, I transfer some of the seedlings to the greenhouse, and plant the rest outside. I like Rocket tomatoes because they don’t need to be tied up or pinched. They do not exceed 40 cm in height. The fruits themselves are small and are perfect for canning.

Elizaveta, 48 years old, Khabarovsk

I chose the Rocket tomato based on photos, yield and online reviews. The variety is distinguished by smooth, small fruits. At the same time, they are quite dense and retain their shape well after heat treatment. The skin is thick, but can be easily removed. The Rocket tomato bush is not tall, but it is better to tie it up so that it does not fall under gusts of wind. The brushes are beautiful and look very appetizing.

Vasily, 52 years old, St. Petersburg

Rocket is a wonderful variety that is easy to grow even for beginning gardeners. I didn’t plant the bushes, I just watered them periodically. Tomatoes tolerated drought well. The variety is resistant to diseases and is suitable for planting in a greenhouse. The tomatoes taste pleasant, sweet and sour. We rarely use this variety in homemade preparations, only sometimes we add it to other tomatoes in adjika.

Landing

In the southern regions, seed material of this variety can be immediately sown in garden beds or in greenhouses. But in other regions it is recommended to grow this tomato in seedlings.

Sowing tomatoes for seedlings: rules for planting seeds

Timing for planting tomato rockets for seedlings

Seeds are planted in wide, low containers approximately 60-65 days before the intended transplantation into beds or greenhouse conditions.

Until the shoots appear, in the room where the tomato is grown, the air temperature should be about 24 degrees Celsius. after the appearance of mass shoots, the temperature in the room must be reduced to 19-20 degrees Celsius.

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Approximately a couple of weeks after the emergence of seedlings, several true leaves appear; during this period they can be picked into separate pots.

Also, during the growing of seedlings of this tomato, a couple of fertilizings are carried out with fertilizers containing nitrogen, which activates the growth of the vegetative mass and roots of the seedlings.

Transplanting tomatoes into open ground

About a couple of weeks before transplanting the seedlings, they must be hardened off.

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Since the bushes of this variety are compact, they can be planted more densely in the beds - leave a distance of about 0.3 cm between plants, and 0.6 m between rows.

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Pest and disease control

Since the Rocket tomato is not resistant to all diseases, it is recommended to immediately treat the seedlings with a fungicide after transferring them to the greenhouse (or a few days before):

• Bordeaux mixture;
• "Fitosporin";
• "Ordan";
• "Skor."

It is also necessary to periodically inspect the bushes for traces of pests - aphids, nematodes, thrips, Colorado potato beetles. You can fight them with folk remedies (herbal decoctions, infusions, a solution of baking soda, ammonia, dry mustard powder) or insecticides:

• "Fitoverm";
• "Aktara";
• "Confidor";
• "Decis".

Advice! When processing, you should take into account the timing of fruit harvesting - as a rule, tomatoes can be picked no earlier than after 5-10 days. It is better to spray the solution in dry, windless weather, if possible in the evening.

Further care

Further care for tomatoes of this variety is quite standard. However, you need to remember that Rocket tomato bushes are demanding on the watering regime and the amount of fertilizing.

Irrigation regime

There is no need to water the bushes for a week after transplanting the seedlings. But then watering should be regular - 2-3 times a week. Watering is carried out only with warm water in the morning or evening, adding 3-5 liters of water under each bush.

The soil should not be overly moistened, but it should be sufficiently moist throughout the growing period of the bushes.

Once the tomatoes begin to ripen, watering should be stopped.

Feeding

The beds for this variety of tomato are prepared in the fall - all weeds and other vegetation are removed, humus is added and the soil is dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel.

Feeding tomatoes

In the spring, when planting seedlings, potassium salt mixed with wood ash is added to the planting holes. But this tomato variety will need regular feeding throughout the season. The first feeding is carried out 12=14 days after transplantation. To do this, dissolve 40 g of superphosphate in a bucket of water - this solution is usually enough for 15-20 bushes. After 12-14 days, the feeding is repeated, only the same amount of potassium salt is added to the superphosphate. During the period of fruit ripening, you should feed the bushes with a solution of wood ash. You can also do a couple of leaf feedings during the summer.

Shaping and garter

This tomato does not form bushes, and there is no need to remove shoots. Since a large number of fruits appear on the shoots, it is still better to tie the shoots to strong supports, otherwise the stems will fall to the ground along with the fruits, which may begin to rot from contact with the ground.

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Growing

The classic way to grow Rocket tomatoes is by planting them in open ground. In those regions where the total amount of heat is not enough to ripen tomatoes, seedlings are placed in polycarbonate or glass greenhouses. In the middle zone there are enough greenhouses with a film coating, which can be removed during the hot period.

Over the years of cultivation, the variety has received positive reviews, which also contain advice on agricultural technology:

1. Despite the density of the foliage, you should not pick it off, as this procedure will delay the formation of fruits.
2. When watering, it is necessary to leave the leaves dry, as wet shoots can get sunburn, which is often confused with late blight.
3. The soil at the roots of plants cannot be kept constantly damp, despite the fact that the Rocket variety is a moisture-loving tomato; an excess of water can cause cracking of the fruits and rotting of the roots.
4. When growing tomatoes recommended for open ground, it is necessary to take into account that tomatoes are still not resistant to night frosts and can die from hypothermia if planted early.

Planting seeds

Before planting tomato seedlings, you should prepare the soil mixture. For planting, both ready-made soil from the store and prepared with your own hands are suitable. To do this, it is necessary to combine ordinary soil and humus in equal parts 2 weeks before sowing, and then subject it to heat treatment by placing it in the oven for 10-15 minutes or pouring boiling water on it.

The timing of planting Rocket tomato seeds is in March, closer to the middle of the month.

The seed material is first placed between layers of damp cloth for 2/3 days at room temperature, after which it is placed in the refrigerator for another 12 hours. In addition, tomato seeds must be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.

The Rocket tomato, which is described as compact, can be planted in separate containers or in one container and then picked. The sowing process is as follows:

1. Fill containers with moist soil.
2. Place the seeds in longitudinal grooves or holes at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other.
3. Sprinkle the crops with soil and peat.
4. Cover the containers with film.
5. Place in a well-lit place with a temperature of +16°C, then increase to +20°C.
6. Remove the cover after germination.

Picking up seedlings

When sowing tomatoes in a common container, the seedlings must be planted in separate containers after a pair of true leaves appear. For this procedure, ready-made peat pots are best suited, which can be placed in the garden without removing the seedlings. This allows you to preserve the root system of plants and guarantees the fastest adaptation of tomatoes to a permanent place of cultivation. Planting in open ground

At the time of transplanting into open ground, each bush must have at least 5 true leaves. The beds for plantings must be prepared in the previous season. For tomatoes, growing after root vegetables, cabbage, onions or legumes is suitable. In autumn, the soil in the selected area is loosened and enriched by adding compost or humus. In the spring, before planting, the soil must be dug up and moistened. The seedlings need to be hardened off by taking them outside for a while.

The low-growing tomato variety Rocket allows seedlings to be planted in the ground quite densely. The standard distance between bushes is maintained within 0.4 m, and the row spacing should not be less than half a meter.

Planting in a greenhouse

The time for planting Rocket seedlings occurs in May, 2 months after sowing the seeds. The soil for greenhouses is also prepared in the fall of the previous year so that the beneficial substances are distributed throughout the entire thickness of the soil. At the site of the future greenhouse, you need to remove the top layer of soil, cutting off up to 10 cm. This will get rid of fungal spores and larvae of pests. Afterwards, humus, compost or other organic fertilizers must be added to the soil.

In the spring, the soil needs to be dug up and shallow holes prepared every 0.4 m. The distance between the rows of tomatoes is 0.4-0.5 m. Plants placed in the ground are sprinkled with soil mixture, compacting and watering the root circle.

Harvesting and application

Once the tomatoes turn bright red or yellow (depending on the variety), they can be harvested. As a rule, ripening occurs in July. You need to pick tomatoes carefully so as not to damage either the branches or the tomato itself. For storage, you can put the fruits in a box lined with newspaper. There is no need to put too many tomatoes in one box, as the fruits lying below may become wrinkled.

The box should be stored in a dry place, but not in direct sunlight. The room temperature should not exceed +6 degrees, otherwise the tomatoes may begin to deteriorate.

If there is a need for long-term storage of tomatoes (more than 3 weeks), they should be removed from the branches slightly unripe and placed in boxes to ripen in the same way.

The use of the crop can be very diverse: the fruits of the described variety are very convenient to preserve, they fit perfectly into jars.

Rocket tomatoes will decorate your holiday table even in the form of regular cuts (especially if you alternate yellow and red fruits).

We also shouldn’t forget about the beneficial properties of tomatoes: tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene, which is part of the tomato, helps in the treatment of many diseases.

Features of caring for the variety

To achieve high yields, you will have to work hard. The variety needs:

• moderate watering;
• periodic feeding;
• Preventive treatments against rot and pests.

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Minimal care and favorable weather allow you to grow a luxurious harvest.

Watering and loosening the soil

The Rocket tomato is afraid of severe waterlogging of the soil and often suffers from rot in rainy years. Plants are watered moderately, trying to avoid stagnation of moisture. The number of waterings per season depends on weather conditions.

After watering, loosening the soil is necessary. This procedure will prevent the formation of a dense crust on the surface and provide free access to oxygen.

Top dressing

After transplanting the Rocket variety to a permanent place, feeding is not carried out for at least the first two weeks. In the future, for the timely development and ripening of fruits, plants need fertilizers. Complex fertilizers with potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and boron are used as fertilizers. Treatment is carried out twice with a difference of two weeks.

Pinching and tying

The Rocket tomato is characterized by low growth. Its shoots grow no more than 60 cm. The variety does not require pinching.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

Ask a Question

Important! To ensure good ventilation and prevent the development of rot, it is recommended to cut off the lower foliage and shoots. However, you shouldn’t get carried away with this in the early stages. Excessive removal of foliage will delay the formation of ovaries on plants.

The variety has strong stems and most often does not need staking. However, if the branches are heavily overloaded with ripening fruits, tying them to supports will prevent damage to the branches.

Main advantages

The main advantages of Rocket tomatoes are outlined below:

• the bushes are compact in size, so more plants can be planted in one square;
• good yield for a determinate tomato, even good;
• resistance to major diseases that are characteristic of this group of vegetables;
• no plant formation required;
• collected tomatoes can be transported over any distance and are characterized by high shelf life;
• ripe fruits can be collected mechanically;
• the harvested crop has a good presentation and excellent taste
• The Rocket tomato can be grown in the garden, in greenhouse conditions and in apartments.

Among the disadvantages of the Rocket, it should be noted:

• many vegetable growers consider the simultaneous ripening of tomatoes to be a disadvantage;
• the taste qualities of ripe fruits are not high enough;
• The Rocket tomato requires constant and regular watering, as well as mandatory fertilizing throughout the season.

Pests

Despite the fact that tomatoes of this variety are little susceptible to such diseases as late blight, terminal wilt, septoria and powdery mildew, there is a risk of the bushes being damaged by pests. Many people want to enjoy the fruits and leaves of tomatoes. If a summer resident did not follow the rules of crop rotation and planted tomatoes in the same place for many years, then there will definitely be pests.

Most often, tomatoes are affected by:

1. The Colorado potato beetle, which loves not only tomatoes, but also potatoes and eggplants. The larvae of these pests eat the leaves and shoots of the plant. The bush begins to wither due to a lack of nutrients obtained through photosynthesis. If the size of the area allocated for planting tomatoes is not large, then you can collect larvae and adults by hand. If this is not possible, then dust the leaves with ash or corn starch. In the fields, the previous two options are not effective due to the impressive planting volumes. In this case, chemicals and poisons are used.
2. Slugs attack not only the shoots, but also the fruits themselves. There are especially many of them in rainy weather. If possible, slugs are collected by hand or ash is scattered along the beds. It prevents pests from entering tomato bushes.
3. Wireworm, a small worm that damages the roots and stems of tomatoes. This soil pest can be eliminated using chemicals. But if you believe numerous videos on the Internet, the worm is cleared from the ground using ordinary potatoes. The tubers are buried along the beds, and after 3-4 days most of the wireworms will be inside. Potato tubers are burned.
4. Mole cricket, a dangerous pest of garden crops. This pest lives in the ground and cuts the base of the tomato stem. The mole crickets end up in an area with fresh cow dung. You can get rid of them using special poisons, as well as by organizing traps in the spring. Small holes are dug around the perimeter of the site. Fresh mullein is placed in them. The females will lay eggs there, which are then burned. There are positive reviews about the benefits of marigolds in repelling mole crickets. To do this, they are planted as a border in the beds.

Timely pest control ensures harvest preservation. Whether to use chemical destruction methods or more loyal ones is up to each person to choose for himself, depending on the volume of plantings and the degree of pest infestation. A photo of the insects themselves will help you identify pests in your area.