Strong, tall tomato bushes with orange fruits that look like exotic fruits will delight any gardener. In addition, yellow and orange tomatoes are hypoallergenic. Orange tomatoes do not contain lycopene, they are suitable for dietary and baby food.
| Height | Landing location | Ripening time | Fruit color | Fruit size | Origin | Fruit shape |
| Tall | Greenhouse, Open ground | Mid-season | Orange | Large | Variety | Round |
Description and characteristics of the variety
Not only the Orange tomato and the Donetsk Orange tomato are found in Russian gardens; foreign guests, the Pear Orange tomato Pera Naranja and the Sweet Ozark Zarka tomato, have also found fans.
The bushes are indeterminate, height 1.5-1.9 meters. Mid-season tomatoes. They ripen en masse at the end of July and August. Plants are stocky, internodes are of medium length. The leaves are tomato, large, dark green. There is a pronounced articulation on the stalk. The root system develops vertically.
The fruits have an increased content of beta-carotene.
The inflorescences are simple, the flowers are ordinary, non-double. The first brush is laid after 8-9 sheets, the next after 3 sheets. 3-6 round tomatoes are tied on a brush. In green fruits the ribbing is pronounced; on ripe fruits it is almost absent. The fruits are large, at technical ripeness, light green with a yellow tint. As they ripen, they turn yellow and gradually darken.
Ripe tomatoes have a uniformly colored yellow-orange or deep orange skin. The fruits are multi-chambered, with fleshy juicy pulp. The color of the pulp matches the color of the skin. The core is without a hard “pit”.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Tomato seedlings should be properly planted in a permanent place.
Deadlines
The time for planting seedlings depends on the weather and climate. The soil should warm up sufficiently. Typically, planting time occurs between May and early June, but they are planted in protected soil 2–3 weeks earlier. In the southern regions this time may be even earlier.
The average air temperature should be set at +12...+15°C, and the soil should warm up to +12°C.
Selecting a location
The site for planting is selected and prepared in advance. First of all, it should be well lit by sunlight, since all tomatoes, without exception, love light and warmth. The groundwater level should not be too close to ground level - the root system of plants will rot.
Light soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (6–6.5 pH) is well suited for growing tomatoes. Loams fed with fertilizers will be good.
The area for planting has been prepared since the fall. They dig it up, remove remaining vegetation and apply fertilizer. For this purpose, organic matter (manure humus, 5 kg per 1 m²) and mineral fertilizers (50 g of superphosphate per 1 m²) are used.
If the planting site is not prepared in the fall, then in the spring the soil is dug up with the addition of fertilizers in the form of rotted manure or compost. Mineral fertilizers are also applied per 1 m² - 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate and double superphosphate, as well as 0.5 liters of ash.
You should not plant tomatoes in a place where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers previously grew. Good predecessors are zucchini, squash, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage and greens.
Planting scheme
The bushes are planted according to a 60x50 cm pattern. The row spacing is 60 cm. Do not thicken the plantings - this will negatively affect the harvest.
When planting, add sawdust and ash to the hole and water it. The hole is made on the bayonet of a shovel.
Important! Seedlings are planted when the sun is not too active - in the afternoon or in cloudy weather.
Seedlings are placed in the prepared holes along with a lump of earth. The root system is covered with soil around the stem, lightly compacted, and then watered with warm water at the rate of 1–2 liters per hole.
For the first time of planting, it is recommended to cover with film. After the seedling material adapts and stable warm weather has established, the film is removed.
Features of cultivation and storage
Tomato loves loamy soils and prefers open sunny areas. To increase productivity, the plant is formed into 2 stems and periodically fed. The variety has the ability to set fruit in the most unfavorable conditions. In the southern regions it has time to ripen in open ground; for the middle zone it is recommended to plant it in greenhouses.
In case of abundant harvests, the stems and fruit clusters are tied separately at the ripening stage.
The purpose of the variety is salad, so the tomatoes are unsuitable for storage. The delicate skin and pulp of ripe fruits quickly lose their taste and soften. Ripe tomatoes must be processed immediately after picking.
How to grow seedlings
The Orange tomato variety is grown mainly by seedlings.
Time for sowing
The sowing date depends on the climate of the region and the method of cultivation (in a greenhouse or open ground). Seedlings of this heat-loving variety should be planted when stable warm weather has arrived and the threat of frost has passed, and the soil temperature has warmed up to +12°C. In the southern regions, this time may occur on the 10th of April, in the Central Chernozem region - on the 10th of May, and in the middle zone - from June 10th. You can view historical temperature statistics for your locations and select the appropriate date.
Seedlings of mid-season tomato varieties are planted in beds at the age of 60–65 days from emergence. Taking into account the time for emergence of seedlings of 5–7 days, when counting down, it can be determined that for growing seedlings in open ground in the south, Orange tomato seeds can be sown in early February, in the center of the Chernozem region - at the very beginning of March, and for the middle zone - in early April. Since it makes sense to plant this variety in a greenhouse, the planting time can be accelerated by several weeks.
Soil mixture
For seedlings, the easiest way is to purchase ready-made soil at retail outlets. But if you wish, you can make the substrate yourself. It should be taken into account that it must be nutritious and well-permeable, with an acidity in the range of 6.2–6.8 pH.
Important! The homemade soil mixture should be disinfected - keep it in the oven, pour boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate over it.
The soil mixture can be prepared as follows: mix 1 part of the soil from the beds on which nightshade crops did not grow, 2 parts of non-acidic peat, 1 part of humus and ½ part of sand. If the peat is highly acidic, then ash should be added to the mixture. It would be good to add a little superphosphate to this soil.
Capacity
You can use different containers for obtaining tomato seedlings:
- Boxes. Can be used many times, easy to move and transport. They save window space. Plants from them should be planted carefully so as not to damage the roots.
- Peat tablets and cups. The root system of tomatoes feels most comfortable in them. They need moisture control because they dry out faster than other containers. They need a pallet and are expensive. Convenient for disembarkation.
- Seedling pots. Reusable containers that take up a lot of space and are difficult to transport. Care must be taken when removing the plant from it.
- Plastic cassettes. They require a tray and caution when planting seedlings. Poorly transported.
- Disposable plastic tableware. Can be purchased or made independently from plastic bottles.
For tomatoes, choose containers with a height of 10–17 cm and a volume of 1 liter. All of them must have drainage holes. If there are none, then you should make them yourself.
Seed preparation
It is recommended to calibrate your own seeds - immerse them in a saline solution for 10 minutes (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water). Then remove the floating specimens, and use the seed material that has sunk to the bottom for planting.
Seeds should be disinfected before planting. Usually, to do this, they are soaked for 15–20 minutes in a light solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 100 ml of water). Then they need to be rinsed well and dried.
Seeds can be stimulated to grow by soaking for 12 hours in an Epin solution or aloe juice diluted in water in a 1:1 ratio.
Did you know? Tomatoes were brought to Eurasia from South America by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Their name comes from the Aztec word “tomatl”, which meant “large berry”.
Sowing
Before planting, the soil in the prepared container is moistened. When growing seedlings without diving, 1–2 seeds are planted in separate containers to a depth of approximately 1 cm.
In the seedling container for subsequent diving, grooves are made 1 cm deep at a distance of 4 cm from each other. Treated seeds are placed in them at intervals of 1–2 cm.
Then the plantings are carefully sprinkled with earth, moistened a little again and covered with film on top. The container with the crops is transferred to a dark, warm (+25…+30°C) place. They are usually placed near the heating radiator. Every day the plantings are ventilated a little and the soil moisture is controlled.
Seedling care
After the sprouts appear, the plantings should be moved to the most illuminated windowsill. It's best to go south. If there is a lack of light, additional lighting should be organized. The optimal temperatures for tomato seedlings are: daytime - +18...+25°C, night - +12...+15°C. In the first week after emergence, to prevent the sprouts from stretching, they should be kept at a slightly cooler temperature.
You need to water as needed. Do not allow the soil to dry out or flood it. Seedlings are especially dependent on moisture in the first week. It is best to water seedlings in the morning.
Planting of seedlings into separate containers is done in the phase of two true leaves.
Caring for Orange tomatoes
Planted Orange tomatoes must be provided with appropriate care.
Watering
Tomatoes need to be watered regularly. To do this, use warm, settled water. It should be poured at the root so that drops of moisture do not fall on the leaves - this can cause sunburn.
The first watering is carried out 7–10 days after planting the seedlings. Then water 1-2 times every 7 days. Moreover, the frequency and intensity of moistening largely depend on weather conditions. When rainy weather sets in, watering is suspended, and in hot weather it is carried out more often (every 1–2 days).
A drip irrigation system is well suited for organizing the hydration of tomatoes.
Feeding
To get a good harvest, plants need to be fed. During the entire growing season, fertilizers should be applied to the soil at least 3 times:
- The first feeding should be done 10–12 days after planting the seedlings. Humus can be used as fertilizer. It is prepared as follows: add 1 part of manure or mineral fertilizers to a 20-liter bucket of water.
- The second application of fertilizers is carried out when clusters form. Manure with the addition of 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water is suitable for this purpose. l. “Mortar”, as well as 3 g of manganese and copper sulfate.
- The third feeding is carried out during the appearance of the first ripened fruits. The composition of the previous fertilizing is well suited for fertilizer.
Stepsoning
Orange tomatoes grow up to 1.5 m in height, so they need pinching. Each bush is formed into 1–2 stems, and the lateral stepsons are removed.
30 days before the end of the growing season, the top of the main stem is pinched and inflorescences that do not have a good ovary are removed. These actions allow you to prolong fruiting until the onset of autumn.
Soil care
After watering, the soil around the bushes should be loosened. This will improve the flow of air and moisture to the plant’s root system. During loosening, weeds are removed. Weeds take moisture and nutrients from the soil, which interferes with the development of tomatoes.
To prevent the soil from drying out, it should be mulched. Hay, sawdust, and peat are well suited as mulch.
Tying up bushes
The bushes must be tied up. The best option is to tension the nylon cord. It is pulled between two supports installed at the end and beginning of the row, at a distance of 0.3 m from the ground level. The stems are fixed to a cord, and then as they grow, another cord is added and the stems are tied to it.
For gartering, you can use stakes that are driven in near each bush.
Important! In order not to damage the branches of the bushes, soft cloth is used to fix them. Nylon tights that are cut into ribbons are best suited.
Why don't Orange tomatoes bear fruit?
- Unbalanced diet. Plants are very responsive to fertilizing, so excess nitrogen in the soil can lead to an increase in green mass, which distracts it from flowering. Nitrogen can affect the change in the flower; it becomes large, but the stamen cone is completely absent. This phenomenon is especially observed in dry and hot weather.
- Lack of carbon nutrition. During prolonged hot weather, the air in the greenhouse must be saturated with carbon so that photosynthesis occurs faster. To do this, you need to place a container for fermenting manure in the greenhouse. Fill half the container with fresh manure or chicken droppings; in extreme cases, you can use mowed grass. Fill everything with water. This liquid increases the resistance of plants to extreme conditions and regulates the temperature in the greenhouse.
- Bad seed material. Sometimes even your own seeds can fail if they are collected and stored incorrectly. From year to year, collecting seeds from tomatoes can deprive the plant of genetic resistance to infections and fruit shrinkage, which leads to degeneration of the variety. Therefore, you should periodically buy seeds from agricultural companies.
