Every gardener wants to find a tomato variety that is perfect for him and his plot. So that this variety combines the best qualities. Gardeners primarily look at yield level, taste, shelf life and whether the variety requires special care. Also, quite a lot of attention is paid to resistance to various pests and diseases. When looking for a suitable variety, gardeners do not search for long, because they do not believe that all the positive qualities can be found in one variety. But no, this is possible, this is the Bobcat f1 tomato.
Tomato Bobcat f1: description and characteristics of the variety
Tomato Bobcat: photo of variety
The Bobcat tomato variety belongs to the Determinate group. On average, the plant reaches about 90-110 centimeters in height. Tomatoes can be grown both outdoors and indoors. The Bobcat tomato is a late-ripening variety. That is, the first wave, when it will be possible to harvest tomatoes, will come in 130 days.
Note: If you are planning to grow the Bobcat tomato variety in the northern region, then due to its ripening period, this should only be done indoors.
- When fully ripe, the fruit of the Bobcat f1 tomato becomes a rich red color, shimmering a little orange in the sun. Also, there should be no green spot near the stem of the fruit.
- The shape of the fruit is slightly elongated, the shell is dense, but thin. Therefore, it is not felt when eating, and is also slightly ridged.
- The pulp of the Bobcat tomato is quite fleshy, with an excellent taste and aroma. When the fruit is cut open, you can see 5 chambers in which the seeds are located.
- With proper care, the harvest stabilizes and becomes regular from year to year.
Note: Since the shell of the fruit is dense, they are perfectly preserved as a whole, without bursting, like many varieties. It doesn’t even shrivel, as the skin makes it a heat-resistant variety.
Peculiarities
The Bobcat tomato is a large-fruited hybrid. It produces large fruits of uniform red color with a shiny shell (see photo). The weight of one tomato can reach 300 grams.
Tomatoes have a sweet and sour taste, a high percentage of dry matter (5.5-6.5%) and loose pulp.
Thanks to their thick skin, tomatoes are excellent for canning; they do not crack or change shape. They are also suitable for fresh consumption, which makes the variety universal.
Bobcats are immune to the most common nightshade diseases. This greatly facilitates its care and reduces the need to use chemicals to treat bushes.
The crop's yield is average. At the same time, Bobcat is resistant to temperature changes and will delight you with the harvest until the first frost.
The table below shows the main characteristics of the variety.
Parameter | Indicators |
Bush type | Determinant. On average, the height of the bush reaches 50-70 cm. The stems and greenery are powerful and dense. Up to 6 ovaries are formed on one stem, after which the plant stops stretching upward |
Growing method | Suitable for growing in open and protected ground. The first method is used in the southern regions of the country, and the second - in Siberia and the northern regions |
Productivity | Average. From 1 sq. m per season you can collect from 4 to 6 kg of fruit. Experienced gardeners say that with proper care you can achieve results of 8 kg |
Fruit | Red inside and out. They have a dense, shiny, smooth skin. The fruits are round, regular in shape, slightly flattened, and may have slight ribbing at the base. All fruits on the bush are characterized by almost the same shape and size throughout the entire fruiting period. Tomatoes are fleshy with 5.5-6.5% dry matter. May have from 4 to 7 chambers with seeds |
Transportability | High. Stored for more than a month |
Ripening time | Mid-season variety. From the appearance of the first shoots to ripening, 115-130 days pass. Resistant to changes in soil temperature, so harvesting can continue until the first frost |
Disease resistance | Fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, alternaria blight |
The tomato was bred for growing in arid regions. It has a developed root system and is not afraid of high temperatures. In dry weather and the scorching sun, the fruits do not crack.
Bobcat tomatoes: reviews from gardeners about the variety
Many reviews about Bobcat f1 tomatoes are positive, since the variety is highly resistant to many diseases. The yield level of Bobcat tomato is also high. With proper care, 1 square meter produces about 6-7 kilograms of fruit. And if you don’t bother too much with care, you get about 3-4 kilograms per square meter.
Also, gardeners growing the Bobcat tomato variety highlighted both the pros and cons of the variety:
Pros:
- The Bobcat tomato variety is resistant to short-term droughts and excess moisture in the soil. But it is recommended not to tempt fate and avoid droughts and waterlogging.
- High resistance to many diseases and viruses.
- Excellent taste and aroma of tomatoes.
- Even with a little care, the plant will still produce a good harvest.
- Bobcat F1 tomatoes can be used in different areas, that is, they are universal in use.
Minuses:
- Refers to late ripening varieties.
- When grown in the northern regions, the Bobcat f1 tomato variety cannot develop in open ground. Therefore, it is planted only in closed ground.
Tomato Bobcat f1: photo of variety
How to plant Bobcat tomatoes
Bobcat tomatoes: photo of variety
Bobcat f1 tomatoes should be planted in early spring, in early March. Since this variety is a hybrid, the seeds are purchased in specialized stores. Purchased Bobcat tomato seeds have already been treated with the necessary means and are ready for planting. The gardener can only place the seeds in the ground and water them.
It is also recommended to buy soil in the store, as it will already be prepared, or prepare the soil yourself. This will take a little time. It is necessary to take the soil from the site and heat it in the oven. After this, treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate and dry it. Then it must be mixed with humus in equal quantities.
The prepared soil is placed in any containers. Furrows 15 millimeters deep are made and sowing is carried out. Bobcat F1 tomato seeds are laid out in grooves and covered with soil. After which you need to pour water by spraying. Then you need to insulate the soil using a plastic bag or film.
The containers are placed in a room where it is dark and warm, the air temperature is about +24 degrees. After 6-10 days, the first shoots will appear and the film must be removed. The sprouts are transplanted into separate containers and fertilizer with potassium is added to the soil. In the future, it will be very easy to care for the seedlings; they will need to be watered and well lit.
Due to the short spring day, Bobcat f1 tomato seedlings will need more light. For this purpose, special artificial lighting is used.
Note: Artificial lighting can be a regular LED or fluorescent lamp.
Tomato Bobcat: photo of variety
Hardening of seedlings
When the weather becomes warm in the spring, the seedlings need to start hardening off. By then she will have grown well. For hardening, it is necessary to place the seedlings in fresh air. To begin with, this is done in the evening for 1 hour. And then the time increases and after 5-6 days the seedlings can be exposed to the sun. This hardening usually lasts 10-11 days.
Transplanting Bobcat tomato seedlings
After the Bobcat tomato seedlings have grown stronger, they should be transplanted into open or closed ground. The transplant is carried out into holes, between which there should be about 60 centimeters. Planting should be staggered.
The distance between the bushes is a mandatory criterion, since if it is not met, the tomato yield drops by 2-3 times. The soil must be well prepared before transplanting. To prepare open ground you will need copper sulfate.
You need to prepare a solution from it. 10 grams of the substance per 5 liters of warm water, and pour it into the soil. Vitriol will disinfect the soil well. After which a small amount of a mixture of ash and humus is added to the soil.
Plant Formation
After the transplant, you need to think about the formation. Sometimes only the central stem is left, but then the harvest will be small. But the formation of two stems gives an excellent harvest.
Growing a hybrid
Every person who is going to grow Bobcat should know the main features of planting this hybrid variety.
Planting seedlings
Planting begins with planting seed to grow young seedlings.
Preparing soil and containers for seedlings
Experienced gardeners who have been growing tomatoes for many years recommend using peat pots as containers. The use of these containers will preserve the root system during transplantation, since the seedlings are planted in the ground along with peat pots. The soil in the container is pre-fertilized so that the seed germinates faster. A solution prepared from ash and dolomite flour is added to it.
Planting seeds
When planting tomato seeds in the soil, which is in pots, grooves are made 1-2 centimeters deep. 2-3 seeds are placed in them at a distance of at least one centimeter. Then the furrows are covered with soil and watered.
Seedling care
In order for planted seedlings to grow normally, they will have to be properly cared for. When caring for tomato bushes, water regularly. Gardeners advise moistening the soil at least three times a week.
Hardening of seedlings
Tomato seedlings must get used to temperature changes and therefore are hardened off. To do this, the seedlings are taken out into the fresh air for 2-3 hours every day.
Fertilizer
Tomato seedlings are fed one and a half weeks after the emergence of young shoots. Vermicompost with manure and humic fertilizers are added to the soil.
Picking or transplanting seedlings into a larger container
If the tomatoes are planted in a small container, you will have to transplant them into larger containers
In this case, the seedlings are carefully removed from the soil so as not to damage the young roots. Then, holes 2-3 centimeters deep are made in spacious pots, into which tomato seedlings are planted.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
Seedlings are replanted one and a half months after the seeds are planted. It is impossible to do this too late, as the yield may deteriorate.
When transplanting, holes are dug in the area, the distance between which should be 20-35 centimeters. The seedlings are placed in the holes in such a way that its central stem is buried only 2-3 centimeters.
What care does a Bobcat tomato require?
Bobcat tomatoes: photo of variety
The Bobcat tomato variety does not require any special care, but basic care should be provided.
- Due to the high yield level, a lot of fruits are produced on the bush. Therefore, he needs to install a support and tie it to it. Otherwise, the branches along with the fruits will break.
- Unnecessary stepsons should be removed, as they depress the bush.
- The Bobcat tomato variety responds well to watering, but it does not like excess moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to water 2 times every 7 days.
- The bush has fairly dense foliage, so it should be trimmed to facilitate the development of the variety.
- To retain moisture in the soil, you can sprinkle it with straw or hay.
- If the Bobcat is grown indoors, then regular ventilation is necessary.
If these basic care measures are followed, the plant will bear fruit and develop well.
Scope of application of tomatoes
Bobcat, like other tomatoes, is used primarily in cooking. They can be eaten fresh, made into pickles and snacks, fried, or stewed. Due to their meatiness and juiciness, they produce tasty and healthy tomato juice, rich in vitamins and minerals.
Some industries use this variety to make tomato paste and ketchup. The fruits are tasty, which is why they are used fresh or dried as dry seasonings for first and second courses (due to their pronounced tomato taste).
How to increase the yield of Bobcat tomatoes?
When studying Bobcat tomatoes, many vegetable growers noticed that even with minimal care, large harvests can be harvested. There are some secrets to increasing yield that really work.
- Since the Bobcat tomato loves moisture, it can be preserved with hay or straw. Even with abundant watering, the plant does not become infected with fungi and cracks do not appear on the fruits. It becomes quite difficult to retain moisture in the soil on hot summer days. Then it is necessary to carry out treatment with Quadris or Ridomil Gold.
- This variety develops well without any fertilizers, but if complex fertilizing is applied, the yield will increase.
If you take good care of your crop, it will thank you with a wonderful harvest.
Bobcat tomatoes: photo of variety
Diseases and the fight against them
The Bobcat tomato is highly resistant to many diseases and pests. It is even called an invulnerable variety. Despite this, preventative measures should be taken as they will protect the plant. Neglecting preventive measures will increase the risk of infection by 3 times.
Prevention for Bobcat tomatoes is the usual proper watering, loosening the soil, providing good lighting and applying fertilizer.
The most dangerous pest for the Bobcat f1 tomato is the whitefly. To eliminate it, you need to carry out the usual treatment with Confidor. A solution is prepared from this drug, 2 milliliters of the substance per 20 liters of warm water.