Description
Eldorado are hybrid tomatoes, usually pear-shaped with dense flesh, containing a small amount of juice. There are two varieties: gold and crimson.
Tomato bushes bear fruit all season before the onset of cold weather and grow over 2 m. Single-colored fruits usually reach 7-8 cm in length and can weigh up to 600 g. Productivity is 9 kg of fruits per 1 square meter.
It can be assumed that the name Eldorado is directly related to the color of tomatoes of this variety and refers to the legendary lost city of gold. Like the tomatoes themselves, the myth of El Dorado originates in South America.
Tomatoes are known for their rich antioxidant content, especially lycopene, the properties of which are being actively studied by oncologists. The fruits also contain large amounts of vitamins A, B, C, K, potassium and calcium, which helps maintain good vision, skin, nails and teeth, bone tissue and heart.
Ideal for both fresh use and for drying and canning.
On a note. Due to the unusual color of the fruit, Eldorado tomatoes will be an interesting addition to colored pastes or sauces.
Description of tomatoes
Determinate bush up to 90 centimeters high with clusters of bright yellow tomatoes. Description: smooth, yellow, heart-shaped. The taste is sweet without acid, the flesh is medium juicy and dense. Medium juicy, non-sour tomatoes, suitable for pickling and salads. The weight of one fruit reaches 600 grams, the yield per square meter is up to 9 kilograms. The bush requires shaping and gartering.
Mainly intended for greenhouse production. It is grown in open ground in the southern territories; in other areas it is covered with film. Developed by breeders for cultivation on a production scale, as well as for amateur gardeners.
We grow seedlings
Let's look at the main stages of growing seedlings.
Seed preparation
Thorough preparation of seeds for seedlings is the key to a good harvest. The preparatory stage includes the following procedures.
Culling (sorting)
Immerse the seeds in a solution of table salt (1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water), leave for 10 minutes. Remove the small empty seeds that float up; for germination, use those that remain at the bottom. Rinse them with water and dry. These larger seeds contain more nutrients.
Note! Sometimes after sorting the seeds are heated, but this is not necessary with hybrid tomato seeds.
Disinfection
The easiest way is to keep the seeds in the open sun for 5-7 days. If the sun is an infrequent guest in your area, treat tomato seeds with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 30-40 minutes at room temperature. Then rinse with water.
Nutrient treatment
If you wish, you can soak the seeds in one of the nutrient solutions, both chemical (Immunocytophyte, Epin) and natural (aloe juice). There is no need to wash the seeds.
Soaking
Place the seeds in a gauze bag and immerse in warm water for at least 12 hours. The amount of water should be 20-25% less than the amount of seeds. It is necessary to change the water every 4-5 hours, taking out the bag of seeds to saturate them with oxygen.
Germination
Place the seeds in a saucer lined with gauze or filter paper. Keep the temperature at 20-25 degrees, monitor the condition of the gauze/paper (it should not be dry or excessively wet).
Hardening
Place the sprouted seeds in the refrigerator overnight (0-2 degrees), then keep them at a temperature of 15-20 degrees during the day. This hardening will prepare the seeds for changeable weather conditions.
The above procedures are carried out at will; they accelerate the emergence of seedlings, reduce the incidence of plant diseases and increase productivity.
Seeds can also be sown outdoors after the danger of frost has passed, in spring, and in warm soil.
Soil preparation and container selection
For germination, it is recommended to use store-bought soil - it contains the nutrients necessary for growth. However, if you want to prepare the soil yourself, the following recommendations will help you.
Take garden or vegetable soil as a basis, add peat and humus in equal quantities. If necessary, loosen the soil yourself by diluting it with river sand and sawdust. To make the soil more fertile, add mineral fertilizers (sulfate, urea).
After the seeds on the saucer have sprouted and acquired 5-6 strong leaves, plant them in common containers or in separate cups. Fill such containers with prepared soil, the layer of which should not exceed 5.5 cm, then moisten it and compact it.
Sowing
Let's move on to the next step. When all containers are prepared, dig holes 5 to 7 mm deep. Then water each hole with warm water and nutrient solution. Immerse the sprouted seeds in each of them, sprinkle with soil and moisten.
Growing and care
For further successful germination, cover the containers with plastic wrap and place in a warm room. Seeds must be kept in constant moisture, so remove the film gradually. Open it a little every day so that the seeds get used to fresh air. After 1-2 weeks the film can be removed.
Seeds need plenty of sunlight. Since seedlings are grown for 2-3 months before transplanting into open ground, winter sun is not enough for good growth. Use additional lighting with fluorescent lamps every day for 16 hours. If this is not possible, place the containers on the lightest windowsill.
As for watering, look at the condition of the soil. Keep it moist without allowing the top layer to dry out. Water carefully under the stem, without touching the sprouts. After removing the film, you can increase the number of waterings. The main thing is not to overdo it. Flooded soil, as well as dry soil, can cause the sprouts to wither. It is better to water in the morning, as at night the sprouts may freeze due to the drop in temperature.
Harvest use
What can you cook from tomatoes? Housewives usually marinate whole-fruit rolls in sweet and sour syrup with the addition of spices. But the characteristics of these tomatoes make it possible to prepare pickled and fresh salads using vegetables. Some craftsmen manage to freeze vegetables - cut them into circles or cubes and place them in the freezer to freeze. Another interesting way to store tomatoes in winter is drying. Cut into small cubes of 0.5 centimeters and dry in the oven or in the open air. Later they are used to prepare soups and main courses, after soaking the dry vegetable in water.
How to grow tomatoes
There are some features of growing Eldorado tomatoes. It is recommended to plant seedlings in the ground when the air temperature reaches 20-25 degrees (April, May). You can plant them in a greenhouse much earlier, but you need to monitor weather conditions - the onset of frost will negatively affect the seedlings.
The soil should be rich in nutrients, fertile, deep, moist, and well-drained.
On a note. To prevent diseases of tomatoes, for example, blackleg, treat the soil with a manganese solution.
Domestic farmers recommend placing seedlings at a depth of up to 0.5 cm at a distance of about 30-60 cm from each other if space is limited. If not, a distance between seedlings of 120-150 cm is allowed. In a greenhouse, sprouts are planted based on the calculation of 3-4 bushes per square meter.
Be responsible when watering Eldorado tomato bushes. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, otherwise the seedlings may die. When watering, do not forget to loosen and weed the soil for better moisture absorption. Fertilize the soil once every 2 weeks during the entire process of seedling growth and fruit ripening.
After the bush has formed, it is tied up. To do this, manually remove the lower stepsons and leaves. It is better to perform this procedure in the morning in sunny weather.
Important! Break off the shoots and leaves gradually (2 shoots and leaves each) to prevent the bush from dying. Make sure that the leaves of the bush do not lie on the ground. This way you can prevent them from becoming infected.
Despite the fact that tomatoes are considered one of the easiest and most popular vegetables to grow in the garden, both beginners and experienced gardeners are faced with problems of plant diseases and pests.
Tomatoes are susceptible to a wide range of diseases. The most common ones are:
- Root rot, or black leg, is blackening in the area of the root collar and root.
- Alternaria blight - brown spots on leaves, fruits and stems.
- Bacterial cocker. The leaves wilt, turn yellow, then brown and die from the bottom up.
- Septoria blight is small brown spots with yellow rings on fruits and leaves. Most often, older leaves are affected.
- Powdery mildew. There is a white coating (mycelium) on the surface of the leaves. It is located in spots, starting from the lowest leaves.
- Bacterial mottling. Oily brown spots appear on the leaves, after which the affected areas of the plant wither.
- Bacterial cancer. The leaves wither from the bottom up, and brown growths form on the petioles. The fruits deteriorate both inside and outside (white spots appear on the skin).
- Bacterial wilt. There are no visible symptoms, tomatoes quickly wither and die. The disease is quarantine, and therefore is considered the most dangerous. To prevent infection already at the planting stage, be sure to carry out quarantine treatment of greenhouses.
As for pests that can damage or destroy tomato plants, there are also many of them. As a rule, tomato pests attack fruits or leaves.
First, let's list the insects that settle on plant leaves. These include aphid beetles, blister beetles, cabbage loopers, Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles, stink bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms and white flies.
Now let's look at pests that attack exclusively fruits. These are rodents, slugs, tobacco worms, tomato fruit worms, tomato pinworms and vegetable leaf worms.
The main thing is to detect deviations in the process of growing Eldorado tomatoes in time. A quick response to the appearance of diseases or pests will help correct the situation and avoid crop loss. Remember that tomato growing problems are actually common. Even gardeners with years of experience may find that their tomatoes have been ruined by disease or pests.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is significantly different from planting them in open ground. A greenhouse, usually made of polycarbonate, should be warm and airtight. As mentioned earlier, before planting seedlings, it must be disinfected, and the soil should be watered generously and, if desired, fertilized with nutrients.
Important! Before planting seedlings, the greenhouse is ventilated for 5 days.
Ground flooring - within 25 cm, otherwise the ground simply will not warm up. Plant 10 cm from the sides, using a planting pattern in the form of the letter P or W. Direct the legs of the “letters” towards the exit of the greenhouse. Arrange the holes in a checkerboard pattern. We have already talked about the depth of the holes.
The soil should be watered at least a week after planting.
To grow tomatoes outdoors, consider several factors. The place should be sunny and warm, protected from strong winds. Farmers do not recommend using soil after growing potatoes, peppers, eggplants and physalis.
Dig up the selected area of soil and feed it with fertilizers.
Form the beds in the direction from east to west. This way the soil will warm up faster. Recommended width - 1 m, height - 20-25 cm. Loosen the soil and level it. Now you can move on to creating holes. Usually they are placed in 2 rows at a distance of 60-70 cm.
On a note. By arranging the holes in a checkerboard pattern, you will provide them with better sunlight.
Plant seedlings in open ground in the afternoon, when the heat subsides. Before planting, water the plants, put humus and fertilizer in the holes and water them with plenty of water. After planting, water the plants again and cover with paper caps or any other non-woven material.
Immediately after planting, cover the soil with humus, peat, compost or sawdust. This will reduce moisture evaporation. Loosen the soil regularly. The first time - 2 weeks after disembarkation. After 1.5 months, hill up the tomatoes to avoid stem breakage.
If it gets cold, cover the seedlings with film to avoid crop loss.
Water tomatoes in open ground at least 2-3 weeks after planting. Then 1-2 times every 10 days, spending 3-4 liters per plant. For irrigation, use water heated by the sun.
Tomato Eldorado, growing features
The Eldorado tomato has several types of colors. The purpose of breeding the variety is for industrial production and supplying farms. You can purchase seeds in small quantities and grow tomatoes in your private garden.
Description of the variety
The bushes are characterized by a determinant type.
After a maximum of six clusters are formed, the plant stops growing. The height is approximately 0.9 m. The description of the tomato varies depending on the growing conditions. The variety has a negative attitude towards temperature changes and is used indoors. If the gardener lives in the southern region, then you can grow tomatoes in open ground. The number of leaves on the bush is average. This means that the leaves do not need to be removed. The plant has high productivity. From one bush it is possible to collect about five kilograms of tomato.
Features of cultivation and care
Seeds should be sown, taking into account that by the time they are moved to the greenhouse, the sprout must reach 70 days of age. Before sowing tomatoes, it is necessary to cultivate the land. A solution of potassium permanganate is used. This is done to prevent blackleg disease. Seeds should be planted no more than half a centimeter deep.
Do not water the leaves or spray the seedlings. Use water at room temperature for irrigation. The soil and water should be approximately the same temperature. After a couple of leaves appear on the young bush, you need to plant the tomatoes in pots. It is recommended to choose them with diameters up to 7 cm.
As the tomatoes grow and the leaves move closer to each other, it is necessary to move the pots away. The distance between them should be approximately four centimeters. When transplanting into a greenhouse, you need to make calculations. A maximum of 4 bushes are planted per square.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Eldorado variety
One of the obvious advantages of this tomato variety is its external characteristics. The beautiful shape and interesting color catch the eye.
In addition, Eldorado tomatoes are resistant to wilting and taste good when fresh. By planting tomatoes of this variety, you are guaranteed to provide yourself with a rich harvest.
It is difficult to name any disadvantages of Eldorado, except for the low juice content in the fruits. However, this fact can also be an advantage - the high density of tomatoes will save time on preparing sauces and vegetable pastes.
Advice. Try adding fresh salsa to your Eldorado sauce. Serve with fresh aromatic herbs and soft young cheeses.
Farmer reviews
Galina: “The Eldorado variety was recommended by friends, fellow summer residents. The choice fell on a variety of yellow tomatoes. I didn’t have to fuss too much, I grew it in a greenhouse, and in the end I got short, cute bushes and a rich harvest. And with our climate, every tomato is worth its weight in gold! The fruits themselves are quite large, the largest is 400 g, very tasty, and also perfect for pickling. A decent variety, I recommend it."
Irina: “I planted Eldorado out of curiosity - I liked the appearance. Tomatoes, of course, are delicious and look beautiful in a salad. The bushes are not tall, but they still had to be tied up. There were no particular difficulties during cultivation.”
Reviews:
A.O.S., experienced summer resident:
Eldorado was planted out of curiosity. Yellow tomatoes have never been grown. The information on the package was basically confirmed. The bush is not tall, but it could not do without support. The fruits did not reach 400 g, the largest was 280 g, the rest were smaller. Perhaps there was not enough nutrition in the soil. They tasted good, and in a salad in combination with red vegetables they were very picturesque. We didn’t try to store it for a long time - we ate it quickly.
Many gardeners have already tried a new variety - Eldorado tomata . The determinate bush of medium length pleased its owners with a high yield of yellow heart-shaped tomatoes. And the size of the tomato, up to 600 grams, did not leave hunters of large tomatoes indifferent. It develops well in many latitudes of Russia, but in cold conditions it is grown in a greenhouse.
