Ampel tomatoes are a real find for people who do not have the opportunity to acquire a summer cottage, but have a great desire to grow organic vegetables on their own. These compact plants thrive and bear fruit abundantly indoors with very little maintenance. In addition, the ampels are endowed with high decorativeness, which makes it possible to use the bushes to decorate premises.
Among the ampel varieties, amateur gardeners often choose a tomato called Tiger for growing. What does an ampelous plant look like, and how justified is its cultivation at home?
Description
Tiger is an early ripe variety. From the moment the shoots appear until the beginning of the ripening period, 100-110 days pass. The bush is compact, well leafy. Plant height - 15-20 cm, diameter - 40-45 cm.
Simultaneously with the fruit setting, the shoots acquire a falling position. Densely placed leaves prevent moisture evaporation, and the plant needs less watering. 6-7 brushes are formed on the bush, each of which has 4 to 6 ovaries. Fruits are round, small: tomatoes weigh 30-50 g. Thanks to their glossy, dense skin, tomatoes do not crumble and are stored for a long time.
Seedling tomatoes
The color of the tomatoes fully corresponds to the name of the ampel: upon the onset of biological maturity, the yellow-green color changes to red, which is diluted with orange stripes. Tomatoes have a pleasant sweet and sour taste and a pronounced tomato smell: they are equally good in salads, and in preservation, and after freezing.
The average yield of the ampelous plant is more than compensated for by the long fruiting and decorative appearance of the plant.
Features of growing and care
Like the planting material of traditional varieties, the seeds of ampelous tomatoes are treated for an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate before planting.
Landing is carried out in the following sequence:
- A layer of drainage material is laid on the bottom of the planter: coconut substrate, expanded clay;
- The container is filled with a substrate of peat, rotted manure and sod soil calcined at 60 degrees, mixed in a 1: 1: 1 ratio. Purchased soil before laying is fertilized, based on the calculation of 1 tbsp. l. ash, 1 tsp. superphosphate and 1 tsp. potassium sulfate in a bucket of earth;
- Seeds washed in clean water are sown to a depth of 2 cm in large seedling containers or individual pots.
The peculiarity of this variety is that some gardeners practice vertical planting of ampels, planting plants in pots with a hole in the bottom. The bushes planted in this way practically do not get sick with fungal diseases, and the branches densely covered with small fruits become a highlight of any interior.
Tomato ampelous Tiger in the garden
Despite the fact that the variety does not have a high yield, miniature bushes need care no less than usual.
Growing ampelous tomatoes will be successful if you provide them with the right conditions:
- Temperature. For normal growth and active flowering, the room temperature during the day should be within + 20- + 26C, at night - + 16- + 18. In the case when the room is much cooler, the bushes will stop developing;
- Lighting. With an early planting, when there is still not enough sunlight, the seedlings are supplemented in the early and evening hours.So that young tomatoes grow quickly, they use bicolor lamps, and for the normal development of adults - multispectral or LED phytolamps. The advantage of the latter is that they do not heat up;
- Watering. Tomato ampelous Tiger, as, in principle, and other varieties of ampel, is not picky about watering. The plant calmly tolerates heat and short-term drying out of the substrate. Water the bushes with a moderate amount of room temperature water as needed. Plants suffering from excessive moisture often suffer from fungal diseases and form watery, sour fruits. To reduce humidity, the room or greenhouse should be regularly ventilated;
- Top dressing. It is impractical to grow tomatoes in a poor substrate, since the plants simply will not tie fruit. Mineral supplements are added once every 2 weeks. Depending on the volume of the pots and the selected brand, the consumption of the mixture per bush is from 3 to 5 grams. After fertilization, the plants are watered;
- Dive. Fortified ampelous tomatoes are transplanted to a permanent place, deepening 3 cm deeper than the previous level. As a result of such planting, the plants grow a powerful root system, which transfers the maximum amount of macro- and microelements to the aerial part;
- Formation. The characteristic and description of the tomato variety ampelny Tigrovy contains information that it is better to lead a bush in 1 or 2 stems. To do this, pinch off all excess processes as they appear. Formed plants yield higher yields than untouched ones.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tomato ampelous Tiger harvest
To get a good harvest, when choosing a variety of tomatoes, you should carefully study all the pros and cons of one or another type.
To the benefits ampel tomato mixture relate:
- resistance to gray rot, late blight and a number of other fungal diseases;
- undemanding to care and environmental conditions;
- unusual color;
- good taste;
- the versatility of the fruit;
- transportability.
The main and only drawback of the Tiger tomato variety is the small size of the fruit.
Tomato Tiger is an ampelous variety, unpretentious in care, resistant to diseases and adverse environmental conditions. Such a positive characteristic makes it possible to grow a culture not only for a qualified agricultural technician, but also for people who for the first time decided to pamper themselves and their families with an organic vegetable. In addition, miniature tomatoes have a decorative look, which makes it possible to use plants not only for arranging mini-beds, but also for decorating the house.
