This South American vegetable appeared in the old world in the 16th century and is becoming more and more popular. In our country, tomato bushes are found on any site. Every gardener is looking for a delicious fertile variety. This is exactly the kind of tomato that Grandma's secret is. Where it came from, what characteristics of the variety, how to grow it, we will consider in this article.

The beginning of the story

Tomatoes are a species of the Solanaceae family. Oddly enough, but this fragrant fruit is related to potatoes. Many types of tomatoes have been bred in the world; in Russia alone, breeders have bred more than 700 varieties. Tomato Granny's secret is interesting in terms of cultivation.

This variety was bred relatively recently. In 2007, breeders Dederko V.N. and Nostnikova T.N. patented a new name. Despite the fact that the variety was bred in Siberia, the creators recommended it for cultivation throughout the country in greenhouses. Only in the southern regions is it possible to grow this type of tomato in the open field.

Tomato Babushkin's secret has its own characteristics and description of the variety.

Characteristics and features of the variety

Florida tomato

Babushkino's tomato has unlimited growth. The stem is strong, growing up to two meters. The leaves are large, dark green in color. The stem is loosely covered. In greenhouses, it is grown in one stem (pinching is required); in the open field, 2-3 stems can be formed.

Tomato Granny's Secret

Important! For better fruit ripening, the bush should be pinched after the formation of the eighth brush.

The tomato root does not go deep into the ground, but spreads out under the surface. The combination of a high stem and shallow roots leads to the need to tie the bush immediately after planting.

Flowers are collected in a simple inflorescence, up to 8 pieces, on the stem they are laid every two leaves.

The fruits of the Babushkin Secret variety are rounded, with a flattened top. There is also slight ribbing on the sides. The color of the ripe tomato is raspberry red.

The pulp is quite dense, contains little liquid. The skin is firm but not thick. When cut, the sugary structure of the pulp is clearly visible. Few seeds are produced in the fruit. In terms of size, the berry belongs to large-fruited tomatoes. The weight of one tomato with proper care reaches 700 grams. Up to 8 kg of harvest is harvested from one bush.

The Babushkin secret variety belongs to the mid-season. From the moment of sowing the seeds to the ripening of the first fruit, it takes about 120 days.

Note! You will not be able to make tomato juice from these tomatoes. There is not enough liquid in them. Best suited for salads and sauces.

The tomato of this variety is bee-pollinated. When grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to organize access for insects to plants or artificially pollinate.

It does not tolerate frost well. In the northern and central regions, it is better to grow in greenhouses.

Features of the variety:

  • Unlike its counterparts, this variety does not have a pivotal, but a fibrous root system;
  • The fruits are large;
  • Good yield of the variety;
  • The characteristic sweetish-sour taste of tomatoes;
  • The fruits are laid and ripen throughout the season;
  • Resistance to diseases such as powdery mildew and late blight is noted.

Growing

Growing seedlings of tomatoes Babushkin's secret will not cause difficulties.

Just shot scust

Tomato Children's joy

As with other types of tomatoes, seeds are sown in late February - early March. It is better to buy the soil in the store. Before sowing seeds, the soil must be spilled with boiling water.Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for germination in water or Fitosporin solution. When the water drains and the earth is a little ventilated, they plant seeds. There are two ways to do this:

  1. Make grooves 1.5-2 cm deep with a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Place seeds in them. Cover well with earth and tamp lightly;
  2. Make several grooves of the same depth in a row and place one seed in each. Cover with soil and tamp.

When all the seeds are planted, moisten the soil with a spray bottle, cover with foil or glass, and place on a well-lit windowsill. The temperature around the greenhouse should be kept around 25 ° C.

After seed germination, the film must be removed for a few minutes, gradually accustoming the seedlings to open air. Gradually, we increase the time of finding young plants without shelter. After about 2 weeks, the film can be completely removed.

After the appearance of the second true leaf, the seedlings dive. This should be done carefully, without damaging the roots. It is better to transplant the grown seedlings into personal cups.

Tomatoes are transplanted into the ground when they reach the age of 50 days. For two weeks, they should be hardened by taking them out into the fresh air: first for 20-30 minutes, gradually the time spent outside is increased, bringing it to a day.

Important! Before transplanting a tomato, Granny's Secret, check the soil temperature. It should be at least 25 C heat.

The wells are prepared according to the 50 x 65 cm scheme. Humus and any complex fertilizers should be placed in each well. Ash can be added. After laying the holes, they should be spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. The solution should be slightly pink.

Important! During the season, tomatoes should be fed 2-3 times. An excess of fertilizers will cause a rapid build-up of green mass, not ovaries.

After planting the seedlings, it must be immediately tied to high supports. This will help avoid breaking the plants.

Water the plants sparingly, but do not allow the soil to dry out. In a cool year, grown tomatoes should be watered once a week. In dry years, this should be done two to three times a week. To avoid drying out the soil, it is better to mulch the holes. It should be watered at the root, avoiding the ingress of water on the leaves and stem.

On a note. Excess moisture for Babushkino's tomato is just as harmful as drying out the soil. When waterlogged, tomatoes will crack.

Loosen the ground around the bushes as necessary. This will provide oxygen to the roots.

Diseases

Tomato Sovereign

Despite the inherent resistance to tobacco mosaic, late blight and powdery mildew in the variety, plants can be exposed to these diseases in the open field. In a rainy year, late blight can leave these large tomatoes without a crop. Therefore, tomatoes should be treated with appropriate preparations in advance.

You should also harvest on time. Unripe fruits will ripen quickly at room temperature.

Pros and cons of the variety

The positive aspects of this variety are the large weight of the fruits, good yield, taste and resistance to some diseases. It is also worth noting the possibility of growing in one stem, which allows you to grow more plants per square meter.

Ripe and green tomatoes on the bush

The disadvantages of the variety are:

  • Short storage time;
  • Cracking of fruits with frequent watering;
  • Poorly transported;
  • Seed collection is difficult. Very few of them are formed in the fruit.

Tomato Babushkin's secret has proven itself in salads. You can prepare winter salads and sauces on the basis of the Granny's secret tomato to the delight of households and guests.

In order to enjoy this berry, it is enough to plant this variety on your site. The cultivation process will not cause any difficulties, and the bushes will thank you for the excellent harvest.

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