Content
- 1 History of selection
- 2 Description of the tomato variety Em Champion
- 3 Characteristics of tomato Em Champion
- 4 Advantages and disadvantages of the Em Champion variety
- 5 Planting and caring for Em Champion tomato
- 6 Pest and disease control
- 7 Conclusion
- 8 Reviews from gardeners about the Em Champion tomato
For more than 40 years, one of the most popular varieties of the Siberian collection has been the Em Champion tomato. Gardeners characterize it as cold-resistant and high-yielding and recommend it for growing in open ground.
Em Champion tomatoes are beautiful and tasty
History of selection
The Em Champion tomato variety was bred at the end of the last century by Siberian breeders for cultivation in the cold regions of the country. Initially it was intended for cultivation in open ground. But, as gardeners from different regions of the country note, Em Champion tomatoes also thrive when grown in greenhouse conditions. The variety was included in the State Register in 1982.
The Em Champion variety was intended for cultivation in Siberia
Description of the tomato variety Em Champion
The tomato from the Siberian collection Em Champion is a determinate (low-growing) variety, that is, the development of the bush occurs with the growth of the central stem stopping and the formation of a flower cluster at its top (topping).
The neat bushes of this crop are low (0.5-0.7 cm), weakly leafy. The shoots are thin, but quite strong. The dark green embossed leaves are large and drooping, which ensures good ventilation of the plantings. The shape of the leaf blade is characteristic of representatives of this culture.
The inflorescence of Em Champion tomatoes consists of 3-5 simple yellow flowers, in the place of which, after the end of the flowering period, an ovary is formed. The first flower cluster is formed above the fifth leaf, all the rest - every two leaves. The growth of the central stem, as a rule, stops after the formation of 4-5 fruit clusters.
The Em Champion variety is facultative, that is, self-pollinating. Therefore, the participation of bees is not necessary to pollinate flowers; a simple blow of wind will be enough.
Oval heart-shaped tomatoes Em Champion are similar in shape to the famous variety Bull's Heart. In most cases, the weight of one fruit is 150-300 g, but larger specimens are also found (about 800 g).
The thin tomato skin, which is not prone to cracking, fits tightly to the tender juicy pulp. The high sugar content gives these tomatoes a pleasant, sweet, slightly sour taste. The seed chambers contain a small number of seeds.
The root system is strong, taprooted, with numerous branches. The length of the central root can reach 1 m, and the lateral ones extend in different directions at a distance of 0.5 to 2 m. Due to the good regenerative abilities of the root system, minor damage to it does not have a detrimental effect on the growth and development of the plant.
The Em Champion variety is characterized as large-fruited
Characteristics of tomato Em Champion
Em Champion tomatoes can easily withstand frequent temperature changes and provide a decent harvest in almost all regions of the country, even in the most unfavorable season. And this is not the only good quality of tomatoes.
Tomato yield Em Champion
One plant lays up to five flower clusters, on each of which up to five large fruits subsequently ripen. Thus, with proper agricultural technology, it is possible to collect 3-4 kg of ripe tomatoes from a bush. This allows the variety to be characterized as high-yielding.
In terms of ripening, the tomato is mid-early, so the first ripe fruits can be obtained 100-110 days after sowing the seeds for seedlings. The fruiting period continues until frost.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Tomatoes of this variety have a certain immunity to fungal and viral infections. However, this does not always protect them from the development of diseases and attacks of harmful insects characteristic of Solanaceae. The reason for this, as a rule, is high humidity and improper care of plants.
Methods of application
Em Champion tomatoes do not have good shelf life and transportability, therefore they are not suitable for long-term storage and transportation over long distances.
Ripe fruits are eaten fresh and used for preparing salads, first and second courses.
The large size of tomatoes does not allow their use in the process of whole-fruit canning.However, the presence of juicy and sweet pulp makes these tomatoes an ideal raw material in the production of juices, sauces and fruit drinks.
The good yield of the variety is due to the large size of the fruits
Advantages and disadvantages of the Em Champion variety
Em Champion tomatoes have many advantages: they do not take up much space and produce a good harvest in any weather. However, like all representatives of the culture, this variety also has disadvantages.
Em Champion tomatoes have more advantages than disadvantages
Pros:
- possibility of growing in open ground;
- ease of care;
- high yield in all weather conditions;
- compactness and good ventilation of the bushes;
- large size and good taste of the fruit;
- no need for stepsoning;
- good resistance to diseases and temperature changes;
- possibility of collecting seeds yourself.
Minuses:
- impossibility of long-term storage;
- the need to tie bushes to supports.
Planting and caring for Em Champion tomato
Em Champion tomatoes are planted in open ground 60-65 days after the seeds hit the ground. This must be taken into account when determining the time for sowing tomatoes for seedlings. In most cases, in the southern regions this is done in the second half of February, and in cooler regions - in March.
After two true leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate cups and planted in open ground when the soil warms up to 10 °C and the threat of return frosts has passed. This is around the end of April or beginning of May.
The algorithm for planting Em Champion tomatoes can be seen in the video.
Subsequent care of plants comes down to the following activities:
- Watering. Excess moisture can cause the development of fungal diseases, such as late blight. In this regard, tomatoes should be watered only when the top layer of soil dries out.
- Loosening the soil and removing weeds. Ideally, the soil should be treated after each watering. Weeds are removed as necessary.
- Feeding. It is recommended to fertilize tomatoes every two weeks. Mineral and organic compounds are used alternately.
- Prevention and treatment of diseases. For fungal diseases, a week before planting seedlings in open ground, the prepared beds are spilled with a solution of copper sulfate prepared at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. drug per 10 liters of water. A couple of days after the first treatment, the beds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate (it should be dark crimson). To treat fungal diseases, fungicidal preparations such as Fitosporin, Fundazol are used, and to control pests (before the ovary appears) - insecticides (Aktara, Avant, etc.)
- Stepsonning and garter. Sagging under the weight of the fruit, the thin shoots of the Em Champion tomato can become deformed, so during the fruiting period it is recommended to tie them to supports. Em Champion tomato bushes are low-growing, so there is no particular need to remove side shoots. However, pinching up to the first fruit cluster will help increase crop yield and prevent the development of fungal diseases.
In addition, low-growing varieties do not require pinching the central stem and part of the brushes, as is done with tall crops. After the formation of a certain number of fruit clusters, the growth of the bush stops, and all the tomatoes have time to ripen.
The exception is those cases when it is planned to speed up the ripening period of tomatoes or to obtain especially large fruits. In this case, 1-2 fruit clusters are left on the bushes.
The process of growing tomatoes is not particularly difficult
Pest and disease control
Despite good immunity, gardeners sometimes have to deal with tomato diseases.
- Late blight. The cause of the development of late blight, as well as other fungal diseases, is increased soil moisture and poor ventilation of plantings. At the initial stage of the disease, the leaves turn yellow and dry; later, the fungus attacks the fruits, making them unsuitable for use. Treatment of plants with Fundazol or Fitosporin will help cope with late blight.
Late blight can cause plant death
- Dry rot. The first sign of the disease is dark spots on the stems, which gradually turn into wounds. It is impossible to cure dry rot, so diseased plants will have to be removed from the garden bed.
Dry rot affects not only the stems, but also the fruits
- Anthracnose (pennyroyal). Copperhead is a black spot rot that attacks the roots and fruits of tomatoes. At the initial stage, a small dent appears on the tomatoes, which subsequently darkens and becomes covered with small black dots. You can cure copperhead with fungicides.
Fruits affected by copperhead are unfit for consumption.
Tomatoes and pests do not go unnoticed:
- Whitefly.A small, moth-like white butterfly can destroy entire tomato plantings in a short time. The fact is that the whitefly very often lays eggs, from which green caterpillars emerge in just a few days and immediately begin to destroy the vegetative parts of the plant. You can cope with whiteflies by treating the plantings with insecticidal preparations.
A small butterfly can cause great harm
- Spider mite. A sign of the presence of this pest are white and yellow dots on the back of the leaves. You can get rid of the parasite using insecticides.
Mite-affected leaves don't look very nice
- Colorado beetle. This pest is hard to miss. Bright red at the beginning of their life, Colorado beetles eventually acquire a yellow-black striped color. If you do not fight this pest, it can destroy tomato plantings in less than a week. You can cope with it by treating the bushes with Aktara, Calypso or other insecticidal preparations.
During the fruiting period, beetles will have to be collected manually
Conclusion
Tomato Em Champion is a salad variety that will delight you with large, sweet fruits throughout the season. With proper care, you can harvest a harvest that will be enough to prepare not only salads in the summer, but also juices and sauces for the winter.
