Content
Tomato Gargamel is an indeterminate crop that belongs to the category of ultra-early cluster varieties. It has small, red-blue fruits with a pleasant, sweet taste and is valued for its immunity to many diseases.
History of origin
Gargamel is a relatively young tomato variety that appeared several decades ago. It was eaten by American breeder Phil Seneca and named after the evil wizard from the animated series about the Smurfs.
Although the variety is not included in the State Register of the Russian Federation, it is successfully grown in many regions of the country
Description of the Gargamel tomato variety with photo
The culture is a medium-sized, semi-spreading bush of indeterminate type, not limited in the length of shoot growth. In a greenhouse or greenhouse, the height of the Gargamel tomato is 1.8-2 m, in open ground - 1.5 m.
The powerful central stem of the plant is colored purple.The bush itself is covered with medium-sized, dark green leaves without obvious wrinkling of texture. A few thin plates do not create shading that interferes with the full ripening of the fruit.
The number of stepchildren is moderate. 3-6 ovaries are formed on simple flower racemes. The peduncle is without articulations. The fruits are plum-shaped (less often round) with smooth sides, a very dense, glossy skin and a rounded or slightly pointed nose. Their color changes as they ripen. At first they are violet-green, then completely inky.
Ripe Gargamel tomatoes are striped, multi-colored orange-red with muted inky streaks extending from the stalk
The weight of the fruits averages 100-150 g and varies depending on their location. Tomatoes weighing up to 200 g grow on the lower clusters, and from 50 g on the upper clusters. The fruits have at least four nests.
In cross section, the tomatoes are uniformly red with thick sugary walls, large seeds and a jelly filling of the chambers.
The taste of Gargamel tomatoes depends on their degree of ripeness. Unripe tomatoes are sour, fully ripe tomatoes are bland. Gargamel is tasty and sweet with a slight sourness and fruity aroma at the stage when the main color has turned orange-red, and there are still ink marks on the shoulders.
Characteristics of the Gargamel tomato variety
A new breeding product with unusually colored fruits is valued for its unpretentiousness and resistance to most diseases. The variety is suitable for growing in greenhouses and open ground.
Ripening and yield of Gargamel tomato
The variety belongs to the ultra-early category.In greenhouses it ripens in 90-95 days, in open ground in the presence of sufficient heat and sunlight - in 110-120 days. It is characterized by extended fruiting, which does not stop until frost.
The first fruits ripen at the end of June; they are cut with a sharp knife or carefully twisted together with the stalk by hand
From each bush you can collect 4.5-5 kg of tomatoes. Although this is quite a bit for an indeterminate variety, almost all the fruits are marketable.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Blue Gargamel tomatoes have good immunity and are immune to most common diseases and pests. With proper care and compliance with growing conditions, tomatoes demonstrate resistance to cladosporiosis, late blight and rot.
In what regions is it grown?
Gargamel tomatoes are cultivated throughout Russia. In all regions except the south, tomatoes are grown in greenhouses.
Methods of application
Gargamel tomatoes are consumed mainly fresh. They are used to prepare summer salads and snacks. Also, medium-sized tomatoes are canned whole and used as a raw material for ketchup, tomato paste and other preparations for the winter.
Advantages and disadvantages
Gargamel tomatoes are valued for their exotic color and pleasant taste of the fruit. Tomatoes have a jelly-sugar texture and are a source of many beneficial substances, including antacids.
Gargamel tomatoes have good keeping quality and are equally suitable for consumption both fresh and canned.
Pros:
- versatility;
- exotic coloring;
- disease resistance;
- pleasant fruity aftertaste.
Minuses:
- tallness;
- need for stepsoning;
- the need to tie up stems and fruit clusters.
Landing rules
Like most tomatoes, Gargamel is best grown in seedlings. The planting material is heated, pickled and, if desired, soaked in a growth stimulator until it swells. Tomato seeds treated in this way are sown to a depth of 10-15 mm, sprinkled with warm water and covered with glass or transparent film to create a greenhouse effect. The shelter is raised daily to ventilate and remove condensation.
From the moment the first loops appear, tomato seedlings are illuminated around the clock with bright directional light and hardened off. During the day they are kept at +14-16 0C, at night – at +10-12 0C.
After about a week, the box with seedlings is returned to the heat.
Tomato bushes are determined for a permanent place at the age of 60-65 days. When transplanting tomato seedlings, be sure to take into account the climatic features of the region and the long-term meteorological forecast. Young plants in the greenhouse are determined when the soil warms up to +10 0C, to the garden – up to +15 0C.
Tomato bushes are planted so that 1 m2 there were only 2-3 pieces. Fertilizer must be added to the holes, for example, wood ash or nitroammophoska. Tomato seedlings are watered abundantly and mulched. When planted in beds, the bushes are immediately provided with support in the form of a trellis or net.
Care instructions
Gargamel tomatoes are watered for the first time 10 days after planting in a permanent place. This is done in the evening using warm, well-settled water. During the watering process, make sure that moisture does not get on the shoots and leaves of the plants.Subsequently, the soil is moistened as the top layer dries out, on average twice a week.
When the water is absorbed into the soil, the trunk circle of the tomato bushes is loosened to a depth of 50-80 mm to improve plant nutrition and better aeration of the roots. Subsequently, this procedure can be combined with hilling, which is necessary to cover the exposed fragments of the tomato root system.
The first feeding of Gargamel tomatoes is carried out three weeks after planting in a permanent place. To do this, use complex fertilizers for vegetables containing large amounts of nitrogen.
Subsequently, tomatoes are fed every two weeks
After the start of flowering, tomato bushes are fertilized with mineral complexes with potassium salt and superphosphate, alternating them with an infusion of chicken manure, diluted in a ratio of 1:10.
Formation of a Gargamel tomato bush
Gargamel tomato bushes are formed into 2-3 trunks, promptly getting rid of excess shoots and carrying out sanitary pruning of dried branches and wilted leaves. This procedure promotes uniform lighting and distribution of nutrients.
Also, as it grows, the bush is tied to a support installed nearby. Additional supports are placed under heavy clusters with numerous fruits to prevent branches from breaking.
Part of the top of a tomato stem that has stretched up to 1.8-2 m is removed to stimulate the growth of lateral branches. The plant is also pruned, breaking off the shoots in the axils.
Pest and disease control
The tomato variety is resistant to most common diseases and harmful insects. If only Gargamel is cultivated in a greenhouse, the tomatoes do not need preventative chemical treatments.If you notice aphids or slugs on the shoots, the stems should be washed with a strong solution of laundry soap.
Conclusion
The Gargamel tomato is an interesting variety with unusual plum-shaped fruits that have a pleasant fruity flavor. Thanks to their thick, glossy skin, tomatoes can easily be transported and used for salads and canning.
Reviews from gardeners about the Gargamel tomato
