Content
Russian gardeners have been growing the Russian bells tomato for more than 20 years. The variety’s endurance and “stress resistance” help the variety to withstand “competition” from domestic and foreign new breeding products that go on sale annually, providing the gardener with approximately the same yields, regardless of weather conditions. In addition, the plants are very compact, do not require particularly complex care, and rarely get sick.
History of origin
The tomato variety Russian Bells is listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements as “Bells of Russia”. This is a “joint development” of the Institute of General Genetics named after N.I. Vavilov and the Rostock agricultural company, an achievement of a whole team of authors.
The Russian Bells tomato appeared on the market in 1999. A year later it was included in the State Register. There are no recommendations regarding the most suitable regions for cultivating these tomatoes; the variety is recognized as suitable for planting in any area.
Tomato seeds Russian Bells are produced not only by the originator, but also by other agricultural companies under its license
Description of the tomato variety Russian Bells
Russian bells are an early ripening variety of tomatoes. Tomatoes reach full maturity 103-108 days after seed germination. The State Register recommends growing them in open ground, but they are also suitable for greenhouses, greenhouses, and film shelters due to their small dimensions.
In closed ground, the ripening period of the crop is reduced to 90-95 days
Determinate variety. This means that tomato bushes cannot “outgrow” the limit set by the breeders. Their height in open ground is 45-50 cm, in a greenhouse - a maximum of 60 cm. The plants are standard, “squat”, reminiscent of miniature trees. The shoots do not branch very readily, the foliage is average. The leaves are quite small, with a typical tomato shape.
The tomatoes are medium-sized, one-dimensional (52-55 g). The skin is smooth, glossy, pink-red in color. It is thin, but durable, and does not crack during prolonged waterlogging, transportation, storage, or heat treatment. Tomatoes are easily separated from the stalks due to the presence of articulation.
The shape of Russian bell tomatoes varies from plum-shaped with a pronounced “spout” to pear-shaped
The taste is characterized in the State Register as “excellent”. The tomatoes are noticeably sweet, but this is compensated by a light refreshing sourness. The pulp is raspberry-red, juicy, tender, but not watery. It is relatively dense, “grainy” when cut, with a pronounced “tomato” aroma. Russian Bell tomatoes have two seed chambers; there are few seeds, they are small, often underdeveloped.
Characteristics of tomato Russian bells
The Russian Bells tomato bush looks very decorative during fruiting - it is literally strewn with tomatoes. But gardeners choose it not only for its visual appeal. The popularity of the variety is determined by its other important characteristics for the summer resident.
Tomato yield Russian bells
The yield for such compact bushes is quite high. With minimal care you can expect approximately 3 kg/m². Competent agricultural technology, combined with good weather, can increase yields to 8-9 kg/m².
Such indicators are ensured by the frequent arrangement of fruit clusters. The first is laid over the 6-7th sheet, then they are formed at intervals of 1-2 sheets. Each brush contains up to eight tomatoes (on average 5-6 pieces).
Russian Bell tomatoes ripen en masse, but in several “waves”; because of this, fruiting lasts for a month and a half
Resistance to diseases and pests
Russian Bell tomatoes do not have “innate” immunity to diseases typical of Solanaceae. However, the general endurance and “stress resistance” characteristic of the variety allow it not only to successfully adapt to the climatic and weather characteristics of different Russian regions, but also to resist pathogenic microflora.
Russian bell tomatoes rarely get sick, even if fungi and viruses infect their “neighbors” in the garden. The same can be said about pests.
Application area
According to the purpose of the fruit, Russian Bells are a universal variety. They are good in salads and sliced fresh vegetables; thanks to their original shape, they can be used to decorate other dishes. This is a suitable “raw material” for homemade ketchup, tomato paste, and juice.
Many gardeners grow the Russian Bells variety only for pickling or pickling, noting the exceptional taste of such tomatoes. When prepared at home, they look very presentable.
Russian Bell tomatoes are also actively used for preparing soups and vegetable side dishes.
Advantages and disadvantages
Russian Bell tomatoes have been consistently in demand by Russian gardeners for more than 20 years, thanks to a long list of their advantages:
- early ripening of tomatoes;
- “friendly”, but at the same time extended fruiting;
- endurance and “stress resistance”, ensuring stable harvests in different regions with very different climates and weather conditions;
- ease of cultivation, undemanding;
- possibility of cultivation in open and closed ground, in the garden or at home;
- good resistance to pathogenic microflora and pests attacking tomatoes;
- consistently good seed germination;
- the compactness of the plants, which makes it possible to “compact” the bushes without disturbing the planting pattern and makes it easier to care for them;
- one-dimensionality and external presentation of tomatoes, their original shape;
- excellent taste and versatility of tomatoes;
- good transportability and shelf life for tomatoes (up to 15-20 days).
The “presentation” of tomatoes certainly influences the choice of gardeners
During the entire period of cultivation of Russian Bell tomatoes, gardeners were unable to find any significant shortcomings.A relative disadvantage is the variety’s demands on the planting site and the need for regular fertilizing during the entire active growing season. But such “needs” are easily explained by high yields with small bushes.
Features of cultivation
Russian gardeners traditionally prefer to grow tomatoes using seedlings. This also applies to the Russian Bells variety. Seedlings suitable for transplanting into soil are formed in 55-60 days.
Knowing how much time it takes to grow seedlings, and considering that tomatoes are planted in the ground only when the risk of return spring frosts is minimized, it is easy for the gardener to decide on the timing of planting seeds. In central Russia this is approximately mid-March, in the southern regions - 2-3 weeks earlier, in “risky farming zones”, on the contrary, later.
You can plant seedlings 12-15 cm high with 5-6 true leaves on the beds
It is advisable to immediately plant the seeds in separate containers, so that later you can “skip” the stage of picking the seedlings. If you use peat pots, you will not have to remove seedlings from them before planting them in the ground.
Seedlings will quickly adapt to the changed “habitat” and begin to grow in the garden if you begin to harden them a couple of weeks before transplanting. To do this, it is enough to place the containers outside every day, starting from 1.5-2 hours and ending with “overnight stays” in the open air.
Important! The formation of strong seedlings is impossible if the seedlings are not provided with at least 10-12 hours of daylight after germination and the substrate is not maintained in a moderately moist state.
A bed for Russian Bells tomatoes must meet several criteria:
- Good lighting.
- High nutritional value and at the same time looseness of the substrate. Its “poverty” can be compensated for by applying fertilizers when preparing the bed.
- Neutral or close to it acid-base balance of the soil.
Direct sunlight for tomato bushes and fruits Russian bells are “harmless” even with prolonged exposure
The Russian Bells variety is suitable even for beginner gardeners. Agricultural technology includes:
- Watering. In the absence of precipitation, tomatoes planted in open ground are irrigated once every 3-4 days, spending about 5 liters of water per bush. In hot weather, the intervals are reduced to 1-2 days. In the greenhouse, the condition of the soil is determined by watering the tomatoes with Russian Bells when it dries 2-3 cm deep.
- Loosening and weeding. If you mulch the bed immediately after planting the seedlings, there will be no need for these activities. Otherwise, the bushes are loosened about once every week and a half, while simultaneously getting rid of weeds.
- Feeding. The first time tomatoes are fertilized 2.5-3 weeks after transplantation. To stimulate the growth of green mass, they need nitrogen. Then, until the end of fruiting, complex fertilizers for Solanaceae are used at intervals of 15-18 days.
- Bush formation. Tomatoes “lead” into 3-4 stems. They also need regular (once every 10-12 days) pinching and tying of fruit clusters.
When grown in a greenhouse, stepchildren are removed more often - every 5-7 days
Pest and disease control methods
The general hardiness of Russian Bell tomatoes also includes their resistance to pathogenic microflora. Although the variety does not have “innate” immunity to any disease, they affect it extremely rarely. Pests are also not interested in them, even during “massive” invasions of the garden plot.
To avoid infection, the simplest preventive measures are enough. You need to choose the right place for planting Russian Bells tomatoes, avoid “crowding” in the garden bed and avoid serious mistakes in agricultural technology.
Before planting, it is recommended to treat Russian Bells tomato seeds in a fungicide solution
Bushes and soil are sprayed with copper-containing preparations if the weather is favorable for the activation of pathogens.
Conclusion
Tomato Russian Bells is a popular universal variety. Regardless of the growing region and weather conditions during the growing season, it consistently provides gardeners with a harvest. Tomatoes have a very good taste and a universal purpose. It is not difficult to care for plantings due to the unpretentiousness of the plants and their compactness.
Reviews of tomato Russian Bells
