Content
The Japanese dwarf tomato is a hardy, early-ripening tomato variety with good yields. Before planting a crop in a garden or greenhouse, you need to carefully study the features and requirements for cultivation.
History of appearance
The history of the origin of the Japanese dwarf tomato is not reliably traced. It is only known that the variety is not directly related to Japan, and its originators are breeders from Kazakhstan.
The variety has been on the market for quite some time; the seeds are produced by the Invent Plus company. The variety is rarely found in stores, but to constantly grow the Japanese dwarf tomato on the plot, you do not need to buy new planting material every year. You can use seeds that you collected yourself from tomatoes grown in the previous season.
Description of the Japanese dwarf tomato variety
Japanese dwarf is a determinate tomato variety with early yield. In accordance with the name, it is short in stature. Dwarf bushes rise to a maximum of 50 cm above the ground. The plant is spreading and densely leafy. The tomato stems are thick and strong, small dark green plates have a standard shape for the crop and are not pubescent.
The Japanese dwarf variety bears simple inflorescences, the first of which is formed in the axil of the 5-6 leaf, and the subsequent ones go through the leaf. The tomatoes are collected in compact clusters of up to five pieces each.
The Japanese dwarf tomato has a sweet taste with barely noticeable sourness.
The Japanese dwarf bears medium-sized fruits weighing up to 50-70 g. In rare cases, one tomato can weigh about 100 g. The fruits are round in shape and slightly flattened at the base; faint ribs are also noticeable in the lower part; there may be a light green spot. The skin of tomatoes is red, like the flesh, the structure is tender and juicy, each tomato contains 4-5 chambers with a few seeds.
The fruits of the Japanese dwarf have good keeping quality and do not crack. They can be stored for 3-4 weeks at low temperatures; tomatoes are suitable for long-term transportation.
The Japanese Dwarf variety demonstrates good hardiness and develops when planted in the sun and moderate shade. Suitable for cultivation in greenhouses, open ground and even in flowerpots. It requires support, but due to its short height it does not create difficulties during its installation.
Characteristics of Japanese dwarf tomato
Before planting a tomato on a plot, it is necessary to study its main characteristics. In general, the variety is considered quite profitable for breeding.
Productivity and fruiting period
Japanese dwarf is an early-ripening tomato and bears fruit on average 85-95 days after the formation of the first green shoots. Tomatoes on the shoots ripen at the same time, harvesting can be done at the same time, usually the right time is at the end of June.
Tomato yields are average. One mature bush in good conditions bears up to 2 kg of fruit. Considering that at 1 m2 you can plant 5-9 plants, even in a small area you can really reap a good harvest.
Japanese dwarf tomatoes are easily separated from the stems along with the stalk
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Japanese dwarf variety has average immunity to diseases and pests. Tomatoes suffer from fungal infections typical of the crop - bacteriosis, root rot, mosaic. But bushes are rarely affected by late blight, since the disease usually appears in the second half of summer, while Japanese dwarf ends fruiting earlier.
Methods of application
Japanese dwarf is a universal variety. Sweet and sour tomatoes can be eaten fresh and added to salads, or squeezed to obtain healthy juice. The fruits are stewed and baked as part of meat and vegetable dishes. Due to its compact size and thick skin, Japanese dwarf is well suited for preservation in its entirety.
Advantages and disadvantages
Before planting a Japanese dwarf tomato on your site, you need to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the variety.
Pros: · endurance; · early fruiting; · good productivity; · not afraid of temperature changes; · suitable for open ground and greenhouses; · not affected by late blight; · grows in shaded areas of the garden. | Minuses: · suffers from root rot and viruses; · needs stepsoning. |
Features of planting and care
The rules for planting and caring for the Japanese dwarf tomato are quite standard. The variety is grown through seedlings according to the following algorithm:
- At the beginning of spring, seeds are sown at intervals of 2 cm in nutritious, moist soil in wide boxes.
- Sprinkle the material on top with soil and cover with film.
- Germinate at a temperature of about 25 ° C until shoots form.
- When green sprouts appear, remove the film and move the box to a well-lit place.
Before transferring to open ground, the Japanese dwarf is watered with warm water at the root, and when true leaves appear, they are plucked.
About 14 days before transplanting into the soil, tomatoes begin to harden off. To do this, they are taken out into the fresh air - first for a short time, and then for a full day. Seedlings are transferred to the ground from late April to early June. The beds for the crop are prepared in the fall, the ground is dug up and humus is added, and in the spring they are re-loosened.
It is necessary to plant tomatoes in a checkerboard pattern according to the 50x50 pattern - this allows you to place up to 5-9 plants per meter of garden. During the process of transferring to the ground, a little wood ash is added to each of the holes. After planting, the bushes are watered properly.
When planted closely in a plot, the Japanese dwarf tomato bears fruit less abundantly
Japanese dwarf tomato care is carried out according to standard algorithms. Attention must be paid to:
- watering - moisture is added as the soil dries, 1.5-2 liters of water per bush;
- fertilizing - the tomato is fertilized three times a season, alternating organic matter and complex minerals;
- pinching - after the first cluster begins to flower, it is necessary to remove all the growth located below;
- weeding - weeds take away nutrients from the Japanese dwarf and impair the quality of fruiting.
It is not necessary to tie up a low-growing tomato variety, but it is advisable. Installing a support prevents fruits from lodging to the ground and reduces the risk of developing fungal diseases in the plant.
Pest and disease control
The Japanese dwarf does not suffer from late blight, but can be affected by other ailments. Among them:
- bacteriosis, or stem rotting - the lower leaves of the bushes turn yellow, mucus appears on the cut of the shoot;
To prevent bacteriosis, seeds are treated with potassium permanganate or Baktofit solution before sowing.
- Alternaria - small brown spots appear on the plates and fruits;
In the initial stages, spraying with Trichodermin helps against Alternaria.
- black leg - the lower part of the stem and roots of the tomato die off.
Blackleg develops in conditions of excess humidity
Of the pests for tomatoes, aphids are the most dangerous. It tightly covers the plates of bushes growing in open ground and sucks the juices out of them, preventing the formation of ovaries.
A solution of laundry soap helps against aphids on tomatoes
Tomatoes can be preventively protected from diseases by regularly loosening and clearing the beds of plant debris. Before sowing seedlings, it is recommended to treat the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to increase endurance.
Conclusion
The Japanese dwarf tomato is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, productivity and good taste.The variety is suitable for growing in open ground outside a greenhouse, tolerates cold weather easily and has strong immunity.
Reviews from gardeners about the Japanese dwarf tomato
