Content
The Golden King tomato is a popular low-growing variety with large lemon-yellow fruits, the juicy, grainy pulp of which is valued for its rich sweetish taste and small number of seeds. It is characterized by high yield and is resistant to most common diseases.
When and how did it appear
The Golden King tomato was bred by Russian breeders in 2007. The variety was registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2009.
Description and characteristics of tomato Golden King
The plant belongs to determinant standard varieties. The bush grows up to 50 cm and is covered with medium-sized light green leaves. The fruits are heart-shaped and weigh 400-600 g. But sometimes among the tomatoes you come across real giants weighing 800 g. They have 6-7 chambers and contain 5-6% dry matter.
Unripe tomatoes are pale green, ripe ones acquire a golden yellow hue.
The granular pulp of tomatoes contains a small amount of seeds and has a pleasant sweetish taste.
Ripening and fruiting
Golden King tomatoes are classified as mid-early varieties with an extended fruiting period. The first tomatoes appear on the bushes 100-110 days after planting the seedlings.
Tomato yield Golden King
This tomato variety is characterized by a fairly high yield. In a greenhouse with the correct planting scheme and good care from 1 m2 You can collect up to 10 kg of fruit.
Disease resistance
The Golden King has good immunity. The variety is immune to cracking and most typical “tomato” diseases.
Where is it grown?
The Golden King tomato is intended for cultivation in many regions of the Russian Federation. The variety is successfully grown in the regions of central Russia (in protected ground), as well as in the Crimea, Astrakhan region and the North Caucasus (in garden beds).
Purpose and application
Due to their too large size, Golden King tomatoes are not used for preservation. Juicy, fleshy, sugary when broken, the fruits contain a small number of seeds and have a sweet dessert taste, devoid of excessive acid.
Due to their characteristics, Golden King tomatoes are suitable for consumption raw and are suitable for barrel pickling, squeezing juice and preparing assorted vegetables, summer salads, sauces for fish or meat.
Tomatoes of this variety are also used for dietary and baby food.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Golden King tomato is popular due to its unusual color and rich taste of the fruit. It grows well both in open and protected ground and consistently produces a generous harvest.
Golden King tomatoes are not prone to cracking and retain their presentation even after long-term transportation
Pros:
- pleasant taste;
- unusual color;
- high productivity;
- low maintenance requirements;
- crack resistance.
Minuses:
- need for support.
Planting dates and scheme
Golden King tomato seeds are sown in the second half of March. The seed is soaked in a growth stimulant for a day, and then evenly distributed in a container filled with a mixture of garden soil with mineral and organic fertilizers. Tomato seeds are sprinkled with a small layer of soil, irrigated abundantly with warm, settled water and covered with glass or transparent film to ensure a greenhouse effect.
From the moment the first shoots appear, tomato seedlings need good lighting.
The box with plants is placed on the windowsill closer to sunlight and, if necessary, illuminated with fluorescent lamps. And so that young shoots develop without deviations, the room is maintained at a constant temperature within +18-20 0C.
When the first leaves appear on the tomato sprouts, they are picked. Transplanting into individual containers is an essential part of seedling care and helps strengthen the root system.
Planting in unprotected soil is planned for the end of April or the beginning of May, when the air temperature stabilizes and the soil warms up. To achieve the declared yield, per 1 m2 A maximum of three plants are planted. Organic and inorganic fertilizer must be added to the holes. Tomato seedlings are generously watered and mulched.
How to care
Although Golden King tomatoes are unpretentious varieties, they require minimal care, which includes:
- Regular watering. The soil under the bushes is moistened with warm, settled water as the top layer dries. The liquid is poured strictly at the root, making sure that the drops do not fall on the leaves. Do this in the morning (before 9 o’clock) or in the evening (at 17-20 o’clock). Humidification in hot weather can cause physiological shock in plants due to the difference in temperature of the water and the surrounding air. Before fruiting begins, tomatoes are watered on average once a week. During fruit ripening - once every few days. Also, the frequency of irrigation varies depending on the meteorological conditions of a particular area. In southern arid regions, plants are watered more often.
- Feeding. To obtain a generous harvest at the stage of intensive growth, inorganic matter, for example, phosphate or nitrogen fertilizers, is added to the soil under the tomatoes. During the fruiting period, tomatoes are fed with organic matter.
- Bush formation. Plants form 1-2 stems with six flower clusters, promptly removing excess shoots, wilted leaves and dried fragments. The lower plates are removed gradually, 1-2 pieces at a time, so as not to provoke cracking of the tomatoes. The leaves are torn off until all specimens below the first fruit cluster are torn off. Garters and supports are used to support the branches.
- Weeding and loosening the soil. 1-2 days after each rain or watering, the soil in the tomato bed is loosened to ensure oxygen access to the roots and prevent stagnation of water, which provokes the development of fungal infections.Also, in the tree trunk circle, weeds are regularly plucked out, attracting harmful insects and absorbing moisture and nutrients from the ground. To minimize the need for weeding, bushes are mulched with straw or sawdust.
- Hilling. Tomatoes form additional roots that need to be covered with soil. During the season, the bushes are earthed up twice: when the rudiments of roots appear on the stems near the ground and after the lower part of the stem has slightly turned blue.
Treatment against diseases and pests
Although Golden King tomatoes are characterized by good immunity, they can get sick if not properly cared for. Among the diseases that affect tomatoes of this variety are:
- Brown rot (fomoz). A fungal disease that exclusively affects tomato fruits. A small brown spot appears at the base of the tomato (around the stalk), rotting from the inside. The development of Phoma can be prevented by avoiding waterlogging of the soil and not using fresh manure as fertilizing.
Plants and soil are treated with Fundazol or Zaslon, and the affected fruits are picked and burned
- Alternaria blight. The disease is better known as brown or dry spotting. It is caused by a fungus and primarily affects branches and foliage, and sometimes the fruits themselves. Alternaria blight develops gradually. At the initial stage, the lower fragments of the bush suffer - they become covered with rounded dark spots, which later merge into large lesions. Damage to the tomato fruit is indicated by dark depressed areas, over which white fluff is sometimes visible - fungal spores.
To combat Alternaria, use Skor, Ridomil Gold, Tattu or Antrakol
Conclusion
The Golden King tomato is a sought-after variety, famous for its ease of care and resistance to most common diseases. Its fruits are valued for their pleasant taste and are successfully used in cooking.
Reviews from summer residents about the Golden King tomato
