Content
Among the wide variety of varieties, each gardener chooses a tomato according to its taste, ripening time and nuances of agricultural technology. The Nina tomato is very popular as a salad variety for fresh consumption. Its unusual shape attracts connoisseurs of rare varieties.
Description of the tomato variety Nina
This is a semi-determinate variety with high yields. Tall, in central Russia it is grown in greenhouses, in the south - in open ground. The Nina tomato bush can reach a height of 1.8 m. That is why experts advise pinching it and tying it to a support. It’s a good idea to form a plant with 2 stems.
The first inflorescences are formed above the ninth leaf, and all subsequent ones - every 3 leaves. Brushes of complex and semi-complex shapes. According to the description, as well as in the photo and reviews, Nina tomatoes are a very unusual plant with a rare appearance of the fruit.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the Nina variety have an unusual ribbed shape. When cut, such a tomato looks appetizing on a plate, as well as in a salad. The relief is clearly expressed, the tomato itself is flat-round in shape. The color of a ripe tomato is bright red, and the cores are crimson. The fruits are large - weight from 350 g. Some tomatoes of this variety reach 700 g.The taste of the Nina tomato is at a high level. Ripe fruits are sweet with a slight sourness. The variety belongs to the salad variety, looks beautiful when sliced, and has voids.
Main characteristics of the tomato variety Nina
Productivity is at an average level. From one square meter you can get about 20 kg of tomato. About 100 days pass from the moment of germination to the harvest of the first tomatoes. It is necessary to start planting seedlings 60 days before planting in open ground.
The recommended planting density is 4 plants per square meter. If all planting and care rules are followed, up to 5.5 kg of ripe tomatoes can be harvested from one plant.
To get the maximum yield, the plant must be planted, formed correctly, fed and followed the basic rules of agricultural technology.
The Nina variety is resistant to blossom end rot, is slightly susceptible to tobacco mosaic, and is also not prone to Alternaria blight.
Pros and cons of the variety
The advantages of the Nina tomato variety include:
- high productivity;
- fruits of large size and unusual shape;
- resistance to most known tomato diseases;
- the ability to withstand cold weather without damaging the crop;
- Suitable for both greenhouses and open ground.
But this variety also has its disadvantages:
- high growth;
- the need to shape and tie up the plant.
As a result, the variety has many fans, since Nina tomatoes have many more advantages than disadvantages. The plant is not demanding in care and planting, and agricultural technology is no different from most tomato varieties.
Features of planting and care
Like every variety, the Nina tomato requires compliance with certain care and planting features. This applies not only to the choice of timing, which is important for any variety, but also to the quantity and quality of fertilizing, soil moisture, and the nutritional composition of the soil. Proper care begins from selecting seeds and growing seedlings to harvesting. The Nina variety is high-yielding, if you provide it with proper care, 5-6 kg per bush is a very real harvest. For the Nina variety, the fundamental factor in yield is staking and pinching. It is also important to observe the deadline for planting seeds for seedlings and the deadline for planting seedlings in open ground.
Growing seedlings
The first thing you need to decide on when planting tomatoes is the time for sowing seeds for seedlings. For the Nina variety, the best option is mid-March.
You can sow both dry seeds and pre-soaked ones. There is practically no difference in germination. Experts recommend steeping the seeds in a nutrient solution before planting. In urban conditions, this may be a special drug from the store. But the best option is an ash solution. You will need to dissolve 2 tablespoons of ash in a liter of hot water, then leave for two days.
It is necessary to sow seeds in small containers. The best option is plastic food cups. The soil can be purchased in finished form at a specialized store, or you can make it yourself. To do this you need to take some humus and sand.
To increase moisture permeability, chopped sphagnum can be added to the soil.
There is a second option for a nutrient mixture for seedlings: mix sand and sawdust in a 1:2 ratio.It is better to soak sawdust with mineral fertilizers to make the soil more nutritious.
It is better to germinate the seeds before sowing. To do this, they should be laid out on a damp cloth. High-quality seeds should germinate in 3-4 days.
The germination container must have drainage holes. If plastic cups are used as containers, then 3 holes are made in their bottom for drainage.
Algorithm for planting prepared seeds:
- Fill the planting container with drainage material, such as pebbles or eggshells.
- Pour the prepared soil into a glass and pour warm water over it.
- Tomato seeds are sown no deeper than 2 cm.
- Cover the cups with film and place in a warm room with a temperature of up to 28 °C.
- Wait for germination for 5-7 days.
- Expose the container with the seedlings to the light.
After this, caring for tomato seedlings is important. The lighting should be increased and the temperature can be lowered. This is how Nina tomato seedlings are kept for a week. Then it is again transferred to a warm room with a temperature not lower than + 22 ° C. There is no need to water the seedlings abundantly before picking.
Picking of Nina tomatoes occurs 10-14 days after the appearance of the first shoots. Picking algorithm:
- The seedlings should be watered 2 hours before.
- Carefully remove the tomato using a wooden sliver.
- Pinch out the central root.
- Place the seedlings in a hole in the soil up to the bottom leaves, straighten the roots, and cover with soil.
- Compact and place in a dark place for 2 weeks.
It is necessary to water the seedlings after picking until they take root 1-2 times a week.
Two weeks before transplanting seedlings into open ground or a greenhouse, it is necessary to start hardening.First, the tomatoes are taken outside for 10-15 minutes, and every day the time spent in the fresh air is increased to 1.5 hours.
Transplanting seedlings into open ground
Tomato variety Nina is transplanted into open ground in the second ten days of May. For greenhouse cultivation - end of April. The optimal distance between plants is half a meter. Row spacing is 40 cm. Per 1 sq. m is enough to plant 4 plants.
If there is a threat of return frosts, it is recommended to cover the tomato root system with film at night.
Rules of care
Tomato variety Nina is a moisture-loving variety. Therefore, it is better to organize drip irrigation, which will prevent excessive moisture and provide enough moisture for each plant. Also, the drip policy protects against the occurrence of late blight on tomatoes.
After watering, it is recommended to loosen the soil in the root zone.
As a top dressing, mineral fertilizers can be applied 2-3 times per season. If desired, they can be replaced with a solution of boric acid, an infusion of green grass or cow manure. It is better to apply all fertilizers in liquid form so that the root system can absorb them to the maximum.
Planting the Nina tomato increases the fruiting period. Stepping should be done in the morning with good lighting and ventilation. It is recommended to remove stepsons every 7-10 days. Stepping is carried out without the use of tools, by hand. It is necessary to pinch the shoot and leave a stump of 3 cm.
It is recommended to form the Nina tomato as semi-determinate in 2 stems. This means that one strong stepson should be left directly under the first flowering brush.
The Nina variety requires a mandatory garter, since the fruits are heavy and the bush is medium-sized.
Conclusion
Tomato Nina is suitable for growing both in greenhouse conditions and in open ground. The main positive characteristics of this tomato variety are its high yield, large and beautiful fruits, which will be the pride of the housewife in a festive cut. Tomato Nina in the description of the variety and in the photo seems to be an almost exotic variety that will be the pride of any gardener. Resistance to diseases will allow you to get a high yield with minimal compliance with the rules of tomato agricultural technology.
Reviews
I discovered this variety for myself this year! Unpretentious! The bush itself copes with the weight of the fruit, which was disappointing in other fleshy varieties (it’s a lot of hassle to tie up the tomatoes themselves) up to 180 cm undersized... I have them 160 cm, I grow them in two trunks. One tomato grew 688 grams, which I didn’t expect)