Content
Tomatoes can be classified as an essential vegetable crop that a gardener grows. When choosing varieties, many prefer tall tomatoes because of their good yield and the beautiful appearance of evenly formed bushes.
Characteristics of the variety
Indeterminate Chukhloma bushes grow above two meters, which must be taken into account when planting plants in a greenhouse. Small structures will limit the development of Chukhloma tomatoes and this will affect the yield. Therefore, lovers of balcony gardens are not recommended to choose this variety for apartment conditions.
When growing Chukhloma in a greenhouse, it is recommended to form one stem, which will allow the plants to be well ventilated and illuminated. And in open ground you can leave more stems (two or three). However, it is undesirable to completely abandon the formation of a bush, otherwise it will grow greatly and the harvest will decrease.
The Chukhloma variety is considered mid-season and the first ripe tomatoes can be harvested in 109-114 days. In the long clusters that grow on the bush, 12-15 fruits weighing 100-120 g each are formed. The Chukhloma tomato can be classified as high-yielding, since 5-6 kg of fruits are collected from each bush, subject to the rules of agricultural technology.
Bright orange fruits (10-12 cm) are characterized by an elongated shape (as in the photo).The peculiarity of the Chukhloma tomato variety is that it adheres firmly to the hand and is well preserved during transportation. Tomatoes look interesting when canned whole fruit. Tomatoes have dense flesh and durable skin.
Advantages of the Chukhloma variety:
- decent yield;
- resistance to certain diseases (fusarium, cladosparia);
- suitable for cultivation in various regions;
- excellent keeping quality.
Therefore, in regions with strong winds, it is undesirable to grow the Chukhloma tomato in open ground.
Growing rules
Plants can be planted both in a greenhouse and in open ground. In any case, it is advisable to use seedlings.
Sowing seeds
To ensure a high yield of Chukhloma tomatoes, it is necessary to adhere to the technology of germinating seedlings. It is better to sow tomato seeds between the 10th and 15th of March.
To ensure rapid growth of Chukhloma seeds, it is advisable to prepare fertile soil: mix turf, humus soil and peat in equal parts. For seed germination, you can use shallow boxes - 5-7 cm high. The soil is moistened before planting.
Make grooves in the soil about 1 cm deep, at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. Seeds are planted in increments of 1.5-2 cm.
The grooves are covered with soil.
Containers with seedlings are placed in a warm place (temperature approximately +25-30˚ C). To prevent the soil from drying out, cover the boxes with polyethylene or glass. You need to monitor soil moisture daily. When the soil dries out, irrigate it abundantly.If mold suddenly appears on the ground, it is carefully removed and the surface is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate.
As soon as the Chukhloma tomato seeds germinate (in about 5-6 days), the containers with seedlings are placed in the most illuminated place. It is believed that in the first 2-3 days after germination, the sprouts need to be provided with round-the-clock lighting.
After two leaves appear (as in the photo), the tomato seedlings of the Chukhloma variety are plucked and planted in separate pots. For about a month, the seedlings grow at one constant temperature of + 23-24˚ C. And then they begin to harden the seedlings - lower the temperature by one or two degrees.
Two weeks before planting seedlings in open ground, they begin to take them out into the open air for a short time. Every day the hardening time increases little by little.
Before planting an indeterminate tomato variety, trellises are installed in advance to tie up the seedlings. The stakes/sticks are installed 2-2.5 m high. Gardeners come up with trellis options themselves: plastic mesh, individual stakes, rows of wire.
Tomatoes of the Chukhloma variety are planted in the ground in increments of 45-55 cm, leaving 70-80 cm between rows. It is recommended to create a furrow for the seedlings. In this way, the plants will be better hydrated, and later, during hilling, the grown Chukhloma tomatoes will grow on the ridge. This will prevent the stems from getting wet when watering and will be an excellent preventive measure against disease.
Watering rules
Like any tomatoes, the Chukhloma variety is watered at the root. If you prepare the furrows in advance, there will be no problems with soil moisture.
To eliminate changes in soil moisture, mulching is used. This is especially important when fixing tomatoes on trellises, when the soil is not shaded and dries quickly. And just mulching eliminates this problem.
Regulate the frequency of watering of the Chukhloma tomato variety, taking into account the planting region and the growth phase of the plant. Adult tomatoes require more water, and the air temperature rises by the middle of the season. It should also not be overlooked that the indeterminate variety Chukhloma constantly blooms and bears fruit.
Tomato fertilizer
Chukhloma tomatoes respond well to fertilizing. Although excessive use of supplements is harmful. It is better to “underfeed” tomatoes than to over-fertilize them. Therefore, it is advisable to gradually introduce fertilizing.
The first feeding is carried out a week and a half after transplantation. The best option is to use special water-soluble mineral mixtures. Fertilizer is applied to the soil during watering and it is advisable to mulch the soil afterwards.
As soon as fruits set on the second cluster, fertilizer is applied again. Use a solution: add a tablespoon of mineral fertilizer to 10 liters of organic infusion. Two liters of solution are poured under the Chukhloma bush.
As soon as the first ripe fruits appear, it is necessary to apply fertilizer a third time. You can also use an organic+inorganic composition. Moreover, 2-2.5 liters of solution are poured under each bush.
There is no specific composition of fertilizers. Each gardener uses his own set of fertilizers. But it is imperative to take into account the structure of the soil, its composition, and the condition of the tomatoes.
Tomato diseases
It is believed that the Chukhloma variety is resistant to many nightshade diseases. But to protect tomatoes from late blight, it is better to use preventive measures.
This fungal disease usually appears from the middle of the season, when heavy rains begin. The disease spreads in high humidity and low temperatures. The entire plant and even the fruits are affected. The disease appears in the form of grayish-brown spots.
As a preventive measure it is recommended:
- Avoid planting Chukhloma tomatoes next to potatoes or after potatoes and peppers;
- Regularly pruning the plant and weeding the ground;
- if the Chukhloma tomato is grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to ventilate it frequently and prevent condensation from forming on the walls;
- the remains of the tops are burned, and the greenhouse is treated with bleach.
The Chukhloma tomato responds gratefully to timely feeding and constant care. Therefore, with due attention, even a novice gardener will reap a decent harvest.
