Content
Lovers of early tasty tomatoes grown in the sun, and preferably unpretentious ones, often plant the “Oak” variety, also known as “Oak”, which produces a large number of tomatoes.
Characteristics and description of the variety
The variety was bred in the USSR for cultivation in open ground in Ukraine, Moldova and the south of the Russian Federation and is well known to pensioners. It can be grown in greenhouses further north. Fans of year-round fresh tomatoes, obtained on their own, manage to grow this variety of tomato even at home on the windowsill.
The State Register recommends “Dubok” for subsidiary and small farms. It is convenient because the height of the bush does not exceed 70 cm, since the variety is determinant. The bush is powerful, not standard. It is recommended to form it into 3-4 stems. The variety does not have a special tendency to branch and does not require pinching. The seed producer indicates that the bushes do not require tying, but the opinions of summer residents differ on this point. Unanimously noting the high yield, some confirm the unnecessaryness of tying, others complain that tying is necessary.
Perhaps it depends on the number of tomatoes produced or the timeliness of harvesting. "Dubrava" is an early ripening variety of tomatoes. The average fruit ripening period is 95 days. The bush bears fruit until late autumn.With an abundant harvest or irregular collection of ripened fruits, the bushes may indeed not be able to withstand the load. On average, you can get 2 kg of tomatoes from a bush, but with good care and systematic collection of ripe tomatoes, “Dubok” can bring up to 5 kg from one bush. To obtain a bountiful harvest, it is necessary to provide each bush of the “Dubrava” variety with a living space of 0.3x0.4 m. Plantings should not be thickened.
“Dubok” tomatoes vary in weight from 50 to 130 g. It has been noted that if seedlings are planted under a film, the fruits will be larger. The color of a ripe tomato is bright red. The pulp is dry and hard. Tomatoes can be picked brown; they ripen within a few days. Tomatoes have good taste and versatility. They are well suited for preserving and preparing ketchups and vegetable mixtures. When fresh, they add a slightly sour taste to vegetable salads.
The photo clearly shows the quality of the tomato pulp.
The fruits have excellent shelf life and can be stored for up to one and a half months, resistant to cracking. They tolerate transportation well, maintaining their presentation. These qualities have made them attractive to small producers.
Peculiarities
"Dubrava" is a relatively frost-resistant plant. It is also resistant to common tomato diseases. The advantages include the relative indifference of the variety to drought and high humidity. While other tomato varieties require almost ideal humidity conditions.
But there is also a fly in the ointment: at the moment of pollination, the air temperature should not be higher than 25°C, otherwise the flowers will not be pollinated.
At elevated air temperatures, the harvest will also be impressive, but the size of the tomatoes will be smaller than that stated by the manufacturer.
An important advantage is the ability of “Dubrava” to grow equally well on heavy soils and on sand.
Summer residents noted the uniform germination of Dubok tomato seeds with a minimum germination rate of 87%; usually germinates at 100%.
The undoubted advantage of the variety is the ability to collect seeds for the next season. The taste of Dubok tomatoes is similar to the Richie variety, which is a first-generation hybrid and, therefore, does not produce from seeds of the same variety. Dubrava does not have this drawback.
Why don't the seeds germinate?
Even in such an unpretentious variety as “Dubok” is described by the manufacturer, the seeds may not germinate. It's not always about the seeds.
There are quite a few serious reasons for seed death:
- if you took seeds from friends, acquaintances or from private traders at the market, you could buy infected seeds. Untested seeds must be disinfected before sowing;
- an infection may also be present in the seedling soil, even if it was purchased in a store (and if you also remember the desire of some store owners to save money by collecting soil from the nearest forest);
- presence of toxic substances in the soil;
- excess salts in the soil;
- the soil is too heavy and dense;
- sowing seeds too deeply;
- low air temperature. In this case, germination slows down and the seedlings may rot in the soil;
- excess water. High humidity coupled with low temperature can lead to rotting of seedlings even with proper sowing;
- acidic soil. Tomatoes prefer at least neutral soil;
- seeds stored at low temperatures for a long time “go dormant.”They will come out of this state only after 2-3 weeks or not at all.
It is not always the manufacturer’s fault that the seeds do not sprout; sometimes other factors prevent the emergence of sprouts.
Reviews from summer residents about the Dubok tomato
Surprisingly, they are unanimous in their positive assessment of the variety.
They imprisoned me. Compared to our usual varieties, I was amazed by the number of tomatoes, although due to the heat, some of the leaves and stems simply dried out.
Conclusion
It is not without reason that the Dubrava tomato has been popular for many years. Although its fruits are not large, there are many of them and they ripen together. And thanks to the fact that about forty years ago breeders did not strive to develop highly productive hybrids that were unable to produce seeds, this tomato breaks the cycle of “store-seeds-sowing-harvesting-store” for the summer resident. You can harvest the seeds of the “Oak” variety yourself.
An excellent variety, I planted 20 bushes through seedlings in early April. The harvest is approximately 200 kg. They are cold resistant and grow well without any chemicals or fertilizers. Frost resistant, planted in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Very good variety. But, of course, it requires garters, otherwise they will simply collapse under the weight of the fruit. In the Leningrad region I tried to plant it in a greenhouse, but it was of little use: there were 3-4 tomatoes on a bush, I already wanted to give it up completely, but I planted it in a garden bed, without shelter, and the summer was almost without sun, but on each bush, without any formation , there were 16 pieces of fruit, about 100g each. There was no such spread, as they say, 50-130g. Almost all are the same.