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The controversy over the so-called purple, or blue, tomatoes on the Internet does not subside. But the “blue” selection is gradually finding more and more favor among gardeners due to the taste, stability of varieties and beneficial properties of tomatoes. The Blue Lagoon tomato belongs to these varieties. What are its unique qualities - in detail in the article.
Description of the tomato variety
The Blue Lagoon tomato variety is classified as tall or indeterminate; it was bred by breeders specifically for cultivation in closed ground and film greenhouses. The originator of the Blue Lagoon variety is the Moscow company Gavrish; in 2018, the variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation and recommended for cultivation in all regions of the country. The manufacturing company emphasizes that the variety was obtained using traditional breeding methods, therefore it is not GMO.
The Blue Lagoon tomato has a thick stem. The plant of this variety has a branched, powerful root system. Tomato leaves are small, their color is dark green. The foliage of the bush is average.
According to the ripening period, the Blue Lagoon variety is classified as mid-early: the time for the appearance of ripe fruits from the moment of seedling formation is 100 - 120 days.
Description of the fruit (shape, color, size, weight, area of application of the fruit)
The fruits of the Blue Lagoon variety on the bush are strewn with clusters, the tomatoes are flat-round, forming from 6 to 8 pcs. from each brush. The weight of tomatoes ranges from 160 to 190 g.
Ripe tomatoes taste sweetish, with an aroma rich in light fruity notes.
According to its intended purpose, the Blue Lagoon variety is classified as a salad variety. The fruits are recommended to be consumed both fresh in salads and in pickles.
Tomatoes of the Blue Lagoon variety owe their unusual blue color to anthocyanin pigments. It is their presence that gives the purple-blue color to eggplants, blueberries and blue cabbage. The increased interest in tomatoes of atypical color is associated not only with color, but also with their medicinal capabilities.
The high content of anthocyanins in tomatoes was achieved through long-term selection in order to enhance their antioxidant properties to increase their protective ability against free radicals. This helps with the development of cancer, problems of the cardiovascular system, and senile dementia.
The advantages of blue fruits also include an increase in their shelf life up to two times, compared to red ones, and also the fact that the activity of enzymes involved in softening the skin during ripening is reduced.
Thus, Blue Lagoon tomato fruits are suitable for transportation over long distances.
Determination of the ripeness of fruits of a variety is carried out by the tip: its yellow color indicates the onset of the technical ripeness phase, and the red color indicates biological ripeness.
Main characteristics
Since the Blue Lagoon variety is classified as indeterminate by plant type, this means that it has no growth restrictions, so it needs to be formed and tied to a support.
The resistance of the Blue Lagoon variety to diseases is also associated with a high content of anthocyanins, which can reduce the softening of fruits when they are overripe. This, in turn, increases the plant’s resistance to such a typical nightshade disease as gray mold (Botrytis cinerea).
The fact is that infection with the gray rot fungus contributes to an “oxidative explosion” in the soft tissues of the fruit. In purple tomatoes, due to their antioxidant capacity, this oxidative reaction is localized and, thanks to this, the spread of the fungus is inhibited.
The photo demonstrates the experimentally established susceptibility of the red areas of the fruit, where the key anthocyanin enzyme is missing, to softening and damage by gray rot:
Necessary in any case, the prevention of gray rot and late blight is carried out with special preparations according to the instructions.
Tomato yield Blue Lagoon
The yield of the Blue Lagoon variety is characterized as high and, with regular watering and fertilizing, is 10-12 kg per bush.
From the appearance of the first shoots in March to the start of harvesting in July, 3.5 - 4 months pass.
Purple varieties of tomatoes are able to bear fruit until autumn: from July to the end of August.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the Blue Lagoon tomato variety include:
- disease resistance;
- pleasant, without sourness, with notes of fruit, the taste of tomatoes;
- the ability of fruits to be stored for a long time;
- high content of antioxidants;
- ideal characteristics for canning.
The relative disadvantages of the Blue Lagoon variety may be:
- intended only for cultivation in greenhouses;
- some difficulties in determining ripeness.
In general, the improved characteristics of the Blue Lagoon tomato variety achieved by selection methods are their undoubted advantage.
Rules for planting and care
The rules of agricultural technology for Blue Lagoon tomatoes consist of the following activities:
- The quality of seedlings must be high.
- You should not skimp on space: the bushes will grow well if given enough space.
- Periodic hilling of tomatoes will create conditions for sufficient air supply to the roots.
- Regular watering. Young seedlings require a daily regime, and for adult plants - from one to three times a week, depending on air humidity. Water the plants at the roots, avoiding getting the leaves wet.
- Need for support. The indeterminate bush of the Blue Lagoon variety requires a garter to a trellis, otherwise the development and fruiting of the plant will be difficult.
- Regular feeding. Tomatoes should be fertilized with humus, ash, and a solution of chicken manure.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
The time for sowing seeds of the Blue Lagoon variety for seedlings is the end of February - beginning of March, approximately 45 days before planting.
For planting, seed material is soaked in water with the addition of potassium permanganate and kept for 10 - 15 minutes. This procedure helps disinfect seeds and separate empty seeds from full ones: the seeds that have sunk to the bottom are wrapped in a damp cloth and left until they sprout the first shoots.
For seeds, prepare the soil with the inclusion of:
- 2 parts peat;
- 1 part of garden soil;
- 1 part humus or compost;
- 0.5 parts sand.
In addition, the following additives are added to the composition:
- wood ash – 1 tbsp.;
- urea – 10 g;
- superphosphate – 30 g;
- potassium fertilizer – 10 g.
The soil mixture is sieved, disinfected by calcination, and treated with a manganese solution.
After the seed sprouts reach 3–5 mm (approximately a week), they are planted in prepared containers. For sowing, disinfected containers from cassettes, boxes, cups, pots, cache-pots, boxes are used, and peat cups are also used. The estimated date is mid-March. The containers are filled with soil more than a third, the seeds and sprouts are placed and covered with a 2 cm layer of soil. Cover the top with film or glass.
The glasses are left at an air temperature of 22 ℃ and a humidity of about 80%. The best place in the apartment would be next to the heating system. The time for the first shoots to appear is about a week.
When the first shoots of the Blue Lagoon tomato appear, the film or glass is removed. Seedlings are provided with additional lighting for 16 hours daily, usually with fluorescent lamps. The soil must be moistened as it dries.
Picking is carried out in the phase of the first true leaf.To do this, the plants are thinned out and transplanted into additional containers.
You can clearly see how to grow tomato seedlings in the video:
Transplanting seedlings
After a month and a half, tomato seedlings of the Blue Lagoon variety will produce the first flower clusters, and after another 10 to 12 days, in late April-early May, they are planted in a greenhouse. Thus, it takes two months from sowing the seeds to planting the seedlings. After a few days the plants will need staking.
Seedlings of a variety are considered high quality if they have strong stems, large leaves, developed roots and developed buds.
The soil for planting tomatoes Blue Lagoon is a mixture of peat and garden soil.
For landing, choose a non-sunny day and follow the algorithm:
- Dig up a layer of soil to a depth of 25–30 cm.
- Holes are formed according to a 40x60 cm pattern.
- Place the seedlings in the holes, burying their stems 2 cm in the soil.
- Dig in and lightly press into the ground at the base.
- Water with warm, settled water.
Tomato care
After the tomatoes reach half a meter in height, they are tied up, the support is well strengthened for reliability. The formation of an indeterminate bush is carried out in one stem, with the removal of all stepsons and lower leaves, and at the end of the growing season the growth point is pinched.
Stepchildren 5 cm long are broken out or cut out using a disinfected knife. The procedure should be repeated at least once every two weeks.
Basic requirements for further care of Blue Lagoon bushes:
- the frequency of watering per week is 1 - 2 times, in the morning or evening;
- in the greenhouse, tomatoes should be provided with a good ventilation system;
- The recommended humidity regime should not exceed 70%, temperature - 16 - 18 ℃.
After 1.5 weeks from the moment of planting, fertilizing is carried out, for which granular superphosphates are used; you can also use a solution of chicken manure. The second feeding is carried out 2 weeks after the first.
To ensure uniform blueness of the fruits, the brushes are lightened half a month before harvest. The procedure for lightening a bush consists of cutting out leaves located in the shade: both in the depths of the bushes and those facing north: in this way, improved ventilation of the plants is achieved. Ignoring this procedure can lead to partial coloring of the tomatoes or the absence of blue pigmentation: the fruits will be red.
Conclusion
The Blue Lagoon tomato represents an original variety with a violet-blue color and characteristics improved by selection. The high content of anthocyanin pigments in fruits ensures disease resistance, shelf life and beneficial antioxidant properties of tomatoes for the body.
