Content
Both children and adults love to pamper themselves with ripe, juicy and aromatic tomatoes. Needless to say, this irreplaceable vegetable is included in most dishes of Slavic cuisine. Therefore, it is not surprising that every average resident who owns a summer cottage is interested in the issue of growing this crop.
In this article we will talk about such a variety of tomatoes as “Hali-gali”. You will find out what kind of variety it is, its characteristics and growing habits. The article will contain photos of the “Hali-gali” tomato and a video with practical tips.
Description
The “Hali-gali” tomato bush is a determinate variety. The “Hali-gali” variety can be grown both in open and closed ground. This variety is grown on both small and large scales.
"Hali-gali" refers to early ripening varieties. The fruits are round in shape and have thick skin. By the time of ripening, the fruits weigh approximately 150 g. They are suitable for processing and fresh consumption. The taste characteristics are excellent.
From one hectare of land planted with this variety of tomatoes, approximately 500 centners of harvest can be harvested. If these figures are converted into percentages, the yield will be 80%.Such results became possible due to the fact that breeders worked on the variety’s resistance to fungal diseases. The ripening period of a tomato is about 3 months.
Due to the fact that the fruits have a thick skin, they are not afraid of long transportation. For a long time, tomatoes retain their taste and appearance.
The height of the bush reaches approximately 80 cm. The leaf size is medium and the color is light. The first inflorescence appears on the seventh leaf. There is a point at the top of the bush. It is worth noting that the yield of “Hali-gali” largely depends on where the tomato was planted: in open or closed ground. So, in a field with 1 m2 the land on which the bushes are planted can collect about 9 kg of fruit. If at 1 m2 If you plant “Hali-gali” tomatoes in a greenhouse, you can harvest up to 13 kg of harvest.
Sowing of seeds should be carried out 3 months before planting at a permanent place of cultivation. You can count on the development of a healthy bush only if the air temperature outside or in the greenhouse reaches about 25C. Seedlings should be planted at a distance from each other of approximately 50 cm. The bushes need fertilizing and agrotechnical work.
Timely garters and shaping of stems will allow you to get a bountiful harvest. Pinching is an important stage of cultivation, which helps to increase productivity.
Characteristics of tomatoes
The fruits have a characteristic round shape and rich red color. Weight can range from 70 to 150 g. It is worth noting that at the first harvest, tomatoes can reach up to 200 g each, and subsequent fruits will have less weight.150 g of product contains 3% sugar.
Due to the high sugar content of tomatoes, they can be used to make juice and puree. In addition, “Hali-gali” is widely used for pickling and home preservation.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the positive aspects of “Hali-gali” tomatoes, we note the following:
- Resistance to unstable temperatures.
- Resistant to lack of moisture, so “Hali-gali” can be grown even on the balcony.
- It contains a large amount of sugar, so even children like it.
- An early ripening variety that bears fruit for three months.
The only disadvantages are the need to regularly feed the bushes and the relatively low yield.
Diseases and pests
Another characteristic feature of “Hali-gali”, for which the variety has found its fans among gardeners, is resistance to diseases. To further strengthen the plant’s immunity to diseases and pests, it needs to be looked after. This includes timely watering of the bushes, ventilation of the greenhouse if tomatoes are grown indoors, loosening the soil and providing the greenhouse with sufficient lighting.
Khali-gali tomatoes are vulnerable to thrips and melon aphids. To combat them, gardeners most often use a special preparation “Bison”. If you grow tomatoes in open ground, they may be spoiled by the Colorado potato beetle. To get rid of the pest, you can use the drug “Prestige”.
Features of seed sowing
Since growing seedlings takes two to three months, seeds should be sown in late February or early March. In this situation, young bushes will survive the transplant easier, will be less sick and will produce their first inflorescences faster.
It is necessary to start picking after the seedlings reach a height of approximately 5 cm.
Transplanting
Early ripening "Hali-gali" bears fruit well on the southern side of the plot, which is well lit. In addition, to achieve better yields, tomatoes need to be planted in different places every year. Otherwise, diseases that survive the winter in the ground will be transmitted to newly planted bushes. The quality and quantity of the harvest will suffer.
Tomatoes develop better on land on which root crops, legumes and green crops previously grew. The soil left behind by potatoes is not suitable for growing tomatoes.
If you have a small garden, then you can plant several varieties of tomatoes in one bed. Seedlings can be planted in open ground after the frosts have ended, namely in the first half of June. If we are talking about planting in a greenhouse, then the seedlings can be transplanted in mid-May.
The soil temperature when transplanting “Hali-gali” tomatoes should not be lower than 15℃. The period for planting seedlings in open ground may vary depending on where you live. For example, in the non-chernozem zone, tomatoes are planted in the garden in the first ten days of June, and in the greenhouse in the last ten days of April. At 1 m2 You can plant no more than 6 bushes.
Low-growing tomato varieties are planted at a distance of 40 cm from each other, and tall varieties are planted at a distance of 50 cm.
When planting, the stems are placed vertically, deepening the earthen pot so as not to bury the growing point of the crop. After planting, tomatoes should be watered generously.
Growing
Caring for determinate varieties consists of the following manipulations:
- Hilling is performed several times. The first time it should be done two weeks after planting the seedlings. The next hilling is carried out after another 14 days and so on 2 more times.
- The soil should be loosened regularly, since throughout the entire growing period the soil around the root system should remain airy.
- Watering is carried out as needed.
- Pinching allows you to form a bush with 1 or several shoots. Throughout the entire period of development of the bush, axillary inflorescences should be removed, as they take away the strength of the bush, as a result of which the yield of tomatoes decreases. For the same purpose, the lower leaves are also removed.
- Fertilizers are applied 2 weeks after planting in open ground or in a greenhouse. The next fertilization is carried out after the appearance of the second inflorescences.
Basic care
“Hali-gali” tomatoes develop well if you apply organic fertilizer, for example, a solution of urea or mullein, under the bushes. During the second feeding, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. They are diluted according to the instructions for the drugs.
As mentioned above, tomato bushes of the “Hali-gali” variety need pinching. It's no secret that stepchildren can grow in the same place, so when you first remove them, you should leave small stumps.
The importance of watering cannot be underestimated. This is especially important to do during periods of intensive bush growth and flowering. During the fruiting period, watering should be reduced, otherwise the tomato fruits will crack. Watering is carried out only at the root.
We also invite you to watch a thematic video on how to grow tomatoes on the balcony:
