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With spring approaching, Russian gardeners are again thinking about planting vegetables, including tomatoes, on their plots. Since the variety range is huge, making a choice is very difficult even for experienced vegetable growers. As a rule, they grow not one, but several varieties of tomatoes, so that later they can decide which is more suitable.
Many tomatoes are still new to the market; not everyone knows their pros and cons, so you have to experiment. It is clear that compliance with the description and characteristics of a certain variety is better known after testing it. We want to help gardeners and present to them the Labrador tomato variety.
Description of the variety
The Labrador tomato variety is relatively young, but it already has many fans. This is due to its excellent properties. It should be noted that at present Labrador has not yet been included in the State Register of the Russian Federation. But vegetable growers who planted the variety on their plots speak positively about the Labrador tomato.
Since Labrador tomatoes are new to the vast expanses of Russia, you need to imagine what kind of plant it is. We will give a description of the bush and fruits, and also name the possibilities of using tomatoes.
Description of the bush
According to the characteristics and description of the variety, Labrador tomatoes are not hybrids. This is a determinate plant with early ripening. As a rule, 78-105 days pass from germination to the removal of the first fruits. The gap, as you can see, is quite large, it all depends on the climate zone in which Labrador tomatoes are grown, as well as on the planting location. After all, tomatoes can be grown in open or protected ground.
Tomato bushes are low, spreading, powerful. At maturity, Labrador tomatoes are slightly more than 50 cm (a little higher in the greenhouse). The stem is strong, with a large number of shoots. There are few leaves on the variety; they can be green or dark green.
The inflorescences of the Labrador tomato are simple clusters. The first of them appears above the seventh leaf. Then they form through the leaf to the very top of the shoot. There is no need to plant tomatoes of the Labrador variety, since it limits itself in growth, as gardeners say, it is growing.
We suggest keeping a reminder about the Labrador tomato, which provides a brief description and characteristics of the variety. It will be useful not only for beginner gardeners, but also for people with experience.
Description of fruits
Fruiting is abundant, because up to 10-15 fruits are tied on one cluster. They are round, reminiscent in shape and original color of an apple. The fruits are not ribbed, smooth. Each of them weighs about 80 grams, but they are also a little heavier. Some specimens grow up to 120 or even 150 grams.
The yield of the harvest is friendly, this is clearly visible in the photo. This feature is noted in reviews by vegetable growers.Moreover, the yield is almost the same both in ordinary ridges and in greenhouses.
Labrador tomatoes have thin skin. The fruits themselves are fleshy, juicy, and not multi-chambered. At technical maturity, deep red in color. The taste, according to reviews from those who planted it, is excellent, sour-sweet. You could say it's a classic.
Characteristics of the variety
As can already be seen from the description, and also, according to reviews from gardeners, Labrador tomatoes have many advantages that add to the popularity of the variety.
We will present them now:
- Early ripening. When grown by seedlings, the harvest in a greenhouse can be harvested in June. Fresh tomatoes will appear on the table before the fruits of other varieties begin to ripen.
- Possibility of planting in open and protected ground.
- Stable yield from year to year, from 2.5 to 3 kg from each bush.
- Excellent taste and widespread use in cooking: in salads, for making juice, tomato paste, and canning in pieces (photo). Salads for the winter turn out awesome.
- Temperature changes do not negatively affect either the growth or yield of the Labrador tomato variety. Almost all flowers set under any conditions.
- Caring for plants is simple, and they do not need to be pinched or tied to supports. Although in reality, due to the severity of the fruits, the plants may fall. So you still have to tie it up.
- The plant has excellent immunity to fungal and viral diseases that affect neighboring tomato varieties. Thanks to early ripening, the variety, as gardeners say, “has time to escape” from late blight.
- If Labrador tomatoes were grown separately, you can collect your own seeds, as the varietal qualities are preserved.
Of course, it is difficult to find a tomato variety that does not have any flaws.They exist, in accordance with the description and, according to reviews from gardeners, in Labrador tomatoes:
- short shelf life;
- difficulties with transporting ripe tomatoes due to their thin skin, which is why they need to be picked blanc;
- Difficulties with canning whole fruits: the skin bursts.
In the open ground above the plantings, you can make a greenhouse for planting plants in the early stages. And if the bed is also warm, under covering material, as in the photo, then the tomatoes feel comfortable even when the temperature drops.
As you can see, the variety is wonderful, especially since tomatoes can be grown without seedlings, sowing the seeds immediately in a permanent place.
Description of the Labrador tomato by a gardener in love with it:
Growing and care
A good harvest of Labrador tomatoes can only be obtained if healthy seedlings are grown.
Preparing seedlings
To obtain an early harvest, seeds are sown for seedlings 55-65 days before the tomatoes are planted in the ground. This is the last ten days of March and the first ten days of April.
To sow tomatoes for seedlings, you can use a ready-made soil mixture enriched with the necessary elements, or prepare the soil yourself. Take garden soil, add peat, sand, dolomite flour, wood ash and humus.
Within three days, the ground is filled with boiling water, adding several crystals of potassium permanganate to it. To make disinfection more effective, boxes with soil can be covered with film.
Seeds, if they have not been processed in a seed company, are also processed. There are different ways:
- in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate;
- in aloe juice;
- in Fitosporin solution.
Then rinse the Labrador tomato seeds in clean water and place them on a napkin to dry.
Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm, with a furrow increment of 1 cm. The next furrow is made after 3 cm. In this case, the seedlings will feel comfortable until the picking. A piece of cellophane is pulled over the boxes and put away in a warm and well-lit place. With the appearance of the first hook, the cover is removed. Water Labrador tomato seedlings as needed.
They dive as usual when three true leaves appear on Labrador tomatoes. Further care of the seedlings consists of watering and superficial loosening of the soil. You can feed tomatoes at the seedling stage by extracting their wood ash.
Landing in the ground
When the soil warms up to +17 degrees, the seedlings can be planted. It is pre-hardened. When planting tomatoes in open ground, choose the ridges on which they were previously grown:
- eggplants and peppers;
- garlic and carrots;
- cucumbers and cabbage.
These predecessors do not suffer from late blight, which will help avoid disease in Labrador tomatoes.
If the seedlings were planted in open ground, then you need to worry about covering the plants at night, because spring weather is unpredictable.
It is advisable to plant Labrador tomatoes in two rows. The holes are made at a distance of 40 cm, in row spacing - up to 60-70 cm. According to the rules, 5-6 bushes are planted in one square place.
Watering
After planting, watering is carried out 3-4 days later. It is advisable to mulch: this will retain moisture and eliminate the need for loosening and weeding.
The photo shows a mistake made by gardeners.
If you water tomatoes irregularly, the plants may be affected by phomosis (brown rot of fruits), cladosporiosis (brown spot), cracking of fruits, and verticillium leaf wilt.
Top dressing
Plants need to be fed several times during the growing season:
- Labrador tomatoes are fed for the first time when planting. Before digging the soil, add up to 20 kg of humus or compost, 2 liters of ash for each square of the bed.
- The tomatoes are fed three times with the special fertilizer “Sudarushka” and the same number of times with the universal fertilizer “Universal”.
- Dusting the bushes with dry wood ash or watering with infusion provides the plant with almost all the necessary microelements.
Foliar feeding can be done using boron-magnesium fertilizers. Plants respond well to fertilizing with iodine solution both on the leaves and at the roots. In addition, when sprayed with iodine solution, the likelihood of late blight is reduced.
Despite the fact that the Labrador tomato variety is a disease-resistant plant, preventive measures must be taken. After all, in addition to this variety of tomato, other tomatoes are grown on the site, which often get sick. Preventive treatment is carried out with special preparations.
I would like to buy a bag of tomato seeds of the “LABRADOR” variety. Let me know how much it costs and how to purchase.
Hello, Vladimir, we do not sell.