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Large-fruited tomatoes are not canned, but this does not make their popularity any less. Fleshy fruits have excellent taste. Tomatoes are used for preparing fresh salads and processing into juice, ketchup, and paste. Breeders have developed many varieties and hybrids. Now we will look at the Machitos tomato as a worthy representative of the large-fruited group of tomatoes.
Main characteristics of the hybrid and features of crop care
Let's start our acquaintance with a description of the Makhitos tomato, and it should immediately be noted that the culture belongs to the Dutch hybrids. The plant is characterized by unlimited growth, so it is classified as an indeterminate group of tomatoes. The bush can grow to more than 2 m in height. The Makhitos hybrid was bred by breeders specifically for greenhouse cultivation. The culture is thermophilic, but can adapt to open ground.
Considering the characteristics and description of the Machitos tomato variety, it is worth noting that the plant has a powerful bush structure. Tomato foliage is large, dense, dark green in color. The root is strongly developed and grows to the sides. Fruit set always occurs, even if there is excess or lack of moisture in the greenhouse. The harvest ripens together. The first ripe tomatoes can be obtained 105 days after the sown grains have sprouted. Such ripening dates classify the Makhitos F1 tomato as a mid-early crop.
The fruits are characterized by a round shape. The tomato looks like a smooth ball with a slightly flattened side near the stalk. When fully ripe, the flesh and skin of the tomato acquire a bright red color. The Makhitos F1 tomato is characterized as a large-fruited hybrid, although the weight of ripe tomatoes is limited to 200–250 g. This allows housewives to preserve smaller fruits whole in jars. A big plus is the dense pulp and skin. Tomatoes do not crack during ripening and during heat treatment, are stored for a long time, and can be transported for a long time. Tomato pulp contains a large amount of sugar, which is why the fruit has a sweet taste.
Now let’s once again emphasize the positive characteristics of the Machitos hybrid:
- Strongly developed tomato bushes have small internodes. Even though the plant is tall, it is well balanced.
- After planting, the seedlings take root normally and grow quickly. The tomato bush immediately forms a wide root system, and the crown is densely overgrown with foliage.
- A special feature of the hybrid is the presence of immunity to nematodes, as well as cladosporiosis.
- Unfavorable conditions do not in any way affect the intensity of fruit set.
A special feature of caring for the Makhitos tomato is the frequent tying of the stems to the trellis and timely pinching. The intensive growth of vines will not give the gardener time to rest. The leaves of the lower tier also need to be removed. They cover the fruits, slow down their ripening and take nutrients from the plant.
When growing Mahitos tomatoes, the vegetable grower should not confuse the intensive growth of the bush with its fattening. Otherwise, instead of a harvest, you can get a large amount of foliage and stems. Tomato fattening can be prevented only with proper care. When the tomato seedlings take root well and begin to grow, there is no need to frequently flood the bushes with water, or overdo it with fertilizing with minerals. Tomatoes love this, but such actions have a bad effect on the fruit ovary.
The video shows the cultivation of Machitos in a greenhouse:
Rules and regulations for planting tomatoes
To get a generous harvest, you need to follow the norm for planting Machitos tomatoes, as well as a few simple rules:
- Sowing tomato seeds Makhitos F1 is no different from the procedure performed for other varieties. The grains are immersed in the soil to a depth of 1 cm, maintaining a distance between them of 2.5 to 3 cm.
- The sown tomato seeds are lightly sprinkled with soil and then watered generously. Drugs that protect seedlings from infection are dissolved in water. Often vegetable growers simply make a weak solution of manganese.
Containers with sown tomato seeds are covered with film and wait for germination. Caring for Machitos seedlings is the same as for any other tomatoes.
When the time comes to plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse, here you already need to comply with the standards inherent in this particular variety:
- In the greenhouse, Machitos are planted in rows. It is important to maintain a row spacing of 1 m.
- To save space, many vegetable growers plant tomatoes at a distance of 20 cm from each other. For Mahitos, such a norm is unacceptable. This will affect poor yields. The bushes are planted in a row at 40 cm intervals.
- The formation of tomato bushes is carried out in 1, 2, and sometimes 3 stems. For Makhitos, the best option is 2 stems.
By adhering to these simple rules and regulations, you will be able to grow a generous harvest of tomatoes.
What factors does tomato development depend on?
The development of culture is influenced by two main factors: the natural environment and human intervention. The vegetable grower cannot change the first factor. Unless you can shelter tomato plants from bad weather in a greenhouse. The second factor completely depends on the person, since he can regulate his actions. This includes watering, fertilizing, maintaining temperature and microclimate in the greenhouse, as well as forming bushes. If the standards are not followed correctly, these factors can become negative.
Recommendations for watering and feeding tomatoes
Let's start looking at the negative factors for tomatoes by fattening the bushes. The Machitos tomato variety has intensive stem growth at the genetic level. If you overdo it with watering and fertilizing, the result will be disastrous. Normally developing tomato bushes will present the following surprise:
- the plant will receive additional growth energy, which is completely unnecessary for it;
- the appearance of the ovary will move to a later date;
- the number of unnecessary stepchildren will increase.
A plant neglected to such a state will be quite difficult to bring to the appropriate norm.
Reading reviews about the Makhitos tomato, you come across many useful recommendations regarding watering and fertilizing:
- Watering the planted Machitos seedlings should be moderate. You can slightly increase the dose of water after 3-4 brushes appear.
- It is more difficult to regulate the water rate if the greenhouse has drip irrigation from a single system that is distributed for different crops. Here you will have to adjust the dose with each dropper near the plant. If an intensive watering tape is simply laid out in the greenhouse, then the dose is adjusted by the time of water supply.
- In the event of a sharp cold snap, the intensity of watering tomatoes is reduced or stopped completely. Here you need to look at the situation. If there is nothing to heat the greenhouse, the tomatoes will still not absorb water in the cold.
- Vegetable growers recommend minimal use of mineral fertilizers for feeding tomatoes, and they should be applied after the ovary of at least three clusters.
A vegetable grower must feel the norm in every action. Overdoing it does not mean that the plant will benefit from excess water or fertilizer.
Adjusting the color intensity of fruit pulp
According to their characteristics, Machitos tomatoes, after ripening, acquire a bright red color of flesh and skin. However, there may be a problem associated with uneven or weak color of the fruit. The first problem is that incorrectly balanced watering.In many reviews, gardeners claim that they have many years of experience in growing tomatoes, and that they watered them correctly.
Maybe they're right. Another problem may be hiding here - lack of fertilizer. However, you should not immediately pour everything under the bushes. The tomato lacks a certain additive:
- Uneven color of the fruit is observed with a lack of potassium. Adding a mineral to the soil will balance the natural process. The tomatoes will acquire a natural bright red flesh color.
- Manganese is considered a color accelerator and is also responsible for its saturation. If there is a lack of potassium, manganese is useless, since acceleration does not contribute to uniform coloring of the fruit.
Both minerals need to be balanced. This is the only way to achieve good results.
Temperature
The hybrid is characterized by endurance. Machitos has a strong bush structure that can withstand many changes in the microclimate in the greenhouse. This also applies to lowering the temperature. If the tomato leaves are exposed to the sun's rays, then you don't have to worry. The plant is not afraid of burns, of course, within reasonable limits.
However, why test tomato plantings against various disasters. To get a good harvest, it is advisable to maintain an elevated temperature inside the greenhouse. Mahitos are a hybrid and they like warmth.
What to do with leaves
Excess foliage draws juices from the plant. If there is a lot of it, then the fruits are smaller, take longer to ripen and are not so sweet. However, it is also impossible to remove a large number of leaves. The density of the bush is an important characteristic of Machitos. If you remove a lot of foliage, the tomato will get a lot of stress, because through it the plant cools, receives moisture and oxygen. Plucking the bush must be done partially.Leaves are cut off only from below and where they interfere with the ripening of the fruit, shading the sun.
The video talks about growing Machitos:
Reviews
In general, Machitos is considered an unpretentious tomato. If you follow the simplest rules of care, you will be able to grow a good harvest. As confirmation, we suggest reading reviews from simple vegetable growers.
