The subtleties of growing tomatoes "Morning dew"
Large and tasty tomatoes are the dream of many summer residents. I want them to be fleshy, dense, non-capricious in care. Among the various varieties, the Morning Dew tomato is especially popular. However, before buying seeds, you need to get an idea about the characteristics of the soil and the climatic background that are necessary for better growth and high yields of such tomatoes.
Description of the variety and characteristics
"Morning Dew" is one of the universal varieties of tomatoes. The variety was bred by breeders of Aelita LLC and the Pridnestrovian Research Institute of Agriculture, went on sale in 1999. Tomato is recommended for any regions of the country. This is an early maturing variety, which belongs to the indeterminate. In other words, he is tall, in need of mandatory shaping, regular cutting and pinching.
Despite the large height of the bush, the leaves are modest in size and the usual greenish tint. The peduncle has an articulation. Tomato fruits are characterized by an average weight (300-350 g) and a heart-shaped shape. Growing this variety is possible both in open ground and in a greenhouse.
It is worth noting that different conditions are reflected in the height of the bush. For example, if you grow a Morning Dew tomato in greenhouse conditions, it can reach a height of about 2 m, while bushes growing in open ground usually do not exceed 1.6 m.
Due to the high height of the plants, it is necessary to think more carefully about the nuances of planting seedlings and caring for them. But the size of the variety allows you to grow it on the plot in large volumes.
Tomatoes "Morning Dew" are distinguished by the density of the fruit and the softness of the skin. The color of the tomato is red, the pulp is fleshy, juicy and excellent taste. Such a tomato has few seeds.
The fruits ripen in 3.5 months. At a high height, the bushes are quite compact and do not take up much space, and they have few leaves. Usually up to 5 fruits can be tied in one brush.
For greater productivity, you have to form a bush in 1 stem and tie it to the trellis.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tomato "Morning Dew" has a number of advantages. Almost every bush is dotted with fruits, which pleases many summer residents. Tomatoes can also be grown in arid regions of the country, they are able to withstand dry and even hot climates.
At the same time, tomatoes are great for making salads, lechos, sauces, ketchups, tomato juice, pasta, and even regular cuts. If desired, they can be used for barrel salting. For home canning, tomatoes of this variety are not suitable because of their large size (they do not fit into the jar as a whole).
The yield of one square meter can be from 14 to 15 kg (depending on care). From one bush you can get up to 3 kg of tomatoes. This factor makes the variety one of the most popular among buyers. The good news is that when the temperature changes, the bushes do not reduce their productivity. They are resistant to both temporary cooling and temperature rise. However, according to gardeners, it is better that the conditions are optimal.
One of the main advantages is the fact that at early ripening the fruits are quite large, which is rare in such varieties. In addition to high fruiting, tomatoes are characterized by good safety during transportation. In addition, this variety is resistant to various plant diseases (for example, to tobacco mosaic, cladosporiosis, bacterial spot), and is also unpretentious in cultivation. An important advantage is the resistance to cracking, which is noted in some similar varieties.
As for the minuses, in the process of forming tomatoes, you have to take care not only of the stem, but also of the brushes. They also need to be tied up, as they can simply break under their own weight during the growth and ripening of the fruit.
Seedlings are limited in quantity per 1 m2. If you plant it in an amount of more than 4 pcs. per sq. m, this will affect the yield. We must not forget about pinching during the formation of plants, since the yield of the bush will depend on this. Other disadvantages, according to reviews of gardeners, include a very ordinary taste.
Planting seeds
Tomatoes are grown from seeds. To do this, buy fresh seeds, since their germination may decrease every year. Planting material is sown in containers with prepared soil at the end of March. It is important that the soil is nutritious.
Planting depth should not exceed 1-1.5 cm.
After that, the seeds are sprinkled on top with dry sifted earth without lumps and moistened with clean warm water. It is better to do this with a spray gun. As a container, you can use containers from cakes or a cake.
Immediately after planting and moistening, the container is covered with glass or an ordinary transparent plastic bag in 1 layer and removed for germination in a warm place. However, the place should not be dark, as this will increase the germination time.
It is important to ensure that the soil in the container does not dry out, this is especially important at first, when the seedlings have not yet grown stronger. As necessary, you need to open the film and moisten the ground.
Growth
Seedlings usually appear within 10 days. After that, you need to remove the film, and put the container in a well-lit place. This will avoid over-stretching the seedlings in search of the sun. When the first two true leaves appear in the tomatoes, they are transplanted into separate pots (they perform a pick). To do this, you can use peat cups.
While the sprouts are waiting for planting in the ground at a permanent place, the soil must be fertilized several times. For this, mineral fertilizers are usually used. About 1-2 weeks before planting, you need to start hardening the seedlings. To do this, it is taken out into the street for a certain time, which is gradually increased.
Usually, Morning Dew is planted in a greenhouse or in open ground at the age of 1.5 months. At the same time, it is worth considering a small nuance: landing in a heated greenhouse can be done in the second decade of April. If the landing is planned under the film, it is undesirable to do this before mid-May.
In order for the bushes to have enough space, they need to be planted with a distance between rows of about 0.5 m. At the same time, the approximate distance between two adjacent plants should not be less than 40 cm.
Care and formation of the bush
Like any plant, tomatoes of this variety need timely and regular care.To begin with, it is worth considering that without proper watering (especially in the first time after planting), you can not expect a high yield and strength of a vegetable crop. Tomatoes tolerate drought more easily than stagnant water in the hole. However, this does not mean at all that the roots can seek moisture underground on their own. You need to water the tomato using clean water and observing moderation.
It is better to do this in the late afternoon, when the sun is not so active, otherwise the bush may “burn out”, which will lead to its death. It will not be possible to do without loosening the soil, and without the timely removal of weeds. To increase productivity, it is also necessary to get rid of stepchildren (side shoots). Mulching can be done to maintain natural moisture levels and reduce weeds.
Stepchildren must be removed above the second brush. For better development of the bush, it is worth pinching the growing point. For greater effect, it is necessary to remove deformed flowers and leaves from the bush. You can get rid of the lower leaves. Tomatoes are tied to supports after their adaptation period is completed after landing in a permanent place, whether it be a greenhouse or open ground.
Reviews
According to gardeners, this tomato really justifies its popularity. Although it is noted that the height of the bush is usually less than stated in the description. As for heat resistance, the opinions of buyers are unanimous: the tomato is really picky about watering and is able to withstand hot days for some time. In addition, summer residents indicate that this variety is highly resistant to pests.
The variety is praised for its lack of tendency to crack, as well as for the large size of the fruit. According to available reviews, "Morning Dew" has a pleasant sweet and sour taste.Tomatoes are dense and fleshy, they are good in salads, homemade ketchups and juices.
The recipe for making ketchup at home, see the following video.