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Tomato Duchess of F1 flavor is a new tomato variety developed by the agro-firm "Partner" only in 2017. At the same time, it has already become widespread among Russian summer residents. Tomatoes of the variety are distinguished by their sweetness and high yield, resistance to diseases and harmful insects. The gardener is required to comply with the rules of care and cultivation of crops.
Description of tomato Duchess of taste
Hybrid tomato Duchess of taste - early ripening variety. The first fruits appear in 85 - 90 days, they can be harvested in another 10 - 15 days. In one season, up to three harvests are obtained from one planting. The bushes of the variety are determinant, which means low growth. On average, the stems reach a height of 60 - 70 cm, in greenhouse conditions - less. Leaves are elongated, oblong, type - tomato.
The root system of the cultivar presents a main stem with good branching and a maximum growth depth of up to 1.5 meters. The inflorescences of the variety are simple, start from the sixth leaf, form up to 5 yellow flowers. The branching of the stem is sympodial, that is, the stem ends with an inflorescence, and the continuation of growth occurs from the axil of the lower leaf.
The Duchess of Taste tomato is an artificially created hybrid that has many advantages:
- resistance to high temperature, heat;
- tolerance of excessively acidic soil;
- no rotting at high soil moisture.
The hybrid variety is unpretentious. It is grown in open areas and in closed conditions (under a film, in greenhouse rooms). In greenhouses, bushes are planted at 3 per 1 sq. m, and 2 sq. m. - about 5 - 7 pieces. They are planted less often outdoors - no more than 5 bushes per 2 sq. m. The height of the hybrids may be slightly less than the standard, but the number of fruits remains the same.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the Duchess of taste grow small, their average weight is about 130 - 150 grams. The shape of ripe tomatoes is spherical, slightly flattened. Ripe tomatoes have a uniform, rich pink color, their flesh is dense. They are perfectly transported, do not crack, lie well during long-term storage. According to reviews, the Duchess tomato variety of taste gives a large harvest of fruits from small areas.
Tomatoes of the Duchess F1 flavor contain a large amount of glucose, which makes the fruits sweet in taste, they contain up to four small chambers for seeds. Tomatoes are more suitable for salads and fresh use.
Characteristics of tomato Duchess taste
Hybrid variety Duchess F1 flavor is an early undersized crop. Summer residents and gardeners note some special characteristics that distinguish Duchess F1 tomatoes from other varieties:
- high yield - about 14 - 16 kg of fruits are harvested from one square meter on open soil, in greenhouses - up to 18 kg (such a crop is possible with good abundant watering, ensuring the correct conditions for keeping), the first tomatoes are harvested after 80 - 90 days;
- the taste of the variety is distinguished by a low acidity of the pulp with a large amount of sugar content, which gives a soft, sweetish taste (therefore, tomatoes are recommended to be consumed fresh);
- the fruit has a thin skin with dense bark and a large core with soft flesh; seed nests are small: maximum four per fruit;
- resistance to pests and diseases - artificial breeding of the variety made it possible to increase the resistance of the bushes to known harmful bacteria and insects.
Careful plant care will yield a good harvest with high sweetness values.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the fact that the Duchess F1 tomato variety was introduced by the Partner company only in 2017, this tomato hybrid managed to win high marks among gardeners due to the following advantages:
- stable yield - the fruits are equally pink, juicy, medium-sized for the bush;
- artificially increased immunity protects plants from many diseases (phytosporosis, tobacco mosaic, verticillium, alternaria);
- improved performance of the variety allows the bushes to tolerate adverse weather conditions well - excessive heat, soil salinity, high humidity;
- storage duration in its original form;
- cultivation is possible in many regions of the country, in some, several crops are harvested per season.
Best of all, the taste qualities of the Duchess F1 tomato are manifested in fresh salads, it is also good to prepare sauces from the fruits, to preserve them whole. The only disadvantage of the Duchess of taste variety, some consider the artificiality of its breeding: you have to buy new hybrid seeds annually, you cannot grow a plant from seeds from the fruits obtained. There are no pure tomatoes with similar characteristics.
Planting and care rules
When growing a tomato Duchess of F1 flavor, it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules of agricultural technology. To get a full harvest from each bush, the gardener needs to provide the Duchess of taste with suitable conditions, complementary feeding, watering - to draw up an agronomic plan and follow it. The process begins with the preparation and planting of tomato seeds for the Duchess of Taste.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
For growing tomatoes, the Duchess of F1 flavor, only the seedling method is used. Seedling preparation begins 50 - 60 days before planting in the ground.
For sowing seeds of the Duchess of F1 taste, they take small containers, which must be disinfected with hot steam or boiling water - plastic jars, seedling cassettes, like that. The soil should be air and moisture permeable, fertile. You can buy a ready-made universal substrate or mix a composition of the following ingredients in equal parts:
- humus;
- turf;
- sand.
The mixture is sieved through a sieve - there should be no large stones or debris left. Then it is steamed for two hours in a water bath. To feed the seedlings, ash and finely ground egg shells are added (for 10 liters of soil, 200 and 100 grams, respectively).
When planting, the seeds are laid out on top of the soil, sprinkled on 1.5 cm. The containers are covered with a film until shoots appear and transferred to a warm and dark place. For cultivation in peat tablets, 1 - 2 seeds are placed in each.
The higher the air temperature, the faster the sprouts appear. The film must be periodically turned over to remove the formed condensation. Seedlings usually appear after 10 - 14 days.
After the coating is removed and rearranged to sunlight - on a windowsill or under phytolamps. Seedlings should be under light for at least 14 hours a day.
Tomatoes dive after the appearance of two true leaves. For 14 - 17 days before planting on permanent soil in a greenhouse or on open soil, the seedlings are hardened - they are taken out into the street or an open balcony, starting at two hours and gradually increasing the time.
Transplanting seedlings
Seedlings are ready for planting if the thickness of the main stem is more than 5 mm, and the height of the plants is from 25 cm. The number of formed leaves should be from 5 pieces, sometimes the first ovaries of buds already appear.
The finished seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or on open soil. They choose a sunny place: tomatoes do not like shade. The soil is loosened, fertilized, and slightly moistened just before planting.
The composition of the feed (based on 1 sq. M of soil):
- potash additives 25 - 30 g;
- nitrogen - 35 - 40 g;
- superphosphates - 35 - 40 g.
The seedlings are placed in the ground immediately after being removed from the seedling containers. Often it is impossible to plant bushes, the minimum distance between seedlings should be 30 cm, for row spacing - 70 cm. Planting direction - from north to south. Planting is carried out in cloudy warm weather, if the weather conditions are not suitable, the plants need to be shaded for several days.
Water the seedlings in the evening, abundantly, avoiding vegetative parts. After irrigation, the soil is loosened, relieved of weeds: so the root system is enriched with oxygen, water. Additionally, you can carry out mulching - cover the soil around the seedlings (for example, with spruce needles). The procedure will allow you to retain more moisture and nourish the soil with useful microelements.
Tomato care
Tomatoes are looked after by the Duchess of F1 taste by timely watering, mulching, loosening the soil, adding top dressing. Prevention against diseases and pests is a must: it is much easier to prevent the development of harmful bacteria than to treat or destroy diseased bushes.
Loosening the soil is required in the aisle and around the bushes. The procedure is carried out every 9 to 12 days. Be sure to dig in the soil at least 6 - 7 times per season. If the soil is heavy, the first time you need to loosen it two weeks after planting the seedlings. Loosening saturates the soil with oxygen, allows the root system to "breathe" and better absorb nutrients. Weeds are removed at the same time.
Hilling is done every 2 - 3 weeks. For the first time - after 10 - 12 days, then less often. Before the procedure, the soil is moistened: this accelerates the formation and growth of new roots.
Watering the Duchess of taste tomatoes is necessary regularly, especially important periods - the flowering of the first two brushes. One bush should have about 0.8 - 1 liter of clean water. Watering is best done in cloudy, cool weather after lunch. Excessive soil moisture should not be allowed: brown spot or late blight may appear on the plants.
During the season, tomatoes of the Duchess of taste are fed at least three times from the moment of planting. The first time - 9 - 11 days after landing on open ground. Be sure to mix organic and mineral fertilizers, for example:
- first feeding: 10 liters of diluted mullein (the fertilizer is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 8) is mixed with 25 g of superphosphates;
- second and third: dry mineral fertilizers are applied after loosening with an interval of 14 days: per square meter you need to take potassium salt - 15 g, ammonium nitrate - 10 g, superphosphate 10 g.
The formation of tomato bushes Duchess of taste is a must. Timely pinching and pinching can increase the overall yield.
Experienced gardeners and gardeners leave the stem and 3 brushes. To help the plant retain the fruits, tomatoes are tied to supports. The stakes are installed from the north at a distance of about 10 cm. They are reinforced in three approaches: after disembarkation and as they grow.
Conclusion
The Duchess tomato of F1 flavor appeared relatively recently, and gardeners are just getting acquainted with this variety, however, high productivity, unpretentious care, resistance to pests and diseases and sweet fruits distinguish the hybrid favorably from other species. At the moment, the seeds are provided by the agrofirm "Partner", which constantly conducts various competitions and promotional days. Positive reviews from gardeners who have already grown the Duchess Hybrid of F1 taste allow us to draw conclusions about the undoubted advantages of the variety for those who are just planning to plant this tomato.
