Content
Tomato is a vegetable that can be found in every vegetable garden. Someone prefers to grow them only in a greenhouse, rightly believing that the harvest there is greater and the fruits are larger. But for most greenhouse varieties, the ripening period is far from the earliest. Many plant seedlings in open ground, picking up early-maturing varieties, which together give the crop. Most often, their fruits are medium-sized, and are more suitable for canning. But among them there are exceptions, one of which is the Red Rooster tomato. The reviews of those who have already managed to plant it and harvest it are positive. Why did the gardeners like him so much? We will compose a complete description of the variety, as well as provide the main characteristics in order to understand its advantages. In the photo there are red rooster tomatoes.
Main characteristics
The originator of the Red Rooster variety is the Gavrish seed company. He got into the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2015. Tomato The Red Rooster is advised to be cultivated in all regions of our country, it feels equally good with any method of cultivation - with and without shelter.
The main advantages of the variety:
- ultra-early ripening period - ripe fruits of this tomato can be tasted after 85 days from germination, cool weather can postpone this period by 10 days, but even in this case, when 60-day seedlings are planted, ripe fruits are harvested in about a month;
- a low bush - up to 80 cm, determinant type, it ends its growth itself, making it easier for the gardener to work, since it does not have to pinch the tomato plant, but it still needs shaping, according to gardeners, the tomato red rooster shows the best yield if it is on the bush 3 stems left;
- strong tomato bushes are thoroughly loaded with crops, so they will have to be tied up;
- the fruits of a tomato Red rooster are large, their average weight is about 200 g, but with good care it can be even more;
- the color of the fruits is bright red, the shape is flat-round, the stalk has a weak ribbing;
- the taste of tomatoes of the Red Rooster variety is sweetish with a slight sourness - this is what real tomatoes should have;
- the purpose of the Red Rooster tomatoes is universal: you can make a delicious salad from them, pickle in jars, pickle, make winter preparations by cutting into pieces or cook tomato paste; any product will have excellent taste;
- The Red Rooster tomato is suitable for market sales - it has an excellent presentation, excellent taste, and is well transported.
One of the main characteristics of the Red Rooster tomato is unpretentiousness. He is able to set fruits in any weather and, subject to all the rules for care, provides a yield of up to 3 kg from one bush. In the description of this tomato variety, it should also be noted such a feature as resistance to diseases, which is very important, especially in a rainy summer.
The video will tell you more about this variety of tomato:
Tomato care
All tomatoes, even ultra-early ripening ones, are grown through seedlings. At least 55 days should elapse between shoots and seedlings relocation to the ground, which usually happens in early June. During this time, about 7 leaves will appear, the first flower brush will start, and maybe already bloom.
Growing seedlings
There is a lot of trouble with growing tomato seedlings:
- calibration of seeds;
- etching them in Fitosporin, peroxide or potassium permanganate;
- sowing in specially selected loose and air-permeable soil;
- keeping tomato crops in warm and dark, and newly emerging sprouts in cool and bright light;
- providing weekly tomato seedlings with heat - about 23 degrees, maximum lighting, timely irrigation with cold water, at least 2 dressings with full mineral fertilizers.
But you still need to make a pick when the kids have only 2 sheets and transfer to a liter container when there are already 4 or 5 of them.
And if you try to do without seedlings? Many gardeners will be surprised - a tomato is a thermophilic culture, you cannot sow it early in the soil, and with late sowing, the crop simply will not have time to form. All this is true, but experienced gardeners have long come up with a method of reckless tomato cultivation, and more than one. Of course, it is not suitable for every variety. Their selection is limited to ultra-early tomato varieties; hybrids are usually not suitable.
We grow tomatoes without seedlings
In ordinary unprepared soil, the venture is initially doomed to failure. You will need box beds with a wall height of at least 30 cm. Since the process of warming up the soil must be started when the ground has not yet thawed, all preparatory work is carried out in the fall. The garden bed should be located from east to west, the site should be illuminated by the sun all day.
How to make bed-boxes can be seen in the video:
What to do with the garden in spring:
- cover with a film installed on the arcs. If there is still snow on the garden bed, it needs to be swept away; this can be done already at the beginning of April. The film is chosen with a thickness of 150 microns, it will reliably protect the garden from frost;
- after 1-2 weeks, when the soil warms up, spill the garden bed with a hot solution of pink potassium permanganate;
- prepare five-liter bottles by cutting off their bottom;
- choose a warm sunny day, mark the garden bed, making 2 cm depressions in it according to the 40x60 cm scheme with a diameter of about 10 cm;
- spill each depression with hot water;
- spread the tomato seeds in a circle, 4 seeds in each circle, sprinkle with a layer of soil about 2 cm thick, compact a little with your palm. For seedless sowing of tomato Red Rooster, only dry seeds are used.
- cover each circle with a cut bottle, pressing it lightly into the soil. Do not unscrew the bottle caps.
- cover the arcs with non-woven material, and on top with a film, provide additional cover with a film of tomatoes in case of severe frosts;
- when warm weather is established, remove the caps from the bottles.
The emerging seedlings of tomatoes are thinned out, leaving only one strong plant. The rest can be laid out on the seedling bed or simply removed. Shelters from the garden are removed when return frosts have passed. Care for seedless tomatoes in the summer should be the same as for those that were planted with seedlings.
There is another way, but it is available only to those gardeners who have a Red Rooster tomato already growing in the garden.
What is the essence of the method:
- in the fall we choose a large and healthy tomato, or several, without signs of phytophthora and rot;
- we store them in a cool place until the onset of cold, but not frosty weather, until about the end of October;
- preparing a bed for tomatoes, on which we will grow them next year and straw mulch;
- we make a hole in the ground 15 cm deep, put a handful of rotted straw on the bottom and place a whole tomato. The tomato should be whole, you do not need to extract seeds from it.
- We fill the hole with rotted straw, mulch on top with a layer of humus. For planting, you can also use salted or pickled tomatoes, if they have not been exposed to high temperatures.
- in the spring, as soon as the snow melts, we remove part of the humus, cover the bed with non-woven material and install arcs on which we throw the film.
The seeds of the Red Rooster tomato that have passed natural stratification and selection sprout together, and the plants will be strong and healthy. It remains only to seat them.
There is also an intermediate method, in which tomato seedlings are grown at home before picking, and dive into a pre-prepared and warmed-up bed covered with bottles.
What are the advantages of such methods:
- no need to bother growing tomato seedlings at home;
- tomatoes grow strong and seasoned;
- the plants do not stretch.
They also have disadvantages. Our unstable climate brings surprises in the form of rain in January and snow in June, and sometimes cold, cloudy summers. In the latter case, the entire crop on the bush will not have time to ripen, some of the Red Rooster tomatoes will have to be removed green and ripened in the room. The preparation of warm beds requires certain costs. When planting early, you should always be prepared to add additional cover to the beds.
Outdoor care
To speed up the process of growth and ripening of tomatoes, you need to perform all agrotechnical techniques:
- soil mulching;
- watering with warm water. Drip irrigation works best.
- feeding once a decade or every 14 days with a complete mineral fertilizer with trace elements;
- correct formation of plants with the removal of all unnecessary stepsons;
- timely treatments for late blight.
If everything is done correctly and on time, with any method of growing the Red Rooster tomato will give a good harvest of tasty, early and large fruits.
