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It would seem that nothing can surprise experienced gardeners and summer residents. However, breeders do not sleep and try to amaze not only with tasty, but also original varieties of vegetables. Time shows what lovers of homemade tomatoes prefer.
Description of the variety
Zhigalo became such an extraordinary tomato. Irregularly shaped fruits look like exotic overseas vegetables and have a muted red color.
The taste of tomatoes can be described as sweet, but not sugar. In shape, the fruits resemble a sausage and weigh modestly - 100-125 g. Therefore, we can say that high yield is provided not by weight, but by the number of ripe tomatoes. On one brush, 5-7 pieces are tied (as in the photo).
The ripe fruit does not differ in dense pulp, has few seeds, and housewives successfully use it for stuffing. Gigalo belongs to mid-ripening varieties of tomatoes, and therefore the first ripe fruits do not appear earlier than 98-104 days.
Standard bushes of tomatoes The Zhigalo varieties have a rather compact appearance and grow to a height of 40-46 cm. The Zhigalo belongs to the determinant varieties of tomatoes. That is, the bush practically does not branch and independently stops growing in height, without the help of a gardener.
Advantages of Zhigalo tomatoes:
- abundant fruiting, from one bush you can harvest twice as much as from other varieties of tomatoes;
- the bush practically does not need pinching;
- can be grown in a greenhouse and outdoors;
- unpretentious in care;
- the area of the site is saved.
Among the disadvantages of the Zhigalo variety, it is worth noting the susceptibility to nightshade diseases. Some gardeners note the increased density of the peel, which is not very pleasant when eating fresh fruits.
Planting and care rules
There are no special secrets for growing the Gigalo variety. When growing tomatoes, seedling and seedling methods are used.
Growing seedlings
- To obtain sprouts, seeds are planted in special containers. It is better to prepare fertile soil in advance. An excellent option is to buy a ready-made potting soil mixture for tomato seedlings in a specialized store.
- In order to further protect the plants from diseases, it is advisable to pre-treat the seeds: it is enough to hold them in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for twenty minutes. Then they are washed in clean water.
- The soil in the box is loosened and moistened. The seeds of Zhigalo are laid out in specially prepared shallow grooves and sprinkled with earth (approximately half a centimeter layer). The containers are tightly covered with foil and placed in a warm place with an air temperature of at least 21˚ C.
- As soon as the first shoots with leaves appear, it becomes possible to plant the seedlings in separate cups. In the future, the seedlings are slightly hardened before planting in open ground - the air temperature is lowered by 5-7 ˚ С.
In a greenhouse or open ground, seedlings can be planted as soon as warm weather sets in, excluding unexpected frosts.
Planting seeds in open ground
With this technology of growing tomatoes, seed germination is first carried out. Thus, you can achieve earlier germination of seedlings of tomatoes of the Zhigalo variety. To germinate seeds, they are placed in a linen bag and dipped in warm water for about 12 hours.To keep the seeds cool, the water is periodically changed. Germinated seeds, two pieces at a time, are buried in holes dug in a specially prepared area.
It is possible to plant seedlings according to two schemes: linear and checkerboard.
- With the linear method, the distance between the bushes in a row is 25-30 cm, and a distance of 60-70 cm is kept between two rows.
- With the chess method distance in a row between bushes make 50-55 cm, between rows - 70-75 cm (as in the photo).
As soon as the seeds germinate and two leaves appear on the seedlings, the seedlings are thinned out - a stronger plant is left in the hole, and the weak sprout is not pulled out, but cut off so as not to damage the neighbor.
Tying tomatoes
Since the Zhigalo variety is undersized, there is an opinion that it is not required to tie it up. It is believed that a tomato has a strong stem and a developed root system already in the process of sprout formation. However, when a large number of fruits ripen, the Zhigalo bush can break / fall down with strong gusts of winds. Therefore, it is advisable to provide each bush with a support even during the preparation of the beds and holes.
In warm areas, you can do without supports. Zhigalo bushes will be laid on the ground, protecting the soil from drying out. It is advisable only to pre-mulch the soil.
Watering tomatoes
The Zhigalo tomato variety does not need close attention and care. Since the root system of the plant is located close to the surface of the soil, it is necessary to beware of excessive moisture in the soil. It is worth navigating by the soil - when it dries, water it.
After watering, the soil must be loosened to ensure good air exchange.
Top dressing of tomato bushes
3-4 days after thinning the seedlings, you can carry out the first feeding of Zhigalo tomatoes. A suitable fertilization option is ammonium nitrate solution (15 g per 10 liters of water). It is advisable to pour a liter of solution under each bush. After fertilizing, it is recommended to mulch the soil.
As soon as the fruits begin to set on the bushes, the second feeding of the Zhigalo tomatoes is carried out. A mineral mixture is used as a fertilizer (there are 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium chloride per square meter). Fertilizers are buried in moist soil. To do this, shallow grooves (4-6 cm) are made along the rows of bushes at a distance of 17-20 cm from the plants.
When fertilizing the soil, it is recommended to carefully apply nitrogen fertilizers. Excessive use of them leads to increased growth of the bush and an abundant build-up of green mass.
If there are no ready-made mineral fertilizers, then it is quite possible to use organic fertilizers. To prepare the mullein solution, use a bucket of manure and 10 buckets of water. Tomatoes are fertilized with an infused (10-12 days) solution. Moreover, a liter of infusion is still pre-diluted with ten liters of water. Feeding rule: a liter of diluted infusion is poured under each bush.
The standard grade Zhigalo does not create problems with pinching. Therefore, there are no difficulties with caring for the bush and its formation.
Diseases and pests
The Zhigalo tomato variety cannot boast of a special immunity to disease. However, timely prevention helps prevent infection.
Late blight is a fungal disease that affects not only the plant, but also the fruits. It is known that low temperatures and high humidity are favorable conditions for the spread of the disease. Therefore, when weather conditions worsen, it is recommended to spray tomatoes with Bordeaux liquid, fungicides (Ridomil Gold, Quadris).
As regular preventive measures, it is recommended to mulch the soil, timely remove old and yellowed leaves.
The cultivation of the standard variety Zhigalo is suitable for novice gardeners and summer residents who do not burn with the cultivation of exquisite and rare tomatoes.
Where to buy seeds "Zhigalo" and "Banana Legs"?
A friend shared a few Gigolo bushes. There were a lot of fruits, a bush of medium height, 50 cm. But for my taste they were empty. Unleavened.
Those who have ever planted Zhigalo tomatoes were pleased with it. The tomato has positive ratings and recommendations for growing.