Characteristics and description of the tomato variety Catherine the Great F1
Many tomatoes in Russia were planted and grown by the founder of agronomy Bolotov. The company "SeDeK" bred several varieties of tomatoes, which were named "Great" or "Tsar". All tomatoes have a wonderful dessert fruit taste, their use brings health benefits, they are easy to care for when grown, and give very high yields.
Catherine the Great F1 variety
Tomato Catherine the Great F1 - a hybrid intended for planting in greenhouses. Vegetables are universal, they can be eaten fresh, made salads from them, and started making tomato juice.
F1 - this means that two varieties were crossed for breeding and got a hybrid. The variety is mid-season, 110 - 115 days pass from planting to harvest. This variety perfectly combines disease resistance and high yields.
What bushes look like
Bushes are indeterminate, that is, they do not stop growing after the appearance of brushes. Height 2 - 2.5 m, average number of leaves. Reviews of the tomato Catherine the Great F1 say that in one brush there can be 5 - 6 fruits.
What the fruits look like
The tomatoes themselves are round, their skin is dense, when still immature, they have a whitish tint, and when ripe, they are scarlet. Weight - 250 - 350 g. The tomato pulp is juicy, fleshy. In winter heated greenhouses from 1 m2 can be collected in 26 - 30 kg.
Advantages and disadvantages
The pluses of this tomato variety include:
- resistance to mosaic disease, verticillium, brown (olive) spot, nematodes;
- high productivity;
- if proper care is taken, then after the ripening of the first brushes, the fruits on the next brushes do not shrink, as is the case with Bull heart;
- the bushes are resistant to stress, that is, they are not afraid of temperature changes;
- fruits of excellent taste and good presentation, do not crack;
- a large amount of vitamins and minerals useful for health;
- fruits are transportable, stored for a very long time.
Among the minuses it is worth noting:
- hybrids, which is why it is impossible to collect seeds from them and plant, otherwise plants will grow that will not have the properties of a mother bush;
- tomatoes can only be grown in heated greenhouses;
- since the bushes are tall and indeterminate, they need to be tied up and pinned.
How to sow seeds and grow further
To grow seedlings, plant the seeds in the ground in early March or late February. The seeds that are on sale have already been processed, they do not need to be disinfected, you can not place them in a solution of potassium permanganate. True, it is advised to keep them in a growth stimulator for better germination.
It is best not to dive them, but immediately plant them in peat cups, in a fertile substrate made of earth, humus and a small amount of ash.
When the first shoots appear, place the seedlings in a bright light and water moderately with warm, settled water. When the first pair of true leaves is visible, feed the sprouts with complex fertilizer in liquid form.
Prepare the soil in the greenhouse for planting, loosen and mix with compost. And, as the song says: “I planted the garden myself, I will water it myself,” plant the seedlings in greenhouses from May 1 or from mid-May. It is better to do this after growing green vegetables in a greenhouse: cucumbers, cabbage. Dig holes for planting, 40 cm apart from each other, since the stems are tall, the bushes themselves are spreading, they need a lot of space. Feed twice a season with mullein or phosphorus and potassium.
Be sure to tie the bushes to the trellises with a soft cloth. Leave 1 - 2 stems on the bush, and when they grow enough, then pinch their top.
Other indeterminate hybrids of the firm
In addition to "Catherine the Great", the company also has indeterminate hybrids with the word "Great" in the name, which have similar characteristics: tomato Alexander the Great F1, Vladimir the Great F1, Empire F1, Empress F1, Russian Empire F1, Peter the First F1. Let's take a look at their description below.
Advantages
In their properties, they are similar to the Bull Heart, but they have the best qualities. They are distinguished by large fruits. Fruit weight is not less than 250 - 300 g. Alexander the Great F1 can grow fruits weighing up to half a kilogram.
Variety Alexander the Great F1 and tomato Vladimir the Great F1, when incompletely ripe, have dark green fruits with a dark speck at the stalk, and when ripe they turn reddish-brown. It is generally believed that the darker the color of the fruit, the more antioxidants it contains.
Resistant to verticillium, mosaic disease, brown spot. Due to the resistance to diseases, the bushes do not need to be sprayed with pesticides. Measures to increase the yield in the greenhouse: the bushes are watered, fed, tied up, cut off by the stepsons.
In addition, the varieties are stress-resistant, that is, fruits appear even with insufficient lighting and sudden changes in temperature. They have a high yield: you can collect in an ordinary greenhouse from a film from 1 m2 25 - 28 kg each. Fruits can be harvested from July, eat them fresh, prepare salads.
Their flesh is not ordinary red, but has a bright raspberry color, high in sugar, juicy. In addition, tomatoes contain lycopene. It is an antioxidant that has many benefits for human health. If you eat these vegetables every day, you will heal your body, cleanse it, and strengthen your immune system.
All fruits are easy to transport, since, unlike the Bovine Heart, they have a dense skin. In addition, those fruits that are harvested a little immature last up to 2 months, that is, they can be served at the New Year's table.
Vegetables can be preserved in barrels with dill and grape leaves in them. They are not suitable for salting in jars, as they are too large in size.
The fruits on the branches do not ripen immediately, but gradually. You can see brushes with ripe tomatoes and freshly set fruits on one bush.
Determinant hybrids developed by the company
These include the F1 Princess and the F1 Iron Lady, bred by the same company. They have characteristics similar to indeterminate varieties, but the bushes are compact. They give high yields. But they can be planted not only under the film, but also in open ground.
Thus, all these tomatoes have a lot of advantages, combining the best properties of hybrid and varietal (large size, sweet taste) vegetables.
