Characteristics and description of the tomato variety Soyuz 8, its yield
The early ripe hybrid Soyuz 8 F1 is perfect for growing in a greenhouse, where you can plant seedlings in early spring and get a harvest at such a time when seedlings of ordinary tomatoes are just beginning to be planted in the open field. Tomato Union 8 is popular not only with those who grow tomatoes for consumption, but also for farmers who cultivate tomatoes for sale in the market.
Description and main characteristics
Tomato variety Soyuz 8 is an excellent combination of taste and almost simultaneous ripening of the crop even in bad weather. Ripe tomatoes perfectly tolerate transportation even over long distances.
This tomato belongs to the early ripening varieties - from the appearance of the first seedlings to the collection of ripe fruits, it takes about 3 months. Yield Union 8 high. This hybrid is determinant - the growth of the bush is limited to a brush with inflorescences growing at the top. The further development of the tomato occurs due to the appearance of stepsons leaves in the axils.
The main difference between these varieties is that the distance between clusters with ovaries is usually 1 - 2 permanent leaves. After the first 5 leaves, clusters with inflorescences appear and then alternate through the leaf on each shoot. Usually, no more than 6 brushes with inflorescences grow on one shoot of a determinant hybrid. Tomato Soyuz can be grown both in the beds in the garden, and in greenhouses or just under a film cover.
Bushes of medium height (no more than a meter), very strong, have a large number of lateral stems. The amount of foliage on the shoots is average. The number of ovaries in one brush can vary from 5 to 9 pieces.
Ripe fruits are round, slightly flattened at the bottom, fleshy. The rind is quite dense, bright red in color. The mass of ripe tomatoes can reach 105 - 110 g. The ripe fruits of the Union Eight can be consumed both fresh and used for conservation. The tomatoes of this hybrid contain up to 4.9% dry matter. Each ripe fruit contains up to 5 chambers with seeds. Ripe tomatoes of this hybrid are very tasty, quite sweet, but with the sourness inherent in tomatoes. From one bush can be harvested in the open field up to 10 - 11 kg, and in greenhouse conditions, the yield of the hybrid rises to 14 - 18 kg per m22.
When growing, growing bushes should be tied to trellises, since a large number of ripening fruits can cause stem breakage. It is necessary to form a bush, removing unnecessary stepsons in order to allow the fruits that have appeared to ripen. Ripe tomatoes contain salts of various elements: iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, cobalt.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The indisputable advantages of Union 8 include the following advantages:
- excellent taste;
- ripe tomatoes tolerate transportation well over long distances;
- fruits are not prone to cracking;
- amicable ripening of tomatoes, despite the weather conditions;
- the bushes are compact enough, therefore, well suited for planting in protected ground;
- high resistance to tobacco mosaic.
The variety also has quite serious disadvantages:
- weak resistance to late blight, apical rot, macrosporiosis;
- the need for pinching bushes;
- in too hot weather (at an air temperature above 29 - 31 ° C), the fruits are not set;
- seeds of ripe tomatoes are not suitable for further planting.
The nuances of growing a hybrid
The characteristic and description of the Soyuz 8 tomato variety says that seeds are planted for seedlings at home in the last decade of March. If the seedlings are intended for growing in greenhouse conditions, the seed can be planted at home in early March.
The depth of seeding is no more than 2.5 cm. The growing seedlings should be dived when 2 - 3 permanent leaves appear on them. 1.5 weeks before planting in open ground, the grown seedlings should be taken out into fresh air to harden. Usually, when growing seedlings, it is fed 2 - 3 times with complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. For more active growth of the root system, seedlings can be fertilized with "Kornevin" or another similar preparation.
About two months after the first shoots appear, the seedlings are ready for transplanting into open beds. Distance between bushes in a row - 0.4 m, between rows - 0.7 m.Usually 1 m2 no more than 4 - 5 plants are planted. Due to the low resistance of this hybrid to the main fungal diseases of tomatoes, it is recommended to plant seedlings in loose soil (without stagnation of moisture in it).
Further care comes down to the following procedures:
- regular watering;
- regular feeding during the period of growing vegetative mass, flowering and ripening of the crop;
- loosening the soil with the simultaneous removal of weeds;
- timely garter shoots to trellises or other types of support.
When making additional fertilizing, it should be remembered that nitrogen fertilizers are necessary for the tomato only at the stage of growth of the vegetative mass. With the appearance of the first ovaries, nitrogen is not added to the top dressing, otherwise the foliage and stems will “fatten”, and the number of ovaries will decrease.
During the period of the appearance of inflorescences and ripening of fruits, only mineral fertilizers with potassium and phosphorus are applied to the soil.
Reviews of vegetable growers growing the Soyuz 8 variety can be reduced to the following points:
- the hybrid can be attributed to one of the best early-ripening tomatoes;
- amicable ripening of fruits allows to harvest up to 65% of the total harvest in the first days of picking tomatoes;
- higher yields give Union 8 bushes, formed into one shoot;
- due to early ripening of the crop, it is practically not affected by late blight.
This early maturing variety is perfect for growing on small farms. With early planting in the greenhouse, you can harvest in mid to late June.
