There are a lot of varieties of tomatoes. Every year there are new ones that are also in demand. After all, lovers of this sunny vegetable grow several types of varieties: early, late, for canning, pickling and fresh consumption.
What are the features of the Alsou variety, and what consumer reviews say about it, we will tell later in the article.
Large-fruited tomatoes
Alsu belong to large-fruited tomatoes. Those vegetables whose weight exceeds 150 g are considered large. Although in this variety they actually reach much larger sizes. Almost all of them have fleshy flesh. And although it is not very juicy, it is valued for its excellent taste and high content of sugars and solids.
It should be noted that varieties of large-fruited tomatoes are included in the group of beef tomatoes. Their fruits contain a large amount of provitamin A, the substance lycopene. These tomatoes are intended mainly for the preparation of salads and fresh consumption. They are delicious and canned.
Due to the fact that the pulp of the fruit is fleshy and sweet, it produces thick and rich tomato juice. They are also used to make ketchup. A strong skin contributes to the fact that tomatoes of these varieties are stored for a long time without losing their presentation and taste.
Properties of tomatoes for northern regions
Cultivation of tomatoes in the south and north is fundamentally different. Indeed, in these regions, plants receive a different amount of sunlight, heat, moisture. Therefore, you need to choose different varieties.
So, in the north, you need to grow determinant (undersized) varieties that do not spend a lot of energy on building a stem. It makes sense to choose early tomatoes, because late ones simply will not have time to ripen, in addition, they must endure small frosts in late spring and early autumn and temperature changes.
Requirements for growing large-fruited tomatoes
Growing large-fruited tomatoes has some features:
- Even plants of determinant varieties need to be tied to a support. After all, the weight of the fruit on each inflorescence is so large that without tying up, thin stems will not withstand it and will break.
- To grow large fruits, the plant needs to expend a lot of strength and energy. Therefore, they need to be fed more often by fertilizing.
- It is difficult for a plant to cope with a large number of ovaries, forming tomatoes of the correct shape, so extra inflorescences must be removed in time.
Description of tomato Alsou
Alsu tomato variety is great for growing in the northern regions andrefers to the early maturing. It was bred quite recently, and the creators of the hybrid are Siberian breeders. They have long dreamed of creating a variety that would take into account all the features of their harsh climate.
The first ripe fruits appear on the bush 90 days after the seeds were sown in the ground. At the same time, Alsu tomatoes, the description of which we offer in our article, can be grown both in the greenhouse and in the garden. The height of the bush can reach 80 cm. But it can also vary from 40 cm to 1 m. Its leaves are of medium size.
The fruits covering the Alsu tomato are especially attractive. Description, reviews of gardeners confirm that the entire bush is covered with them. They are red and tied through 2 sheets. Some gardeners believe that the tomatoes of the named variety are similar in shape to the heart. They have long and dense tassels that are often compared to girlish braids or garlands.
The size of the tomatoes is large, weight is about 300 g, but sometimes the first fruits can reach 800 g. The flesh is fleshy, sugary. Almost all fruits are marketable.
What is the yield of tomato variety Alsou? Reviews of gardeners who grow them claim that they receive from 7 to 9 kilograms of selected products per square meter.
Perhaps the plants are affected by the diseases that so often affect tomatoes? It turns out that one of the main advantages of the variety is that Alsou tomato is resistant to most nightshade diseases.
Cultivation of tomato Alsou
Growing tomato Alsu should start with seed preparation:
- They are sown in light soil 2 months before planting in open ground or greenhouse.
- Before sowing, disinfect up to half an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
- Processed with nutrients ("Epin", aloe juice), dried without rinsing.
- Soak the seeds in water at room temperature or slightly warmer. Water should not cover the seeds - it should be a quarter less. The procedure is carried out for 12 hours, changing the water every 4 hours.
- Germination is carried out by placing the seeds on a saucer on a layer of damp cloth at a temperature of up to 25 degrees. Make sure that they do not dry out, but do not over-moisturize. In both cases, the seeds may become unusable.
- Tempered by placing in the refrigerator overnight and taking out for a day. Do this operation 2-3 times.
Great attention is paid to soil preparation. The fruits need a lot of calcium, so the soil needs to be limed. For this purpose, you can use a special calcium nitrate.
Planting
You need to plant seedlings so that no more than 4 plants are located on one square meter.
User reviews indicate that the Alsou tomato gives an excellent harvest of delicious fruits even in Western Siberia. But there it is not always possible to grow it in open ground. But it grows well and bears fruit in greenhouses. The height of the bushes in this case can reach onemeters. Stems are thin. On the bush they form 2-3. The thin stem cannot support the weight of large fruits, so they must be tied up.
Use
Large fruits of Alsu tomatoes are used fresh, for salads or baked. If the harvest does not have time to eat, you can process the tomatoes by preparing them for the winter. They can be used to make tasty and he althy tomato juice, which, in turn, is used to make ketchups and various vegetable seasonings.
Smaller fruits can be preserved in order to eat Alsu tomato in winter.
Consumer Reviews
Although this is a relatively new variety, it has become quite popular among gardeners. Those of them who have been growing the Alsou tomato for several years claim that lovers of meaty large tomatoes should like it. Gardeners point out the characteristics of the variety, which combine properties that are rarely found in other tomatoes: large fruit size and small bush height.
According to the reviews available on the Alsou tomato, it is ideal for growing in open ground. This variety is stable, every year gives good harvests, despite the vagaries of the weather. It does not require special care, it forgives even some negligence in care and insufficient compliance with agricultural standards.
Some gardeners, however, believe that Alsu tomato tastes somewhat watery. But on the other hand, tomatoes are well stored in canned jars, they do not crack.
Rare cases of cladosporiosis (brownspotting). This mainly occurs when grown outdoors. Treatment - treatment with preparations containing copper. Affected leaves are removed so that the disease does not spread to other plants.
Experts advise when growing not to get carried away with the introduction of organic fertilizers, as this ultimately leads to an increase in green mass, which prevents the movement of air between the bushes. Planted plants so that the bushes do not touch each other. And when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to ventilate it often so that the air does not stagnate between the bushes.
