It's amazing that at present, not a single everyday or festive table can do without tomatoes. Housewives use this vegetable fresh, make sauces, add it to meat and fish dishes, and prepare it for the winter. There are many different varieties of tomatoes. Some are sweeter, others are well stored, others look beautiful cut. In this article, we will consider one of the most popular varieties - the mikado tomato. It has proven itself in our conditions and is appreciated by many for its large and fleshy fruits, as well as its sweet taste.
Variety description
The Mikado tomato variety is tall and has a medium-late ripening period. The growing season lasts 135-150 days. The fruits ripen 95 days after planting. The height of an adult bush reaches 1.5-2.5 meters in height. The leaves are wide, dark green, reminiscent of potatoes in appearance.
Fruitsflat-round, juicy and fleshy, with a dense skin.
The mass of tomatoes is quite high, 400-600 grams. Up to 8 tomatoes can be on one bush. Fruits are well preserved both at home and in canning. Tomato "Mikado" can be red, pink, yellow and even black. But they are all similar in taste and technological properties.
The variety is resistant to many diseases, including late blight.
Growing conditions
The best temperature for the growth and development of tomatoes, as well as for the formation of a high yield, is 20-25 degrees. If the thermometer drops below +16 degrees, then flowering stops, fruit set stops, and if the temperature drops even lower, the plant will stop growing. High temperatures also have a negative effect, as pollination does not occur.
Tomato "Mikado" is very picky about the light, it should be planted only in well-lit, sunny places, as the yield drops significantly with strong dimming.
Tomatoes also react sharply to the physical composition and fertility of the soil. A high yield and good plant growth is possible on loose loamy or sandy loamy soils with regular application of organic fertilizers. However, it is worth remembering that potash and phosphorus fertilizers accelerate the growth and ripening of fruits, and excessive fertilizing with nitrogen delays ripening.
Planting seedlings
The best time for planting tomato seedlings is evening or a gloomy overcast day. This ensures better survival of the plant. Since the mikado tomato is a tall variety, seedling holes do more than other tomato varieties, about 50x50 centimeters. A pole at least 4 meters high must be inserted into each hole to tie the plant as it grows. Fertilizers are applied before planting: humus or compost, a little ash and phosphorus. Particular attention should be paid to the distance between the tomatoes, as with frequent planting, the bushes can shade each other.
Tomato care
A couple of days after planting, the area where the tomatoes grow is loosened, and the plants are spudded. In the future, three times per season, it is necessary to loosen the soil, remove weeds, hill up and, if necessary, tie up the plant.
Watering is carried out as needed, as the soil dries. Rare, but plentiful waterings are more acceptable. The mikado tomato is sensitive to weeds, so constant weeding is required.
Tomato opinions
In various sources, you can find a lot of reviews on mikado tomatoes. The reviews are mostly positive. Gardeners note a high yield, excellent taste, good seed germination. Among the shortcomings, the fact that tomatoes can change their taste when s alted is sometimes called, since their flesh is very tender. That is why it is best to use "Mikado" fresh. Red tomatoes are good for making borscht andtomato paste, and pink ones for fresh salads.
Pink Mikado
Besides red tomatoes, there are other mikado tomatoes. Pink, for example, is very early ripe. From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the period of fruiting, about 90-94 days pass. This variety is excellent for film and glass greenhouses, it is indeterminate, that is, it has unlimited growth. Tomatoes "Mikado" (pink variety) are distinguished by rounded, slightly flat fruits, one-sized and identical in shape. The mass of tomatoes reaches 400-500 grams. The pulp is juicy, sweet, contains a lot of lycopene, carotene and selenium. The fruits are great for making salads and canning for the winter.
The variety is resistant to major diseases. Sowing for seedlings is carried out at the end of winter - the beginning of spring, at the same time additional illumination is recommended. After planting the plants in the greenhouse (at the end of April), be sure to tie up the tomatoes.
You need to form a plant into one stem by removing all the lower leaves and stepchildren, as well as pinching the growth point.
So, in the article, Mikado tomatoes were considered. Photos show that the fruits of these tomatoes are large, and gardeners' reviews speak of their incredible taste and juicy elastic pulp. However, you should know that those tomatoes that are removed at the end of full maturity have the best taste. They are also ideal for making juice, canned food, tomato paste. For s alting and marinatinguse green or blanche fruits if they are not fully ripe before the first frost.
