Now more and more gardeners prefer undersized varieties of tomatoes. And this is not surprising, since they are quite unpretentious and very easy to care for. Among the undersized varieties of tomatoes, standard ones are often found. What are they, and how to grow them? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
General information
Standard tomatoes are called tomatoes that do not require stepsoning and have a round shape and an average fruit size. The root system of these plants does not lie deep, but at the same time their trunk is thick, upright and stable. The bushes of such tomatoes are small, so they can be planted 2 times more in one area and get an excellent harvest. These plants are not able to curl, but under the weight of the fruit they can lie on the ground. At the same time, they still continue to grow and do not require the installation of supports or other garters.
All varieties of standard tomatoes are very resistant to sudden changes in the weather, they are unpretentious and do not need abundant watering. Most of these tomatoes are planted in open ground, so when choosing a variety, first of all, you should pay attention to their ripening speed andzoning. Seedlings of standard varieties can be freely purchased both in specialized stores and on the market.
Description
Standard varieties of tomatoes have a corrugated leaf blade. This feature significantly increases the plant's ability not only to photosynthesis, but also to specific assimilation. Axillary shoots or stepchildren usually appear about two weeks later than hybrids or regular varieties. They hardly develop and therefore take very little nutrients. It is thanks to poorly developed stepchildren that standard tomatoes give a high yield, which compares favorably with other varieties.
Tomato skin is thin, but quite strong. The plant has one trunk, and this greatly simplifies harvesting. Judge for yourself, their branches do not block the aisles, so a person can freely pass between plants with special equipment. Such tomatoes tolerate transportation well and can be stored at room temperature for up to 20-25 days.
Growing
Stamp tomato varieties always take root well. Gardeners grow them with pleasure. Seedlings of such tomatoes do not stretch and do not fall under the weight of the leaves. In addition, they are convenient because they can be grown even in an apartment, on glazed balconies and loggias, as well as on the verandas of private houses, using flower pots for this.
Stamp tomato varieties are planted at a distance of 27-37 cm from each other, and space is left between the rowsat 55-65 cm. In order for the plants to be compact, they do not need to be watered and fed abundantly, especially with nitrogen fertilizers. It should be noted that tall varieties can break in strong winds, while standard varieties are more resistant to various adverse conditions, so they can be safely planted in open ground.
Quick-ripening tomatoes
Stamp varieties of tomatoes differ from each other in their precocity. Take, for example, the quickly ripening Boni-M variety. This is a standard bush, having a height of 25-35 cm, ripens in 80-85 days from the moment of germination. This variety does not have to be planted in the ground in the form of finished seedlings. The best tomato seeds can be immediately sown in the ground. The fruits of the Boni-M variety are small in size, they are very fragrant and tasty. They are bright red in color and round in shape. One fruit usually weighs 65-85 g, but there are specimens up to 220 g.
Bushman tomatoes also belong to early ripening varieties. Their main advantage is the fact that they tolerate drought well and can do without watering for a relatively long time. This is a beautiful, stocky and powerful plant, whose height reaches 55 cm. The fruits of the Bushman are medium in size, having a rounded shape. They weigh an average of 110-130 g, and with abundant watering - up to 250 g. These tomatoes have excellent commercial qualities: attractive appearance, excellent taste and relatively long shelf life.
Mid-ripening varieties
These include tomatoes Denis. The height of the bush is 35-55 cm. This is a standard large-fruited tomato, one fruit of which weighs 250-300 g. They are sugary, but do not crack, have a pink color and a rounded shape. Despite the fact that the fruits are quite large, the plant does not require pinching or garters, as a powerful bush is able to withstand such loads. The main advantage of this variety is resistance to various pests and diseases.
The next variety is Lionheart. This plant with a height of 55-63 cm is very resistant to late blight. Its fruits are bright red, not prone to cracking. They are smooth and dense. The fruits are large and weigh an average of 320 to 420 g.
New varieties for open ground
Breeding work is carried out constantly. Therefore, every year there are novelties in this area. The best and already proven standard tomatoes for open ground usually have large fruits and a stem length of up to 80 cm. These include tomatoes Lyuban, Siberian trump, Uvalen. Also, newer varieties of early ripening tomatoes are suitable for these purposes, such as Flash, Pink Souvenir, Sunny Bunny, Buyan, Blush of Petersburg, Shustry, Leader of the Redskins.
But the greatest demand among gardeners are ultra-early tomatoes and their hybrids. The fact is that such varieties can be grown without seedlings, even in those regions where the summer is cold and short. But it is necessary to sow the selected best tomato seeds at the very beginning of May, under cover and on insulated soil. For this, varieties are suitable in which the weight of the fruit does not exceed 100-150 g, and the height of the plant stem is about 50 cm. Such tomatoes are usually not pinched, and you can take your seeds from them. These include tomatoes Buyan, Sunny Bunny, Flash, Duckling, Pink Souvenir.
As for hybrids, it is not recommended to use the seeds collected from them for planting, since they are often underdeveloped and all the original properties of this variety are not transferred to them. Therefore, it is impossible to grow good tomatoes from them. Recommended varieties of standard tomatoes for planting in the ground from among hybrids that can ripen even in the vicinity of the Northern capital: Leader of the Redskins, Ninulya, Shustry, Katya, Solerosso, Rumyanets Petersburg. There are also very early hybrids with large fruits weighing 200 g or more. These include Gayas Bekseev and the Bringer of Good Luck. All of the above varieties of standard tomatoes will grow well in greenhouses.
