Tomato Sensei is the pride of Siberian breeders who managed to combine the best qualities inherent in this vegetable in one variety. It can be grown in different regions of the country, and harvested until frost. Reviews of consumers and gardeners about this southern vegetable are the most enthusiastic, and there are explanations for this.
Why are early maturing and determinant varieties leading?
Well, what summer resident does not dream of being the first to harvest a plentiful harvest of ripe, juicy and delicious tomatoes to brag about them to his neighbors? It is quite possible to realize this desire by planting early or mid-ripening tomatoes in a greenhouse or in an open garden, but when doing this, one should be aware of their small shortcomings:
- As a rule, these varieties do not have high yields if grown outdoors.
- They don't have the sweetness that all eaters love, which is present in later varieties of tomato. This is understandable, it is under the gentle sun that this amazing sweet and sour taste of tomatoes appears, and where can you get an abundance of its rays under a greenhouse film or underspring still cool sky.
- Early tomato varieties are not tall and grow to a maximum of 25-30 cm.
- The fruits are small.
So basically characterize mid-ripening and early varieties of tomatoes, but not the Sensei tomato. With its belonging to the standard and mid-season species, it is devoid of their shortcomings, and the reason for this is in its origin.
Creating a variety and scope
It's nice when a great harvest is achieved with a minimum of effort. As the reviews of summer residents characterize tomato Sensei, this is an unpretentious variety that does not require special attention. The breeders of the Siberian Garden agricultural firm from Novosibirsk should be thanked for this.
Scientists have tried to develop a variety that will get along well in most regions of Russia, give a high yield both in a greenhouse and greenhouse, and in the open air, and have incredibly tasty and fairly large fruits.
Everyone who left reviews about the Sensei tomato variety claims that it is excellent in salads and cooking first and second courses, diet food and natural juices.
Description of the plant
A feature of this variety is the ability to adapt to environmental conditions. So, in the greenhouse, Sensei tomatoes (photo below) grow up to one and a half meters in height, while in open ground conditions - less than one.
The bushes of these tomatoes are compact, which is an extremely useful quality in a small greenhouse. As the description of the variety made about the Sensei tomato, madeby the producers themselves, it cannot boast of dense greenery. Its leaves are small, dark green, and the fruits grow in clusters of 3-5 pieces in one brush.
Fruiting continues until the autumn frosts. In the southern regions, the last green Sensei tomatoes are harvested in the fields and garden beds at the end of October. The characteristic of the fruit is such that they ripen perfectly at room temperature, no different from their "brothers" who have blushed under the rays of the summer sun.
Description of fruits
According to the characteristic and description of the variety on the package with seeds about the Sensei tomato, it has an ideal, slightly elongated raspberry-colored fruit that resembles a huge strawberry. They have a smooth and dense skin, soft and juicy flesh, which practically does not contain seeds.
If you believe what consumer reviews say about tomato Sensei, the weight of each tomato is about 450 g. This puts it in the category of large-fruited varieties that are very attractive for making salads. Also, a similar size of the fruit is convenient when preparing fresh or canned juices. This is facilitated by the sugary pulp of a refreshing rich taste.
On the other hand, the ovary of 4-5 tomatoes of this weight creates a very large load on the stem of the plant, so it definitely needs support. As the practice of gardeners confirms, the yield of up to 8 kg per 1 square meter, which gives the Sensei tomato variety, makes it very attractive for growing insmall greenhouses or plots.
Pros of this strain
As a rule, the popularity of a particular type of vegetable is influenced by factors such as taste, yield and demanding care. If we talk about the Sensei tomato variety, its characteristics indicate that it contains all of the listed requirements.
- Firstly, it is good for all regions of the country.
- Secondly, the quality of this variety of tomato does not change depending on whether it grows in an open garden or in a greenhouse.
- Third, he knows how to adapt to the conditions of the area. He "feels" equally good in both dry and rainy summers.
- Fourthly, it is a high-yielding and large-fruited variety.
- Fifth, as Sensei's fruit description says about tomatoes, they have unusually juicy, tasty and refreshing sugary pulp.
- Sixthly, the variety is resistant to almost all diseases that can "suffer" nightshade.
Important: to get a good return on this type of tomato, you should consider the requirements that it makes when caring for it.
Cons of Tomato Sensei
If we talk about the shortcomings of this type, then there are only two of them:
- To get a bountiful harvest, proper bush formation is required.
- He needs to be fed, which is not surprising given the size of his fruit.
If you deprive a plant of these two minor, but so necessary types of care, it is unlikely that the gardener will receivefrom him the above positive qualities.
Where is the best place to plant Sensei
Like the rest of the Solanaceae, this cultivar has several site requirements.
- It cannot be planted where potatoes or eggplants grew before, but it will like it in the garden after onions, cabbage, carrots and zucchini. Also, do not plant seedlings or sow seeds in the same place two years in a row. At least 3 years must pass between crops.
- The land with a lot of organic matter is not suitable for him. Tomato Sensei, although demanding on top dressing, but its overabundance is harmful to him as well as a lack.
- This variety needs space, especially in open ground, so you need to choose a place in advance where its bushes will be planted at a distance of at least 45 cm from each other.
- He does not like both too dry and too wet soil. Variety Sensei loves moderation in everything.
- You can't deprive him of the sun. Planting in the shade will slow down the growth of the tomato, which will affect both the quality of the fruits and their size.
To truly enjoy this type of tomato, these few requirements must be met and given enough space and sun.
Soil preparation
If "the sleigh is being prepared since the summer", then the soil for planting tomatoes should be fertilized in the fall. Only in this way, by spring, will it become truly suitable for tomatoes, which are very fond of the earth, saturated with useful minerals. Experienced gardeners advise limingsoil, as this will add to it such important substances for tomatoes as magnesium and calcium. This procedure is carried out exclusively in the fall, so that the rains and snows have time to dissolve the lime, and the soil to absorb it.
Some vegetable growers prefer to fertilize in the spring, in this case, future tomato beds just need to be dug up in early autumn to a depth of no more than 20 cm. This will facilitate the introduction of top dressing into the ground when digging up with the onset of heat.
Important: mineral fertilizers and humus will be enough to prepare the soil, but in spring they should be applied 2 weeks before sowing. Also during this period, it is recommended to treat the land with a solution of copper sulfate to protect the plants from pests. When the time comes for planting seedlings, the same fertilizers are added to the holes as when digging.
Seed preparation
Tomato Sensei can be sown or planted with seedlings. Seed preparation is carried out in late March - early April, and it begins with soaking them in a growth stimulator. Those who do not trust purchased products can use aloe juice, but only freshly squeezed. It is enough to hold the seeds in the solution for 12 hours so that they sprout together after sowing.
Many gardeners prefer to germinate seeds in advance so that they grow faster. This really speeds up the process, but it is only acceptable in places where there are no late frosts. More experienced vegetable growers advise interspersing germinated and dry seeds in the hole. If frosts occur, and the first ones have already sprouted, thenthe latter have not even hatched yet, which will save the harvest.
Important: if we compare the quality of tomatoes planted with seeds and seedlings, then often the former catch up with the latter in growth, but at the same time they are stronger and more resistant to weather changes and pests.
Seeds of Sensei do not need any other preparation, as the producers neutralize them in advance.
Growing seedlings
As a rule, tomato seeds of this variety for seedlings are sown 1.5-2 months before planting it in the garden. In order for them to rise well, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them:
- You can prepare the soil with your own hands or buy ready-made peat in the store, but both should be ignited or steamed to neutralize. Sensei seedlings, although unpretentious, but like all other plants, can be stressed if not properly cared for, which makes them vulnerable to fungus.
- Sowing seeds is carried out in grooves on fertilized soil at a distance of 1 cm. If they are large enough, then this procedure can be carried out with tweezers.
- Sprinkle the seedlings with earth, water and cover with foil.
Important: you need to maintain the temperature under the film +20 degrees until the seeds hatch. As soon as this has happened, the film is removed, and the sprouts need only watering and warmth.
It is best to put containers with seedlings on the windowsill on the sunny side. Once the plants have true leaves, they can be transplanted into separate pots.
Pickingseedlings
Despite the fact that Sensei tomatoes (characteristics and description of varieties, reviews about them confirm this) they say that they are unpretentious and not particularly demanding, you need to grow seedlings for planting correctly. Picking is an important part of the process.
When the leaves appeared on the sprouts, it becomes crowded in the general container, so the first transplant in their "life" is carried out.
- Prepare pots, soil and mineral fertilizer. You can use a complex composition at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. 5 liters of water, or dilute a special mineral product for tomatoes in the proportion indicated on the label.
- In an individual pot, you need to make a hole so deep that the plant fits in it up to the cotyledon leaves.
- Fertilizer is poured into the hole and a plant is planted.
After 2 weeks, the seedlings can be fertilized again. Plants are watered as the soil in pots dries.
Tomato care
Even though the Sensei variety is quite resistant to cold, seedlings should be planted in a permanent place when it is already warm and the earth warms up well.
As a rule, it does not require much care:
Tomato Sensei needs moderate watering, so it is so suitable for summer residents who can only come for the weekend. Irrigation is carried out once a week under the root, for which it is better to use a watering can with a fine mesh
Important: you need to avoid getting moisture on the leaves so that they do not burn out under the sun, and the water temperature should be at least +18 in hot weather and +24-26degrees to cool.
- Feeding is carried out 4 times per season with alternating organic matter with mineral fertilizers.
- Sensei bushes need shaping. Stepchildren should be removed, forming a plant from one or two stems.
- As fruit develops, Tomato Sensei needs to be tied to a support, as the stem may break under their weight.
This is the whole care of this tomato variety.
Feeding
Today, in specialized stores, you can buy ready-made top dressing for tomatoes, although many gardeners prefer to act the old fashioned way and prepare fertilizers themselves. Tomato Sensei needs quality nutrition, without which it will not form fruits of this size. As it can be used:
- For the first feeding, mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium are suitable. It is carried out 2-3 weeks after planting seedlings.
- The second time fertilizers are applied when the second brush blooms at the tomato. It is good to use organic matter during this period, for example, mullein, diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10.
- The third feeding is the same as the second, but is carried out after the blooming of the next brush.
- In the fourth approach, it is better to apply foliar feeding. During this period, it is important to keep all the flowers, so you can spray the plant with mineral fertilizers. To do this, you need to take them 1 tsp. per 1 liter of water with the addition of half a micronutrient tablet.
After such top dressing of the Sensei tomato, you can expect a large harvest of large and juicy fruits.
Currentlytime, many gardeners have already discovered the advantage of this variety, and every year it has more and more fans.
