The Chelnok tomato was bred in 1997 at VNIISSOK. This is a determinate and standard variety. That is, when the ovaries appear, the bushes stop growing. The Chelnok variety is suitable for both greenhouses and open ground. The bushes are compact and can be grown on loggias and windowsills.
Characteristics of bushes and fruits
Description of the variety: Shuttle is classified as an early variety; 110 days pass from the appearance of sprouts to harvesting the fruits, and only 95 days in the greenhouse.
Characteristics and description of the fruit: they have a sweetish dessert taste.The fruits are harvested from June 10 to October. The first inflorescence grows on the bush above the 6th - 7th leaf.
Description of Shuttle tomatoes - the fruits are somewhat elongated, have a sharp tip, and are similar in shape to peppers. The weight of a tomato is 50 - 60 g. Tomatoes can be eaten fresh, put in salads, canned, squeezed juices, and made sauces.
Description of the bushes: 40–50 cm in height, few leaves, 7–10 ovaries are formed on one brush. The shoots of the bush are not plucked, because of this, up to 40 tomatoes can grow on it. They collect 5–8 kg of fruits per 1 m², and 1.25–2 kg of tomatoes per bush.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The positive features of the variety include the following:
- Tomato Shuttle is very frost-resistant. It can be planted even in Siberia.
- The bushes are small and compact; because of this, they do not need to be tied up, pinched, or trimmed off excess trunks.
- The skin of the fruit is dense, so tomatoes can be easily transported over long distances. Tomatoes last a long time.
- Tomatoes contain a lot of sugar and nutrients; the fruits are suitable for feeding children.
- The variety has excellent yield.
- The fruits are tasty, fleshy, very sweet.
- Since the bushes are compact, they do not take up much space.
- Quite a long time for fruit formation.
- The variety is unpretentious in care.
There are also disadvantages: The shuttle is not resistant to diseases, and if the weather is cool, much fewer ovaries are formed.
Sowing seeds
For the Chelnok variety, cultivation begins with sowing seeds in the house. Tomato seeds are sown from February 20 to early March. Before planting, the seeds are pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate, then dried and placed in growth stimulants.
You can sow the seeds in peat pots or in a box, leaving a space of 6 cm between the seeds.The seeds are planted in the ground to a depth of 1 cm. Then the plantings are watered with soft, settled water from a spray bottle and covered with film.
Growing seedlings at home
When the first shoots appear, the film is removed. Do not forget to keep the soil moist and water the seedlings with a spray bottle. The room temperature should be 23 - 25 degrees.
2 weeks after the sprouts appear, the seedlings are fed with a special fertilizer for tomatoes. The second time is fed after another 3 weeks. On cloudy days, illuminate the seedlings with fluorescent lamps.
Landing in a permanent place
In autumn, scatter 1 tbsp per 1 m² of area. spoon of complex fertilizer, then dig up the ground. Seedlings are planted in the greenhouse at the beginning of May, and in open ground at the end of May, beginning of June. The crop is watered immediately.
Shuttle tomatoes are planted in open ground, placing 4 bushes per 1 m². First, the seedlings are covered with a film from the wind and low temperature.
Pull weeds and water bushes in a timely manner. Take measures to prevent pests from attacking tomatoes. Fertilize the bushes 3-4 times during the season, alternating chemical fertilizers and organic matter: manure, bird droppings. Fertilize the bushes after watering. Pour a solution of 30 g of complex fertilizer and water onto 1 m². This way you can fertilize tomatoes every 2 weeks.
Don't water your tomatoes too often. If there is no drought, then water the bushes once every 2 weeks. Water with warm, settled water in the evening, when the sun has already set.
If the weather is hot, water more often. Tomatoes do not like stagnant moisture in the soil, so wait until the top layer of soil dries out between waterings.
Control of diseases and pest attacks
Since the Shuttle tomato is not resistant to diseases, renew the top layer of soil every year. Water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate, eliminating fungi.
To prevent late blight, it is recommended to spray plants with compounds that contain copper. From mid-June, you can treat the bushes with Bordeaux mixture (this is a combination of solutions of lime and copper sulfate).
Pluck and burn diseased leaves and fruits. If tomatoes grow in a greenhouse, be sure to ventilate the room so that the air is not overly humid.
To grow healthy bushes that do not suffer from viral diseases, follow crop rotation. Do not plant seedlings in an area where nightshades previously grew. Plant bushes in the place where legumes, herbs, cabbage, and carrots were.
To prevent pest attacks, mulch the soil with peat, mowed grass, and humus in a 10 cm layer. Pull out weeds in a timely manner.
Constantly inspect the bushes, and especially look at the lower part of the leaves. If you see larvae, collect them and burn them; you can wash the bushes with warm water and soap dissolved in it.
If you notice slugs, collect them and make a solution of ammonia. Spray the bushes with it. If you plant parsley, celery, and mint between the rows, this will repel harmful insects.
If the Chelnok tomato variety is very seriously damaged by pests, treat the bushes with insecticides. Reviews strongly recommend carrying out treatment before the first ovaries appear.
Conclusion
Reviews about the Shuttle tomato are extremely positive. Those who planted tomatoes fell in love with the variety for its ease of care: the bushes do not need to be formed, tied up or pinched.
Svetlana, who lives in the Moscow region, writes: “I like the Chelnok tomato variety, since the tomato is excellent for preservation; the fruit has a dense skin that does not crack from boiling water. I grow them in my summer cottage. Very easy to care for."
With a little effort, you can harvest a large harvest of tomatoes that have excellent taste. Having planted Shuttle, you will eat delicious and sweet fruits all summer long.
