A large number of vegetable growers are engaged in growing tomatoes in their summer cottages. There are many varieties of this vegetable, but the Chinese early tomato and other Chinese tomatoes are popular. The popularity of these tomatoes is due to their speed of ripening and excellent taste.
The most famous Chinese varieties
Before you start growing Chinese tomatoes, you need to familiarize yourself with the most famous varieties.Characteristics and descriptions of tomatoes bred in China will help you choose the most suitable tomato for further cultivation.
Early
This variety is grown much more often than all others, and this is not surprising. After all, this tomato differs from many others in its large fruits. It is recommended to grow these Chinese tomato seeds in greenhouse conditions, as they do not tolerate very low temperatures. However, residents of the southern regions also grow it in open ground. The main advantages include the fact that this Chinese tomato is disease-resistant. Therefore, there is no need to worry that the plant will suffer from one disease or another.
The plant is not too tall and grows only 50-60 cm. This allows you to avoid tying up seedlings. Some vegetable growers, to be on the safe side, still tie the bushes to supports so that they do not break under the load of fruit. It is recommended to form this variety into two stems to improve yield.
The fruits of the variety are colored red and have a flat-round shape. They are quite meaty, flavorful and large. The whole of each tomato is about 150-200 grams.
If you grow bushes in a greenhouse with ideal conditions, you will be able to get a larger harvest. The fruits of the variety are most often used for preserving tomato juices.
Chinese souvenir
The Chinese souvenir tomato is also often planted by vegetable growers. The variety can safely be classified as an early-ripening tomato, since harvesting can begin within 80 days after planting in the garden.
This Chinese tomato is cold-resistant and therefore can be grown even in the northern regions along with Siberian Surprise tomatoes. However, to be on the safe side, it is recommended to grow them under film covers.Another advantage of the variety is its resistance to disease. The Chinese souvenir is resistant to fusarium wilt and cladosporiosis.
The bushes need garter as they grow up to one meter. If you grow them without attaching them to supports, over time they will break and dry out. During cultivation, large fruits are formed on the bushes, collected in one cluster consisting of 5-7 tomatoes. They are covered with smooth, bright pink skin. The weight of each tomato is 180-200 grams.
Like many other early varieties of tomatoes, it is often used in cooking. From the Chinese souvenir you can prepare delicious vegetable salads and winter preserves.
Chinese princess
Another common variety is the Chinese princess tomato. The fruits of this early-ripening tomato begin to ripen within 2-3 months after the seedlings are planted in the soil. It is considered one of the most heat-resistant Chinese varieties. Therefore, it tolerates high summer temperatures without problems.
The bushes of the Chinese Princess are not too tall - only 40-50 cm. During cultivation, they do not need to be pinched or tied up, since the plant will bear fruit just fine without it. The fruits of this variety may vary. It all depends on what modification of the variety was planted in the ground. Most often, heat-resistant varieties with pink fruits are found, but in some hybrids, adult tomatoes are green. The weight of tomatoes depends on the conditions in which they are grown. If you care for them properly, the weight of the tomato will be about 180-250 grams.
The fruits of the Chinese princess can be considered universal, since they can be used to prepare various dishes from fresh vegetables, tomato juice and canned food for the winter.
Chinese pear
The main difference between the Chinese pear tomato and previous varieties is its ripening period. The fact is that this variety does not ripen as quickly as the others. The fruits will fully ripen only three months after planting on the site. This Chinese tomato is cold-resistant, as it grows well in low temperatures.
Chinese pear bushes are quite powerful and grow up to two meters. Because of this, they must be tied to a support, since when grown in open ground they will break due to gusts of wind. You will also have to deal with the removal of stepchildren. If this is not done, small fruits will form on the bushes.
The fruits are different from the tomatoes discussed above and resemble Yellow Surprise tomatoes. They are pear-shaped and covered with yellow skin. They weigh only 100 grams, but this does not affect the yield in any way, since there are quite a lot of them on one bush. Most often they are used for fresh consumption or whole preservation. Some nutritionists recommend including Chinese pear in your diet.
Black Pearl
This variety is much less common than other Chinese tomatoes. Its fruits ripen quite early - 70-80 days after planting. It is recommended to grow this variety of tomatoes under film covers, since the bushes do not tolerate temperature changes well.
During cultivation, the height of each bush can reach one and a half meters and therefore you need to think about tying it up.The main distinguishing feature of the variety is its black fruits, which darken after ripening.
Each black fruit weighs about 150 grams. This variety is often used for pickling, canning or fresh consumption.
Caring for Chinese tomatoes
Growing Chinese varieties must necessarily include proper care.
Watering
These tomatoes do not like drought and excess moisture, so they need to be watered only when the soil is dry. It is recommended to water the bushes no more than once a week. In this case, it is necessary to spend 2-3 liters of water on the bush.
Watering should be increased more frequently during fruit formation, since during this period dry soil can seriously harm the tomatoes. Due to drought, many ovaries may fall off, and small fruits will grow from the remaining ones. Therefore, in this case, you will have to water twice a week.
It is recommended to use only the drip method so that water does not fall on the leaves of the bushes. If you water them by sprinkling, this may cause some plants to develop blossom end rot.
Top dressing
Fertilizers should be applied to the soil several times a month. In this case, completely different fertilizers can be used. A few weeks after planting, a little potassium chloride, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate should be added to the soil. It is also advisable to add some microfertilizers, which include boron and magnesium.
Garter
All tall Chinese tomatoes need a garter, which is needed to preserve the bushes. Bushes need to be tied to supports after their height reaches 50-70 cm. To do this, meter-long pegs made of wood or metal are installed near each plant. It is recommended to place them on the north side.In order for the stakes to stand securely in the ground, they should be dug 40 cm into the ground. After this, each bush is screwed to a post with wire or a fabric bandage.
Conclusion
Chinese tomato seeds are a great gift for any vegetable grower. If you are the owner of such seeds and plan to grow them in the future, then you should study the reviews of experienced vegetable growers to become familiar with the features of their cultivation.
