Tomato Metelitsa is an ideal variety for growing by beginning gardeners. It is also used with pleasure by those who have been planting such crops for many years. The tomato was bred by breeding scientists from the Siberian Research Institute together with representatives of the Russian Agricultural Academy in the early 2000s.
Description of the variety
It should be kept in mind that Metelitsa F1 is a hybrid tomato variety. The height of the bushes reaches only 50 - 60 cm in height. Leaves on medium sized stems. Usually the lower inflorescence is formed above the 6th or 8th leaf, and then every 2 leaves. The fruit ripening period is mid-early. The time from germination to harvesting the first fruits is approximately 108 days.
This variety is used for planting in open areas, but can successfully bear fruit in greenhouse conditions. The description of the variety notes its increased resistance to typical tomato diseases. This is a fairly frost-resistant variety and can bear fruit until October.
Characteristics of tomatoes
The fruits of the Metelitsa tomato have mild ribbing. The shape of the fruit is flat-round. When unripe, tomatoes are green in color, and as they ripen they acquire a bright scarlet hue. Each tomato has at least 4 nests with seeds. The weight of one tomato is approximately 60 - 100 g; under favorable conditions, the fruit can reach a weight of 200 grams.
Under the glossy skin there is a fleshy pulp. Taste with characteristic slight acidity. The fruits have excellent presentation. Their characteristics of use describe the fruits as universal. Tomatoes are canned, pickled, and sauces are made; the fruit is suitable for use in fresh salads. Once collected from the bushes they can be stored for quite a long time.
Positive qualities and disadvantages
The most characteristic positive qualities of the variety are increased productivity, the possibility of universal use, and resistance to typical tomato diseases. Their important distinctive feature is the possibility of long-term storage and a variety of ways to use the fruits. People who sell tomatoes are impressed by the fact that the marketability of fruits of the Metelitsa variety is 97%.
The variety does not have any particular disadvantages, which is why the tomato enjoys well-deserved popularity among vegetable growers.Their reviews characterize the variety as the most suitable for planting in cool climates.
Basic requirements for cultivation
The Metelitsa variety is included in the State Register as a crop successfully cultivated in the West Siberian and Ural regions. Excellent fruiting is possible in Ukraine and Moldova. Tomatoes are planted both in household plots and in small farm fields.
Tomatoes are a subtropical plant, so the bushes will do well in a place with plenty of sun. This is especially true in northern areas, where sunlight and heat are insufficient even in the summer months. Tomatoes should be planted away from hedges and walls. Sufficient moisture must be provided.
Planting seeds for growing seedlings begins from the end of March to the first ten days of April, so that 50 to 60 days have passed by the time of planting. The seeds go 1 cm deep into the soil with a temperature of about 22 degrees. Too much heat and insufficient light will result in plants with tall stems but underdeveloped root systems.
After the appearance of 2 - 3 true leaves, the plants are planted by transplanting into another container. It is necessary to provide for a free arrangement of seedlings so that the plants do not interfere with each other’s development.
Transplantation into separate containers is possible. During seedling growth, the soil should be constantly moist.
In open ground or in an unheated greenhouse, seedlings begin to be planted in the last ten days of May or early June. The distance between bushes should be at least 50 cm, and row spacing is usually 40 cm or more.
It is considered optimal to place it on 1 sq. m 4 - 6 plants.When planting tomatoes, they are lowered into holes 2–5 cm deeper than those growing in the seedling container. If the seedling's main stem is too long, it can be deepened into the soil by 2/3 of its length.
Care after landing
Caring for Metelitsa tomatoes planted in the soil consists of regular watering, removing weeds and loosening the soil. An important point when growing tomatoes is regular feeding and carrying out preventive measures against possible infection with diseases and invasion of pests. The Metelitsa variety does not require pinching and gartering of stems, but you can cut off the side stems before the first ovary.
Tomatoes love water, but water them in such a way that moisture does not fall on the above-ground part of the plant. It has been noticed that if you limit watering during fruit ripening, the taste will be better. Do not overdo it, as this can lead to cracking of the tomatoes.
Harvesting
Ripe tomatoes are harvested gradually as they ripen. Harvest time lasts 1.5 months. Research has found that tomatoes of this variety, planted in the Ural region, can produce from 170 to 240 centners per 1 hectare of irrigated farm area. When grown in the West Siberian region - from 72 to 487 centners from the same area.
It is better to store harvested tomatoes without using the refrigerator. Low temperatures during storage significantly worsen the taste of the fruit and cause rotting.
The variety successfully resists damage from typical diseases affecting tomatoes. But if the weather is humid and cool, for preventive purposes, the planted tomatoes are treated with fungicides and insecticides.
