Tomato Cherry Ira is a popular variety of cherry tomatoes. This variety of small tomatoes fell in love with gardeners and summer residents both at first sight and at first taste. After all, it’s the little ones cherry tomatoes have an unsurpassed sweet taste. And thanks to the hard work of the housewives, such tomatoes look very respectable and appetizing in jars prepared in advance for the winter.
Characteristics of the varietal variety
We owe the birth of Cherry Ira f1 tomatoes to our Russian breeders. Thanks to their efforts, this variety appeared back in 1999, and immediately gained many fans.
This variety is a hybrid; in terms of ripening, it belongs to the early varieties of tomatoes. The plant is not determinate, standard. The harvest begins to be harvested within 85-95 days after planting the seeds.
Cherry tomatoes differ from their larger relatives in being more demanding in terms of care and watering. Our “Irina” is no exception. Small tomatoes, like small children, are distinguished by their peculiar capriciousness and whimsicality, but with normal care they delight their owners with excellent taste and quite tolerable yield.
A characteristic feature of this variety is its excellent resistance to various diseases and pests.
Bushes of this variety grow from 70 cm to 3 m in height, quite powerful and strong. The plant requires pinching. Reviews from summer residents and gardeners indicate that the best way to grow this variety of tomatoes is to form 2-3 stems. The foliage of the bush is medium, the leaves are bright green, slightly corrugated.
The description of this variety indicates that with sufficient care, such tomatoes bear fruit until the first autumn frost.
Another advantage of the variety is its high yield. From one square meter per season it is possible to collect 15-17 kg of ripe sweet fruits, and from each bush - 3-4 kg.
The fruits themselves are shaped like an egg. When mature they have a beautiful bright scarlet color with a glossy sheen. Vegetables weigh 30-40 grams, each vegetable has 2-3 chambers. Dry matter in fruits is 5-6%. The fruits grow in clusters. Each brush produces 20-25 vegetables. The fruits are very fragrant and sweet. The advantage of the variety is the density of the pulp in the vegetables.Tomatoes tolerate transportation well over long distances, are stored for a long time when picked and do not crack when canned.
Important to remember! If you want tomatoes of this variety to last a long time and look beautiful in jars, you need to harvest them on time, avoiding overripening. When overripe, the skin of vegetables becomes thin and vulnerable, and the flesh becomes too soft.
The declared characteristics of this variety of tomatoes indicate the possibility of growing them both in greenhouses and in open ground.
But experienced gardeners and summer residents note that tomatoes taste better when grown in open soil. With enough open sunlight, the taste of tomatoes becomes sweeter, and in greenhouse conditions the fruits acquire some sourness.
But in open soil, this variety can only be grown in the southern regions of our country; in the rest of the area, such tomatoes can be grown exclusively in greenhouses.
Advantages and disadvantages of this type
The main advantages of this variety of tomatoes include:
- Early ripening.
- Resistance to diseases and pests. This variety is especially resistant to such common diseases as fusarium and verticelosis, and to such tomato pests as nematodes.
- Excellent taste.
- Density and elasticity of fruits.
- Versatility in use.
- Versatility in cultivation.
- Long shelf life and excellent transportability.
- Long fruiting.
But this variety also has its disadvantages:
- The variety is very demanding when it comes to feeding and fertilizers.
- Its branches are quite weak and require strengthening and supports.
- With a lack of sunlight, the taste of the fruit is significantly reduced.
Methods of use
These tomatoes can be used both fresh and processed. Sufficiently early ripening allows you to enjoy the vegetable fresh in salads. You can also make juice, ketchup, and lecho from it. Tomatoes retain their excellent taste when boiled and stewed; they can also be dried or frozen for the winter. Pickled and salted vegetables in jars look especially beautiful and respectable.
Growing and care
These tomatoes can be grown in open soil, in a greenhouse, and even on window sills and balconies in special containers. Regardless of which method you choose, growing this variety requires mandatory branch support.
It is best to grow tomatoes from seedlings. To do this, the seeds are planted in separate containers in moist, loose soil and placed in a warm, sunny place, preferably on a windowsill. As the soil dries, it is moistened and periodically loosened so that oxygen reaches the roots.
The seeds sprout in about a week. Seedlings are planted in separate containers when 4-5 true leaves have appeared on the seedlings, while trying to root the roots deeper into the soil. Plants are transplanted outside 60-65 days after planting the seeds. Seedlings must be hardened before planting in open soil. To do this, the containers are periodically taken outside or onto the balcony, first for 1-2 hours, periodically adding time spent in the open air and bringing it up to a whole day.
It is important to know! It is necessary to leave the seedlings in the open air for a day to exclude the possibility of night frosts. Otherwise, the seedlings may freeze and die.
Before planting in an open area, seedlings should not be watered for 24 hours.
The soil outside must also be prepared. Weeds are carefully removed from the site, the soil is loosened and holes are dug. You can place 4-5 bushes on one square meter.
The plant must be tied to pegs.
These tomatoes need careful care. This variety of tomato loves all kinds of fertilizing and fertilizing. These can be either natural organic substances or synthetic fertilizers.
Watering is also necessary in a timely manner. If there is a lack of moisture, vegetables will crack and wither, and if there is too much moisture, the roots will rot. It is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out too much, but is not constantly soggy. Drip watering is recommended.
The Cherry Ira tomato will delight you with an excellent harvest and excellent taste of the fruit only if it is properly cared for and cared for.
