Tomatoes “Shchelkovsky early” are the result of the painstaking work of Soviet breeders. This variety is early ripening or, as many gardeners note, hyper early ripening. “Shchelkovsky early” differs from many other varieties in its very high speed of ripening. From the moment the first sprouts appear in your home to the formation of the first fruits, 80 to 90 days pass.
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Many people note that “Shchelkovsky Early” is perfect for beginning gardeners who are not ready to spend a lot of time and effort on growing tomatoes. High yield is also a feature of this variety. “Shchelkovsky early” is absolutely unpretentious and feels good in the climates of the entire Russian Federation.The latter is especially pleasing to gardeners who live in regions where sunny weather is not something common and normal, for example, in the Leningrad region.
The taste is also pleasing. “Shchelkovsky early” is well suited for all types of dishes:
- Salads, as well as raw consumption;
- All possible dishes that include tomato in the recipe;
- All acceptable types of canning.
The main disadvantage of this tomato is its complete unsuitability for long-term storage. Professional gardeners recommend immediately recycling what you don’t have time or don’t want to eat. This characteristic will not make the farmer-entrepreneur very happy.
Brief characteristics and description of the tomato variety “Shchelkovsky Early” is an ultra-early ripening, unpretentious tomato that will also delight you with its rich harvests. On the Internet you can find very different, but at the same time positive reviews about this tomato.
Appearance
The Shchelkovsky early bush is distinguished by its low growth. It is only 30 to 40 centimeters. The stems are quite thin. The leaves are small and light green in color. The fruits at the ripening stage are bright red in color and round in shape. The size of the berries cannot be called large. The maximum weight is only 60 grams. The skin is smooth. The flesh is dense and also meaty. There is an average number of seeds in the pulp.
How to grow
As mentioned above, this variety is distinguished by its low growth. This allows you to grow it in any conditions:
- On open ground;
- In greenhouse conditions;
- On the balcony at home.
The latter is especially pleasing to those who need to eat fresh vegetables all year round, as well as those who do not have their own plot outside the city. Despite its low growth, the bush requires garter, as it was already said above, the stems are quite thin and may not support the weight of the fruit. The unpretentiousness of the variety allows you not to worry too much about it during short periods of cold weather. This is especially pleasing in the early periods of maturation. But if your site is located in server latitudes, then it is strongly recommended to grow it in greenhouse conditions.
Among other things, bushes of this variety have extremely high resistance to all kinds of diseases. This tomato is not afraid of either fungal or viral diseases. Even late blight, the scourge of many tomato varieties, will not be something to be afraid of for a gardener. But, despite all the strength of the immunity of the Shchelkovsky early tomato, it is still necessary to carry out standard preventive measures in order to reduce the likelihood of infection and death to zero.
The best time to start sowing is considered to be mid-March. The depth at which sowing is carried out ranges from one and a half to two centimeters. The optimal temperature for ripening is considered to be a range from twenty to twenty-five degrees, but if this is not possible, then a temperature of fifteen degrees will do.
By the time the sprouted bushes are planted in the ground, fifty to sixty days should have passed. Despite the fact that the Shchelkovsky Early variety is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, it should be grown in greenhouse conditions. One of the main conditions for a rich harvest is maintaining a high temperature.
It should also be borne in mind that these tomatoes really love water. Gardeners who have already grown Shchelkovsky early on their plots are advised to water the bushes either in the early morning or late in the evening after sunset. It is necessary to weed and loosen the soil after each watering. It should be planted to a depth of approximately ten centimeters. The optimal distance between seedlings is half a meter.
