Any gardener wants to start harvesting from his summer cottage as quickly as possible. The Agata tomato is an early ripening tomato, and the reviews about the variety are only positive. Despite the fact that the fruits are not very large, they have an excellent taste.
Description of tomato "Agatha"
Agata tomatoes are a universal variety. It gives a good harvest not only when grown in open ground, but also in a greenhouse. The growing process is quite simple and does not require much effort.To get a good harvest, it is better to grow plants as seedlings, but you can also achieve good results when planting seeds.
It is a non-hybrid and standard variety of nightshade crops. Agata tomatoes are classified as determinate (short growing). Mature bushes are characterized by a compact shape; the height of the bush reaches from 40 to 50 cm. It belongs to early-ripening varieties; approximately 95-105 days pass from the period of appearance of the first shoots to harvest.
From one cluster you can grow from 4 to 6 fruits; as a rule, they are the same in weight and ripen at almost the same time. The main disadvantage of the Agata tomato variety is its low resistance to the development of various diseases, especially late blight.
However, its early ripeness makes it possible to harvest the crop before late blight begins to spread en masse.
Plant characteristics
The reviews that can be seen on the Internet about this plant variety are mostly positive.
Characteristics and description of the tomato variety “Agatha”:
- With proper care – high yield;
- After five brushes are fully formed, the bushes stop growing in height;
- It is recommended to tie up the bushes as they grow (many gardeners note that without timely tying, the lower brush may begin to rot);
- From one bush you can collect about 3.5 - 4 kg of ripe fruits;
- The tops are dark green;
- Ripe tomatoes of a rich red hue;
- The weight of ripe fruits is from 80 -110 g;
- The fruits are characterized by a round shape, the flesh is dense, the taste is sweet, the skin is elastic;
- The skin does not crack and tolerates transportation well;
- They are characterized by low resistance to diseases;
- Picking required;
- Perfect for both fresh consumption and pickling for the winter.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any variety of nightshade crops, the Agata tomato variety has its advantages and disadvantages. Before growing seedlings, they must be studied.
Advantages:
- Early ripeness;
- To achieve a rich harvest, you don’t need to put in a lot of effort;
- The fruits do not crack;
- To grow seedlings, seeds can be immediately planted in open ground;
- Almost all fruits are the same in size;
- Suitable for growing in greenhouse conditions.
Flaws:
- Low resistance to disease development, can be susceptible to the formation of late blight;
- The bushes need to be tied up so that the lower stem does not lie on the ground (this may cause the tomatoes on the lower branch to begin to rot).
Features of growing in open ground
Despite the fact that the Agata tomato is not demanding in care, in order to achieve a good harvest, you need to follow some rules of agricultural technology.
It is advisable to plant seeds in the soil at the end of March or at the beginning of April. In order to increase the germination of planting material, it is recommended to first treat the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate and then rinse thoroughly in clean warm water. The planting material is buried about 2-3 cm into the soil. Then it is lightly sprinkled with earth.
Picking
Picking should be done when the seedlings have formed several leaves. Another important point is that seedlings must be hardened off. This should be done one to two weeks before planting in the ground. You first need to take out the containers for 2-3 hours, gradually increasing the time.
Landing
Seedlings should be planted after the temperature reaches above zero at night. As a rule, this is the beginning of June.If it is planted earlier, at the end of May, then the bushes must be covered with a warm cloth at night until the nights are warm.
We plant seedlings in open ground as follows:
- The soil needs to be dug up and all weeds removed;
- Then make small holes with a recess;
- Plant a bush in the center of the hole and compact it with earth;
- Water generously;
- It is advisable to plant bushes at a distance of 30-35 cm from each other.
Landing rules:
- It is advisable to plant seedlings in places where legumes, carrots, cabbage or onions previously grew;
- It is not recommended to grow seedlings where tomatoes, physalis, peppers and eggplants previously grew;
- Throughout the summer period, mineral and organic fertilizers must be applied to the bushes;
- It is not advisable to water the tomatoes too often, otherwise the fruits will be too watery and not very sweet.
