Tomato Koenigsberg was bred by Siberian breeders for growing in greenhouses. In the future, it turned out that these tomatoes grow well and bear fruit in the open ground in various regions of the country, transferring heat and cooling, drought and rain. Consider the characteristics of this variety, its advantages and disadvantages, how to grow tomatoes in seedling method and care for them.

Grade description

The main characteristics of the Koenigsberg tomato variety are:

• medium early - fruits can be obtained on the 115th day from the appearance of seedlings;
• it is an indeterminate type of tomato that grows about 2 meters in height;
• has large green leaves with a small edge;
• throws color after the appearance of 12 leaves;
• forms many brushes on which there are an average of 6–7 oval fruits;
• high yield - up to 20 kg / sq. m;
• tomatoes have a strong peel that does not crack, and good density;
• fruits weigh on average 300 g, but their weight can reach 800–900 g. Moreover, smaller tomatoes will be located in the lower part of the plant;
• tomatoes contain an average amount of solids;
• It has a sweet, fleshy flesh with a pleasant tomato smell.

Now there are three subspecies of the Koenigsberg tomato variety:

Did you know? The Koenigsberg tomato variety was patented and in 2005 was listed in the State Register of Selection Achievements of the Russian Federation. Recommended for cultivation in gardens and small farms.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The undoubted advantages of this variety include the following:
• high productivity;
• ability to grow well both in open and in protected ground;
• excellent taste of fruits;
• good storage and transportability;
• the ability to collect seeds and use them in subsequent crops;
• good ability to resist pests and diseases;
• suitability for fresh consumption and for conservation;
• resistance to different climates.

• The disadvantages of this variety are mostly conditional:
• the need for garter;
• several large fruits are not suitable for whole preservation;
• uncomplicated yield, since the fruiting period is extended;
• to get it is necessary to properly care for - it is demanding on watering and top dressing.

Self-growing seedlings

Since Koenigsberg tomatoes have a medium ripening period, it is rational to grow them in seedlings.

The timing

Seed planting time depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region and on the method of cultivation (in open or closed ground). In the northern regions, they are recommended to sow for seedlings in the first half of April. For the middle zone of the Russian Federation, they should be planted in early or mid-March.

In the southern regions, you can sow seeds of tomato seeds of medium terms already in early February, or you can try to grow crops in open field in a seedling-free way by sowing in mid-April.

When sowing, it should be noted that Koenigsberg tomatoes are recommended to be transplanted to a permanent place in the soil at the age of seedlings of 60–65 days.

The soil

Soil for growing tomatoes is sold in stores. The purchased mixture can be mixed in a 1: 1 ratio with the soil from the garden, where good tomato predecessors grew (carrots, cabbage and others).

If desired, you can also prepare the following soil mixtures:

• mix 2 parts of peat, 2 parts of turf and 1 part of sand;
• make a mixture of 3 parts peat, ½ part rotted cow manure, 1 part sawdust, some river sand;
• mix 2 parts of humus, 2 parts of garden or forest land and 1 part of sand.

Before planting, the soil should be decontaminated by watering it with potassium permanganate or special fungicides. To disinfect it, you can hold it for 30 minutes in an oven at +90 ° C or steam it in a double boiler. All these activities are carried out a week before sowing seeds.

Important! The soil acidity for tomatoes should be in the range of pH 5.5–7. More acidic soil should be deoxidized with dolomite flour, ash or quicklime.

Capacity for growing

Consider the most suitable containers for growing tomatoes for seedlings:

• crates. You can use wooden or plastic, homemade or purchased. They are reusable containers. They are not very convenient to move from place to place, as they have heavy weight. Landing from them should be carried out very carefully, since there is a high probability of damage to the roots;
• plastic cassettes. Often sold without a pallet and not easy to transport;
• plastic cups. They are a budget and convenient container for growing seedlings of vegetables. They are inexpensive, and they are often made by gardeners themselves from waste material (plastic bottles). It is enough to make holes for drainage, fill with soil, and you can already use it. Not quite convenient for transportation;
• peat cups. Additionally they nourish plants, but are more expensive and require frequent hydration;
• seedlings. Used many times, but take up a lot of space, and the plant should be removed from it carefully. Transporting them to the landing site is not particularly easy;
• peat tablets. Comfortable, nourish the plant and promote the development of tomato roots, but require a pallet and frequent watering, not cheap.

Important! For tomatoes, choose pots with a height and a width of 12-17 cm.

Seed preparation

Purchased quality seeds from a good producer do not particularly need preparation, as well as hand-made seeds from a healthy plant. In other cases, they should first be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes and rinsed with running water. It is convenient to do this procedure by wrapping the seeds in gauze.Old seeds or sown in early spring can be awakened by placing them in the refrigerator at a temperature of +3 ° C for several days. At the same time, they should be wrapped in a damp cloth and make sure that it does not dry.

To quickly obtain friendly seedlings of tomato seeds should be soaked before planting. To do this, they are kept for 3-5 days wrapped in a damp cloth or gauze at a temperature of +20 ... + 25 ° С.

To improve germination (especially for old seeds), it is recommended to use growth stimulants, for example, Epin. Seeds are placed in a solution of the drug for 30-40 minutes.

Sowing seeds

Tomatoes are sown in a moistened prepared substrate to a depth of about 1 cm. The distance between the grooves should be 3-4 cm. The sowing container should be covered with a film and put in a warm place (+20 ... + 22 ° C). It must be aired daily, and when shoots appear, rearrange to a permanent place of cultivation.

In a phase of 2-3 leaves, tomatoes dive into more spacious containers for growing.

Seedling Care

Tomato seedlings need a lot of sun, and for growing seedlings it is best to choose a well-lit window. If necessary, seedlings should be illuminated until the optimal daylight hours at 12 o’clock. For its good growth, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime at +16 ... + 22 ° С.

Watering is carried out as the soil dries and is first done about 1 time per week, and then more often.

After 2 weeks from the appearance of seedlings, they begin to fertilize every 10 days. It is best to use ready-made complex fertilizers for this, for example, Agricola, Master.

Seedling hardening

A couple of weeks before planting in open ground, when the weather is warm, the tomatoes begin to harden. First, the plant is taken out to the balcony for only 30 minutes, then the terms are gradually lengthened, and by the day of planting it should already be spent in the fresh air all day.

The window opening must be open so that there is free access to light and ultraviolet light. In this case, you must first avoid direct sunlight and the first time to take out tomatoes when it is not active (after 16:00). Young plants are taught to the sun gradually. Drafts should be absent.

Important! Air temperature at night during hardening should not be lower than +8 ° С. Otherwise, the seedlings will need to be brought into the room.

Planting seedlings in open ground

Tomato Koenigsberg is easily rooted and adapts to external conditions. For planting, you should choose areas that are well protected from the wind. In autumn, it is necessary for the best growth of tomatoes to fertilize their soil with humus and fertilizer with phosphorus content.

For this, 1 square. m take 1 bucket of humus and 40 g of superphosphate.

The age of seedlings for planting in the soil is about two months. It can be planted when the earth warms up to +14 ° C, in the absence of night frosts - this is usually May-June. With frequent frosts, planting is done in greenhouses or other temporary shelters.

When planting, holes are planned according to any landing scheme, taking into account that for 1 square. m should be no more than three tomatoes. It is good to water the wells and seedlings after planting with warm water at a temperature of at least +20 ° C.Do not be upset that the seedlings look unprepossessing - this is a feature of the variety. With growth and development, the bushes of this tomato acquire a much stronger appearance.

Growing Features

The Koenigsberg tomato variety is grown in the same way as most tall varieties.

Watering

Watering tomatoes of this variety should be plentiful, but not very often. Water should be poured under the root so that leaves and branches do not get wet. Koenigsberg tomatoes have a long root system, so moisture from the soil is constantly entering, and waterlogging is undesirable.

Top dressing

It is necessary to feed with mineral fertilizers before planting, and it is also necessary to cultivate the earth from fungus. To obtain a high yield, tomatoes need to be fed with complex fertilizers containing elements necessary for the tomato, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, during the formation of the ovary.

Ammophos, Nitramofosk, Diammofos are best suited. It is advisable to do this top dressing three times during the entire growing season. When organic or other fertilizers are applied, their dose is reduced.

Did you know? Experienced gardeners often feed their tomatoes with ordinary pressed yeast - they dilute 1 kg of the product in 5 liters of warm water and let it brew for 24 hours. Then they are diluted in a ratio of 0.5 l per 10-liter bucket of water and pour half a liter of the finished solution under each tomato. Such top dressing contributes to a better development of the plant and increases its resistance to diseases.

As fertilizer, you can also take manure (rotted mullein or chicken droppings), ash and compost. Fertilizing under the root alternate with foliar top dressing. Good spraying is made from superphosphate (10 g), urea (16 g), potassium sulfate (16 g), dissolved in a bucket of water.

Stepson

It is preferable to grow such a variety of tomatoes in 1-2 stems, and for the other shoots to pinch. Such stepsoning should be carried out every 14 days, thus preventing excessive growth of shoots. Stepsons should not be more than 3 cm. Elimination of taller shoots can harm the plant.

The growth of the bush is limited when 7-8 brushes appear, cutting off the top of it, otherwise there will be problems with the ripening of the crop. After the appearance of tomato fruits on the bushes, the stepsoning can be stopped.

Soil care

To ensure the supply of oxygen to the root system of this plant crop, regular loosening of the soil is carried out after each irrigation and rain. During loosening, weedy herbs that prevent tomatoes from developing well should be removed.

It is also recommended to mulch the soil to protect the soil from drying out.

Bush tying

Tomato Koenigsberg is a tall variety, so each bush must be tied up so that it does not break a strong wind. This process is carried out after 14-21 days from planting in the ground. Trellis, pegs are used for garter.After the formation of 7–8 brushes, the growth of the tomato bush sharply slows down. The lower leaves are recommended for good soil ventilation to be removed.

Did you know? The world's largest tomato was grown by a US citizen living in Minnesota, Dan McCoy. In 2014, his tomato hung 3 kg 800 g. In order to prevent a fruit of this weight from harming the bush, he had to be tied up with elastic women's tights.

Preventative treatment

Despite the fact that the variety of these tomatoes is quite resistant to many diseases, experts recommend treating various diseases and insect pests every 10 days with the help of folk remedies or chemical preparations.

It is quite enough to also process twice during the growing season with Fitosporin.

These tomatoes can be affected by vertex rot.

The main factors in the appearance of such a disease is a lack of moisture or calcium, so watering should be carried out steadily and abundantly in dry weather in the evening or in the morning, and in order to prevent a lack of calcium when planting seedlings, it is recommended to introduce crushed egg shells, the sharp edges of which will also protect well cabbage.Against late blight, rot and various pests, it is recommended to mulch the site with compost, hay or straw.

Koenigsberg tomatoes are an excellent choice for the northern regions and greenhouses, grow well in the southern regions. They have an excellent taste and high productivity over time, the usual agricultural technology for tall varieties - garter, pinching.

This tomato has an average ripening time, and it is recommended to grow it in seedlings.