Tomato Rocket has not only an unusual fruit shape, but also a lot of other advantages over other tomatoes. High productivity and unpretentiousness made him a rather frequent visitor to the beds and greenhouses.
Description of Raketa tomatoes
Separately, it is worth mentioning the taste of the fruit, for which the Raketa tomato received positive reviews from many gardeners. It is due to its high taste properties that it is used for conservation, preparation of tomato and puree, as well as fresh consumption. Rocket tomato has an unusual shape, so it looks great both on the table and in the jar.
Description
The Raketa tomato variety is a low-growing determinant variety.
Its shoots are only 55-60 centimeters long. Due to their compactness, Raketa tomatoes practically do not need a garter and pinching. It is recommended to remove only the lower lateral shoots that are close to the ground to avoid late blight outbreaks.
The main characteristic of this culture is that the Raketa tomato variety has an unusual oblong fruit shape, which is its hallmark. The skin is quite dense, but not hard. This makes tomatoes suitable for whole fruit canning and fresh consumption. The taste is bright with a slight sourness. The pulp is juicy, fleshy red.
The description of the Raketa tomato variety indicates that they are resistant to late blight.
Also, the plant is heat-resistant and bears fruit well even in the hottest summer. Due to excessive watering, ripe fruits of Raketa tomatoes crack and lose their presentation. Such fruits can be processed to make tomato juice, pasta and sauces.
Care requirements
The high yield of Raketa tomato makes it an excellent option for obtaining large quantities of tomatoes from a small plot of land. The abundance of the crop is influenced by:
- growing in favorable conditions;
- moderate watering;
- fertilization;
- quality of planting material (seeds, seedlings).
Raketa tomatoes have a fairly compact bush, the first peduncle on which is laid after the fifth leaf. Then they follow every two sheets. At the same time, the plant can ripen from 20 to 40 tomatoes, weighing 50-75 grams.
Agricultural technology varieties
Growing of Raketa tomatoes is possible both in film shelters and in open ground. This does not affect the yield in any way. Only the fate of fruit ripening differs. In greenhouses this happens 7-12 days earlier.
Seeds are sown in seedling boxes and covered with foil, creating a greenhouse effect. If the planting material is fresh and healthy, then the first shoots can be seen in 7-9 days. It is important to remember about moistening the soil, otherwise the sprouts will die, or they will lag behind in growth.
Since the variety is not a hybrid, the seeds can be harvested with your own hands from ripe tomatoes. So you can be 100% sure of the quality of the planting material. If the seeds were purchased from the hands, then it is worth treating them with a solution of potassium permanganate before planting.
In order for the tomatoes to grow and develop normally, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Seedlings are planted in the ground when it reaches 60 days of age. During this period, the root system of the plant is sufficiently formed to take on a new place.
- Rocket tomatoes need proper and timely feeding. To do this, wood ash and rotted mullein are introduced into the holes before planting. 2 weeks after planting, it is recommended to fertilize the bushes with saltpeter.
- It is impossible to produce thickened plantings, Raketa tomatoes do not like this. It is recommended to plant no more than 4 bushes on one square meter of land. This will not only enable normal growth, but also prevent the appearance of late blight.
- Due to its compactness, the variety does not require a garter, but if there are a lot of peduncles and the branches are overloaded with fruits, then in order to avoid breaks, it is recommended to tie up the shoots.
Proper care will ensure you have a good harvest
By adhering to these simple rules, you can grow a healthy and productive plant. Working in the garden does not require little effort and time, but growing the rocket variety can significantly save these two resources. Unlike other varieties of tomatoes, Raketa is less demanding on growing conditions and soil composition.
Errors in growing tomatoes Rocket
The one who planted this variety knows exactly what not to do with tomatoes. Despite the lack of exactingness of tomatoes to growing conditions, it is worth adhering to the rules of agricultural technology, so as not to ruin the planting:
- It is not recommended to unnecessarily expose the shoots by breaking off the leaves. Trying to provide good ventilation can greatly harm the plant and significantly delay the period of ovary formation.
- It is impossible to wet the leaves when watering, even to late blight-resistant varieties. The damp leaves of the plant can get burned under the rays of the scorching sun. Not everyone knows what he looks like and blames everything on tomato disease, but if you compare the photos. Then the difference becomes obvious.
- It is not recommended to water the bushes if the topsoil is still damp. Although the characteristic of the variety indicates the stability of late blight, it does not exclude the likelihood of its development. Also, the fruits can crack from excess moisture.
- Tomatoes cannot be planted in the ground until the threat of night frosts has passed, otherwise the seedlings will die.
These recommendations are not due to the specifics of this tomato variety and can be applied to all representatives of this vegetable crop. Their violation can lead to poor harvests or even complete absence of it.
Pests
Despite the fact that tomatoes of this variety are not very susceptible to such whitening as late blight, apical wilting, septoria and powdery mildew, there is a risk of pests affecting the bushes. Many people want to feast on the fruits and leaves of tomatoes. If the summer resident did not follow the rules of crop rotation and planted tomatoes in the same place for many years, then there will certainly be pests.
Most often tomatoes are affected:
- Colorado potato beetle, which is very fond of not only tomatoes, but also potatoes, eggplants. The larvae of these pests eat the leaves and shoots of the plant. The bush begins to wither due to the lack of nutrients obtained during photosynthesis. If the size of the area set aside for planting tomatoes is not large, then you can collect the larvae and adults by hand. If this is not possible, then dusting the leaves with ash or corn starch is used. In the fields, the previous two options are not effective due to the impressive planting volumes. In this case, chemicals and poisons are used.
- Slugs affect not only shoots, but also the fruits themselves. In rainy weather, there are especially many of them. If possible, slugs are collected by hand or ash is scattered along the beds. It prevents pests from entering the tomato bushes.
- A wireworm, a small worm that damages the roots and stems of tomatoes. This soil pest can be treated with chemicals. But if you believe the numerous videos on the network, the worm is cleared from the ground using ordinary potatoes. The tubers are buried along the beds, and after 3-4 days most of the wireworms will be inside. The potato tubers are burned.
- Medvedka, a dangerous pest of garden crops. This pest lives in the ground and cuts the base of the tomato stem. Bears get to the site with fresh cow dung. You can get rid of them with the help of special poisons, as well as organizing traps in the spring. Small holes are dug along the perimeter of the site. Fresh mullein is placed in them. Females will lay eggs there, which are then burned. There are positive reviews about the benefits of marigolds in scaring away a bear. To do this, they are planted in the form of a border in the beds.
Acquaintance with tomato Raketa
Canned tomatoes. "Rocket in the bank". A quick, simple, well delicious recipe.
Timely pest control ensures crop preservation. To use methods of chemical destruction or more loyal, everyone chooses for himself individually, depending on the volume of plantings and the degree of their infestation by pests. A photo of the insects themselves will help to identify pests on your site
Conclusion
The characteristics of the Raketa tomato variety indicate many of its positive aspects.
This is also confirmed by numerous reviews of gardeners. After all, the goal of any of them is to get a high-quality, bountiful harvest with minimal hassle.
There is also a yellow variety. The photo shows that the fruits are much larger, and the flesh is yellow. Often, both of these tomatoes are grown together, as they have common agricultural requirements.