There is still snow outside the window in some places, but it is already time for us to prepare for the summer season. And today we will choose the best varieties of tomatoes for growing in open ground. Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables cultivated in summer cottages and garden plots. There is a huge variety of varieties, differing not only in color, taste and shape of the fruit, but also in the height of the bushes grown and the timing of harvest ripening.
Experienced gardeners have their own time-tested favorite varieties, among which you will definitely find stunted ones or, as they are also called, determinant ones, that is, “limited in growth.” I’ll say right away that all of them are suitable for open ground. Low-growing varieties are usually called “for the lazy” or “field” varieties because they are unpretentious to growing conditions and many of them do not require garter.
Most low-growing varieties do not require pinching; they quickly and easily begin to bear fruit and delight with a good harvest. Today I will tell you about varieties and hybrids that will appeal to both novice summer residents and experienced gardeners.
Plants with a bush height of less than one meter are considered low-growing. All of them are divided into three groups:
- determinant (bush height up to 100 cm);
- superdeterminate (bush height up to 50 cm);
- as well as standard (compact bushes 50-70 cm high with a small number of stepsons) tomatoes.
Low-growing tomatoes for open ground
To plant in open ground, you must take into account the characteristics of the soil and climate of your region. But there are several universal varieties that take root almost everywhere.
Mystery
The ultra-early variety yields up to 2.5 kg per bush, and these tomatoes are well suited for transportation. A garter is not necessary, but without it the thin stem falls to the ground under the weight of the fruit.
Photo: fermoved.ru
Explosion
The universal variety is good fresh and is widely used for processing or pickling. The bush is short, up to 60 cm, but quite spreading, so it requires a garter.
Photo: emtomat.ru
Pygmy
Not the most productive, but definitely one of the most unpretentious varieties. It is ideal for beginners and grows in almost any conditions. The fruits are very small - up to 30 g, but tasty and sweet.
Photo: piccy.info
Marisha
Compact bushes up to 50 cm high are generously strewn with rounded red fruits up to 100-120 g. The strong skin does not crack, so the tomatoes tolerate transportation and canning well.
Photo: oteplicah.ru
Lazy
Large tomatoes weighing up to 300 g grow on low and compact shoots. It is recommended to pinch the bush at a height of 50 cm to increase productivity.
Photo: fermoved.ru
Soil composition
For high-quality growth and fruiting of tomatoes, the soil must be rich in composition. Loamy-sandy soil with neutral acidity and a high humus content is suitable for planting.
You cannot plant tomatoes in the same place for two years in a row. Good predecessors are: cabbage, legumes, carrots, green manure.
In the spring, sand, clay, peat and fallen leaves are added to the soil - this will help retain moisture and fertilize.
Before planting, the soil must be disinfected:
- Potassium permanganate: dilute 3-5 crystals in 10 liters of water and pour at the rate of 30-50 ml per 1 sq. m.;
- Fitosporin: dilute 15 ml of the product in 10 liters of water.
Low-growing tomatoes for the greenhouse
For greenhouses, low-growing tomatoes are an ideal choice. They take up less space and will not stretch upward endlessly. This makes them easier to care for!
Sanka
The early greenhouse variety does not require pinching, and the first tomatoes can be harvested already on the 90th day. It is not a hybrid, so it can be grown at home using your own seed.
Photo: alina-semena.ru
Orange Princess
The variety is rightfully considered the best among mid-late greenhouse tomatoes. The yield of the bush with proper care is simply fantastic. The fruits are easily recognized by their characteristic orange skin color.
Photo: sad-koval.com.ua
Aztec
Small bushes up to 40 cm produce equally small, but very sweet yellow fruits up to 30 g. The variety feels great not only in a greenhouse, but also in an apartment.
Photo: tchudesa.ru
Ob domes
An early hybrid with high yield grows about 50 cm. Ideally, the bush is formed into three stems - this is the approach that gives maximum yield. The fruits are large, up to 200-250 g, pinkish in color.
Photo: sveklon.ru
Honey cream
An early variety up to 60 cm high produces fruits with a characteristic plum-shaped shape. Tomatoes of a uniform red color are very fleshy and tolerate long-term transportation well.
Photo: 2sotki.ru
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The highest-yielding varieties of low-growing tomatoes
Given their modest size, the yield of low-growing tomatoes can be quite immodest. We are sharing record-breaking varieties that will impress even experienced gardeners!
Amber
Compact bushes up to 45 cm high consistently produce up to 3 kg of yield. The fruits vary - from 50 to 120 g, but they consistently have an excellent taste. They are rich in sugar and healthy carotene.
Photo: goferma.ru
Mongolian dwarf
The name speaks for itself, and these low-growing tomatoes rarely stretch above 30 cm. At the same time, up to 10 kg of tomatoes weighing 120-170 g each can be collected from a square.
Photo: znaysad.ru
Watercolor
A very popular standard variety, bred on the basis of the Bull's heart. From one bush you can collect up to 8 kg of tomatoes, which are perfectly stored and suitable for canning.
Photo: agrodom93.ru
Ballerina
The hybrid variety feels great in a greenhouse and in open ground. The height of the bushes is up to 60 cm. Pinkish tomatoes are distinguished by their oblong shape and dense matte skin.
Photo: web-selo.ru
White filling
The early ripening variety is resistant to most diseases that affect tomatoes. It does not require pinching and produces up to 7 kg of red, round tomatoes per square.
Photo: agrodom93.ru
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Reviews
Most gardeners advise planting low-growing tomato bushes as close as possible in order to get a much larger harvest. Another advantage is the ability to grow low-growing varieties in a greenhouse using hydroponics, while the room itself can be made much smaller, which allows you to save on construction costs.
An important advantage is that some varieties can be sown and grown all year round, due to their small size.
The compactness of these types of tomatoes becomes a disadvantage for many people. Some varieties, forming stepchildren, take root and new bushes are obtained. This reduces the size of the fruits and increases their ripening time.
For those who want to grow seedlings of low-growing tomatoes on their own, most people advise digging seeds from Sedek.
Low-growing tomatoes for the Moscow region
In the Moscow region, when choosing varieties for planting, you need to take into account changeable weather conditions. These low-growing tomatoes will do the best!
Summer resident
Low-growing shoots do not require gartering or pinching. From one bush, up to 4 kg of fruits weighing 60-100 g are collected, which are used for salads and canning.
Photo: zen.yandex.ru
Children's
This early dessert variety is valued for its amazing taste, smooth ripening and unpretentiousness. It is resistant to late blight, does not need staking and does not require pinching.
Photo: ryazan.ogorodnik24.ru
Alaska
The ultra-early variety ripens while the rest of the bushes are just beginning to bloom. The fruits are almost unsuitable for harvesting, but very tasty fresh. Among the benefits is increased immunity to disease.
Photo: publicdomainpictures.net
Krakowiak
The compact bush with small leaves is densely covered with slightly flattened and ribbed tomatoes. The weight of the fruit is 50-70 g. Because of the very tender and delicate pulp, they are consumed fresh.
Photo: prostayaferma.ru
Barnaul Cannery
This versatile, unpretentious hybrid is traditionally grown for harvesting. The pulp of the fruit, 30-50 g each, has an interesting sweet and sour taste.
Photo: semena.cc
Care
Low-growing types of tomatoes require watering and fertilizing after planting. Each variety is individual, so you must adhere to the recommendations given in the instructions.
While the seedlings are growing, they need to be watered twice a week, avoiding drying out or excess moisture. After planting in a ridge, it is necessary to water after 3-4 days; in the southern regions it is necessary to water more often: once every 2 days in the evening. Water should not touch the leaves and ovaries - water only at the roots.
After planting, after 2 weeks it is recommended to fertilize, consisting of phosphorus and potassium. In the future, it is necessary to apply every 10 days, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers. For preventive purposes against pests, ash or tobacco dust is sprinkled between the rows.
The soil around the bushes must be loosened 2 days after watering. To retain moisture, mulching is used, for this they use sawdust, straw, and mown grass.
Low-growing tomatoes for the Urals and Siberia
Breeders have long developed varieties that are resistant to cold and short summers. Most often these are early, low-growing tomatoes, but variations are possible.
Buyan yellow
A sweet and very aromatic standard variety is fully adapted to the Siberian climate. The fleshy fruits, 70-100 g each, have very few seeds, and the skin is thin but durable.
Photo: semena-f.in.ua
Shuttle
This is a rare variety that does equally well in both the south and the north. It has strong shoots, so it does not need garter during the ripening of elongated fruits weighing about 80 g.
Photo: prostayaferma.ru
Firewood
These tomatoes received their unusual name for the same unusual elongated shape of the fruit, which really resembles a log. The variety was bred specifically for regions with unfavorable weather conditions.
Photo: engalycheva-2019.ru
Lord
This mid-early variety was even bred directly in Siberia. It is completely unpretentious to grow and is suitable for beginners. Tomatoes grow up to 180 g and are used in cooking or for preparations.
Photo: my-tomatoes.com
Sibiriada
The variety with an eloquent name is perfectly adapted to the conditions of the northern regions. Determinate bushes grow up to 60 cm and delight with the rapid ripening of fruits.
Photo: skolkogramm.ru
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Bush formation
Low-growing plants do not need to be pinched, although there are some species that require the removal of the stalks. This should be written in the instructions. The fewer trunks, the faster the fruits will ripen; on the other hand, the more branches, the greater the harvest. Varieties that do not form side shoots are called standard varieties.
A few rules when forming a bush:
- Leaves located below the first cluster must be torn off to prevent pests from entering.
- Do not allow a large number of leaves inside the bush, as this interferes with air movement.
- When forming 2-3 stems under the first ovary, you need to leave 2-3 stepsons.
- After the fruit begins to ripen, 2 leaves are removed from the lower part of the stem once a week. Thus, by the time the fruit ripens, there should not be a single leaf on the second ovary.
Standard types of tomatoes are most often used for growing outdoors. Practically, these are all early or mid-ripening hybrids.
Low-growing tomatoes for the Leningrad region
High humidity and lack of sun are a serious test for vegetable crops. These varieties of low-growing tomatoes can handle it with ease!
Leningrad chill
The early ripening variety grows very small - no more than 35 cm. Small tomatoes are very beautiful, with glossy scarlet skin and dense, fleshy pulp.
Photo: pinterest.ru
Yablonka
Fragrant tomatoes weighing 100 g each have a very neat, regular shape. This variety is a little taller and more spreading, but does not require staking and is not afraid of moisture.
Photo: semenaorg.ru
Nevsky
The compact bush is not afraid of bad weather and disease, does not take up much space and does not grow too much. At the same time, the fruits are quite large, aromatic, sweet and very juicy.
Photo: 2sotki.ru
Baltic
A high-yielding tomato variety with medium-sized fruits is valued for its good taste. It is resistant to late blight and bad weather, but is difficult to transport.
Photo: otomate.ru
