Characteristics and description of the tomato "Bulat"

The Bulat tomato is a real find for those who appreciate neat garden beds and a bountiful harvest. These low-growing bushes with colorful foliage, abundant fruits, and rich vitamins and microelements will delight you and your family not only in the summer but also on cold winter evenings.

Description of the variety

The main distinguishing features include:

• average bush height: as a rule, does not exceed 1 meter;
• short ripening period: no more than 90 days;
• determinacy;
• relatively average foliage;
• light green leaves;
• leaf shape - typical for nightshades;
• simple brush and simple inflorescence;
• there are no more than 6 fruits in the ovary;
• round shape of fruits;
• high density of tomatoes;
• glossiness and smoothness of the surface.;
• the weight of a tomato does not exceed 120 grams.

Main purpose

The Bulat tomato is a versatile variety. It can be used for canning and making tomato juice. It's also suitable for freezing, which increases the concentration of beneficial vitamins, as well as for adding to salads and, of course, for eating fresh.

Productivity

Despite their small size and rapid fruit formation, the yield is truly astounding. Up to 8 tomatoes can be harvested from a single bush, and up to 15 kilograms per square meter.

In which regions can the Bulat tomato be grown?
It is cultivated in all regions of the country. Only the growing requirements vary.

Landing

This variety is suitable for both seedling and direct-seeding methods. The latter is suitable for regions with warm climates, such as the Krasnodar Krai in the south of the country.

Seedling method:

In the central part of the country, seedlings can be grown in early to mid-March. And in open ground, in early May.

This is the most commonly used method and is suitable for both greenhouses and open ground. Before preparing seeds for planting, you must:

• pour the seeds into a glass;
• fill it with water;
• add a teaspoon of salt;
• mix;
• After 20 minutes, all the unusable material will float to the surface and will need to be disposed of.

Next, take your choice of action. If you want to speed up germination, soak the seeds in a growth activator for a few minutes or place them in damp cheesecloth for a few days.

If you are not in a hurry, you can immediately start planting in pots.

It's best to choose pots made of either peat or composted soil bags. These will not only act as fertilizer but also protect the roots during transplanting. After all, they're placed in the soil along with the seedlings and then dissolve completely, causing no harm to the plant.

When planting, plant the seeds no deeper than 1 cm, and space the furrows (mini-holes) no more than 2 cm apart.

To create greenhouse conditions, cover the pots with film.

Continue to monitor the soil moisture. Water as needed, but be careful not to let the seeds float due to too much water.

As soon as the first leaf appears on the surface, remove the film, otherwise the seedlings may burn.

Four leaves have appeared? Start transplanting the seedlings and dividing them into different pots. How do you do this correctly? To ensure the seedlings don't lose growth but rather establish a strong root system, bury the sprout in the soil up to the first leaves. The distance between the leaves and the potting soil should be no more than 1 cm. Within a few days, you'll notice the leaves are clearly strengthening and new ones are actively forming.

• the room temperature should not fall below +25 degrees;
• the soil should not dry out or be excessively waterlogged;
• Harden off the seedlings by airing them out before taking them outside.

Fourteen to seventeen days after transplanting, fertilize all seedlings, for example, with nitroammophoska. To do this, dissolve half a spoon of fertilizer in five liters of water. Use no more than 100 ml per seedling. Repeat the procedure after 14 days.

Growing

Bulat tomatoes can be transplanted into open ground after 50-60 days. Enrich the soil with nutrients beforehand. Water the potted seedlings generously on the day of transplanting.

The planting pattern is classic:

• the distance between holes is no more than 30 cm;
• the distance between rows is no more than 50 cm.

Place the sprout in the soil so that the distance between its lower leaves and the ground does not exceed 0.5 cm. Then water generously.

Seedless method

It's considered the riskiest, as the number of seedlings can decrease due to insufficient seed preparation and difficulties encountered during planting. However, it's often used for Bulat tomatoes, primarily in regions with southern climates, as the soil warms up faster and deeper.

To be absolutely sure that the soil is ready for planting, it is necessary to measure the average daily temperature for a week, and the soil temperature should not fall below +12 degrees.

For the non-seedling method, it is better to nourish the soil in the fall. This way, the nutrients will best penetrate into the deep layers and it will be easier for the seeds to germinate.

It's best to sort the seeds before planting. To identify empty ones:

• pour water into a glass;
• add salt;
• stir;
• leave for 20 minutes;
• After some time, all the ones that float to the surface can be thrown away: they are empty and will not be able to germinate.

Next, the seeds need to be placed in damp gauze for 24 hours and soaked in a growth accelerator.

Planting and growing

The next day after soaking, prepare the holes. Planting pattern:

• the distance between holes is no more than 30 cm;
• the distance between rows is no more than 50 cm.

Before planting, be sure to water the bed with settled water. Place one seed in each hole. Cover with soil and water again. IMPORTANT! Cover each hole with planting plastic—this will help create greenhouse conditions and speed up seed germination. As soon as the first leaves appear, remove the plastic immediately. Otherwise, the plant will die.

Bulat tomato care

The same for both seedling and non-seedling growing methods.

Watering

Water tomato plants regularly—once a week. Never let the water get too cold. Water directly at the roots. Watering the leaves can lead to the development of fungal diseases.

Loosening

It's advisable to loosen and hill the soil after each watering. This will not only help enrich the root system and make it stronger, but also prevent weed growth.

Weeds

There's a common misconception that weeds shouldn't be removed from under tomato plants. This supposedly prevents sunburn and disease. This is a myth. Weeds should be removed from the plants: they only hinder normal growth, and pests feel right at home there. They also make it difficult to treat for diseases, and they delay harvesting.

Ventilation

If you decide to plant your tomato plants in a greenhouse, be sure to ventilate it once a day and monitor the temperature inside. High humidity and temperatures can lead to the development of fungal diseases and the death of all the seedlings.

It's crucial to fertilize the Bulat tomato plant in a timely manner. This should be done in three stages:

Stage #1

A few weeks after planting in open ground (for seedlings), or for direct-seeding, focus on the first leaves: as soon as they form, you can begin feeding. Choose complex fertilizers, such as nitroammophoska.
Stage No. 2

Fertilizing during the flowering period helps the plants gain strength for fruit formation. Fertilizers high in potassium should be preferred. However, you can still use the fertilizer used for the first stage.

Stage No. 3

The latter is carried out during the tomato planting period. Here, again, you can fertilize with nitroammophoska or dilute a few drops of iodine in a bucket of water and stir well. One bucket is enough for four plants.

When watering, be careful and try not to damage the bushes.

Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions

The variety is distinguished by its strong immunity and is practically disease-free during the ripening process.

But if mistakes were made by the gardener (overwatering, high humidity), this can lead to the development of:

• late blight

How to identify? A white coating appears on the underside of the leaves. The leaves begin to curl and become covered with brown spots. Tomatoes also become covered with brown spots, resembling rot.

How to combat it? If a bush is diseased, no chemicals or folk remedies will help. It must be removed from the area, and the soil cultivated and dug over. It is advisable to replace it with a new layer, at least in the area of ​​the infected hole. Using it as foliage is also prohibited.

Prevention: ventilation of the greenhouse, timely watering, treatment with chemicals.

• spider mite

How to spot it? A web-like structure appears on the bushes, covering virtually the entire plant. It's easiest to spot during the day with high sunlight. The tomatoes look like completely dull tomatoes, as if someone had squeezed the juice out of them.

Where to hide? On the underside of a leaf, under fallen leaves, or clumps of earth under a bush.

How to combat it? It's long and persistent, as mite eggs, even after treatment, can persist for over five years. One easy way is to water the bush generously from top to bottom and cover it tightly with a plastic bag. The plant won't be harmed, but the mite will die from the high humidity. Spraying with sulfur and phosphorus solutions is also suitable.

• mole crickets

How to identify them? Pay attention to the bush's appearance—it's tilted, looks very weak, and seems dried out. The young (no more than 10 cm long, brown with strong legs) and the larvae (brownish, resembling worms) are dangerous and work together to eat away at the roots.

How to combat them? Don't fertilize the soil with mullein. Plant marigolds around the perimeter of the bed—the mole crickets don't like them. Loosen the soil as often as possible. Also, use chemicals, but only before the flowers appear. If you choose granular products, be sure to bury them in the soil. This will allow the mole crickets to get to them faster and die.

Advantages of the variety

• ultra-short ripening period;
• good shelf life and transportability;
• if all conditions are met, it is not susceptible to diseases and pests;
• pleasant to taste and suitable for canning, freezing and fresh consumption;
• do not require tying;
• can be grown in a variety of ways.

Flaws

• demanding in care.

Feedback from those who planted

Valentina

I've been growing the Bulat tomato for several seasons now. It produces a plentiful harvest and is disease-free—perfect for canning. Last season, we experienced night frosts. I was terrified that the Bulat wouldn't germinate and would die from the temperature fluctuations. But it didn't even notice the change in weather. So, I recommend it for regions with changeable weather and recommend covering the plants at night, for example, with a plastic five-liter container.

Igor

I didn't have enough time to grow seedlings. I heard you could grow this variety from seeds—I didn't believe it, but I had no choice—my mother-in-law wanted tomatoes for canning. I planted the unprepared seeds directly in the soil and prepared to wait. Exactly 90 days later, the first tomatoes appeared. I'm incredibly happy. Maybe next time I plant the seeds directly, I'll soak them in a growth accelerator first, just to be sure.