Thumbelina Tomato: Characteristics and Description of the Variety, Reviews from Those Who Planted It

Tomatoes have a wide range of uses, including medicine, cooking, and even cosmetology. Each application requires a specific type of tomato, one with specific levels of micronutrients and vitamins. The "Thumbelina" variety is a miniature cherry tomato beloved by chefs.

This is a very easy-to-grow vegetable that can be grown in a greenhouse or on a balcony windowsill. Proper care is essential for the plant to produce a bountiful harvest of delicious fruit.

Description of the variety and its characteristics

"Thumbelina" is a tall, fruit-bearing tomato plant designed for growing under plastic covers or in glass-protected rooms. The "Thumbelina" variety is indeterminate.

This variety can reach a height of 1.5 meters, so it's necessary to remove side shoots and tie the stems to this height. The tomato yields best when grown with 2-3 stems, which can produce up to 15 fruits per cluster.

The plant begins to bear fruit within three months of planting. Ripe "Thumbelina" fruits have a rich, flavorful flavor, average 15-20 grams per fruit, are red, firm, smooth to the touch, and round.

With proper care, you can achieve a yield of up to 4.7 kilograms per square meter of planting.

Among the main advantages of this variety are its excellent dessert flavor and high resistance to the most common diseases of nightshade plants. They are used for canning, preparing various dishes and salads, and are also excellent for eating raw.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Thumbelina variety

Each plant requires a specific microclimate and care, as well as soil and fertilizer. The main advantages of this variety include:

• bunch ripening of all fruits in a very short period of time, which makes it possible to collect fruits from one bush practically in one day;
• resistance to rot and powdery mildew, as well as to many other diseases of nightshades;
• the ability to self-pollinate, which is an important component of plant productivity for closed balconies and greenhouses.

Among the disadvantages that can significantly reduce yields, or even lead to the death of the plant, are the following:

1. Highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, these greenhouse tomatoes require a closed, draft-free space.
2. They are very sensitive to watering and do not tolerate stagnant water.
3. They require spacious containers, since the roots grow strongly and if they are not given enough freedom, they can lead to the plant wilting.

Planting tomato seeds "Thumbelina"

The seeds of this variety are sown in a special soil mixture, which can be prepared at home. First, mix mineral fertilizers, sand, peat, or humus with garden soil. To disinfect, simply heat the oven and soak the mixture.

Before sowing, the seeds need to be disinfected. This is done by immersing them in a potassium permanganate solution for 3-4 minutes. After this procedure, the seeds need to be rinsed and left to germinate for 2-3 days in a damp cloth. Keep the cloth containing the seeds warm and moist; do not allow it to dry out. The seeds are ready for planting as soon as they sprout.

The soil containers must be prepared in advance. Clean them and line them with a drainage layer, then add prepared or purchased special soil. Lightly moisten the soil, make a small furrow about 1 cm deep, and place the Thumbelina seeds in the soil, covering them with a layer of soil. Maintain a minimum distance of 2 cm between adjacent seedlings. Cover the container with plastic or glass for 5-6 days and place it in a warm place with a temperature of 20-25°C. Typically, the first shoots will appear after this time.

Tomatoes are very demanding in terms of lighting, so to ensure rapid growth, you should install a phytolamp or simply provide enhanced lighting.

Pricking out should be done as soon as the plants have developed two or three leaves. Their roots grow very quickly, which can lead to tangling of neighboring plants in the same container, and delayed pricking out will only damage the seedling. Later pricking out and transplanting into separate containers can be done by spacing the seedlings apart beforehand or by carefully thinning the seedlings during regular planting.

"Thumbelina" is potted in individual 200-250 ml cups, prepared in advance. You can use 8x8 cm pots. Avoid very large pots. There's a risk of fungal growth in the soil, which can infect the plant. This usually occurs in areas not occupied by roots.

Whether or not to pinch the central root remains an open question. This may somewhat inhibit plant growth, but it encourages a more branched rhizome. When pricking out, a small rootlet is often pinched off the central root.

Features of seedling care

After transplanting the seedlings into individual containers, it's recommended to place the pots in a dark place for 2-3 days. After this, the seedlings are moved to a well-lit area. After another week and a half, slowly acclimate the seedlings to fresh air.

The first feeding is applied approximately 1.5 weeks after transplanting. Fertilizers can be either complex or homemade.

To do this you will need:

• potassium sulfate – 12 g;
• superphosphate – 35 g;
• urea – 4 g.

Dissolve all ingredients in 10 liters of cold, clean water. It's best to combine fertilization and watering. Water as needed. Avoid allowing the soil's water balance to fluctuate in either direction.

Peculiarities of tomato care

It's recommended to move the plants to the greenhouse approximately 40-50 days after germination. This usually occurs in mid-May. The soil in the greenhouse should be prepared in advance. Fertilizing the soil after growing tomatoes should be done in the fall, as this plant significantly depletes the soil.

A stronger fertilizer should be applied when planting in soil that has already grown several generations of nightshades. Plants should be spaced 0.6-0.7 m apart near a pre-installed support. Stems should be tied when "Thumbelina" reaches 30 cm in height.

The main manipulations when caring for a plant:

• loosening the soil;
• removal of stepsons;
• tying up stems.

The need for mulching will be indicated by the soil drying out. Fertilizing periods:

• bloom;
• formation of ovaries;
• fetal formation.

You can use inorganic fertilizers - Rastvorin, Magnesium sulfate, Kemira Universal 2 and organic ones - humus or peat.

Reviews from gardeners

Ekaterina Nikolaevna, 65 years old. Moscow region:

"I initially decided to plant them out of curiosity, to see what these miracle tomatoes were like. I left the bushes with a single stem. I didn't dare plant 2-3 stems; you can't grow them very fast on the balcony. It turned out that the clusters of ripened tomatoes look very decorative, like beads. The fruits themselves are 2-3 cm in size, and I counted 17 in total. The tomatoes were tasty and slightly sweet. I didn't really like them, but my family and children really enjoyed them. We harvested the crop even after the children had already started school; it bears fruit for a long time."

Tatyana, 39 years old. Rostov-on-Don:

"I became interested in this variety because the seed store recommended it as resistant to various diseases and other tomato problems. I planted several plants and allowed all the tomatoes to grow on a single stem. They grew lush and had uniform tomatoes. Very tasty and neat. It's a shame that it's a hybrid plant and I can't collect seeds for next year. I'll have to buy them again."

Ivan Matveevich, 67 years old. Tver:

"I really liked the variety in the picture. I was really hoping that mine would turn out just like this. I followed the instructions, but I didn't know if I overwatered the seedlings or didn't give them enough light. Some of the seedlings wilted, but the remaining three thrived. I nursed them back to health and harvested a very good crop. Next time, I'll try to get the promised 4.7 kg per square meter."

Thumbelina tomatoes are a great alternative to the usual large varieties. These small fruits boast a rich flavor. These neat fruits look much more elegant on the table, whether fresh or canned.