Characteristics and description of the tomato "Little Red Riding Hood"

This variety is suitable for open ground, greenhouses, and even balconies. It is an early variety with excellent yields.

About the variety

This tomato is a determinate variety. The bushes grow no more than 70 cm tall, so they don't require support or staking. It's an early-ripening variety with a good yield. Ripening time ranges from 80 to 100 days. One bush yields at least 2 kg. The tomatoes grow in clusters, each bearing three to five fruits. The tomatoes are flat-round, weighing approximately 70 grams, and are red-orange in color. The red cap has a pleasant sweet flavor with a hint of tartness. The fruits have juicy flesh, thin skin, and a few seeds.

Pros and cons

Let's note right away that this variety has no downsides. These tomatoes are excellent in many ways:

1. High yield.
2. Resistance to cold and diseases.
3. Good taste.
4. Containing numerous beneficial substances, including amino acids, tomatoes are used in baby food and dietary supplements.

Resistance to parasites and pests

Red Riding Hood delights gardeners with its resistance to various diseases. These tomatoes are resistant to late blight and early blight. No pesticides are required to protect the plants. Immunity is built into the plants' genes.

In the fight against pests, it's best to help the plants. Tomatoes can be threatened by aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, and thrips. Before the ovaries appear, it's worth treating the plants with insecticides several times. Later, folk remedies can be used. Chamomile, onion peel, and celandine infusions are effective preventative measures.

Growing area

This variety is highly adaptable to a variety of conditions. It tolerates short-term temperature drops. It is grown throughout Russia, with the highest yields achieved in regions with cooler climates.

Features of cultivation and care

This variety is best grown from seedlings. The best time to plant tomatoes in the garden is the second half of May. When choosing a location for tomatoes, avoid areas where eggplants, potatoes, or bell peppers were previously grown.

Tomatoes do not require painstaking care.

Fertilize the plants after the shoots emerge. Cow manure, chicken manure, and potassium salts are all suitable for this purpose. You can use one or all of these fertilizers at once.

Water the plants infrequently but thoroughly. Wait until the soil dries out before watering again. To prevent waterlogged fruits, reduce watering once the flowers appear.

To enrich the soil with oxygen, it is necessary to systematically loosen the soil surface.

Purpose of the variety

Red Riding Hood tomatoes are used in a variety of dishes. They are delicious in salads, stews, soups, juices, ketchups, adjika, sauces, and vegetable dressings. They are best preserved while green. Ripe tomatoes crack when exposed to high temperatures.

Preparing seedlings

Seeds for seedlings are sown in late February – early March. It's best to use seeds that are two to three years old. They have a better germination rate than those from the previous year. Many people follow the lunar calendar when planting.

The seeds can be pre-soaked in a growth stimulant (three hours is sufficient). To improve their protective properties, they can be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The ideal soil for seedlings is a mixture of garden soil and humus, mixed 1:1. You can also "dilute" the soil with a small amount of river sand and peat.

To ensure good germination, you need to create comfortable conditions—sufficient light and warmth. Before sprouting, the recommended temperature is 22 to 25 degrees Celsius, and after sprouting, around 17 degrees Celsius. It's important to remember that excessive moisture is harmful to plants. It can cause root death and the appearance of fruit flies.

After 2-4 leaves appear on the sprouts, the plants are pricked out.

After 15 days from transplanting, it's a good idea to feed the plants. The plants can obtain the necessary nutrients from a solution of water and nitrophoska (add 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water). The plants can also be fed with urea, manure, wood ash, or yeast. The feeding can be repeated after another 2 weeks.

To prepare seedlings for garden conditions, harden them off well in advance. First, regularly ventilate the room, then move the pots to the balcony. This will make the plants more resilient to various weather conditions. It's important not to overdo it. If the air temperature is below 8 degrees Celsius, hardening off should be postponed.

Reviews

Vitaly Luzhin, Yekaterinburg:

I use Red Riding Hood for pickling. I really like this variety – the entire bush is covered in tomatoes, you just have to pick them fast. No staking or maintenance required, and the taste is amazing!

 

Elena Krichkina, Kazan:

I've only been planting this variety for two years, but I've already formed an opinion about it. I'm happy that it doesn't need side-sonning, and it ripens earlier than other varieties. From July until the end of August, the whole family has tomatoes. This year, we pickled 30 jars for the winter. The juice is also excellent.

Anna Nemova, Balashikha:

I read that this variety is suitable for growing on a balcony and decided to give it a try. I planted it according to the same schedule as for open ground, transplanted the seedlings into large pots, and placed them on the balcony in early May. The bushes grew small but strong and produced fruit well. I was surprised by how quickly they ripened, several weeks earlier than expected. I enjoyed the experience and will definitely repeat it next season.

Valery Sladkov, Ryazan:

I tried planting these tomatoes for the first time last summer. The variety lived up to all my expectations. The plants are small and completely covered with fruit. The tomatoes are so delicious! And most importantly, the canned tomatoes survived the winter perfectly, without a single cloudy appearance.