Tomato Ogorodnik: characteristics, variety description, reviews

The Ogorodnik tomato is the result of fruitful breeding by Russian experts, adapted to temperate climates in central Russia and resistant to many common nightshade diseases. Its characteristics and photos submitted by vegetable growers indicate that the highest yields are achieved when grown in greenhouses.

The Ogorodnik tomato demonstrates excellent performance in the greenhouse. The variety description and reviews posted on Russian farmers' forums, photos of luxurious fruits grown in greenhouse conditions, and the high yield from bushes reaching up to 2 meters in height in the greenhouse attest to this variety's many advantages. The inflorescences and fruits after every third leaf are enough to convince any novice gardener to take on this Russian miracle of selection.

An additional advantage of this variety is its resistance to weather conditions, pests, and long-term fruiting. It performs excellent in greenhouses, and in open ground it rivals the most well-known and widespread varieties, while significantly surpassing some in terms of flavor.

The yield is even higher considering that the Ogorodnik bush produces fruit continuously from mid-July until frost. With careful and professional care, a greenhouse yield of 11 to 13 kg is possible, while an open field yield of 5.5 to 6 kg is possible. However, even the five kg yield per square meter that a novice gardener can achieve is still an excellent result.

Characteristics and description of the variety

The Ogorodnik variety is obtained and grown in the Russian Federation, and one of its positive characteristics is its high content of magnesium and cobalt, iron, potassium, and zinc. It retains these beneficial properties even when grown in greenhouses, giving doctors in temperate climates grounds to recommend Ogorodnik for certain gastrointestinal conditions.

For heart and vascular diseases and iron deficiency anemia, it is used as part of a therapeutic diet, essential for obtaining vitamins and minerals. In greenhouse conditions, the bush grows from 1.5 to 2 meters, which significantly facilitates the work of those harvesting the crop. However, this height means that this tomato variety requires specialized support.

Without proper support, it will simply collapse under the weight of large, bright red fruits, which, under optimal conditions, reach 130-140 g and grow in large quantities under every third leaf from the top inflorescence.

This mid-season, semi-determinate tomato variety has a relatively short ripening period (no more than 113 days, and in good weather, 107 is enough). It is a vigorous plant even in open ground, if the seedlings are grown according to the rules, and planting is carried out on favorable days according to the lunar calendar.

In open ground, it also stands out among plantings of other varieties, with its tall and strong bush (from 1.4 to 1.6 m), slightly corrugated leaves of a lighter shade than is typical for tomatoes, large inflorescences in the region of 8-9 leaves, and clusters of fruits located every 3 leaves.

This is due to its versatile use at different times of the year in temperate climates. In greenhouses, it is grown as an early variety for food and table use, and when planted outdoors, it offers an excellent opportunity to preserve tomatoes for the winter in the form of juice, vegetable salads, and tomato paste.

This variety boasts excellent long-term transportability and maintains its marketable appearance, an attractive, vibrant fruit color, and excellent flavor. With a large greenhouse and a large garden plot, it can easily be grown commercially, as it is popular with consumers.

Reviews from those who planted Ogorodnik in moderate and warm climates indicate that, with proper agricultural practices and optimal weather conditions, particularly diligent vegetable growers were able to obtain yields of up to 7.4 kg per square meter. This was achieved with low fertilizer costs and virtually no chemical spraying, which was unnecessary due to the tomatoes' high resistance to tobacco mosaic and moderate resistance to late blight.

It is also noted that even seeds from Siberian producers, obtained from a variety grown in cold conditions, yielded a harvest in 90-105 days in warmer regions. To achieve this, plastic cover was used in the first weeks after planting, and the seedlings were grown in an unheated permanent greenhouse. The Gosstandart standard suggests the variety is optimal for both plastic and greenhouse conditions, but this distinction is arbitrary: the variety is perfectly suited to both types of cultivation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Like most varieties from Russian breeders, grown using specialized methods to achieve resistance to weather conditions and pests, Ogorodnik is a version in which the positive properties outweigh minor negatives. Russian forums for experienced and novice vegetable growers highlight the positive qualities of the variety, the plant, and the harvest:

• the bush is tall, requires tying, but makes harvesting easier and requires only minor pinching, unlike other determinate varieties;
• tomatoes with excellent taste, minimal dry matter content and sugar content of more than 4.4%;
• The tomatoes have a completely traditional shape, ideal smooth glossy skin, a wonderful rich red hue - everything that is required for lovers of classic, tasty and inexpensive varieties;
• harvested before frost, in a state of technical ripeness, they are able to ripen independently under the right storage conditions, while maintaining their marketable appearance and nutrients;
• The variety tolerates transportation well and can be a good option for industrial cultivation on a large and small scale due to its low cost and excellent yield;
• When canned, it preserves its flavor characteristics, and when used in the preparation of juices and tomatoes, it provides the necessary consistency of the product, thanks to its rich sugar content and low dry matter content:
• There are relatively few seeds in the fruits, which makes collecting the seed material somewhat difficult, but improves its suitability for consumption.

Experienced vegetable growers who have been working with Ogorodnik for years note that with proper seedling planting and proper growing conditions, fruits in open ground can reach 250-300 g. And if some ovaries are removed and the most viable ones left, the resulting tomatoes can be giants, weighing over half a kilogram and containing increased amounts of nutrients.

Features of growing and caring for the variety, planting seedlings

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is possible year-round. This is facilitated by their high resistance to late blight, fusarium, stolbur, and tobacco mosaic virus, as well as minimal need for additional fertilizer. Those who have grown tomatoes in a greenhouse say that one-time fertilizer can be replaced with containers of liquid manure. The plants absorb nutrients directly through their stems and leaves, through evaporation and photosynthesis.

To determine the timing of planting seedlings in open ground in areas prone to late frosts, you can use the lunar calendar for a specific region and a long-term weather forecast. The seedling planting date is set 60-65 days before the frosts in the open ground end and the soil warms up slightly.

Seedlings must be hardened off before planting, and for the first week after planting, they must be covered with film on the ground to avoid the negative effects of temperature changes.

Ogorodnik is an excellent domestic variety for moderate and harsh climates, bred by Russian originators for cultivation in permanent greenhouses, open ground, and under film, and deserves the utmost attention when choosing new varieties for cultivation.