Characteristics and description of the tomato "Winsell"

Tomatoes

The variety was bred in the United States in 1924 by Peter Henderson. By 1926, the new variety had already received approval from over 40,000 people for its impressive size, sweet flavor, and extremely low seed count.

This variety was developed to improve the characteristics of the Panderosa tomato. The original name of the variety is Winsall, but in Russian transliteration it is translated as "Uinsell," or less commonly as "Vinzal" or "Vinsol."

The Winsell variety is considered an excellent choice for growing on your own garden plot.

Description of the plant

Ripe tomatoes are a rich purple-pink or pink-red hue. There are no green spots on the fruit.
The fruits are large, can weigh up to 450-500 g (average weight 12-16 ounces).
The shape of the tomatoes is "beefsteak", in other words, the fruits are flattened at the top and bottom.
The plant is indeterminate, the stem reaches a height of 48-60 inches or 120-150 cm, rarely up to 180 cm.
Leaves are regular in shape.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of these tomatoes are good taste and excellent presentation.

A stumbling block in growing this variety may be the need to order expensive seeds from the United States. This variety is not very common in Russia, and if you try to find seeds at the market or from uncertified sellers, you're likely to end up with counterfeits.

The variety requires constant care, which includes:

growing seedlings;
dive;
pinching out side shoots and shaping the stem;
tying stems to supports;
frequent watering so that the soil does not dry out (but is not waterlogged);
Fertilizing plants with the manufacturer's recommended fertilizers (available in major online stores, or delivered by mail or courier).

Productivity

This variety is considered high-yielding. However, to harvest a large quantity of fruit from the garden, it's important to follow proper cultivation practices and maintain optimal plant conditions. In southern regions, Winsall tomatoes can be grown outdoors, but greenhouses in sunny locations are recommended.

Seed germination rate is 85%.

Uses of Winsall tomatoes

American tomatoes have a very pleasant, delicate flavor with a slight tartness. Their skins are slightly thick, and the flesh is juicy and firm. Large tomatoes are ideal for salads, but are also suitable for making sauces, juice, first and second courses, and sandwiches.

How to Grow Winsell Tomatoes

Like any other variety, these tomatoes have their own growing specifics.

Growing seedlings

Table 1. Features of sowing seeds and growing seedlings.

Condition	Indicators, description
Seeding depth	From ¼ to ½ inch or from 0.6 to 1.2 cm.
Seed germination temperature	+80… +85°F or +26.6… 29.4°С.
Distance between seeds when sowing	1 inch or 2.5-3 cm.
Seed germination rate	7-14 days.
Optimal landing time	Spring (late March or early April).

In the United States, Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix, a lightweight potting mix designed specifically for rapid root development, is used for growing seedlings. This mix can be replaced with a combination of garden soil and compost, pre-sifted, not too dry, but not too wet (crumbly). Epin, a fertilizer, will ensure rapid seed germination.

How to plant seeds for seedlings?

Step 1. Prepare the required number of seedling trays.

Important! It is not recommended to grow Winsell seeds in peat pellets or cups. The best solution is classic plastic seedling boxes or compact "snail" seedling boxes.

Step 2. Fill the cassette cells with soil. Lightly compact it so that 6-10 mm of soil remains above the top of the cell.

Step 3. Empty the seeds from the packet onto a saucer, use tweezers to pick up one seed at a time and place it on the soil surface. No more than two seeds can be placed per cell.

Step 4. Cover the seeds with loose soil and spray with water.

Step 5. Cover the cassette with a lid or film and place it in a warm place, such as on top of a kitchen cabinet, for 2-3 days.

Step 6. Once the seeds have sprouted and green shoots have emerged from the soil, remove the lid and place the seedlings in a bright location. If natural light is weak, it's best to provide supplemental lighting with phytolamps.

Step 7. Water the seedlings at the roots. Make sure the soil is moist, but not waterlogged.

Picking

It's recommended to transplant plants when they reach a height of 4 inches (10 centimeters). To avoid measuring the seedlings daily with a ruler, it's best to use the presence of true leaves as a guide. Once the third true leaf emerges, the seedlings are ready for transplanting.

Water the soil in the cassettes generously. Prepare 0.5-liter cups. Fill them halfway with soil. Remove the seedling from the cassette, along with the root ball, and place it in the cup. Fill with soil and compact it lightly.

Important! During transplanting, do not damage the plant's root system, including pinching.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

It's recommended to plant seedlings in the ground when they reach a height of over 10 inches (25.4 cm). In this case, you can also check the presence of true leaves on the plant. Before planting, each seedling should have more than seven true leaves.

A few days before planting, seedlings must be hardened off in a cool, closed room or a warm greenhouse. Hardening time is gradually increased from 15 minutes to 3-4 hours.

It's recommended to plant seedlings in an unheated greenhouse when daytime temperatures exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 degrees Celsius. Ideally, 2-3 weeks should have passed since the last spring frost.

Soil requirements:

fertile, low acidity;
good drainage.

You can check the soil's acidity using pH strips. The optimal pH is between 6 and 7. If the pH is below 6, add dolomite lime. If the pH is above 7, add granulated sulfur.

It is recommended to fertilize the beds with compost or rotted manure and loosen them thoroughly.

Recommendation! When forming tomato beds, leave 120 cm of space between them.

For fertilizing plants during transplantation The manufacturer recommends a single application of the preparation TOMATOBLASTGranular fertilizer is packaged in 1.8 kg plastic jars and supplied with a measuring spoon. Apply by simply sprinkling two measuring spoons of the dry product around the stem and watering it from above with a watering can. This particular fertilizer has a number of positive qualities: its components are carefully balanced, do not burn plant roots, are environmentally safe, and increase plant resistance to diseases and pests.

Caring for tomatoes in a greenhouse

The best yields from Winsel tomatoes are achieved when the bush is trained to one or two stems. Experienced gardeners recommend following these guidelines when removing side shoots:

Work should be done with gloves. To prevent the transfer of possible infection from one bush to another, gloves should be rinsed in a solution of potassium permanganate after removing shoots from each stem.
It is better to remove stepchildren in the morning and in good weather;
Stepchildren that have reached a length of 4-5 cm are subject to removal;
to prevent a new shoot from growing in place of the removed shoot, the shoot is not broken off at the base, but pinched, leaving a short stem up to 1.5 cm long;
Stepchildren should not be allowed to grow longer than 7 cm. Removing such shoots is stressful for the plant;
Side-sonning should not be done on the day of fertilization or the day after. It's best to wait at least 3 days after fertilization.

To prevent the stems from breaking under the weight of the heavy fruit, they are tied to supports with twine. The supports should be at least 150 cm high.

Winsell tomatoes are sensitive to soil moisture. Water the plants with warm, settled water in the morning. Avoid splashing water on the leaves.

Fertilizing tomatoes with Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble Tomato Plant Food is recommended every 2-3 weeks. Use 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per 4 liters of water. Water the tomatoes with this solution every 2 weeks.

To maintain optimal soil moisture and prevent weed growth, mulch the area around the stems with straw, hay, or mown grass.

Harvesting

The first harvest is collected after 60-90 days (these are approximate dates; in central Russia, the ripening period will be several days longer).

Note! To speed up the ripening of tomatoes, experienced gardeners remove the lower leaves. To do this, pick all the leaves below the cluster of tomatoes that have already reached the desired size but are still green. Do not remove more than three leaves at a time.

It is better not to pick ripe tomatoes, but to cut them from the branches with scissors.

Large tomatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place, preferably dry. Wrapping the tomatoes individually in paper will extend their shelf life.

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Reviews

Alevtina, Rostov-on-Don

"Vinzal" was a godsend for me. I ordered seeds from the collector Valentina Goncharova at my own risk. There were 10 seeds in a paper bag. I placed them on damp cotton pads, waited for them to sprout, and then planted them in a "snail" pot. I transplanted the seedlings into the greenhouse. My tomatoes ripened longer than expected. I would classify the variety as mid-late rather than early. The taste of the tomatoes is, of course, beyond praise, with very tender, aromatic flesh. I am 100% satisfied.

Vitaly, Krasnodar Krai

This variety has a very high yield. The tomatoes themselves weigh 300-500 grams. My children (they live and work in the US) sent me the seeds, and I ordered the fertilizer and soil separately from Amazon. The tomatoes have a sweet, watermelon-like flesh. I collected seeds from the previous harvest and will grow this large-fruited variety again.