Tomato Zhenechka: characteristics and description of the variety, yield, reviews

Growing a decent harvest in the open ground in the Urals is every gardener's dream. After all, the process depends not only on skill but also on challenging weather conditions: fluctuating day and night temperatures and a short warm period. Therefore, choosing the right seeds for planting requires careful consideration. The "Zhenechka" tomato is the right choice for planting in this region.

To grow tomatoes outdoors in the Urals, it's important to choose varieties with a short growing season of 80-100 days. The "Zhenechka" tomato can be grown both outdoors and indoors.

Description of the variety

The Zhenechka tomato is a super-early variety suitable for growing in the risky farming zones of the Urals and Siberia. This variety is suitable for growing outdoors in short summers, allowing the fruits time not only to form but also to ripen.

Characteristics of the variety

1. The plant is determinate, not spreading, and compact. The bush height is 35-45 cm.
2. Branching and foliage are average.
3. Does not require formation.
4. Super early variety: from germination to the beginning of fruit ripening 80-87 days.
5. Fruiting is uniform and stable.
6. The fruits form close to the stem. There are only 3-4 clusters with fruits weighing 80-100 g.
7. The fruits are fleshy, slightly ribbed towards the stalk, red, round.
8. The pulp of the fruit melts in your mouth, sweet with a slight sourness.
9. Yield 3-4 kg per bush.
10. Resistance to late blight.

Timing of planting seedlings

For the Urals and Siberia, it's best to plant seedlings in the ground without fear of frost after June 4-10. Tomato seedlings are ready for planting at 54-60 days old. Knowing this, it's easy to calculate the optimal sowing time: April 6-10.

Features of growing and caring for the variety

Before you start planting tomatoes, you need to prepare the following materials and tools.

1. Directly the seeds of the Zhenechka tomato.
2. Priming.
3. Container for planting seeds.

To ensure uniform germination, pre-sowing seed culling and treatment are necessary. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 200 ml of water and add the seeds. Some seeds will sink and should be dried and planted; the remaining seeds will float to the surface and should be discarded. Before sowing, soak the seeds in a solution of stimulants or micronutrients for 6 hours.

You can prepare your own soil from a mixture of disinfected turf, compost, peat, and ash. If the soil isn't light enough, add sand or coconut coir. You can buy soil specifically for nightshades at the store. Growing seedlings in peat pellets is becoming increasingly popular.

The soil substrate for growing Zhenechka tomatoes should be moisture-absorbing, breathable, rich in essential microelements, and have a good lumpy structure.

Various containers are used for sowing: these can be seedling trays or plastic cups. Containers should be thoroughly washed and disinfected, especially if reused. Any containers should have drainage holes, otherwise the seedlings will be susceptible to blackleg disease.

You can grow tomato seedlings for open ground, just like other varieties and hybrids. It's preferable to grow the Zhenechka tomato variety without picking.

1. Fill the prepared container with soil and water generously with warm water.
2. Place the seeds 1-1.5 cm deep into the soil and cover with soil.
3. Place the pots in a warm, bright place and cover with a transparent material, such as glass or film.
4. After a week, seedlings will appear; the film must be removed immediately and the temperature reduced to 14-16°C.
5. Additional lighting is necessary to prevent seedlings from stretching.
6. Reduce the temperature by ventilating the room, preventing drafts. Lower temperatures will prevent the seedlings from stretching and accelerate root development.
7. After 5-6 days from emergence, the temperature is increased again to 22-25°C and the weaker plant is removed.
8. Care for seedlings consists of regular watering followed by loosening the soil. The soil mixture should be 70-80% moisture.

Before planting outdoors, seedlings are hardened off (accustomed to conditions similar to those of open ground). In the Urals, hardening off begins as early as early May, avoiding direct sunlight. Temperatures should not fall below 10°C. While hardening off seedlings, the soil in the pots should be moistened; otherwise, the leaves will turn yellow and wilt, and in the worst case, blackleg can occur.

Tomatoes can be grown in one place for no more than 2-3 years, with the mandatory addition of organic fertilizers at a rate of at least 10 kg per 1 sq.m.

The best predecessors for tomatoes grown outdoors are cucumbers, cabbage, and onions. It's not recommended to plant them in a bed previously occupied by nightshades. Firm, bright green, not elongated seedlings with 7-9 leaves are the key to a good harvest.

Tomato seedlings are ready for planting in the ground once stable air temperatures have been reached. These should be at least +8°C. The optimal soil temperature for tomatoes is +12°C. To obtain an earlier harvest, some gardeners prepare tunnels with covering material or film, especially if there is a risk of night frosts. By early June, there is no longer any need for covering.

1. Landing takes place in cloudy weather or at sunset.
2. The seedlings are planted in ridges or on a flat surface.
3. The planting pattern is 70 x 30 cm. Space 6-8 plants per square meter. Avoid dense plantings, as this will result in insufficient light for each plant, resulting in reduced yields.
4. It is necessary to add rotted manure, mineral fertilizers, ash to the holes and water them generously with warm water.
5. When planting, the plants are deepened, leaving 6-7 leaves, the rest are torn off.
6. If the seedlings have outgrown their roots, dig horizontal trenches and lay the stems in them, after removing the leaves. Six to seven leaves will remain on the surface.
7. If necessary, plants are further hilled to form new roots.
8. The Zhenechka tomato is tied to vertical supports, otherwise it may fall over under the weight of the crop.
9. There is no need to shape the bushes, but after the first brush has formed, the lower yellowed leaves can be cut off.
10. Further care consists of regular watering once every 7 days, weeding, and fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. Fertilizing should only be done after a thorough watering.

The main purpose of the variety and its stability

Tomatoes of this variety are ideal for salads, stewing, baking and canning; they can also be consumed fresh.

The variety boasts high resistance to diseases and adverse conditions. The Zhenechka tomato is an early-ripening variety, with the main harvest occurring in late June. Therefore, it is not affected by the August cold spell, and therefore is immune to late blight.

This Siberian variety was bred specifically for productive cultivation in the Urals and Siberia and is resistant to weather fluctuations. If there is a risk of fungal diseases, treat the plants with a phytosporin solution diluted according to the instructions.

Reviews from gardeners

Irina Mikhailovna, 56 years old. Ural:

"I've been growing the Zhenechka tomato for several years now. It's the tastiest variety for early eating, with a slightly tart flavor. It has a very thin skin and amazing flesh."

Elena Ivanovna, 67 years old. Samara:

"It tastes just like childhood. It's especially nice to pick red tomatoes straight from the vine and eat them when they're still green in the greenhouse. There are so many different varieties now, it's impossible to try them all, so I'm planting a few hybrids to try (Alsou, Nepasynkuyuschiysya s Nosik). Some grow well, some not so much, but the Zhenechka variety always saves the day. With it, you'll never run out of tomatoes, even if other varieties fail. I recommend it to everyone."

Vera Lvovna, 71 years old. Sverdlovsk region:

"I read your comments and wanted to share my thoughts. I live in the Sverdlovsk region, so I try to buy tomatoes bred in Siberia, as our weather is unpredictable. I really like the Zhenechka variety from Sibirsky Sad, the Ekstremal from Biotekhnika, and the Monti hybrid from Agros. I especially like the Zhenechka variety. The fruits are uniform, the shoots emerge evenly, and there's no need to pinch them out."