Review of an easy-care and fruitful variety of prima donna tomatoes

Among the variety of varieties and hybrids of early ripening tomatoes, it is very difficult to find one that will ideally meet our needs. To make the right choice, you should study all the nuances about the prima donna tomato, which are described in our article.

Description of the variety

Tomato Prima Donna belongs to early maturing determinant hybrids that are suitable for growing both in a greenhouse and in the open field, are highly resistant to the influence of pathogens, which greatly facilitates their care.

Distinctive features

One of the most important characteristics of this hybrid is its high yield and excellent universal taste of the fruit.

The bush is tall, powerful (up to 120 cm in height), requires a strong garter and timely pinching, best of all bears fruit when cultivated in two stems.

The stem is dense, thick, flexible. The leaves are large, densely pubescent, of an emerald hue, the inflorescence is a simple brush. Up to 8 brushes can form on one bush, in each of which up to six fruits are formed and ripen.

Excellent fruit setting ensures high yields, and good resistance to such common tomato diseases as Alternaria and phytosporosis - ease of care.

Fruit characteristics and yield

Fruits are medium in size (weight up to 200 g), rounded (up to 10 cm in diameter) with a sharp tip, rich scarlet hue. The pulp is dense, sweet, with sourness and a pleasant tart aroma, the peel is thin, elastic. The aesthetically attractive fruit of the F1 Prima Donna tomato is made by the absence of a green stalk.

Important characteristics are genetic resistance to cracking and good transportability, which is very important when grown for sale.

The short growing season (only three months) allows this hybrid to be cultivated in regions with cool, short summers, and the resistance to phytosporosis provides excellent yields even during periods of high humidity.

On average, the yield of a Prima Donna from one bush per season can be 8 kg (up to 20 kg / m²) - this applies both to growing in open ground and under film shelters. In regions where summers are long and warm, subject to correct agricultural practices, you can get two harvests per season.

How to grow seedlings

Growing tomato seedlings does not require special skills and is not particularly difficult, the most important thing is consistent, timely actions and careful observation of the plants.

Sowing containers and soil

For sowing seeds for seedlings, it is best to choose special seedling boxes with a side height of up to 15 cm and special drainage holes that will protect the crops from waterlogging.

The soil should be light, fertile, soft and loose, with good carrying capacity. Before sowing, you need to prepare grooves with a depth of 1.5 - 2 cm, which are then thoroughly shed with water.

Sowing the seeds of the Prima Donna F1

Seeds are placed in increments of 2 cm, after which the crops are covered with soil and, using a fine-dispersed sprayer (so as not to move the seeds to the surface with a jet), the crops are well moistened.

Then the crops are covered with foil or glass to maintain a constant temperature and humidity required for seed germination.

Growing and care

After the emergence of seedlings, it is important to ensure that the soil does not dry out, while periodically ventilating the containers with seedlings in order to exclude the appearance of mold on the soil surface. It is best to do this after watering, so that the leaves of young plants do not lose their turgor due to changes in humidity and temperatures.

When the seedlings form two true leaves, it must be dived - that is, transplanted with a wider step to a permanent habitat in the greenhouse (or in separate containers) so that one bush does not interfere with the development of the other. The distance between them should be at least 35 cm. This will allow the root system and the aboveground part to actively develop.

After transplanting the seedlings, it is watered abundantly, and the next day the soil is loosened, which provides improved soil aeration.

How to grow tomatoes

Landing

Ten days before planting seedlings, the beds should be prepared. For this, the site is dug up, the remains of plants, stones and other debris are removed, the surface is leveled, after which planting holes are prepared at the rate of 4 - 5 bushes per square meter.

Seedlings should be planted outdoors when the soil temperature is above + 13 ° C. 15 grams of superphosphate is placed at the bottom of the hole, poured with settled water, after which a support is installed in the planting pit, a root ball is placed next to it, which is carefully covered with soil.

Care

You need to water the prima donna tomatoes two to three times a week, with water at room temperature, the next day the soil must be loosened to ensure proper air exchange and create the necessary conditions for the growth and development of roots.

After fruit formation, the frequency of watering is reduced, otherwise the fruit may be watery and tasteless.

Once every two weeks, feed mineral phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, scattering the granules around the trunk, and then slightly covering them. After that, abundant watering is carried out. It is better not to apply organic fertilizers during the active growing season. If the soil on the site is not very fertile, you should take care of its enrichment with humic substances in the fall.

There is no need to apply nitrogen fertilizers, because they provoke the rapid development of green mass.

Feeding begins 10-14 days after planting in a permanent place.

Weeds should be removed as soon as they emerge so that they do not pull nutrients from the soil and create shade, as well as to prevent the spread of diseases and pests.

Due to the fact that the prima donna tomato bushes reach a great height, they should be tied to the support that was installed during planting without fail. This should be done before flowering, or even better - during planting in open ground, adjusting the garter as the bush grows.

Stepping is an important step in caring for the F1 Prima Donna. For this purpose, the excess green mass is removed, starting from the bottom of the bush with a pruner or a sharp garden knife.

Carry out pinching it is necessary so that active growth and the flow of nutrients are focused on the set fruits. The procedure is carried out with a frequency of once every two weeks throughout the entire active growing season of tomatoes.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

There are no special procedures that are necessary for the cultivation of the prima donna hybrids. The growing algorithm is the same as for other tall tomatoes.

Diseases and pests

The prima donna is resistant to alternaria, late blight, mosaic, but this should not be ruled out prevention: watering with settled water, regular loosening of the soil, preventive soil treatment with Fitosporin solution, spraying the bushes with Bordeaux mixture immediately after transplanting.

Among pests, one should beware of such as:

1. Thrips
2. Colorado beetle.
3. Aphid.
4. Spider mite.

At the first signs of their appearance, you should immediately begin treatment with a broad-spectrum insecticide solution. The working solution is prepared according to the instructions on the package, in compliance with all safety measures.

The nuances of growing in a greenhouse and in the open field

When cultivating Prima Donna tomatoes in a greenhouse, the fruits ripen faster, but this increases the risk of developing powdery mildew and late blight (pathogens of these diseases are actively developing in a closed system).

Therefore, more attention should be paid to prevention: once every 10 days, water the plantings with solutions of fungicides (Maxim, Fitosporin), as well as spray the green mass, regularly ventilate the greenhouse and, if necessary, process the tools.

Harvesting and application of the crop

It is easy to remove large fruits from the bush, gently turning the fruit, or cutting off with a pruner together with the stalk.

Prima Donna tomatoes are universal in use - they are equally good for fresh consumption, their aroma and delicate pleasant taste will become the highlight of any salad, while they are also suitable for heat treatment, for making tomato paste, ketchup, juices, lecho and salads for preservation. An ideal variety for growing in the country!

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Among the advantages of the variety, it is worth highlighting such as:

• high productivity;
• universal use of fruits;
• resistance to common diseases of tomatoes;
• excellent taste of fruits, resistance to cracking;
• good transportability.

The disadvantages include:

• mandatory activities for pinching and tying plants;
• the height of the bush is too high, which is not always convenient both in the greenhouse and in the open field.

However, the taste and unpretentiousness make up a hundredfold all the inconveniences in growing. Especially if the size of the backyard does not allow growing various varieties of tomatoes.

Farmers reviews

1. Oh, delicious tomatoes! For many years I have been planting them in the country - everyone is happy, I will always wind up the juice and eat up salads over the summer! Children are happy to eat straight from the bush! Sweet and juicy Divas.
2. I have probably been planting them for three years. I can say that there are more pluses than minuses: firstly, they never got sick, even in the cold summer, late blight did not attack. Secondly, there are a lot of tomatoes, enough to eat, and freeze, and wind up salads for the winter. Thirdly, the bushes are tall, slender, easy to collect. I plant both in a greenhouse and in the open air, they grow equally well. True, you still have to plant a small-fruited variety in order to twist in a bank.
3. The bushes are healthy, for my taste, the tomatoes are sour, too large for curling. It is inconvenient to look after, you constantly have to peel off the leaves, tie them up. There was a strong wind in the summer - half of the bushes were broken, although I knitted them tightly. Too much fuss, they take up a lot of space in the country. I like short, neat bushes more than such giants.
4. I grow such tomatoes - I don't see anything special. In the greenhouse, yes, it is convenient - they are tall, easier to assemble. I get sick, like all the other varieties that I plant. My husband likes them, he says, they are tasty, so I plant them a little. What is bad - you cannot collect seeds, because these are hybrids. For me it is better to collect my own seeds and not buy any artificial chemistry. But here as to your taste. Someone will like these, someone like our simple varieties.

Growing delicious tomatoes is not the most difficult task for an experienced summer resident. The most important thing is to find a variety or hybrid that suits your tastes. The F1 prima donna is ideal for those who value their time and love to get everything they need from one plant. Namely - tomatoes, which can be eaten fresh, from which delicious juices are obtained, which can be sent as a treat for nonresident relatives.

Video about prima donna tomatoes: