Tomato Grotto: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation and opinion of gardeners with a photo

Tomato variety Grotto was developed by Russian breeders in 1994. It is characterized by a compact size, the height of the bush does not exceed 40 cm. Due to this, it can be easily grown on a balcony, which allows it to be planted by urban residents who do not have their own summer cottage. The volume of the plant is also small, the branches and leaves are oversized.

Tomato Grotto is designed for outdoor cultivation, however, nothing prevents planting it in greenhouses and greenhouses. Those who have planted this variety say that there it will yield even earlier, and the fruiting period will last until September-October, depending on the region.The variety is considered early ripe, you can start harvesting after 110-120 days, counting from sowing the seeds.

No special care required, due to the low height of the bushes, they do not need a garter.

The flowers are simple, small, the stalk has a joint. The first inflorescence is formed above the 6-7th leaf, then the rest follow in a chaotic manner.

Description of the fruit is as follows: tomatoes are round or oval in shape, the surface is smooth, the color is bright red. An unripe tomato is green in color, darkening can be found at the stalk. Their weight is approximately 50 grams, the yield per square meter is from 3.5 to 5 kg. The taste of tomatoes is sweet-sour, the taste is good. The variety is universal, suitable for pickling, fresh consumption, salads or juice. Fruits tend to ripen after harvest. But they also quietly ripen on the bush.

This variety is affected by the following diseases:

• late blight;
• septoria;
• macrosporism;
• black bacterial spot;
• slight rot.

This characteristic inspires confidence and a desire to try growing this variety of tomato in your garden.

Care

Gardeners grew this tomato both in the open field and in the greenhouse. A characteristic feature of the Grotto is considered to be limited growth. After the appearance of the first fruits, the stem stops growing, and all the energy of the plant is directed to the nutrition of the fruits. The variety forms 5-7 fruiting branches.

To ensure that the harvest does not disappoint, it is necessary to properly care for the plant. Care includes the following activities:

1. Staging - it is necessary to rid the bush of excess shoots, they do not bear fruit, but take away nutrients. Overloading the plant with useless twigs will slow down the growth of tomatoes.
2. Garter - despite the small growth, the plant still needs a procedure, tying the stem ensures its stability, so that the fruits will be in limbo without touching the ground.

Due to the rapid maturation of the Grotto tomato variety, it is suitable even for cultivation in northern regions.

Low-growing varieties do not plant immediately in the ground, it is necessary to sow seedlings, otherwise the growth of the plant will slow down, and the crop can only be harvested at the end of summer. It is recommended to sow in March, it is at this time that the bush begins to grow intensively, as the sun illuminates them longer. The formation of the first brushes can be seen in late April - early May.

Before planting, tomatoes must be hardened so that they quickly adapt to a new place. Already with the advent of the first shoots, the temperature should be reduced to 16-18 degrees. The room must be ventilated, and from the end of May you can take them outside for the whole day.

In addition, seedlings need to be fed with special products that can be found in specialized stores. Soil moisture should be moderate, too much water will rot the roots of the plant.

The soil must be periodically loosened, and if the stem is very long in growth, it can be piled up to make it more stable.

Reviews

Reviews of summer residents about this variety are positive, many say that with proper care it gives a high yield, and fruiting lasts from June until the end of the season.

Marina: I planted Grotto for the first time last year, I rated the taste of tomato at 4, more sourness than sugar, the yield pleased me, I collected about 10 kg from a small area.

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