"Japanese crab" is a variety of tomato, which is very popular due to its exquisite taste, which distinguishes it from other tomato varieties.
This species, like any other, has a number of features that you should learn about before starting the cultivation of such tomatoes.
Appearance and description of the variety
Growth in tomatoes of this variety is not limited, so the size of tomatoes depends on the conditions and period of cultivation and can be completely different.
But, as a rule, such tomatoes grow quite large. You can grow them both in greenhouse conditions and in open ground or under film shelters.
The bushes of plants have light-green leaves of medium size, reach a height of about 2 meters, 6 brushes can form on each of them.
Fruit Characteristic
According to the description, Japanese Crab tomatoes are easy to distinguish from fruits of other varieties. They are flat-rounded in shape, have fluffy hangers. The color of the tomatoes changes as they ripen from green to pink and crimson, red or yellow.
Fruits are juicy, fleshy, not dense, at the footboard are slightly ribbed. The weight of one tomato is 300-400 g. "Japanese crab" is a high-yielding variety: observing the right agricultural techniques, 11 kg of tomatoes can be collected from one m2 of planting.
Get acquainted with such varieties of tomatoes as "Pink Stella", "Sugar Pudovik", "Bear Paw", "Troika", "Eagle Beak", "President", "Klusha", "Rio Fuego", "Alsou", " Auria "," Lazy ".
The advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Based on reviews of farmers and gardeners, the following advantages of this variety can be identified:
- resistance to the most common diseases;
- taste qualities. Most gardeners note the superiority of the Japanese Crab tomato flavor over other tomato varieties;
- seed germination - more than 95%, which is a very high indicator of their quality;
- high adaptability to various climatic features. Since this variety was bred specifically for cultivation in Siberia, known for its harsh weather conditions, this feature is its main advantage.
Important! The fact that the "Japanese Crab" was bred for cultivation in the harsh Siberian conditions may adversely affect the possibility of successful cultivation in the southern regions. An ideal place for such tomatoes are areas with sharply continental climatic conditions.
As for the shortcomings, there are not so many of them from the "Japanese Crab". Allocate only the need for strict adherence to the norms of planting seeds and constant proper care of plants.
Agrotechnology
The yield of tomatoes "Japanese Crab" is directly dependent on the technology of planting and growing seeds, so it is important to comply with agricultural practices and know the basic rules of caring for the bushes.
The fastidiousness in the care, which is the main and only drawback of this variety, can affect the end result of the cultivation of tomatoes.
Seed preparation, planting seeds and care for them
Growing this crop, most often resort to the seedling method, since planting seeds immediately in open ground does not give the expected results.
In order for sprouts to emerge from the seeds, before planting, they must be kept for several days (2-3) in a not very concentrated solution of potassium permanganate, and then washed.
The most suitable month for planting seeds is March (8-10th number). The sowing depth should be 1 cm. After the appearance of 2 leaves, the plants need a pick.
Did you know? The world's largest tomato was grown by Gordon Graham in Edmond in the mid-1980s. Its weight was 3.51 kg. The same person grew a tomato bush, whose height reached 16 m. It was also reported that in 347 days they had grown more than 12,000 tomatoes on one bush.
Seedling and planting in the ground
From the greenhouse, equipped with heating, seedlings can be planted in April, if the greenhouse film, you must wait until 65 days after planting the seeds, and only then repot the bushes.
As a rule, this is the beginning of May. Such tomatoes need space, so no more than 4 plants should be used per m2, both in the greenhouse and after - in open soil.
The soil in the greenhouse should be regularly moistened before the first shoots. Also important is the daily ventilation of the covered vegetable garden.
At a permanent place seedlings need to be planted, following the simple rules:
- It is desirable that in the soil in which you plan to plant "Japanese crab", before this legumes, cabbage, cucumbers, onions or carrots grow. Not desirable so that the precursor of tomatoes in the soil was potatoes, eggplant or pepper.
- The earth should be loosened and soaked with nutrients. The best soil is loamy.
Care and watering
The main features of the Japanese Crab variety tomato care:
- proper watering is important: early in the morning or after sunset at the root or in the wells with lukewarm water;
- bushes need a garter, because under the weight of the fruit they fall to the ground, where they are more exposed to pests and do not get enough sunlight or just break.
It is necessary to build structures to maintain the plants on weight. It can be trellis, located vertically or horizontally. Horizontal trellis allows you to tie up the tomatoes as they grow. With the help of vertical trellis you can save space on the site;
- as for staving, this type of tomato should be grown in 1-2 stems, the second of which is formed from the stepson under the initial brush.
The remaining stepchildren must be broken by hand, leaving a small “stump”, about a centimeter long, to prevent the formation of a new shoot. Masking is best done in the morning, without removing more than three additional shoots at one time;
- excess leaves that can evaporate excess moisture and take a share of nutrients need to be trimmed. Such tomatoes can grow like creepers, mail without having leaves on them.
Pests and diseases
Despite the fact that the Japanese Crab variety of tomatoes was bred for cultivation in harsh conditions and is quite resistant to the most common diseases, adherence to the rules of cultivation and care may not be enough to produce a large crop.
Preventing pests and preventing the occurrence of plant diseases are also important.
Important! In no case can not water the plants on top, it can cause fungal diseases.
To avoid phytophthora or cladosporiosis, it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature in the greenhouse and not exceed the desired level of moisture.
It is also necessary to spray a mixture of pharmaceutical iodine with milk (a liter of milk and 25 drops of iodine per bucket of water). If you have already noticed signs of the disease (brown spots with a whitish bloom on fruits with late blight or on leaves with cladosporia) in a plant, it needs to be processed every three days:
- from phytophtoras - by ash, Trichopol or Fitosporin;
- from cladosporiosis - drugs with a high concentration of copper.
Conditions for maximum fruiting
To achieve the highest possible yield of tomatoes, it is recommended to fertilize the soil. Stimulants need to be made no more than 3 times during the growing season, if done more often, the leaves will begin to grow more rapidly, which will reduce the number of ovaries on the bushes.
Complex fertilizers enriched with useful microelements are best suited. Maintaining a balance of nutrients is important in a changing weather.
In the heat of the tomatoes need more nitrogen than in cloudy weather, when they are in need of potassium due to lack of sunlight.
It is also possible to increase the level of yield and reduce the need for moisture by mulching the beds with mowed grass, weeds, sawdust or paper, which rot and fertilize the soil.
Fruit use
Tomato variety "Japanese Crab" is the most popular type used in salads. Due to the small number of seeds and the density of the pulp, these tomatoes perfectly retain their shape, giving the culinary products a good look.
The same feature makes it possible to prepare snacks using these tomatoes. Also "Japanese Crab" is great for canning, cooking lecho, sauces and juices, tomato paste.
Did you know? Tomatoes - vegetables that are now present in the diet of almost every person, were initially considered poisonous, posing a threat to the life of the person who consumes them. In Europe, they were bred for a long time as exotic ornamental plants that can decorate a house or garden. The French planted them around pavilions, the British even grew tomatoes in greenhouses.Thus, if you follow the technique of growing and properly care for tomatoes, you can get a big crop of tomatoes, the excellent taste of which has already been noted by many experienced gardeners. Tomatoes varieties "Japanese Crab" can be not only a delicious decoration of the table, but also a good juice or sauce.