Tomato Rocket

Tomato Raketa, although it has been known for a very long time, is still loved by gardeners, despite many new interesting hybrid varieties. It is impossible not to appreciate and not remember it, even against the background of modern analogues with improved quality characteristics. Basically, tomato is valuable not so much for its taste and appearance, but for its stability. With any planting option, the variety gives excellent results.

Tomato Raketa is the result of the selection of Russian specialists at the Krymsk Experimental Breeding Station A. N. Lukyanchenko and S. F. Gavrish, who created the variety at the end of the third quarter of the last century. The application for registration was received in 1975, and the culture appeared in the State Register of Breeding Achievements only five years later.

A tomato called Raketa is a determinant variety. The plant is undersized, does not grow higher than 80 cm. Due to its compact size, it is possible to save space on the site with it. The bush has weak foliage with dark green leaves. This feature allows the fruit to receive a sufficient amount of sunlight.

The inflorescence of the Raketa variety is simple with the following characteristics of laying: the first inflorescence is above 5-6 leaves, and the subsequent ones - after 1-2 leaves.

Ripe fruits are red, oblong-plum-shaped and fully correspond to the name of the variety. The fruits are medium-sized, the weight of one medium tomato is 34-58 grams. Up to 6 fruits are tied in a brush. The skin on them is smooth and dense, does not crack in bad weather with moderate precipitation. The fleshy and dense pulp contains 2, sometimes 3 chambers with soft seeds.

The taste tasters rate tomatoes at 3.8-4 points on a special rating scale. In this case, the maximum indicator is 5 points. But gardeners and tomato lovers appreciate them for the compacted pulp with a pleasant taste and gentle sourness.

Tomatoes are medium early in terms of ripening. It is 100-105 days. At the same time, the fruiting of the variety is extended over time. The appearance of the first fruits occurs in July-August, and tomatoes continue to ripen for 55-60 days, until the first decade of September.

The yield of tomatoes of this variety is considered high. When grown on an industrial scale, farmers manage to remove up to 600 c / ha, not counting small tomatoes that ripen over time. In private farms, the yield is about 6.5 kg / m2 or 1.5-2 kg from each bush. The Raketa tomato shows such productivity not only in closed ground conditions, but also when grown in open ground.

Sowing for seedlings is carried out from March 20 to April 10. Tomato seedlings are usually planted in the ground from May 15 to June 5.

Maintain a distance between solanaceous bushes in a row of about 0.4 m, with a row spacing of 0.5 m.

Agrotechnics for growing the famous Raketa variety are used typical for all tomatoes of the determinant type. It doesn't matter if they are grown in or outside the greenhouse.

In the southern regions of the country, tomatoes are grown in open areas, without shelter for the winter. In the climate of the middle lane and other regions with similar weather conditions, they are grown in greenhouses. In areas with a cold climate, the Raketa variety grows in heated greenhouses.

Seeds are sown in pots or other containers about a couple of months before planting seedlings in the ground in the garden. Seedling care is not difficult. These are typical manipulations carried out in a traditional way:

• a temporary drop in temperature at the first sprouts;

• picking 10–12-day-old shoots;

• moderate watering and a couple of dressings.

The cultivar requires intense nutrition, which it takes from the soil. He needs fertilizing with fertilizers with a high potassium content.

Seedlings must be hardened before planting in the garden. Tomatoes are planted in a heated substrate. In greenhouse conditions, with successful care, tomatoes grow more intensively. In this regard, the bushes need to be planted at a greater distance. Although recently planting determinant varieties in the greenhouse is not practiced. To save volume, they tend to grow tall tomatoes under the film.

After the Rockets have landed in an open area, they are watered. If night frosts are likely, the plants are covered with non-woven cloth or polyethylene.

Caring for tomatoes would be quite typical if not for their increased requirement for micronutrients and moisture. Water the plants with water slightly warmed up under the sun. Each bush takes 2-5 liters of warm water. Its consumption depends on the weather and the stage of development of the tomato crop.

Only in the first week after planting, the culture does not need watering, and then it should be regular. At the same time, waterlogging on the site is unacceptable. The soil must be kept in a moderately moist state, until the very beginning of the ripening of the tomatoes. As soon as the skin on the fruit starts to turn red, watering stops.

Tomatoes are fertilized with potassium mixed with wood ash during planting. You need to feed the bushes during the growth period. After two weeks, they need to be fertilized with phosphorus (40 g of superphosphate are diluted in a bucket of water, calculated for a couple of dozen bushes). After another 14 days, in addition to superphosphate, the same amount of potassium sulfate is introduced into the soil. Further, as they grow, the tomatoes are watered with a special ash solution. Foliar dressing also works effectively with the Rocket.

When grown in open areas, the bush is formed into 3-4 stems. It is customary to leave only 2-3 stems in the greenhouse. Bushes should be tied to supports so that the stem is strong and even.

The Raketa variety has sufficient immunity and is not prone to decay of the root system and other types of tomato rot. In this case, the variety can get sick with late blight. To prevent this, it is required to remove and destroy all plant residues in time. It is important to dig in the autumn and spring periods, disinfect the soil and seed material collected from your tomatoes, prevent an increase in soil moisture, and not thicken the plantings.

The Raketa variety is designated as a universal tomato. Fruits are frequent ingredients in salads and appetizers, soups and side dishes. At the same time, in the classification, the variety is said to be canned. In fact, the size and shape of the tomatoes make it possible to use them successfully in whole fruit canning.

Tomatoes ripen amicably and remain on the bushes for a long time without overripe. They are subject to one-time mechanized harvesting. Which is a great advantage in terms of using tomatoes on an industrial scale.

The harvested crop tolerates transportation well over any distance. The fruits can lie for a long time without spoilage in suitable conditions.

Tomatoes are valued by gardeners for their high ability to grow not only in greenhouses, but also in the garden or on the balcony.