Tomatoes King of the giants: description, agricultural cultivation

Tomato King of the Giants is a young variety, but in less than ten years, he managed to gain fame and love gardeners. From the article you will learn how the tomato managed to become a favorite, what features are inherent in the variety, how to grow such a tomato on the land, and what rules for plant care must be observed in order to get an excellent crop.

History and selection

The Russian breeders worked on the cultivation of the King of Giants variety, and in 2010 their efforts were officially confirmed - the variety received state registration.

Did you know? For the first time in the territory of European countries, tomato appeared in the 16th century thanks to Christopher Columbus. Two centuries later, the vegetable came to our territory and was used as an ornamental plant, because the crop did not have time to ripen due to low temperatures. Often, work on the creation of the King of giants is attributed to Siberian breeders, but this fact is not confirmed by official sources. The reason for this opinion could be Russian companies distributing tomato seeds, including Ural summer resident, Siberian Garden, and NK Russian Garden. Ukrainian and Belarusian producers also sell seeds of this variety.

Grade description

Before buying the King of giants, you need to familiarize yourself with its description, information about the yield, distinguishing characteristics and appearance of the plant, which the manufacturer claims. This will help to determine whether the variety is suitable specifically for your purposes.

Tomato The king of giants is often referred to as universal varieties, the fruits of which can be used in cooking, but this is not so. This variety belongs to salad, and it is advisable to use it fresh. Heat treatment does not affect the taste of tomatoes, but significantly affects the density of the fruit. The pulp of the tomato becomes soft, it can even begin to fall apart, which is why it is worth using the variety in conservation when making lecho, tomato juice and pasta, or sauces.

Important! Often, producers intentionally overestimate the yield and weight of the fruit, so you should focus on the average. For the preservation of whole tomatoes, this variety is not suitable, because its fruits are too large. But it is worth noting that a later harvest will be smaller, and vegetables obtained during the late ripening period will be a good alternative.

Botanical characteristics

Tomato refers to indeterminate (tall) - the bush reaches a height of 200 cm when grown in a greenhouse, or 160 cm if the plant is in open ground. The stems are brittle and thin as for a variety with large-sized fruits. For this reason, the bushes need to be tied. The name of the variety describes the main distinguishing feature - the size of the fruit. One tomato can reach a weight of 850 kg. The average weight is 400-600 g.

Tomatoes have a dense skin of saturated red color. Fruits are rounded and slightly flattened. At the base of the peduncle there is a ribbing. The fruit pulp is juicy, dense, has a rich aroma and taste - sweet, with a slight sourness. Better King of giants is developing in the southern regions.

Advantages and disadvantages

  • The positive features of the King of giants include:
  • high productivity;
  • rich taste of fruits;
  • unpretentiousness to growing conditions;
  • large fruit sizes;
  • the possibility of long-term storage of tomatoes;
  • resistance to transportation, preservation of a trade dress;
  • high germination of planting material - up to 98%;
  • ability to tolerate picking and transplanting without consequences;
  • ripening uniformity - there are no yellow or greenish spots on the fruits;
  • resistance to minor changes in climatic conditions, in particular, temperature;
  • the possibility of independent procurement of planting material;
  • universality of application in cooking;
  • tomato resistance to typical pests and diseases.

Important! Tomato can be grown from seeds obtained from the previous harvest for 2-3 years. After it is advisable to update the planting stock with seeds from a trusted store.

  • Among the minuses of tomato distinguish:
  • susceptibility to attack of whiteflies, usually greenhouse;
  • moodiness - a lot of time needs to be paid to plant care;
  • the need for mandatory tying bushes.

Self-growing seedlings

The king of giants will also grow a novice gardener. However, it is important to know about the intricacies of growing a plant so that subsequently the tomato does not have development problems. It is better to buy seeds in a certified place, otherwise you run the risk of acquiring low-quality planting material or tomatoes of a completely different variety, which have been attributed the name of the giant for better sale. If possible, get seeds from familiar gardeners who have already grown the King of giants.

Optimum timing for sowing

The king of giants is a mid-ripening variety, but there is a way to get the crop a little earlier. To do this, the seeds should be sown in late winter or early spring. If harvesting in an earlier period is not the goal, plant the seeds in the ground at the end of March. During this period, the length of daylight hours is sufficient to ensure the development of tomatoes.

Important! With this approach, there is one caveat: seedlings may not receive enough light, so you have to extend the daylight hours using artificial lighting.

The soil

The soil on which the tomato bushes will grow should be:

  • moderately fertilized;
  • medium acidity;
  • moderately wet;
  • with a good degree of warming, water permeability and ventilation.

The mixture in which the seeds will develop can be purchased in a specialized store or cooked at home. To do this, you need to mix peat and turf, observing a proportion of 3: 1, or sawdust, mullein and peat in the same proportion. On the eve of sowing the seeds of the King of giants, it is necessary to decontaminate the soil. This is done in order to get rid of harmful, pathogenic bacteria, fungal spores, nematodes, eggs of insect pests, which can even be found in the soil from the store.

You can treat the soil by applying one of the methods:

  1. Freezing at a temperature of –15 ° C (in the freezer) for 5 days.
  2. Boiling water treatment.
  3. Calcination in the oven at + 90 ° C for 30 minutes.
  4. Steaming in a water bath for 1.5 hours.
  5. Chemical treatment: insecticides (Intra-Vir, Thunder, Aktara, Iskra), fungicides (Fitosporin, Planriz, Barrier, Extrasol, Gliokladin) or a solution of permanganate potassium.

Important! The soil containing biohumus should not be frozen.

Capacity for growing

The choice of capacity depends on the preferences of the gardener. Tomatoes can grow both in one large capacity, and in individual small ones. However, when growing seeds in one space, be prepared for the fact that after two months the seedlings will have to be dived (planted in separate containers).

The most common containers for seedlings:

  1. Cassettes (pallets) . Easy to use: due to their low weight they can be moved, and their compact size will allow seedlings to be placed even on the windowsill. The presence of cells makes it easier to care for seedlings - you don’t have to dive, and all seeds will receive the same conditions for development. Pluses: sprouts for transplantation are easily taken from cells, low cost. Cons: the possibility of mechanical damage to the tank with careless use or poor-quality plastic.

  2. Boxes. For seedlings use oblong, rectangular boxes that look like flower pots. Depth of boxes - from 8 cm and more. Material - wood or plastic. The latter is more convenient to care for, does not deform, interacting with moisture and sunlight. It is important that the tanks contain 6–8 drainage holes. You can buy ready-made boxes with holes or do them yourself. A drawer should be attached to the drawers, which will accumulate excess moisture or nourish the soil if it dries. By planting seedlings in boxes, you allow the root system of plants to actively develop, and this is the main advantage of the tank.

  3. Plastic pots . The advantage of containers is a variety of shapes and sizes. Made of durable material, so they can be used an unlimited number of times. As a rule, they are already equipped with drainage holes, you just need to remember about the need to put the tank on a pallet.

  4. Peat glasses and pots . The container is made of pressed peat, which has a positive effect on seed development. The capacity can be round or square - the round takes up more space, while the square is more compact. Plus: transplanting seedlings from peat glasses or pots does not injure the roots. Disadvantages: short service time and the need to maintain soil moisture. Drying of the earth leads to the fact that the soil exfoliates from the walls of the peat vessel, and water flows into the crack between them.

  5. Peat pills . Their first difference from pots and cups is in size - the tablets are much smaller. They have a cylindrical shape, with a diameter of about 10 cm. Advantages: sowing seeds in tablets is convenient and does not take much time. You only need to soak the tablets so that they swell and grow out of the flat ring into the cylinder, and after 5-7 minutes you can already start sowing. Cons: the small size of the cylinder itself, on which it is difficult to leave a sticker with the name of the culture, and the high cost of packaging. In this case, only one seed can be sown in one tablet - it will be difficult to seed more seeds after germination, since their roots inside the tablet will intertwine. Also, tablets are not reusable. After the seedlings have grown, it will need to be transplanted together with the tablet into a larger container.

  6. Homemade containers. Suitable: cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and glasses, egg trays. The main thing is that the container should be dense enough so that the seedlings are not damaged by mechanical stress. The container shall not be deformed under the influence of water and sunlight. It is necessary to make drainage holes and prepare the pan. It is also worth paying attention to the size of the container - the roots should have space for development.

Seed preparation

Before selling seeds, certified companies process them with disinfectants - against infections and pests, and they are often treated with growth stimulants.

If the seeds were not purchased from reliable sellers, it is necessary to process the planting material yourself, keeping it in a potassium permanganate solution (take 1 g of potassium permanganate crystals per 1 liter of warm water). After wrapping the seeds in gauze or cotton cloth, leave them in solution for 20 minutes. After the seeds, without removing them from the tissue or gauze, they should be washed under running water and placed in a growth stimulator for 24 hours (Epin-Extra, Zircon, Kornevin, Silk and Gumat Sodium).

Important! The preparation of the stimulant solution must be performed according to the instructions that are attached to the drug. Stimulants can be dangerous to human health.

Sowing seeds

The process of sowing seeds is carried out in several stages:

  1. Filling the selected tank with soil.
  2. Soil compaction.
  3. The layout of seeds on the soil with a maintained distance from each other of 2-3 cm.
  4. Sprinkling seeds with soil, the layer of which should be 1-1.5 cm.
  5. Lightweight seal to prevent damage to planting material.
  6. Watering the soil with water, temperature +22 ... + 23 ° С using a sprayer.
  7. Covering the container with a film or glass.
  8. Installing the tank in a warm place well lit by the sun.

After the first shoots appear, that is, after 2–4 days, the ambient temperature should be lowered to + 18 ° C in the daytime and + 15 ° C in the night. In the following days, it is necessary to maintain the same temperature.

Seedling Care

Watering seedlings is one of the most important stages in caring for tomatoes. It is important that the seedlings receive enough moisture, but do not “float” in it, so you need to pay attention to the condition of the soil. As soon as it has dried, it should be moistened with warm water. The irrigation procedure is preferably carried out systematically. It is desirable to maintain the air temperature in the room with seedlings within + 25 ° C, but not lower than + 15 ° C.

The seedlings that grow in soil with a low level of nutritional value are especially in need of fertilizer. You can saturate the soil with useful substances with the help of the dioica nettle infusion. To prepare the infusion, you need 300 grams of nettle and a bucket of warm water. Nettle should be poured with liquid and left for 2-3 days, and only then feed the soil with infusion. Also, superphosphates, urea, nitroammophosk or ash are suitable as fertilizers.

Important! Superphosphates are best used for soils with high acidity to reduce this figure. But nitroammophoska is suitable for any soil, since its main function is to increase soil fertility.

Seedling hardening

Maintaining a constant temperature regime is one of the basic rules for the care of seedlings of tomatoes of this variety. However, over time, the temperature must be lowered to adapt the heat-loving tomato to local climatic conditions. This will help the plant maintain health after transplanting into open ground.

The hardening procedure should be carried out 7-14 days before the seedlings are in the open ground. You need to start hardening with temperature. At night, the air temperature should be +12 ... + 14 ° С. At the moment when there is about 4 days left before transplanting into open ground, the temperature must be reduced so that its performance is the same as in open ground.

Also in the warm season, it is necessary to ventilate the room, but make sure that drafts do not form - they will harm the health of the seedlings. At night, do not leave the window open. Another step of hardening is to increase the intervals between watering seedlings. Tomatoes should receive the same amount of water as before, but the earth should slightly dry. This is done in order to activate the development of the root system and slightly slow down the growth of the aerial part of the seedlings.

When 1–2 days remain before planting, it is necessary to conduct hardening top dressing so that seedlings have enough useful substances and nutrition. Feeding can be carried out using nitrofoska (65 g per 10 liters of water) or you can prepare a solution of 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate, 60 g of potassium sulfate and 10 l of water.

The period when one to two days will remain before the transplant, the seedlings should be spent in the fresh air - on the balcony or under a canopy. If repeated frosts are expected during the same period, seedlings should be covered overnight with a spunbond or other tissue. But to use a film for this is undesirable.

See also the features of growing other tomatoes of indeterminate varieties:

Planting seedlings in a permanent place

Tomato seedlings can be planted in open ground at the end of spring. At the same time, make sure that there is no risk of repeated frosts. At the time of transplanting, seedlings should be aged 2–2.5 months.

For growing the King of giants, places where previously planted such plants as cucumber, pumpkin, turnip, zucchini, squash, cabbage, carrots, beets, green onions or siderata herbs are suitable. Planting tomatoes on the soil where other solanaceous plants had previously grown is not recommended.

On the eve of planting, the soil should be cultivated. It consists in:

  • cleaning the soil from weeds and seeds of other crops;
  • checking the land for pests in it;
  • creating conditions when the soil can retain moisture;
  • regulation of soil acidity to a medium level;
  • making ash, sand and vermicompost.

Planting seedlings in open soil is necessary after the end of frost. On an area of ​​1 m², two or three bushes are planted. The ideal option is to have two bushes per 1 m² - with such a density of planting, tomatoes will yield a higher yield, since the bushes will receive a greater amount of nutrients, which will favorably affect the development of plants. When planting bushes should have one or two stems. Stepsons are removed.

In order to transplant seedlings into open ground, a small depression is prepared on the bed, in which the seedling is subsequently placed together with the soil in which it grew before. Then the recess is sprinkled with earth. After planting, seedlings need regular watering. It is required to conduct it until the seedling is rooted.

Outdoor Care

After you have planted seedlings in an open area - in a greenhouse or garden - she needs to provide proper care. The king of giants is whimsical, so you have to spend a lot of time to provide the plant with proper attention.

Watering

It is desirable to saturate the soil with moisture using an irrigation system equipped for this. Watering of tomatoes is carried out twice or thrice during the week with water + 20 ° С. Tomatoes growing in open ground are watered in the daytime, because the soil could not have time to warm up. Manual irrigation with a watering can will be needed in case of drought no more than twice during the summer season.

Important! If the summer turned out to be rich in rain, you can not water the plants yourself - they will have enough moisture obtained from the rain.

Top dressing

Bushes growing in the open ground are fed when they get stronger. As a rule, carry out the procedure two months after the emergence of seedlings. Первая подкормка должна состоять из 0, 5 л коровяка, 2 таблеток микроудобрений, 1 ст. l нитрофоски, 0, 5 ч. л. борной кислоты и 10 л воды. Все составляющие необходимо смешать, после чего полить полученным раствором томаты из расхода 1 литр на 1 куст.

Следующая подкормка проводится ближе к середине лета, в июле. Смесь для второй подкормки должна состоять из 0, 5 л коровяка, 2 таблеток микроудобрений, 1 ст. l сульфата калия и 10 л воды. Расход подкормки остаётся прежним: 1 литр на 1 куст. В период активного плодоношения также можно подкармливать растения. Для этого понадобится смесь, состоящая из 10 г селитры и 10–15 г суперфосфата. Одной такой смесью можно обработать 1 м².

Вам будет полезно почитать, какие удобрения, и как правильно их использовать для подкормки помидоров в теплице.

Stepson

Этот сорт томатов относится к высокорослым, из-за чего куст нуждается в формировании и коррекции, то есть пасынковании. Пасынок, расположенный между листом и основным стеблем, является первым и появляется вместе с первой цветочной кистью. Этот побег оставляют — он наиболее крепкий. Побеги, появляющиеся ниже первого, удаляют — вручную или при помощи садового инвентаря.

Ручная процедура по удалению лишних пасынков должна проводится исключительно в перчатках. Лишние побеги удаляются легко, их стоит слегка наклонить в сторону. Удаление излишков при помощи ножниц также имеет особенности. Чтобы куст не оказался заражен, инвентарь требуется дезинфицировать марганцовкой после каждого пасынкования.

Проводить это агротехническое мероприятие желательно каждую неделю. При невозможности уделять томатам столько времени, можно проводить пасынкование дважды за сезон: в середине лета и за месяц до последнего сбора плодов.

Формирование растения должно проводится таким образом, чтобы оно росло раскидистым. Иначе куст не выдержит нагрузки в виде увесистых созревших томатов. Если вы не располагаете большим пространством, кусты можно сделать более компактными. Для этого оставляют один-два стебля.

Читайте подробнее о правилах пасынкования томатов в открытом грунте и в теплице.

Soil care

Рыхление грунта производят после полива. В случае с рассадой, недавно перенесённой в открытый грунт, достаточно слегка вспушить поверхность почвы, чтобы избежать образования корки. Прополка почвы, на которой растут повзрослевшие кусты, должна быть более основательной — землю рыхлят на глубину 4–5 см.

Кусты, пересаженные на постоянное место, нуждаются в прополке и рыхлении спустя полторы недели после пересадки. Во время первой обработки земли углубляются на 8–12 см, а последующую обработку проводят на глубине в 4–5 см. Дополнительная польза рыхления заключается в устранении сорных растений с участка.

Important! Обязательно проводить прополку после обильных осадков. Во избежание испарения воды из грунта и активного роста сорняков рекомендуется проводить процедуру мульчирования.

Tying bushes

Подвязка томатных кустов — дело непростое, но важное, поскольку Король гигантов относится к высокорослым растениям. Необходима этому сорту, чтобы куст мог выдержать тяжесть урожая и получить равномерное освещение солнечным светом. Кроме того, подвязанные кусты лучше вентилируются, что помогает избежать атаки мышей, слизней и спастись от последствий обильных осадков. Также подвязка способствует упрощению ухода за томатом, а именно прополки почвы, полива, обработки в целях профилактики или лечения.

Существует три распространённых способа подвязки томатных кустов:

  1. При помощи колышек. Подходит для кустов, растущих в открытом пространстве. Колышек может быть изготовлен из металла или дерева, а его высота должна составлять около 2, 5 м. Главный ориентир — высота куста. Кол вбивают в грунт на расстоянии 10 см от томата, чтобы не нанести ущерб корневой системе. Затем куст привязывают к опоре с помощью бечёвки или тканевой полоски. Изначально перевязочный материал следует обмотать вокруг колышка, потом — вокруг стебля и завязи. Дополнительную подвязку делают по мере роста томата.

  2. При помощи шпалеры. Используется в случаях, когда на участке имеется большое количество растений одной культуры. Для сооружения опоры понадобится брус либо колышки, которые следует вбить по обе стороны ряда, а между ними натянуть проволоку. Можно натянуть одну проволоку на необходимой вам высоте и подвязывать к ней кусты, а можно — несколько проволок, которые будут придерживать растение. Для привязи к проволоке используют бечёвку или верёвку.

  3. С помощью проволочного каркаса. Каркас должен иметь форму цилиндра либо призмы и может быть изготовлен из дерева или металла. Последний материал лучше подходит для сооружения цилиндра. Из проволоки необходимо сделать несколько кругов, которые будут опоясывать каркас. Затем круги приваривают к цилиндру на равном друг от друга расстоянии. Количество кругов зависит от ваших пожеланий и тяжести растения. Призму, как правило, делают из деревянных материалов. Чтобы опоясать призму, понадобятся уже не круги из проволоки, а квадраты. Приваривать квадраты к призме не нужно, можно воспользоваться гвоздями.

Preventative treatment

Король гигантов обладает иммунитетом к инфекциям и вредителям, однако не без исключений. Первое исключение — тепличная белокрылка, которая нападает на кусты, растущие в теплицах, поскольку там сохраняются уровень влажности воздуха и температуры, которые привлекают вредителя. Чтобы обезопасить томаты от белокрылки, готовят раствор из 150 граммов очищенного чеснока и литра воды.

Чеснок давят, заливают водой и оставляют настаиваться в течение 5 суток. Полученной настойкой опрыскивают кусты. Если белокрылка атаковала растения до того, как вы воспользовались профилактическим средством, и успела повредить их, следует прибегнуть к более серьёзным методам борьбы — пестицидам («Актара», «Актеллик», «Фитоверм», «Искра-Био»).

Читайте более подробно о методах борьбы с белокрылкой на помидорах с помощью химических и народных средств.

Другим исключением стала плодовая гниль, которая возникает из-за кустов, которые своевременно не подвязали. При выявлении первичных симптомов заболевания, стоит обработать растения «Фитовермом», «Профит Голд» или препаратом «Абига-Пик». Также справиться с плодовой гнилью можно с помощью бордоской жидкости. Чтобы избежать возможных заражений, достаточно следить за условиями, в которых развивается томат, вовремя подкармливать его удобрениями и соблюдать правила по уходу за культурой.

Harvesting

Отличается сорт Король гигантов и правилами по сбору урожая. Следуя им, вы сможете продлевать срок хранения плодов и сохранять их товарный вид после перевозки.

У созревания томатов имеются стадии, которые называют:

  • зелёной;
  • молочной;
  • бурой;
  • розовой;
  • полной (либо красной).
Урожай, собранный на конкретной стадии, имеет своё предназначение.

Important! Сбор помидоров можно проводить до тех пор, пока температура окружающей среды не станет ниже +8°С.

Плоды, собранные во время зелёной и молочной стадий, пригодятся в засолке. Также они могут дозреть, но в разгар сезона не рекомендуется собирать плоды на столь раннем сроке. Сбор на молочной и бурой стадии хорош для тех, кто собирается транспортировать урожай. В этом случае помидоры будут слегка недозрелыми, что и позволит сохранить товарный вид овощей.

Розовая и красная стадия созревания рекомендованы для использования плодов в ближайшее время — употребления в сыром виде или отправки на переработку. Транспортировать розовый и красный урожай нежелательно — плоды могут потрескаться.

Сорт нужно собирать систематически — каждые 5–7 дней. Для хранения плодов подойдут ящики, в которых томаты можно разместить в два-три слоя. После снятия с плодоножки плоды достаточно очистить от остатков грунта, в мытье они не нуждаются.

Did you know? Если поместить в ящики с помидорами, которым предстоит дозреть, пару спелых экземпляров — благодаря им процесс дозревания ускорится.

Томат Король гигантов — сорт, имеющий множество достоинств, однако при этом нуждающийся в тщательном уходе. Только соблюдая правила по уходу за этим растением, можно добиться высоких показателей урожайности и, быть может, даже побить рекорд по массе одного плода.

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