Rocket tomato variety: characteristics, advantages and disadvantages

Tomatoes are almost always present on the beds of summer residents, but their popularity leads to the fact that in an indescribable description of the abundance of names it is not surprising that even a quite experienced gardener gets lost. These solanaceae differ from each other in a variety of characteristics - appearance, ripening period, yield, taste of fruits and directions of their use. In such a row a tomato of the "Rocket" variety can take its rightful place.

Inference history

"Rocket" - originally Russian tomatoes, bred thirty years ago in the USSR. The authors of the variety are employees of the Crimean Experimental Selection Station of the All-Russian Institute of Plant Industry named after N.I. Vavilova, leading breeders - A.N. Lukyanenko and S.F. Gavrish. Over the years, these tomatoes have managed to acquire and still retain deserved fame and love among many gardeners - first only amateurs, and later professionals, since these low-growing plants are very convenient for growing in large areas.

If we talk about dry facts, the state registration of the variety was carried out in 1980, the tomato was originally intended for cultivation in the open field, but in regions with a temperate climate, the “Rocket” gives better results in covered greenhouses, and under more severe conditions these tomatoes are planted in heated greenhouses.

In the conditions of the most serious competition and the emergence of new and new improved varieties and hybrids, "Rocket" can be considered a real long-liver among tomatoes, and one of the few. He does not just lose popularity, but continues to gain it - more and more seeds are being sold every year (three hundred kilograms per year cannot always meet the growing demand).

Description of the bush

So, we are talking about the superdeterminant stem grade.This means that, in principle, it is not intended for cultivation in greenhouses, and in a sense is a tomato for the lazy: there is little trouble with such plants, and the harvest is quite decent.

Bushes are short, three or four stalks. Having reached an average height of half a meter (sometimes a little taller), they stop developing and, compared to other tomatoes, look very compact.

And this concerns not only the aboveground part of the bush, but also its root system. Thanks to this feature, plants can be planted much closer to each other, which saves precious space. The leaves of the plant are dark green in color, the fruit clusters form 4-6 ovaries, the inflorescences begin to appear after the fifth or sixth leaf, followed by a “step” of 1-2 leaves.

Standard tomatoes are unpretentious and are excellent for areas with a relatively cold climate, where more thermophilic crops can be grown exclusively in greenhouse conditions.

Even if the weather conditions in your region require a film cover for tomatoes, you can restrict yourself to light and low construction, while the indeterminate (not ceasing to grow throughout the growing season) tomatoes will require a serious high and sustainable greenhouse.

Residents of the southern regions appreciate the "Rocket" for good drought resistance, thanks to which this variety is successfully grown by citizens who are unable to get to the country more often than on weekends. In addition, thanks to its compactness, the “Rocket” can be successfully grown on vertical beds, in containers, and even directly in a city apartment, on a balcony.

The shrubs, as mentioned above, are low, branching weakly, and therefore they can not be tied up, which farmers especially like.

Another feature of the plant is that it practically does not form stepchildren, which means that it is also not necessary to separately engage in the formation of a bush. In a word, not a tomato, but a gardener's dream!

Description of the fetus

Speaking of fruits, it's time to remember the name of the variety. These small, compact, like the bush itself, bright red tomatoes, really in shape resemble a rocket - they are clearly elongated and have a characteristic narrowing on the "ass". At the same time, the fact that the harvest looks as if it was specially picked up is of particular pride among summer residents: all the fruits are of an exceptionally regular shape, almost the same size, with a pleasant glossy sheen. Very nice and comfortable, especially when preparing for the winter.

The weight of the fruit is only 40-60 g, which makes it possible to classify them as a "cocktail" (smaller than only cherry, their weight varies between 10-30 g).

At the same time, the fruits are quite dense and have excellent taste, with a distinct sweetness (sugar in this variety contains from 2.5 to 4%, and this is very much, because the average indicator for tomatoes is 2.6%).

From the generally accepted maximum five points, the taste qualities of Tomatoes of the "Rocket" variety are estimated at the level from 3.8 to 4.0 points.

The number of chambers in the fruit is two or three.

Gestation period

"Rocket" does not apply to early varieties. From the first shoots to the harvest, it usually takes 16-17 weeks (that is, after planting seedlings in March, you will not wait until July for the fruits).

An important feature of the "Rocket" is that, having begun to bear fruit, it does it in unison and quickly, giving out "on the mountain" all the required fruits almost simultaneously.

This is a very pleasant moment if you want to harvest and send it for sale (or processing), but for those who like to come to the dacha and pick fresh tomatoes from the bush, “Rocket” will not provide such an opportunity for a long time.

Yield

Despite the almost dwarf size, "Rocket" gives a very good harvest. It is characteristic that the productivity of a variety practically does not depend on the state, structure and composition of the soil, as well as on weather conditions.

The “rocket” is remarkable for its remarkable endurance and produces a crop, albeit not in gigantic quantities, but exactly and predictably, which is no less important.

Transportability

Due to the dense structure, the correct form and the same size, tomatoes of this variety are very convenient to stock, store and transport.

They do not choke, do not crack and do not rot, as is the case with large and watery tomatoes, and retain their presentation for a long time. For these qualities "Rocket" is especially appreciated by farmers. An important feature of the variety is also the fact that the fruits can hang on a branch for a long time without overripening, due to which they are equally well stored and transported even if the harvest had to be delayed.

Resistance to environmental conditions and diseases

Above we mentioned the drought resistance of the variety, but this does not mean that the plant does not react to the amount of water in the soil and air at all.Neither the excess nor the lack of moisture does not like tomatoes, and the "Rocket" is no exception.

When the imbalance of moisture can begin to fade or curl leaves, fall off flowers and ovaries, and, most unpleasant, the fruits crack, which is especially offensive for this variety, because these tomatoes are so important to keep completely. In addition, adverse environmental conditions make tomatoes less resistant to fungal diseases and pests, so the best way to prevent them is regular, moderate watering, good lighting and feeding.

An important distinguishing feature of Tomatoes "Rocket" is that they are very rarely affected by rot. Both the roots and the above-ground part of the plant are highly resistant to various types of fungi that cause certain rot.

But here alternaria (dry spotting) may well cause considerable damage to the plantation, and sometimes almost immediately after planting seedlings in open ground. Fight against this disaster should be with the help of fungicides,in particular, such drugs as Antrakol, Ditan, Tattu, Kvadris, Flint, Infiniti have shown themselves well, and the biological preparations Phytoftorin and Trichodermin can be recommended for opponents of toxic chemicals.

Insects, especially dangerous for tomatoes of this variety, are, first of all, slugs, Colorado beetles and scoops. Against each of these pests have their own ways of combating, in extreme cases - insecticides.

Using

Like any other tomatoes, "Rocket", just removed from the garden, is amazingly tasty in itself.

From these small tomatoes you can make a salad or add them to any other dishes, ranging from borscht to extremely delicious Czech goulash (beef stewed with tomatoes and onions in a dark beer).

Nevertheless, canning is considered the main direction of use of this variety. Oval fruit of the correct form and the same size look especially appetizing, rolled up in three-liter jars of salt, sugar,with vinegar and numerous aromatic herbs (by the way, few people know that canned tomatoes will play with particularly bright colors if you add carrots tops in cans. So if you grow these root crops, do not rush to get rid of the usually unused “heads”).

For juices and pastes, these tomatoes are also quite suitable. There are a lot of sweetness in the "Rocket" fruits, so the preparations from them are very tasty.

In addition, there is another original and unfairly overlooked in our country method of harvesting tomatoes. These are dried tomatoes. They are very popular in Italy, are part of numerous dishes, primarily related to the cuisine of this country (pasta, pizza, etc.) and are present on the shelves of large supermarkets, but they are quite expensive.

Meanwhile, dried tomatoes are very easy to make yourself at home.

Oblong-shaped tomatoes (the so-called “cream”) are the best suited to dry them, so if you put a “Rocket” in the garden, you already have everything you need!

To prepare dried tomatoes, the fruit is cut lengthwise into two parts, a teaspoon from each half of the core is removed - seeds with juice - and the skin is left with a layer of pulp on it. You can, of course, use the oven, but if there is a sunny balcony - even better. Tomatoes are laid on a paper towel with the peel down, plentifully sprinkled with salt (it quickly absorbs excess moisture) and favorite aromatic herbs (it is best, of course, to use Italian).

After a couple of days, the tomatoes will dry slightly, shrink and become elastic. It is enough to completely dry the fruit is not necessary, some of the juice in them should remain.

It now remains to put them in glass jars (you can add garlic cloves cut into thin slices, placing them arbitrarily between the layers) and pour vegetable oil so that it covers the tomatoes. Keep the finished product better in the refrigerator.

Advantages and disadvantages

Summing up the description of tomatoes "Rocket", we can identify the main advantages and disadvantages of the variety.

pros

• Low growth and compactness - as a result, the ability to grow in small areas, planted in a heap, not tie up.
• The absence of a large number of stepsons - there is no need to devote time to the formation of a bush.
• Resistance to fungal diseases such as rot (different species).
• Unpretentiousness and drought resistance.
• Sufficiently high productivity (for such a low growth).
• Lack of fruit's tendency to over-ripening, excellent keeping quality and transportability.
• Dense skin and the overall strength of the fruit, which allows for mechanical harvesting in large areas.
• Simultaneous harvesting, which is convenient for harvesting or sale.
• Beautiful appearance and the same size of the fruit, which is also convenient for preservation and transportation.
• High taste qualities of fruits and wide possibilities of their use.

Minuses

• Possible cracking of fruits.
• High demand for potash fertilizers.
• Relatively late ripening.
• Uniform fruiting (this characteristic, depending on the direction of use, can be attributed to both the advantages and disadvantages of the variety).
• Capriciousness to compliance with the mode of irrigation and humidity.

Small tomatoes "Rocket" must be present at the summer cottage.This is beautiful in itself, and, moreover, it is very convenient to preserve such fruits, they fit perfectly in banks and look great.

And if we add to this the excellent yield, compactness, unpretentiousness, and a lot of other advantages that the "Rocket" variety possesses, there is no better option for your bed!