Tomato "Japanese Crab" - the best variety for salads and juices

"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, therefore 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.

Characteristics of the fruit

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 it ripens 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.

The advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Based on the reviews of farmers and gardeners, the following advantages of this class 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.

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 of 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.

Seedlings and planting in the ground

From the greenhouse, equipped with heating, seedlings can be planted in April, if the greenhouse film, you need to 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 garden.

At a permanent place seedlings need to be planted, following the simple rules:

1. 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.
2. The earth should be loosened and saturated 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 under 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 plants in weight. It can be trellis, located vertically or horizontally. Horizontal trellis allows dressing 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 escape. Masking is best done in the morning, without removing more than three additional shoots at one time;

• excess leaves, which can evaporate excess moisture and take a share of nutrients, must be trimmed. Such tomatoes can grow like creepers, mail without having leaves on them.

You can collect the fruits 115 days after planting (July-early August).

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.

Prevention of pests and the prevention of the occurrence of diseases in plants are also important.

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 the signs of the disease (brown spots with whitish bloom on fruits with late blight or leaves with cladosporia) in a plant, it needs to be processed every three days:

• from phytophtoras - by ashes, 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.

You can also 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.

Use of fruits

The variety of tomatoes "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.

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.