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Tomato Snowfall F1 is a late-ripening hybrid of the first generation with medium-sized fruits. Relatively unpretentious in cultivation, this hybrid has fruits of moderately sweet taste and rich aroma. The variety has high disease resistance. Next, a description of the Snowfall tomato variety will be considered, a photo of the plant is given and reviews of gardeners involved in its cultivation are presented.
Description of the variety of tomato Snowfall
The Snegopad tomato variety is a hybrid of the first generation, the originator of which is the Pridnestrovian Research Institute of Agriculture. Tomato is equally well suited for growing both in greenhouses and in open ground. This is a high-yielding hybrid of the first generation with indeterminate bushes up to 2 m high.
Tomato Snowfall is a moderately sprawling bush with a large amount of green mass, which needs to be formed. The stem is thick, green in color, with barely visible edges. The leaves are simple, five-lobed, small in size.
The flowers are small, up to 12 mm in diameter, collected in inflorescences of the brush type. Usually the composition of the inflorescence includes up to 10 flowers. Tomato Snowfall has a high percentage of setting, almost all flowers form fruits.
Fruit ripening occurs simultaneously in the entire brush, the fruiting period from the moment the seeds are planted to full ripeness is from 4 to 5 months, depending on the growing conditions. To speed up the growing time, the plant needs more heat and light.
Brief description and taste of fruits
In the hands, from 8 to 10 fruits of medium size are formed and develop at the same rate. The mass of fruits reaches 60-80 g when grown in open ground and 80-130 g when grown in greenhouses.
The shape of the fruit is round, closer to the stalk they have a slight ribbing. Mature fruits have a uniform red color. The pulp of the fruit is moderately dense, moderately juicy and fleshy.
The taste of the fruit is rated as rich, sweetish, with a delicate aroma. The scope of the fruit is very wide – they are used both fresh and processed. Snowfall fruits are used in salads, sauces, first and second courses, they perfectly tolerate preservation and freezing. The sugar content is quite high (more than 5%), which makes it possible to use the fruits in baby food.
The skin of the fruit is thin, but strong. This circumstance guarantees good preservation and transportability of the Snowfall tomato.
A photo of the fruits of tomatoes Snowfall is shown below:
Varietal characteristics
The yield of snowfall is up to 5 kg per 1 sq. m. in open ground. In greenhouses, with the right agricultural technology, it is possible to obtain similar yields from one bush. The fruiting period is up to 120 days in greenhouse cultivation and about 150 days in open ground cultivation. Usually harvesting of fruits occurs before the first significant cooling.
Factors affecting yields are sufficient heat and abundant watering.
Tomato Snowfall is resistant to major tomato diseases: almost all fungi and tobacco mosaic virus. In very rare cases, bushes are affected by anthracnose and alternariosis.
Pros and cons of the variety
After reviewing the description of the Snowfall tomato variety, you can highlight its positive and negative qualities.
Pros of tomato Snowfall:
- high yields;
- excellent taste of fruits;
- unpretentiousness in cultivation;
- excellent exterior of ripe fruits;
- good keeping quality and transportability;
- versatility of use;
- the possibility of growing in a greenhouse and open ground;
- high resistance to most diseases of tomatoes.
Cons of Tomato Snowfall:
- sensitivity to temperature changes;
- intolerance to low temperatures and frosts;
- low drought resistance;
- the need to form a bush and permanently remove stepchildren;
- the need for tying branches;
- with large volumes of the green part of the plant, a decrease in the weight of the fruit is observed.
Nevertheless, according to the combination of characteristics, the Snowfall tomato can be classified as quite successful and worthy of attention when choosing as a candidate for breeding.
Rules of landing and care
Tomatoes Snowfall f1 in cultivation almost repeat any tomato culture. Growing features relate only to the timing of planting seedlings and the formation of a bush in adult plants. The rest of the growing rules and requirements for them are the same as for other varieties of tomatoes.
Seeding for seedlings
Tomato Snowfall f1 should be planted in seedlings in mid or late February for a cold climate (or greenhouse cultivation) or in mid-March for outdoor cultivation.
The composition of the soil for seedlings can be virtually anything, the main requirement is high nutritional value and neutral acidity. It is recommended to mix garden soil, humus and river sand in equal proportions. A small amount of ash or superphosphate can be added to the soil. Instead of humus, you can use peat, but in this case the proportions will be slightly different: earth and sand – 2 parts each, peat – 1 part.
Preliminary disinfection of the soil is optional. Seeds, before planting, it is desirable to disinfect, having previously treated them with a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
You can plant seeds in containers, but it is better to use individual containers in the form of peat pots, as this will preserve the root system of the plant during transplantation, and also eliminate the need for picking plants.
Planting is carried out in small holes 1-2 cm deep, 2 seeds in each hole. When using containers, furrows are made 1.5-2 cm deep with a distance of 5-6 cm between them. Planting seeds is carried out one at a time, after 2-3 cm.
Next, the usual actions are performed for tomato seedlings – the seeds are sprinkled with earth, watered and covered with a film. Pots or containers are placed in a warm and dark place until shoots appear. As soon as shoots appear, the film is removed, and the seedlings are transferred to the sun with a temperature drop of 3-5 ° C.
The first feeding of seedlings is carried out after the appearance of two true leaves, it is carried out with the help of complex fertilizer. If time permits, re-feeding of seedlings is allowed, but it should be carried out at least 10 days before transplanting the plant into a greenhouse or open ground.
Seedling transplant
Transplantation in the greenhouse is carried out in the second decade of May, in open ground – in early June. Plants are planted in open ground according to the scheme 50×60 cm; in greenhouses, cultivation is mainly used in one or two rows with a distance of up to 70-80 cm between the bushes. The distance between rows is at least 1 m.
Seedlings should be hardened off a week before transplanting. In the first 2 or 3 days, the seedlings are taken out to the greenhouse or outdoors for several hours, then for half a day, the last two days for the whole day. At night, the plants are removed into the room.
Transplantation is best done in cloudy weather or in the evening. After transplanting, it is necessary to compact the soil tightly and make abundant watering of young tomatoes.
Care of tomatoes
Caring for a Snowfall tomato is practically no different from growing ordinary tomatoes. It includes regular watering (2-3 times a week) and a few top dressings. The first is done a week after transplantation, it includes nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate or urea) in the amount of 25 g per 1 sq. m. The second consists of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, it is carried out a month after the first. A third (also phosphorus-potassium) is also allowed, a month after the second.
Features of growing Snowfall are in the special formation of bushes. It begins immediately after transplantation and continues all the time, until fruiting. The ideal option for the formation of a bush is considered to be one- or two-stem. In this case, the stepchildren are permanently removed. The bushes of the Snowfall tomato variety are quite high, so they must be tied to trellises or supports as the fruits ripen.
It is desirable to use mulch in the form of peat or sawdust. This will help get rid of most pests and simplify the process of caring for tomatoes, saving the owner from the need to constantly loosen the soil and remove weeds.
In case of damage to the plant by a fungus, copper-containing preparations are used (copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture). In this case, the affected areas of plants should be completely removed. Pest control is carried out with conventional insecticides or decoctions of onion peel or celandine.
Conclusion
Tomato Snowfall F1 is a late-ripening variety with fruits of universal use. This is an excellent plant for both greenhouse and outdoor cultivation. Its fruits have an excellent taste, they are able to be stored for a long time and transported over long distances.