Contents
Tomato Donkey Ears is a variety popular in Our Country and Europe with an unusual fruit shape. Before purchasing plant seeds, you should study its characteristics and care requirements.
History of breeding
Tomato Donkey Ears is of Polish origin. The original name sounds like Oslim Uszy, in English the variety is called Donkey Ears.
On sale, seeds can often be found with the designation F1, which means that the tomato belongs to the group of hybrids. Information about the parent varieties is not available.
Description of the variety of tomatoes Donkey ears
Tomato Donkey Ears F1 is an indeterminate type hybrid, reaching an average of 1,5-1,7 m above ground level. It has strong thick stems and deep green plates. The laying of the brushes occurs after 2-3 leaves, 4-6 fruits are formed in each inflorescence, and the ovaries are formed throughout the season. The variety is mid-season, ripening takes an average of 110 days from the moment of germination. The tomato needs to be shaped – it is usually led into 2-3 stems, and the extra stepchildren are removed in a timely manner.
The photo of Donkey Ears tomatoes shows that they are very elongated in length, the main part is plum-shaped, and the top is pointed. From the sides, the fruits are slightly flattened. The length is usually about 12 cm, the average weight is 200 g, although some tomatoes can reach 300 g. The skin of the fruit is thin, the color depends on the lighting – in the sun Donkey ears become bright crimson, remain pink in the shade, there are also golden varieties . The pulp of the tomato is tender, sweetish, slightly granular on the cut with moderate juiciness. Seed chambers are small and do not take up much space.
To taste, the variety Donkey Ears resembles a Bull’s Heart
You can grow a variety both in a greenhouse and in the open air. Photos and reviews about the yield of tomato Raspberry donkey ears note that bushes develop better in closed greenhouses and bear fruit more abundantly. The plant is resistant to high temperatures, but reacts poorly to cold snaps and rains. From excess moisture, the fruits can crack and rot, so open-air breeding in a temperate climate is associated with certain difficulties.
Characteristics of tomato Donkey ears
In addition to the general description, it is necessary to study the characteristics and reviews of the Donkey Ear tomato before planting the variety on the site. This will give you an idea of the size of the potential crop and the suitability of the tomatoes for storage.
Tomato yield Donkey ears
The yield indicators of the Donkey Ears variety are not too high. From 1 m2 plantings you can get an average of 5 kg of ripe fruit. At the same time, it is important to remove the tomatoes immediately after ripening or even a little earlier, so that they finally ripen already in room conditions.
Disease and pest resistance
Donkey ears do not have a pronounced immunity to typical tomato diseases. The variety is affected by Alternaria and late blight, may suffer from garden pests. When growing in a greenhouse and in open ground, it is important to carry out regular preventive treatments of bushes.
Ways to use
Donkey ears are stored for only 2-3 weeks after maturation, they crack quickly and are not suitable for transportation. Most often, the variety is used in salads, for preparing snacks and cuts, to obtain fresh juice.
Ripe tomatoes are not used in canning, since the thin shell most often bursts. But at the same time, slightly unripe tomatoes of a mixed pink-green color can be used for pickling. They keep their shape well and are quite dense.
Advantages and disadvantages of tomato Donkey ears
The description of the tomato variety Raspberry Donkey Ears makes it clear that the hybrid has both advantages and weaknesses. Before planting bushes on the site, you need to fully study the plant.
Pros: beautiful appearance of tomatoes; good taste qualities; good yield; Suitable for growing in greenhouses and in the ground; It tolerates high temperatures well. | Cons: · low transportability; fruits are prone to cracking; Ripe tomatoes are unsuitable for conservation; The tomato is sensitive to cold snaps. |
It is best to grow donkey ears tomato in the southern regions, where summers are usually hot and dry. In temperate climates, it is recommended to plant the variety in greenhouses and pay increased attention to it throughout the growing season.
Peculiarities of growing
Tomato Donkey Ears Pink has standard requirements for planting and care. Tomatoes are usually grown through seedlings, the step-by-step algorithm looks like this:
- At the end of March, tomato seeds are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate.
- A shallow wide box is filled with a moist nutrient substrate from garden soil, compost and sand.
- Seeds are sown to a depth of about 1,5 cm and sprinkled with dry soil on top.
- Cover the container with a film and put it in a warm, but shaded place.
- About a week later, when shoots appear, open the box again and rearrange it on a sunny windowsill.
Over the next 1-1,5 months, the seedlings are regularly watered, and at the stage of two true leaves they dive into individual peat cups. Plants can be transferred to the greenhouse around the end of April, and to the open-air garden – not earlier than mid-May, after frost.
It is recommended to place 1-2 tomato bushes per 5 m6
Caring for tomato bushes is quite simple and consists of several procedures:
- Watering. For good development and formation of ovaries, a tomato needs moisture, however, when the soil is swamped, donkey ears begin to crack and rot. You need to water the bushes as needed as the top layer of the soil dries.
- Application of fertilizers. Fertilizing plants is carried out three times a season at intervals of two weeks. It is recommended to use special complex mixtures of Kristallon tomato or Kemira plus. The variety also responds positively to the introduction of wood ash and compost.
- Pinching and garter. The tomato should be bred in 2-3 shoots, removing excess stems upon reaching 5-7 cm. A support or trellis is installed next to the bushes.
After the next introduction of moisture, the soil at the roots of the plant must be loosened so that a hard crust does not appear on its surface.
Pest and disease control
Photos and reviews of tomato Donkey ears gold, pink and raspberry show that the variety is especially susceptible to several diseases:
- late blight – a whitish coating appears on the lower surface of the leaves, and brown spots form on the fruits;
For the prevention of late blight, tomato bushes are sprayed with copper preparations and infusion of garlic.
- alternariosis – dark marks grow on the plates of the plant, the tomato greens gradually die off;
To prevent alternariosis, tomatoes must be sprayed with Bordeaux liquid at the seedling stage.
- gray rot – the fungus infects bushes in the open field in rainy weather, rounded spots appear on the fruits, and then a grayish mold develops.
With gray rot, Donkey ears are sprayed with Barrier and Barrier preparations
Of the pests for tomatoes on the site, the most dangerous are wireworms – the larvae of click beetles that damage the roots and stems of the plant. To protect against an insect, it is necessary to carefully dig the soil before planting a tomato, and also regularly treat the soil with Bazudin.
Soil liming helps well against wireworm
Conclusion
Donkey Ears Tomato is best suited for greenhouses or open ground in the south. The variety has numerous advantages, but it also has disadvantages – the fruits are not stored for a long time, they are used mainly for salads.
Reviews of gardeners about tomato Donkey ears
