Tomato has always been one of the most popular vegetables in agriculture. Among all varieties of tomatoes, Beauty is especially popular - it is difficult to find a gardener who would never plant it on his plot. Our article invites you to get acquainted with the detailed characteristics of the variety, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the basic rules of cultivation and characteristics of care.

Characterization and description of the variety

The increased attention and love for the Handsome is due to his excellent taste, high productivity and unpretentiousness in care. The variety belongs to tall tomatoes, but this mainly depends on weather conditions. With a favorable warm climate, the bush can grow up to 4 meters, but in the northern regions the maximum height of the handsome will not exceed 2–2.5 meters.

The inflorescence is simple - each branch usually gives from 9 to 13 fruits. The variety is distinguished by a fairly developed root system, a strong stem and very sprawling branches that need to be tied up.

It’s not difficult to find out the tomatoes of the Beauty variety - they can easily be determined by their appearance and taste. Fruits are cylindrical in shape, bright red in color, their average weight varies from 60 to 110 g. Their distinctive feature is a long shelf life - from 2 to 3 weeks after harvest. In terms of taste, the variety is not inferior to newfangled hybrids - the fruits are very sweet, with fleshy pulp and a dense skin that allows tomatoes to tolerate transportation well.

In addition, Handsome also boasts a minimum number of seeds and three chambers inside each fruit, and this is not all the benefits of the variety. Its yield level is very high - subject to all agrotechnical practices, up to 8 kg of tomatoes can be collected from one bush. A significant role in this is played by the resistance of the variety to adverse weather conditions, diseases and pests.

Did you know? Regular consumption of tomatoes and their processed products can significantly reduce the risk of cancer.

Pros and cons of the variety

The fruits of this variety, like any other, have their strengths and weaknesses.

• Among the many advantages of Handsome can be distinguished the following:
• high productivity;
• unpretentiousness in cultivation;
• good resistance to sudden weather changes, diseases and pests;
• high transportability;
• presentable presentation;
• excellent taste;
• universality in application;
• long shelf life.

Of the shortcomings, gardeners highlight the difficulties that arise during the independent propagation of seeds - in the second year of planting, hybrid forms of the variety rarely yield a crop. At the same time, Beautifull necessarily requires the formation of a bush, otherwise the stem will grow during the entire growing season, which will cause many difficulties in the future.

Optimum tomato growing time

Since Handsome belongs to varieties with an average ripening time, tomatoes reach full ripeness already in 100–115 days after the first germination.

The basic rules of growing

Cultivation of tomatoes Handsome is possible both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions - productivity will be equally high both in the first and in the second case. The variety is quite unpretentious, and therefore the cultivation process will not cause difficulties - it is only enough to timely perform standard agrotechnical procedures for caring for the plant.

Important! Potato is the worst precursor — refrain from growing crops in the same place as the other representative of Solanaceae.

Growing seedlings

It is advisable to plant seedlings 1.5–2 months before planting in a permanent place - that is, in late February - early March. Before this, the seeds must be subjected to disinfection in order to eliminate the possible causative agents of various diseases. To do this, you can use a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1.5 g per 100 ml of water): the seed is wrapped in gauze for 15-20 minutes, and then washed with water. In addition to disinfection, this procedure also helps to accelerate seedlings.

Soil for tomato seedlings can be either purchased or taken from the garden - the main thing is that the earth is light and loose. A good option would be to use peat tablets - in addition to saving space, the seeds in them will feel quite comfortable and develop well. The most suitable containers for seedlings of tomatoes of the described variety are seedling boxes - the seeds are planted in shallow holes, lightly sprinkled with earth and covered with a film or a lid on top.

Further care of the seedlings includes the creation of a suitable temperature, lighting and timely watering. Since tomatoes are extremely demanding on lighting, the optimal amount of time spent by seedlings in the light should be at least 16 hours a day.

In order for the sprouts not to stretch, the temperature regime needs to be moderate - in the daytime, crops should be at a temperature of +17 to + 23 ° C, and at night it is necessary to reduce this indicator to +13 ... + 15 ° C. As for watering, it is very important not to overdo it and not to fill the seedlings, otherwise the crops will quickly decay. The procedure should be started only after the first leaf appears on the sprouts - in the future, the frequency of watering is reduced to once a week.

Preparation of soil for planting seedlings

Preparation of soil for seedlings should begin in the fall, so that in winter its upper layers are thoroughly frozen. Typically, preparatory procedures include thorough cleaning of the bed of debris and plant debris, digging the soil and laying fertilizers.

Already in mid-September, it is necessary to completely harvest weeds and fallen leaves - plant debris not only pollutes the site, but also serves as a hotbed of the development of dangerous microbes and bacteria. Next, the soil should be dug to a depth of about 25 cm - so the soil is fully saturated with the necessary amount of moisture and air.

The final step in preparing the soil is to saturate it with nutrients, and here you should act very carefully, since excess fertilizer can seriously harm tomatoes, and instead of the supposed reinforced fruit setting, the plants will begin to actively grow green mass. The most suitable soil mixture for tomatoes is the following composition: 50% peat, 30% sand and 20% compost. Based on this, both organic components - manure or humus, and microelements can be used as fertilizers.

Especially tomatoes need potassium and nitrogen (45-50 g per 1 m².). Fertilizing is recommended not after, but during digging, so that all layers of the soil are equally saturated with useful substances. After a quality implementation of all necessary procedures, you can safely proceed to the planting of seedlings.

Seedling Planting Technology

Transplanting is always a stress for plants, so it is recommended to harden the seedlings a few weeks before the planned procedure. To do this, for the first time, briefly ventilate the room where the crops are located, after which the seedlings are taken out to the open air.

This event is best carried out on a cloudy day, however, in case of sunny weather, you should wait until the evening, so that the plants have time to grow stronger and well tolerated the scorching sun. The timing of planting seedlings depends largely on the region - in the middle lane it is usually the beginning or mid-June. It is important that by this time a stable air temperature is established - not less than + 13 ° C, without the risk of a possible cooling.

General recommendations for planting tomato seedlings are as follows:

1. Immediately before the transplant procedure, the seedlings should be well watered - so the likelihood of damage to the roots during the transplant process will significantly decrease, and removing plants from the tank will cause much less difficulty.
2. The next step is to dig holes, and their depth should be 8–9 cm more than the containers in which the plants were before. Finished wells are filled with water and left for some time.
3. After the water in the wells is finally absorbed, the seedlings are carefully removed from the previous containers and deepened into the ground. The optimal distance between the bushes should be at least 60 cm - then the plants will develop well, without interfering with each other.
4. After the manipulations with the plants have been done, the holes are lightly sprinkled with earth, rammed and filled with water (1-1.5 liters for each tomato).
5. Immediately after transplanting seedlings, the garden bed must be covered with a film to protect plants from unforeseen night cold. After some time, after the seedlings have taken root, the film can be removed.
6. At first, while the process of adaptation of plants takes place, it is forbidden to water them. Typically, for tomatoes it takes about 8-10 days, after which you can perform the first irrigation procedure.

Did you know? In the wild, tomatoes usually weigh no more than 1 gram, but the fruits of cultivars can reach 1 kilograms and more.

Variety Care Features

The unpretentiousness of this handsome man among tomatoes allows you to achieve a good tasty crop at no particular cost - it is only important to follow all the necessary agricultural procedures correctly.

Fertilizers and watering

According to the assurances of gardeners, Handsome for the most part is indifferent to dressing, but to increase the level of productivity this is a mandatory procedure.

Experienced gardeners recommend feeding the variety no more than 3 times per season - for this it is better to pre-schedule these events:

1. First time dressing should be done 20 days after transplanting seedlings into the ground, that is, during the flowering period. During the first procedure, it is important not to load the plants with nitrogen fertilizers, which will cause an active increase in green mass and slow down the onset of fruiting, so it is better to limit yourself to a weak dressing - infusion of bird droppings or mullein. For greater efficiency, you can also add a glass of ash to it - this will greatly stimulate the budding of young plants and nourish them with all the necessary substances.
2. Next feeding produced a week after the formation of the first ovaries. To do this, you can use such a simple recipe - add 1 tablespoon of any mineral fertilizer to a ready-made solution of bird droppings (10 l) (such preparations as Kemira and Mortar are ideal) and 4 grams of potassium permanganate. Since Handsome belongs to tall varieties, the flow rate of the solution should be at least 2 liters per bush.
3. Third and final procedure top dressing should take place during the collection of the first fruits. It can be done with the same solution as the second top dressing, or you can give preference to potash fertilizers - ashes or potassium sulfate. To do this, add 1 tablespoon of ash in a bucket of water and spend at the rate of 2.5 liters per bush. Fall of flowers and ovaries indicates a lack of boron to plants. The problem is easily solved by spraying flowers and leaves with a solution of boric acid (1 g per 1 liter of water).

As for watering, it is important not to over-moisten the soil, but also not to let it dry out. Handsome tomatoes need plentiful watering 1-2 times a week with exceptionally warm water. It is important to perform this procedure in the evening, that is, after sunset, spending at least 1 bucket of water for each bush. After waiting until it is absorbed, it is advisable to loosen the soil shallow, trying not to damage the roots.

Pasynkovka and formation of a bush

One of the main features of the variety is the need to form a bush in one stem. This event should begin at the very beginning of the growing season, that is, several weeks after transplanting, since from an early age the plants begin to form lateral shoots.

The formation of a bush is one of the most important procedures for an early harvest: thanks to it, plants begin to bear fruit in a timely manner and without quality, without concentrating on the formation of excess green mass.

For indeterminate varieties, including Beauty, one stem with 7-8 flower tassels is allowed. The stepson left under the first flower brush will develop most rapidly. In tall tomatoes, it should be high enough - about 11-13 leaves.

An important role is also played by the timely removal of the lower leaves - up to a distance of 35–40 between them and the ground. This is necessary in the first place in order to protect plants from various sources of diseases and to ensure the flow of air. The next step after the formation of 7-8 brushes is pinching the apex in order to limit the growth of stems. The frequency of this procedure depends on the activity of the plants - it is recommended that Krasavchik tomatoes be planted at least 2 times a week.

Important! During removal of the side shoots, the branches necessarily need a garter to the support.

Soil cultivation and weeding

Loosening and weeding the soil are no less obligatory agrotechnical methods for increasing the yield. It is very important that the ground under the plants is always loose - for this, the procedure is carried out after each watering, periodically combining it with weeding. The depth of cultivation of tomatoes depends on their growing season - in the first few weeks after planting, the permissible norm is 11–13 cm, after which this indicator drops to 7–9 cm so as not to harm the root system. In the case of heavy soil, loosening is necessary deeper, but only those places where the roots have not yet made their way.

After some time, weeding must also be added to loosening: the procedure will avoid exposing the roots and significantly speed up the beginning of fruiting, since the presence of weeds has an extremely negative effect on the growth and quality of the crop. It is recommended to remove weeds manually, since mechanical devices can damage the overgrown roots of tomatoes.

Diseases and pests

Gardeners, who have been cultivating the described variety for a long time in their beds, note the handsome's amazing resistance to various ailments, in particular, to fusarium, mosaic and cladosporiosis. However, plant resistance does not exempt from preventive measures that can prevent infection.

In open ground, tomatoes are much more prone to diseases, since most of them spread in conditions of high humidity. The most dangerous solanaceous diseases include late blight - brown spots on all the ground organs of the plant, including the fruits, will tell you about its appearance.

In the case of an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, the probability of infection of tomatoes is also possible gray or root rot - small round spots appear on the plants, gradually covered with mold. Another physiological disease that occurs as a result of waterlogging of the soil is tomato cracking. Abundant frequent watering can provoke a rupture of the skin of the fruit, as a result of which they lose their presentation and attractiveness.

As for pests, in the process of growing a crop, you can most often encounter such harmful insects:

1. Spider mite. A lesion of the leaf plate is characteristic of it - first it sucks out all the juice from it, after which it is entwined with a thin white cobweb. The main reason for the appearance of this pest is dry air, so the spider mite poses the greatest danger to plants that are poorly watered or aired.
2. Whitefly - destroys the crop mainly at the stage of larvae. Attaching to the leaves, it sucks out all the juices from them, and a black fungal coating appears on the plants themselves, provoking the rapid death of the fruits.
3. Wireworm - It harms not so much the terrestrial organs of plants as their roots. Making their way into the very depths of the soil, they actively devour the roots, and then the stalks of tomatoes.

Only proper observance of all agricultural technical precautions will help to avoid the above misfortunes, namely:

• the use of healthy planting material;
• planting plants at an optimal distance from each other;
• immediate removal of infected instances;
• deep digging of the soil;
• proper and timely watering of plants;
• regular removal of plant residues and weeds from the site;
• crop rotation compliance;
• the correct introduction of trace elements;
• treatment of plants with broad-spectrum fungicides, such as Fundazole, Fitosporin-M, Quadris and Funazim.

Harvesting and storage rules

You can start harvesting Krasavchik tomatoes already in late July - early August. If after the end of this procedure you want to send the fruits for long-term storage, in this case, the collection must be carried out exclusively in dry weather and best of all in the morning. Large, healthy, not overripe fruits should be selected without visible skin defects.

The capacity for storing tomatoes can be very different - from cardboard boxes to plastic boxes, the bottom of which is covered with paper. The lid of boxes and boxes should be selected so that when closing it does not press on the tomatoes. Plastic containers are best covered with burlap or other sufficiently dense material on top. This is due to the need to preserve ethylene, which has a positive effect on tomatoes.

The storage location of the fruits is no less important - it is not recommended to use the cellar for this purpose, since in conditions of high humidity they quickly decay. In winter, the air temperature in the room where the crop is stored must be monitored especially carefully, otherwise the fruits will freeze. If the tomatoes were selected for long-term storage, do not forget to regularly inspect them for the presence of rotted and diseased specimens, because by taking measures in time, you can save the rest of the crop.

The tomato variety Handsome from the very beginning of its appearance on the market has established itself as one of the best for growing. The positive reputation and reviews of experienced gardeners leave no doubt about the excellent taste of the variety, its unpretentiousness and high yield, and therefore it is an excellent choice for growing both in a greenhouse and in open ground.