A description of the best tomato varieties for growing in polycarbonate greenhouses in the Moscow region.

Greenhouse growing is a very exciting home garden. To obtain a high-quality harvest, it's essential to select the best tomato varieties for greenhouse cultivation in the Moscow region. Timely ventilation, regular watering, pollination assistance, and the necessary high-quality fertilizers are key factors for favorable growth.

Growing tomatoes in greenhouses in the Moscow region

To achieve the desired results, it is necessary to consider some features of tomato cultivation in the Moscow region:

• select zoned seeds for planting;
• Use the seedling method, which will allow you to get an early, high-quality harvest.

When to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse?

The timing of planting seedlings in the ground varies depending on the following factors:

• heated or unheated greenhouse room;
• additional lighting;
• soil quality indicators.

In unheated greenhouses, heating is provided by sunlight penetrating through a transparent cover. Planting time can be accelerated by using bioheating (adding manure or compost).

Planting in garden beds occurs in late April or early May. In heated greenhouses with adequate lighting, cultivation can be carried out year-round.

Suitable varieties

To choose the right variety for growing, it is necessary to understand the gardener's goal: a large harvest, rapid ripening, or fruiting until late autumn.

The most fruitful

Below are high-yielding tomato varieties that will produce the desired harvest with proper care throughout the growing season.

Pink raisins

This tomato was bred by Ukrainian specialists. This variety impresses with an abundance of delicious, beautiful fruits; a single branch can produce up to 50. The determinate bush grows up to 1.5 meters tall and is highly resistant to common diseases. An early-ripening variety, the fruits are harvested within 90 days.

Miracle of the Earth

A tall, indeterminate bush growing up to 2 m. Formed with one or two trunks, it requires staking. It produces large, pink fruits, weighing approximately 300 g each, making it unsuitable for canning. A cluster can contain up to 15 fruits. An early-ripening variety.

Mikado Pink

This is not a hybrid, but an indeterminate variety, with the bush reaching 2.5 meters in height. It's an early-ripening tomato, yielding up to 9 kg per bush after 90 days. It forms a single trunk. The flesh and skin are firm, making them suitable for transportation.

Early ripening

The greenhouse creates conditions for early tomato harvests. Given the cool and rainy summer, it's recommended to choose ultra-early ripening varieties. This will allow for the earliest possible harvest in greenhouses.

Hurricane

An excellent variety for greenhouse cultivation. Fruiting period from first germination is 90-113 days. This indeterminate bush grows approximately 1.5 m tall and requires timely pruning and staking. Branches bear 7-8 fruits, yielding up to 10 kg. It has good immunity to common diseases.

Cio-chio-san

Tomato bush approximately 2 meters high, with pear-shaped fruits weighing about 35-50 g. Fruit harvest on the 100th day. This variety has a unique brush structure: about 50 pieces are formed on a branched branch. With the necessary care, you can collect up to 6 kg from a bush.

Kostroma F1

A semi-determinate variety with a ripening period of up to 108 days, producing flat-round, red fruits. It yields best (up to 5 kg) when trained as a single stem. It reaches a height of up to 2.1 m and is resistant to common diseases.

Rosemary F1

A high-yielding hybrid tomato. It produces large, sweet, bright pink fruits with thin, delicate skin, weighing up to 500 g each.

Octopus F1

This is a tomato tree. Its genetics dictate rapid growth and branching. Therefore, proper care, nutrition, and light conditions are essential.

There are two cultivation methods. The standard (seasonal) method yields up to 10 kg of fruit. The second method involves growing the tree using a special technique, which produces 1,000 to 1,500 kg of fruit. However, this requires special conditions.

When grown seasonally, bushes are spaced 1.5 m apart, and no side shoots are needed. It reaches a height of 5 m.

Mid- and late greenhouse varieties

With early varieties available, gardeners try to extend the summer by growing additional mid- and late-season varieties, extending fruiting until late autumn. Popular varieties are high-yielding and disease-resistant.

Bobcat

Key characteristics of this tomato: firm, brightly colored, flat-round fruits with some ribbing near the stem. They are easy to transport and have a long shelf life. Large fruits weighing approximately 250 g. Resistant to common diseases. Ripening period: approximately 127-130 days. Determinate plant, up to 1.2 m tall, with an average yield of 6-7 kg.

King of Kings

An indeterminate, mid-season tomato variety with large fruits. Fruits average 200-400 g, with some reaching 1.2 kg. The tomato's surface is gently ribbed and smooth. It has a round, slightly flattened appearance. The flesh is quite meaty, not overly juicy, and firm. Ideal for salads, sauces, and juices. Resistant to late blight, but is often attacked by whiteflies.

Rocket

A low-growing, determinate variety. The tomato bush reaches 40-65 cm in height. The bush is very compact and does not have much foliage. A tomato plant produces 3 to 8 fruits. With proper care, a single tomato plant can yield almost 7 kg of fruit. It is considered a mid-season variety. Ripening occurs 118-125 days after the first shoots appear. The fruits are plum-shaped and have a small, pointed nose. The average weight of one fruit is 40-60 g. They have a pleasant taste.

French grape

A determinate variety, it stops growing at 1.5 meters. It produces few side shoots, so there's no need to spend effort shaping the bush. It's a high-yielding variety, yielding approximately 15 kg per season. Each cluster contains 10-20 elongated fruits, weighing an average of 90 grams. It stores well, but isn't quite juicy, making it suitable for canning.

Abakansky

A mid-late variety, ripens on the 120th day. Characterized by high fertility, from 1 m² The harvest yield is approximately 5-6 kg. The tomatoes are excellent in flavor, flattened and round, and weigh an average of 250 g. Individual fruits can reach up to 700 g. The flesh is relatively medium-firm, with a pink color. The plant is determinate, with medium bushiness. It reaches a height of 2 m. It is immune to major diseases and transports well.

Which one is better to choose?

Soil and climate factors in the Moscow region directly influence the choice of plant varieties. However, there are varieties proven over many years of experience that are suitable for cultivation and high-quality harvests.

It is preferable to use indeterminate varieties, which allow for maximum yield from a minimal planting area. Additionally, varieties resistant to late blight are planted, which will reduce the need for chemical treatments.

Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse in the Moscow region

Seedlings can be grown in special containers or peat pots. Seeds should be sown in the first half of March. To obtain high-quality seedlings, it's important to create favorable conditions: adequate light, humidity, and temperature.

Requirements for sowing:

• disinfect the seed material (with a solution of potassium permanganate, baking soda or aloe juice);
• treat the soil for sowing with a solution of Fitosporin (dissolve according to the instructions);
• fill the containers with soil, make furrows up to 1 cm deep at a distance of 0.3 cm;
• moisten the furrows and sow the prepared seeds, sprinkle with soil;
• cover with film material or glass to create a microclimate.

When seedlings emerge, use a lamp if light levels are insufficient. Apply the first fertilizer 12-14 days after germination.

It is permissible to plant seedlings in the ground when a stable temperature regime of at least 15-17 is established ^OC. At temperatures below 15 ^OThe growth process slows down.

Maintain a minimum distance of 0.4 m between bushes to ensure adequate care and nutrition for the plant. The bed width is 0.6-0.7 m; it's important to create a comfortable space between the beds. The planting hole depth is 0.2 m. Add potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus fertilizers to each hole before planting. After planting, irrigate the soil and seedlings.

Ventilation of a polycarbonate greenhouse is a necessary maintenance requirement for regulating humidity levels. The acceptable temperature range for tomato plants is 19 to 22 degrees Celsius during the day and 16 to 20 degrees Celsius at night.

Fertilization begins when the first ovary appears. Superphosphate, manure, wood ash, and potassium sulfate are used.

Caring for greenhouse tomatoes

Watering begins in the greenhouse two weeks after sowing. It's important to maintain a consistent irrigation schedule, as tomatoes prefer moist soil. Water every 5-7 days. Use a solution of Fitosporin. Pay attention to humidity, as this can cause fungal diseases.

Pollination is facilitated in warm, sunny weather. Gently shake the flower clusters. Train the bush into a single trunk, removing side shoots. One lower lateral shoot (a reserve shoot) with a flowering branch is permitted. Break off the side shoots, leaving a 2-3 cm stem.

Reviews from experienced gardeners

Ekaterina, 55, Moscow region: "I've been growing French Gorodovoy for a long time, and it's never let me down: I get a plentiful harvest and the flavor is superb. It's the right size for canning; it fits into a jar without a problem, whole, and still retains its excellent flavor."

Nikolay, 47, Moscow Region: "I really love Pink Raisins; they produce a good amount of fruit. The tomatoes are sweet and perfect for salads and pickling. The variety is low-maintenance and easy to grow."

Elizaveta, 52, Moscow region: "I'm growing Miracle of the Land. I'm thrilled. The tomatoes are sweet, large, and perfect for salads. I make sauces and preserve the juice. They're not suitable for canning whole, as they're large."