Description of the Lord of the Steppes tomato and cultivation in the garden

The Lord of the Steppes f1 tomato belongs to the category of hybrids with a medium growing season. Breeders developed this tomato for open ground cultivation in the southern regions of Russia, but farmers subsequently learned to propagate the plant under plastic covers in the central part of the country, Siberia, and the Far North. This tomato is included in the State Register for the North Caucasus region of Russia.

Technical data of the plant and its fruits

The characteristics and description of the Lord of the Steppes variety are as follows:

1. From planting seedlings to receiving fruits it takes from 115 to 120 days.
2. The height of the bush of this variety reaches 0.55-0.6 m. The leaves on the stems are of the standard type, colored green.
3. The ovaries are formed on the branches almost simultaneously.
4. The fruits are spherical in shape and, when ripe, are a deep red color.
5. The tomatoes have a smooth side surface, the flesh is of medium density, good taste with a large amount of juice.
6. The weight of the fruit can vary from 80 to 180 g. Some gardeners have managed to grow berries weighing from 0.4 to 0.5 kg.

Farmer reviews indicate that, with proper agricultural practices, the Lord of the Steppes variety yields between 5 and 6.6 kg of berries per square meter of garden bed. Large farms are interested in the marketable yield per unit area, and this tomato yields 68-97%, which is considered a good result. Many farmers consider this tomato to be the highest-yielding of similar hybrids.

The berries of this tomato are used in salads, canning, and pickling. According to gardeners, the "Lord of the Steppes" tolerates drought and extreme heat well.

Plants can withstand temperature fluctuations. However, this tomato has low immunity to various diseases caused by fungal and microbial infections. Tomatoes tolerate transportation well and can be stored in appropriate conditions for about 30 days.

How to grow this tomato in your own backyard?

It is recommended to prepare seeds in advance by purchasing them from specialized stores. Plants are grown using seedlings. To obtain seedlings, seeds are planted 60-70 days before the planned transplanting.

Before this, the seedlings germinate over the course of 10 days and are pricked out after 1-2 leaves appear. Before planting the plants in their permanent soil, it is recommended to harden them off for 7-10 days.

Before planting the seedlings, apply nitrogen and organic fertilizers to the soil. No more than five plants can be planted per square meter of garden bed. Although the Lord of the Steppes tomato plants are low-growing, breeders recommend tying them to supports. The first ripe berries appear approximately 105-108 days after planting.

The bushes are trained into two stems, with the second stem formed from a side shoot that develops directly beneath the first cluster. All other side shoots must be removed. Failure to do so can result in a loss of up to 20% of the harvest.

It's essential to loosen the soil under the bushes twice a week. Watering is recommended once every 10 days, when the soil beneath each stem is completely dry.

Fertilizing is done three times throughout the season. Initially, the plants are given potassium, organic (peat or manure), and nitrogen fertilizers. When ovaries begin to appear, superphosphate and potassium nitrate are added to the soil beneath the bushes. The third feeding is done when the fruit appears, using complex fertilizers.

It is necessary to remove weeds from the beds every week, otherwise up to 40% of the harvest will be lost.

To combat tomato diseases, it is recommended to use Fitiftorin and similar products. Garden pests are controlled using traditional methods or chemicals that kill both adult insects and their larvae.