Description of the Ulysses f1 tomato and rules for growing seedlings

The Ulysses f1 tomato is a hybrid variety created by Dutch breeders. It is used for salads and canning. It can be grown outdoors in southern Russia. In the rest of the country, it is recommended to grow it in greenhouses. The plant can be grown from seedlings or by direct sowing of seeds into the garden.

Characteristics of the variety

The characteristics and description of the variety are as follows:

1. The fruiting period for this variety, when using seedlings, ranges from 65 to 70 days. If the farmer plants seeds, the harvest will extend over 100-110 days.
2. The plant has a fairly strong trunk and many leaves, which protect the fruits from sunburn.
3. The fruits are elongated and cylindrical. The average tomato weight is 90–110 g.
4. The fruits are quite firm, fleshy, and a rich red color. They have a long shelf life and withstand long-distance transportation.

Farmers who have planted this tomato variety have given positive reviews. They note that the hybrid can withstand cold temperatures in early autumn and is able to withstand extreme climate fluctuations. The variety yields up to 4 kg per plant.

Reviews from people who have planted this Dutch hybrid indicate that tomatoes of this variety are resistant to some fungal diseases, but can be damaged by late blight, so it is important to carry out timely agricultural measures to prevent this disease.

Growing and care

To grow Ulise seedlings, purchase seeds and then sow them in containers filled with soil. Before sowing, the soil should be fertilized with manure or peat. It is recommended to plant the seeds 10 mm deep. The distance between seeds should be 1 cm, and between rows, the distance should be up to 50 mm.

You can grow seedlings without picking them. In this case, it's recommended to sow the seeds in pots 80-100 mm in diameter. Until the seedlings emerge, maintain a room temperature of 24-26°C. After the cotyledons open, reduce the temperature to 19°C during the day and 16°C at night.

The seedlings are pricked out when the first leaf appears. Then, transplanted into pots, the seedlings are shaded using any method, and kept in this position for 48 hours. They are then illuminated with a special lamp. The light should fall not only on all the leaves but also on the stems of the plants, as dense foliage will cause the bushes to grow upward, which will lead to a loss of some of the harvest.

When the first flower clusters appear on the plants, the room temperature is reduced to +18 °C during the day and maintained at +16…+17 °C at night.

Water the seedlings with warm water. Nine to 10 days before transplanting them to the garden beds, watering is sharply reduced and the temperature is lowered. This will help the seedlings harden off. Formed inflorescences have few flowers, which rarely produce fruit. The age of the plant directly depends on the diameter of the pot it was grown in. Under these conditions, the seedlings will be up to 10 weeks old before planting in the garden beds.

The bushes are planted in permanent soil when they have developed 8 to 11 leaves. Plants are arranged in two rows: 0.7 x 0.8 m and 0.5 x 0.8 m. A single row of 0.6 x 0.8 m can also be used. It is recommended to plant no more than three plants per 1 m² bed. For planting, holes up to 40 mm deep are dug in the soil. A complex fertilizer is added to the soil.

It's important to water the bushes regularly, loosen the soil, and weed the beds. To prevent the risk of various diseases, it's recommended to treat the leaves of the bushes with appropriate preparations.

Garden pests can be controlled using readily available methods, such as using folk remedies to kill insects or using special poisons.