Large-fruited tomatoes often fascinate foodies, who believe that they must necessarily be tasty. Most often this is the case, and the Alsu tomato is no exception, although in recent years it has been inferior to its counterparts. And the fact that it was created specifically for Siberia, where in former years we had to be satisfied with only small, and sometimes not the most tasty tomatoes, only adds the variety deserved pluses.
Description
Popular among domestic dacha farmers, the Alsu tomato was bred in Novosibirsk by a team of scientists under the leadership of V. N. Dederko. It was registered in the Russian State Register in 2008, and is allowed for cultivation in all Russian regions. It can be grown both in protected and unprotected ground. The variety is determinate, non-stemmed, the bush grows to almost a meter. Its formation is obligatory, and without careful tying, the heavy fruits can break the stems. The leaves are medium-sized, and the foliage is weak.
The variety is early maturing, the first tomatoes mature in 3-3.5 months after sowing the seeds in seedlings. The fruits are flat round, weighing over 300 g, with a weak ribbed character and medium firm consistency. Some tomatoes may have a shape close to heart-shaped. The largest tomatoes grow at the bottom of the bush, they can reach a weight of 800 g. The seed cells are 6 or more and there are few seeds. The ripe fruits are red, with a faint pinkish hue. The taste is sweet, with little or no acid. Officially, the taste of Alsu tomatoes is considered good, but many gardeners believe that the authors of the variety underestimated it. The main purpose is to use in salads in fresh form. You can make tomato paste, sauces, but juice from Alsu tomatoes is not much.
Yield, in today’s times, should be considered average: according to the record in the State Register, about 7 kg/m2. Transporting the crop withstands well, the shelf life of tomatoes is average. Like most tomatoes bred in Siberia, Alsu tolerates temperature fluctuations, droughts well, rarely gets sick.
Pros and cons of the variety
If in the years of its appearance Alsu was recognized as one of the best among salad varieties with large fruits, now it is not quite so, although it has not lost its advantages, among which:
- high resistance to sudden changes in weather and diseases;
- large fruits;
- early ripening time;
- Impressive appearance of the fruit, not prone to cracking;
- not bad for large-fruited varieties, portability.
Among the disadvantages noted as the obligation of forming a bush (a controversial point: this “disadvantage” can be attributed to most varieties), and, more significantly, the weakness of shoots in both adult plants and sprouts. Therefore, young bushes should be handled very carefully, and adults – systematically tie. In addition, the taste of the fruit is still recognized only good, and the same breeders can find more modern developments. A number of varieties similar to Alsu (in particular, large-fruited Pudovik or Grandma’s Secret) are rated higher in taste qualities. However, by the level of resistance to sudden changes in weather, gardeners still place Alsu on one of the first places among the counterparts.
Cultivation peculiarities
Since Alsu refers to the number of early-ripening tomatoes, in the southern regions it is possible to grow it without seedlings, but in most cases, still pre-sow the seeds in boxes or cups. This is done two months before planting seedlings in the bed. Its cultivation has peculiarities associated with the weakness of young plants. Therefore, it is preferable to pick seedlings not in ordinary cups, but in peat pots: this allows when transplanting into the bed, less damage to the roots and stems of seedlings.
The optimal scheme of planting 40 x 50 cm. Even if you do not immediately perform tying, the installation of pegs should not be delayed. Temperature and humidity conditions for Alsu usual, fertilizers also give according to the traditional scheme. To make the tomatoes sweet, with the beginning of their ripening, watering is stopped.
Form the bush begins as soon as the first stalks appear and begin to grow. The bush in the greenhouse is usually led in two stems, in the open ground – in three. The remaining stems are systematically removed. Tie the stems several times as they grow, and with the beginning of the enlargement of the ovaries, it is desirable to tie the fruit brushes. With the beginning of fruit ripening, remove the leaves that prevent them from sunlight. Chemicals for disease control are almost never required.
Tomato Alsu is one of the most popular Siberian large-fruited varieties. It is characterized by very high weather resistance, rarely gets sick. Despite the fact that the variety is no longer very young, its popularity among gardeners is not declining.
