History of variety selection
This variety of tomato was named after Cardinal Giulio Mazarin. He introduced this variety of vegetable to France during the Civil War (1618-1648). The Frenchman had a small pointed beard on his face and rather long hair on his head, and the fruits of the Mazarin species have a regular cone shape, which makes the name of the variety very appropriate.
Due to the unusual shape and excellent taste of tomatoes, this variety has become quite popular among Russian summer residents. Today it is one of the five most common types of tomato.
We grow seedlings
Even a novice gardener can grow seedlings of Mazarin tomatoes. If you follow all the rules for preparing seeds, soil and transplanting into the ground, problems should not arise.
Seed preparation
Growing any seedlings begins with preparing the seeds. Usually they start doing this in March. The first mandatory step is disinfection. It is carried out by soaking the seeds in hot water for half an hour (a pinch of potassium permanganate ).
Only after this they begin planting and germination. To do this, transfer the seeds to any flat surface, covering them with damp gauze. This should be gauze, since dense fabric will not provide oxygen to the seeds.
Important ! Wet the gauze periodically, as moisture promotes faster germination of seeds.
Planting seeds
Having previously prepared, loosened and watered the soil, begin planting the seeds. As a rule, the germination process takes 3-4 days. Plant several seeds in one container. This must be done in several rows at a distance of 2 cm and to a depth of 1.5 cm.
Advice ! If you cover pots with planted seeds with cellophane, the conditions will be closer to greenhouse conditions. Shoots will appear faster.
It is advisable to place the seedlings as close to the light as possible. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature is maintained at around +22 degrees. This will ensure that each seed produces a healthy sprout. After about 11-13 days, the temperature is gradually reduced to room temperature.
During germination, light must come from all directions so that the seedlings do not stretch in one direction. To do this, you can change the location of the drawers or install an additional light source - fluorescent lamps.
When the first leaves appear on the seedlings, transplant them into separate containers. It is advisable to harden seedlings with a gradual decrease in temperature. This will allow the seedlings to be maximally prepared for transplanting into the ground.
Tomato Mazarin: characteristics and description of the variety
Judging by the descriptions and characteristics of the Mazarin tomato, as well as reviews from summer residents, this variety has excellent performance.
Description of the Mazarin tomato
The Mazarin tomato variety is indeterminate. Tall bushes can reach 2 m in height. The plant has medium foliage. The wide, double-pinnately dissected foliage has a pleasant bright green color. On the stem of this type of tomato, which constantly grows upward, side shoots and flower clusters are formed. The flowers that form on the bush are yellow.
The ripening time of the Mazarin tomato variety can vary within 110-120 days.
Description of fruits
The structure of tomatoes is dense and meaty. Ripe fruits have a bright red color and excellent taste. The round, heart-shaped shape of the vegetables resembles strawberries.
One tomato can weigh from 160 g to 200 g.
Taste and shape of fruits
The tomato's appearance and taste depends on which Mazarins are chosen.
Variety from "Aelita"
The F1 hybrid has a distinct red color. The fruit is oblong with a sharp tip and forms four seed sections. The skin is dense and fleshy. The main advantage of the variety is its suitability for home and industrial canning.
Description of the Mazarin tomato variety from Biotechnika
The tomato is matte brown-pink, fleshy, with small seed chambers. The shape of the tomato resembles a heart and has a sharp, elongated nose. The weight of the first ovary is 770-759 g, the next fruits are 310-400 g. Tomatoes are not used for home canning; they are used for salads, lecho, and juice.
Fruits of Mazarin tomatoes
Characteristics of the tomato variety
The Mazarin tomato has a high yield, as evidenced by reviews and photos of gardeners who grew this crop.
Productivity and fruiting
In reviews of the Mazarin tomato, summer residents claim that the variety brings abundant harvests. From one bush you can harvest up to 3.5 kg of vegetables. Considering that per 1 sq. m can fit 4-5 plants, it can grow up to 14 kg of fruit.
A plant of this species can be grown both in open soil and in a greenhouse.
Area of application of fruits
Mazarin tomatoes have a universal purpose. They can be eaten fresh, fried, stewed, stuffed. Vegetables make excellent tomato juice. The fruits are used to prepare various dishes, such as stews, soups, casseroles, etc. Due to the large size of tomatoes, they are difficult to put into jars, which makes them unsuitable for canning.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Cardinal Mazarin tomato is resistant to the most common diseases that often affect other varieties of this crop. They rarely succumb to late blight, tobacco mosaic, gray mold or fusarium.
If this variety is grown in open soil, they may be attacked by insect pests. The most common are naked slugs, aphids and spider mites.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main positive aspects of the Cardinal Mazarin tomato variety, judging by the reviews and photos, are its following characteristics:
- high productivity;
- the ability to grow a plant both in a greenhouse and in open soil;
- good taste;
- attractive appearance;
- resistance to common diseases;
- a large number of options for using fruits;
- unusual shape of vegetables;
- ease of care;
- large size tomatoes;
- high growth of bushes.
The only disadvantage of this type of crop is that the plant can be attacked by some insect pests. However, you won’t have to deal with this drawback if you provide the bushes with proper care.
Reviews
The Mazarin F1 hybrid was developed quite recently, but reviews from those who planted these tomatoes speak of its excellent adaptation to different regions of Russia and the Near Abroad.
Tatyana, 64 years old: “I used to prefer to plant my own, proven varieties of tomatoes. But I liked the name Mazarin, and I bought the seeds. Some of the seedlings went into the carbonate greenhouse, and some went outside. The street plantings did not impress me, but in the greenhouse I collected even more than what was promised on the pack - 25 kg, if calculated per square of plantings.”
Victor, 42 years old: “I grow tomatoes for sale and always keep track of new hybrids. Mazarin from Aelita attracted me with its beautiful shape. The presentation really turned out to be excellent: the bright and even “hearts” were sold out very quickly. And they were among the first to arrive.”
Growing rules
When growing this variety of tomatoes, you must adhere to certain rules.
Planting seedlings
Before planting seeds for seedlings, they must be properly prepared:
- Soak the planting material in a solution of potassium permanganate. This process should take 20-25 minutes. This will help disinfect the seeds.
- Wash them under clean cool water.
- To ensure active growth and development of planting material, it must be treated with certain nutrients. The seeds should be placed in 1 liter of water diluted with 10 g of nitrophoska. They must remain in this liquid for 24 hours.
- The material for planting should be kept in moisture at a temperature of 30°C for 1-2 days. This will help the seeds to germinate.
The soil for planting seeds for seedlings must contain useful substances. Also, the soil must have neutral acidity. To sow planting material, mix the soil with peat or humus. Potassium fertilizers and superphosphate can be added to the mixture.
This variety should be planted for seedlings at the end of February. This process includes the following steps:
- Prepare a plastic container or wooden box. Place the soil mixture prepared in advance into it.
- Dig small holes 1 cm deep in the ground. The distance between the holes should not be less than 1 cm.
- Place planting material in the holes and cover with soil. Water the ground.
- Cover the container with soil and seeds with glass or film material. Place it in a warm (23-24 degrees) and bright place.
- After 7-10 days, when the first shoots sprout, they need to be moved to a cooler place. It should also be light. The film or glass must be removed for approximately 2 hours and then placed back.
- After about 2 months, when the sprouts have 3-4 leaves, they will be ready to move into open soil.
Tomato transplant
Seedlings should be moved into a greenhouse in May, and into open soil in May or early June. For 1 sq. m should be placed from 3 to 5 sprouts. Closer planting may reduce yield levels.
Before planting seedlings, the soil must be thoroughly loosened. Prepared recesses for young plants need to be filled with calcium sulfate and superphosphate fertilizers. You can place no more than 1 tbsp in each hole. l. mixtures.
After transplanting the seedlings, the soil must be watered abundantly.
Subsequent care for tomatoes
The principles of caring for a Mazarin tomato are standard. This variety needs procedures such as watering, fertilizing and gartering. It is necessary to moisten the soil moderately. The second watering should be done 10 days after transplanting the seedlings.
Attention! One bush needs approximately 2 liters of water.
As a rule, the plant is watered 1-2 times a week. This should be done in the morning or evening.
Tomatoes should be fed several times a season. For this procedure, it is best to choose mineral or natural fertilizers.
The plant should be tied when it grows to 40 cm. This procedure will help the bush to form correctly and provide it with ventilation.
Care
The agricultural technology for growing Mazarin F1 tomatoes is generally traditional for powerful hybrids.
Feeding and watering
As soon as the planted bushes begin to grow, they are fed with organic matter (humus, compost, grass infusion) or complex fertilizer with a significant proportion of nitrogen. Before the first cluster blooms, complex fertilizing watering and foliar feeding with microelements (boron, magnesium, iodine, zinc, silicon) are useful. Then you can feed the plantings once every two weeks, without being too zealous with nitrogen.
The soil in the root zone should be constantly moderately moist, but not soggy. Mulching helps. Sprinkler irrigation is not recommended. Over-drying is healthier than over-watering.
Formation
The tomato is planted with 1 or 2 stems, no more. The second trunk is formed from a side shoot above the first brush. In a high greenhouse, after the bushes have been trimmed, their growth continues due to the upper stepson left behind. August topping is not carried out in street ridges. The bushes remain healthy for a long time and bear fruit until frost.
In greenhouses where there is no crop rotation, as well as in open ground during rainy summers, standard preventive treatments against late blight are needed.
Pest and disease control
The Mazarin tomato variety is immune to major diseases, however, it can be attacked by insect pests. To combat them it is necessary to use insecticides. To deal with this problem, you should use the following tools:
- from aphids - “Biotlin”, “Anarin”, “Iska”;
- from spider mites - “Apollo”, “Karbofos”, “Iskra-BIO”, “Akttellik”, “Akarin”.
To eliminate naked slugs, mechanical means such as traps, barriers and hand collection should be used.
Harvesting and application
As soon as the tomatoes acquire a bright red color, as well as a large heart-shaped shape, we can talk about their ripeness. Harvesting usually occurs in July-August, but may continue into the fall.
The fruits are placed for storage in a box, having previously laid a newspaper in it. Tomatoes should be placed in no more than 2 rows on top of each other, otherwise they may become wrinkled.
Store tomatoes in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. It is advisable to maintain a storage temperature of up to 15 degrees to avoid rotting of the fruit.
Slightly unripe, slightly greenish fruits are also collected. In this case, the shelf life will increase.
The use of the crop can be very diverse: the fruits of this variety are very good in the production of tomato juices, pastes, and are also well suited for canning. Mazarins have an incredible taste even after marinating. When fresh, they are often used in salads and vegetable slices.
A special advantage of tomatoes is not only their appearance and bright taste, but also the beneficial substances contained in them. Tomatoes enrich the body with beneficial microelements and strengthen the immune system. They also act as an antioxidant. The substance they contain, lycopene, has a beneficial effect on the human immune system. Tomatoes can also fight blood clots, and due to the serotonin they contain, they improve your mood.
