All people have completely different tastes. Including vegetables or fruits. For example, tomatoes. Some people love tiny cherry tomatoes that look like a cherry; other people are crazy about rocket tomatoes, which are very easy to cut; and for others, normal tomatoes are those that you can eat: very large and fleshy.
The tomato that will be described in today's article rightfully deserves the title of “the largest tomato.” Even on average, its fruits are very large, and if the summer resident wishes, he will grow a real giant. So, in principle, the tomato is called “pink giant”.
Description of the variety
The variety is not a hybrid, but apparently some growth gene broke down during breeding experiments. What do children usually remember from childhood? When we went out to the garden, we filled a watering can with water from the tank and watered the small bushes on which tomatoes or other crops hung. But what would they say if they saw this variety for the first time? At the very least, we were surprised, because this tomato fully lives up to its name, because the pink giant is indeterminate.
What does this mean: that the variety is not limited in growth. In terms of ripening time, the pink giant is like a regular variety, with average performance. The first fruits from the bush are harvested approximately 3.5 months after the appearance of the first shoots. This variety is intended for cultivation primarily in a greenhouse. But it is also grown in open beds. The variety was created two years before the new millennium, and included in the Russian register 20 years ago.
Features of the bush
A tomato with a gentle and at the same time frightening name, “pink giant” is a very unusual plant. The bush really grows into a real giant, almost one and a half meters. To give you an idea, 1.5 m is the height of some adults. If you plant a whole greenhouse of these tomatoes, you can take a walk among them.
But he is not only tall, but also very powerful. The foliage of the variety is average, and the leaf shape of the pink giant is very similar to its family relative - the potato. Therefore, under no circumstances plant potatoes and tomatoes next to each other - firstly, you will confuse them, and secondly, its pests may move to the tomato. The tomato leaves are dark green, the inflorescence of the bush is simple, yellow.
Features of the fruit
The pink giant rightfully occupies one of the first places in terms of the size of its fruits, because the tomato produces a good harvest with large fruits. Even the average weight reaches 300-400 grams. Some gardeners who know the secrets grow real giants, weighing up to 1 kg. They probably do this either for competitions or to feed a large family. Well, or those who have a lot of free time.
But that is not all. The pink giant is also famous for the fact that it is called beef tomato (from the English beef - beef). The variety received such an unusual name because in a horizontal section the fruits, cut into thin slices, resemble steamed veal. They are very neat, their seed chambers look different than other varieties. There are very few seeds in the chambers. This is also one of the advantages. But more about them a little later.
The shape of the berries is flat-round, with slight ribbing. The color of the tomato is indeed pink, the average weight of the fruit is gigantic - approximately 350 grams. The taste is excellent: excellent, sweet, meaty, juicy and very tender. From one such tomato you will get not only delicious juice, but also a dressing for borscht or a fresh salad. The scope of application of the pink giant tomato is universal. With the exception, perhaps, of whole-fruit canning. Such giants will not fit into the jar.
Distinctive features
In short, tomato differs from other varieties not only in its unlimited growth and gigantic weight of berries, but also in the sweet taste of ripe fruits. This taste is called “dessert”. Otherwise, the differences are the most common: in terms of ripening time, the need to form and pinion a bush, etc.
Description of tomato variety Pink Giant
The pink giant has been known for almost 20 years; in 2001, it was included by the State Register of the Russian Federation in the list of varieties approved for cultivation, and is recommended for small farms and amateur gardeners and summer residents. It is considered the result of amateur selection. Basically, it is customary to plant it in open ground, but it is quite possible to do this in greenhouses. At least, this is clearly indicated by the fact that the regions of its cultivation are not regulated by an official document, and in the north, of course, only a greenhouse option is possible.
The pink giant belongs to the indeterminate tomatoes, that is, it grows as a very tall bush; in fact, its height can be higher than two meters. The leaves are ordinary, medium in size, green in color. The first fruit cluster is laid after the 9th leaf, new ones are formed every 3 subsequent ones. The brush contains from 3 to 6 tomatoes, but in order for them to express themselves fully, it is recommended to leave no more than three pieces.
The fruits are flat-round in shape, with a high degree of ribbing, contain 4 seed nests, the number of seeds in them is small. The fruits are very large, weighing on average 350–400 g, but there are also kilogram specimens; when ripe, the tomatoes are pink in color. Giants weighing up to 2.2 kg and irregular in shape are described. Maturity does not occur early, almost 3 months after planting the seedlings in the garden.
A small number of seeds is one of the advantages of the salad variety
The main purpose of the fruit, according to the name, of course, is for fresh consumption; the variety is considered a salad variety. In addition, tomato juice, paste, and various sauces are prepared from the fruits. The taste of both fresh tomatoes and dishes made from them is rated excellent, since the pulp of the fruit is sweet and fleshy. Of course, they don’t fit in a jar, but pickling in barrels is possible in principle, although this doesn’t make much sense: there are a huge number of varieties specifically designed for this purpose.
Despite all the positive characteristics of the variety, its overall yield is quite average: about 6 kg/m2. The maximum result with a high level of agricultural technology is estimated at 12 kg, which, of course, is also far from an ideal value.
Since the fruits are very heavy and the bush is tall, the plants require mandatory shaping and tying. Resistance to most diseases is above average; the variety is tolerant to temperature changes. Despite the large fruit, the fruits withstand transportation well, since they have a fairly dense skin. The shelf life of fresh produce is average: in a cool place about a week, in the cellar - up to a month.
Video: ripe Pink Giant tomato
Characteristic
More detailed characteristics of the variety will be described below: pros and cons, nuances of planting and further care.
Advantages and disadvantages
The variety has quite a lot of advantages compared to others. The pink giant tomato invariably receives positive reviews from gardeners, they love it so much. The advantages include the following characteristics:
- High taste indicators;
- Attractive berry shape;
- The variety is non-hybrid, therefore suitable for collecting its seeds;
- Resistant to drought and hot weather;
- Good presentation during transportation.
There are also disadvantages, and significant ones. Firstly, these are weak yield indicators. Secondly, due to unlimited growth, the bush constantly needs to remove excess stepsons. Thirdly, the variety has average immunity to diseases and pests.
Productivity
The yield, despite the manufacturers’ statements, is very average: up to 5 kg per bush. The fruits are large, but 5 kg from one bush, by the standards of modern varieties, is nothing.
Growing regions
Rosreestr recommends growing this variety in the Russian Federation, on household plots and garden plots. Tomatoes are planted everywhere, in almost any region: Siberia, the Far East, Central Russia, southern Russia and the Urals.
Vegetable growers' opinion about the variety
Natalya, 36 years old, Ekaterinburg
I grow this variety every year in a greenhouse. The harvest from 7-8 bushes is used for summer salads and the preparation of about 40 liters of juice. The juice turns out to be very tasty, children readily drink it. In addition, I make rolls in tomato juice from small tomatoes of other varieties. In our family, these canned foods are one of our favorites.
There are no difficulties with cultivation. I’m used to pinching (I usually use 2 trunks), pinching and tying. The only problem is the “gluttony” of the bushes. Without regular fertilizing, the fruits become smaller, and if there is a lack of water, they begin to crack in the stalk area. The taste does not suffer, but the yield decreases.
Nikolay, 42 years old, Omsk region
Friends gave me the seeds (from their tomatoes). The seedlings grew strong, did not get sick, and quickly took root in the greenhouse. I didn’t expect the bushes to be so tall: while I was about to pinch them, they grew almost two meters tall. He led into 2 stems, leaving 4 brushes on each. I was afraid of late blight and other diseases, and treated it 3 times per season with phytosporin and Bordeaux mixture. I didn’t standardize the number of ovaries, so I didn’t get very large fruits. The largest ones were 350 g each. But I was pleased with the taste, exactly the same as in childhood. Tomatoes are fleshy, aromatic, sweet. There were small compacted and greenish areas near the stems, but with such a wonderful taste this is not so important. In general, I was pleased with the variety. I collected my seeds (albeit a little). Next year I will plant again and limit the number of ovaries in order to get real giant fruits.
Irina, 35 years old, Kharkov (Ukraine)
The variety is one of the most beloved. Grows in open ground, sets well and ripens. I form plants into 2 or 3 trunks. The bushes are up to one and a half meters high. I don’t always pinch, but I do pinch the stepson and tear off the leaves below the first cluster. As a rule, I collect about 5 kg from a bush, but I water it regularly and feed it twice a season.
The tomatoes are very beautiful and tasty. We eat it fresh, make pasta and juice. There are almost no disadvantages, but the fruits cannot be stored, and only unripe ones can withstand transportation.
Igor, 55 years old, Ryazan
I grew 3 varieties of Pink Giant: from “homemade” seeds (donated by neighbors in the country), from seeds produced by “Sedek” and from. I planted everything in the greenhouse. The first two options were almost identical and, in general, corresponded to the characteristics of the variety. There was a fair amount of trouble with them: with garters, pinching, feeding and other procedures. But the harvest was pleasing. I left 3 ovaries on each bunch, as I was advised, and did not regret it: the tomatoes turned out to be 400-500 g each and almost all of them ripened on the bushes. The taste is excellent, we are full and put away the sauces for the winter. I collected my seeds for future sowing.
But the material from “Plasma Seeds” turned out to be, apparently, a mismatch. The leaves of the seedlings did not grow like potatoes; the plants themselves were shorter and weaker than “Giants” should be. The shape of the fruits also did not correspond to the description, although the color turned out to be pink. And the taste was not impressive: they seemed watery and with too much sourness.
Maria, 51 years old, Moscow region
Initially I bought seeds from Aelita, but in recent years I have been collecting my own. I grow it in a greenhouse, 2-3 bushes per square meter, with 2 stems. I really like the variety, although I can’t call it completely problem-free. There is quite a lot of work with it, and it is sensitive to the composition of the soil. If you do not feed, the harvest will be modest. But with proper care, the fruits grow of unprecedented beauty: large (I got up to 700 g on the lower clusters), bright pink, sweet and extremely tender. True, it is impossible to preserve this beauty; you need to eat it right away. But the salads made from them are delicious, and the juice is also good. I recommend it to everyone, although the variety is labor-intensive and not for beginners.
Growing seedlings
Any gardener who has been gardening for many years knows that no fruit and berry crop can be grown without first planting seedlings. These vegetables are possible, they grow initially in the ground and are small in size. But larger crops are grown through seedlings. The disembarkation procedure is simple:
- Sowing seeds in a special box;
- Picking individual containers when the time is right;
- Planting in a permanent place: in a heifer or in the ground.
Seed preparation
Every summer resident knows that before starting the planting procedure, the seeds need to be prepared. Do you really want to feel disappointed or angry or annoyed later when you see that not all the seeds have sprouted? After all, at the same time you begin to think that they are sick with something or that you did not care for them properly. All this can be avoided if you immediately select the “dummies”. What is needed for this:
- Take a glass of warm water at room temperature;
- Dissolve a teaspoon of salt;
- Place the planting material for 15-20 minutes.
After the allotted time has passed, the unusable seeds will float to the surface. Then they need to be washed in running water and dried. Then carry out the disinfection procedure by soaking them for the same time in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect them from possible diseases. They may get sick, but the chances of that happening are reduced. After disinfection, the seeds are washed, dried and planted.
Many gardeners soak the seeds under a damp cloth before planting. This only applies to natural seeds. You shouldn’t do this with store-bought ones: germination will be reduced.
Container and soil
The container for planting seedlings should be wide and low. Special plastic boxes, which can be purchased at any garden store, are suitable for this purpose. Before planting, containers are also disinfected. This will reduce the chances of fungal diseases or molds. Cardboard pots, cut-off juice boxes or three-liter bottles are suitable for picking.
Soil for planting is either purchased or prepared independently. Purchased soil is the best option: it already contains everything you need. The most popular soil is “Bogatyr”. If you don’t trust store sellers, prepare the soil yourself by taking the required composition in equal proportions:
- Turf;
- Peat;
- Humus.
To saturate the soil with nutrients and minerals, diluted wood ash is added to it. The dosage of ash per bucket of water is one glass. To prevent the soil from becoming infected with diseases, it is disinfected with a weak solution of manganese.
Sowing
Sow seedlings in the spring months. The optimal timing is mid-March and end of April. It all depends on the region in which the tomato will grow. The depth for planting seeds should not exceed 1.5 cm. Too great a depth will not allow the seed to germinate, it will suffocate. A depth of less than cm will not allow the seed to gain a foothold in the soil.
Growing and care
Caring for seedlings is not difficult. The main thing is to observe the temperature regime and properly water the young seedlings. Immediately after sowing the seeds, they are covered with a transparent film. Everyone does this. This is done so that the seeds germinate faster. The greenhouse effect is much more effective in helping growth. The temperature for germination should be at least 25 degrees.
After the first shoots appear, the film is removed. Now the sprouts will grow on their own. To do this, young seedlings are transferred to a well-lit place. Most often this is a window sill located on the sunny side of the house. The tomato comes from South America and needs light. But the temperature should drop to 15-18 degrees. If the weather is cloudy, the seedlings need an additional light source: lamps.
Young animals must be checked for diseases and traces of mold. If the soil is the last to be affected, the area affected by it is removed. It is advisable to remove the sprout in which it originated so that it does not infect the others. Water the seedlings infrequently, but moderately when the soil dries out. Periodically it is worth moistening it with a spray bottle, but do not allow moisture to get on the leaves.
Productivity
The description of the variety indicates an average yield of 5.8-6.4 kg per square meter. This is not the best indicator, however, the use of heavy doses of garden chemicals negatively affects the taste as the number and weight of fruits increase.
An alternative method of increasing yield is selective removal of some of the buds on the first flower clusters, as well as proper pinching. The combination of these techniques allows you to obtain large (at least 0.5 kg) fruits.
Excess fertilizer leads to a decrease in plant resistance to various diseases and rot. Overfed fruits are prone to the formation of deep cracks, nullifying all the efforts of the gardener
Growing Tomato
As you can see, growing a young pink giant is not at all difficult. The main thing is to observe all the nuances. The main difficulties will begin when you have to replant the tomato to a permanent place.
Transplant timing
As for seedlings, you need to pick them (transplant them into separate containers) when the sprouts look like a real bush. Only in mini format: a sprout no more than a few cm in height, framed by two leaves. As for transplanting into the ground or greenhouse, the pink giant is transplanted when the seedlings reach the age of 55-60 days (i.e., 2-2.5 months).
Landing in the ground
Before planting seedlings in a permanent place, it is important to observe all the important points and nuances. For this:
- The seedlings are watered only with warm water, evenly, without missing a single piece of land;
- Grow at the optimal temperature, approximately 18-20 degrees;
- Provide light at night;
- Fertilize the sprouts at a frequency of 3-4 times;
- Regularly inspect seedlings to avoid the appearance of diseases and harmful insects;
- A couple of weeks before planting in a permanent place, harden the seedlings in the fresh air.
The soil for planting must be warm. Imagine that you suddenly sit down in cold water. Introduced? Plants feel everything too. If the roots freeze in cold soil, they will not grow and will die. The optimal temperature for soil in a greenhouse is + 10 degrees; in open beds - + 15 degrees.
The replanting procedure is quite simple, except for pre-fertilizing the soil. The seedlings should have a lump of earth equivalent to the size of the container. The holes must be loosened and watered. Before planting, a mixture of fertilizers is added to them in equal proportions:
- Lime;
- Shag;
- Dry mustard;
- Minerals.
This nuclear mixture will help disinfect the soil so that future bushes do not get sick. Then the soil is well watered with warm water at room temperature and mulch is made (straw, sawdust or burlap). The standard scheme for planting bushes is 50*40 cm. Thickening is no more than 4 plants per 1 square meter. meter, since the pink giant is an indeterminate type of plant. For the first three days, young bushes are protected with nets or newspapers from the active sun.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
The pink giant does not cause any special difficulty in growing. Difficulties arise at the stage of bush formation. The plant is very powerful, with strong and thick shoots, tall, and therefore requires immediate garter. Otherwise, the stem will bend towards the ground during formation and fruiting and the berries will rot. The bush is tied to a trellis or wooden stake immediately after planting in the ground.
Planting seedlings and caring for tomatoes
By the beginning of May, tomato seedlings of the Pink Giant variety should have at least 6 adult leaves and one inflorescence. The age of such plants ranges from 60 to 65 days. The large-fruited variety loves freedom and does not tolerate crowding. The minimum distance between tomato bushes is 50 to 60 cm. Experienced vegetable growers assure that it is better to plant tomatoes according to the 70x70 cm pattern. The plant is buried in a hole to the level of the cotyledon leaves. Before planting and after filling the roots with soil, water the seedlings with warm water. If frosts are still possible at night, then the tomato plantings are covered with agrofibre.
When the tomato seedlings have taken root, you should not wait until the bushes stretch out. You need to take care of the trellis in advance. To make it, posts are dug in so that they protrude at least 2 m above the ground. A rope or wire is pulled between the supports. As the bushes grow, the stems are tied to the trellis with ropes. The tomato trusses are very heavy so that the branches can hold them. They will have to be tied up or supported separately.
Tall tomatoes love plenty of watering as they require energy for stem growth. And if the variety is also large-fruited, then it requires twice as much water. Watering the Pink Giant bushes is carried out at the root. It is undesirable for water to get on tomato foliage. For these reasons, instead of sprinkling, it is better to use drip irrigation.
Large-fruited tomatoes need more feeding than small-fruited varieties. Organic and mineral fertilizers are applied throughout the season. Feeding tomatoes is especially important during the formation of inflorescences and fruit set.
After watering, fertilizing and rain, a film forms on the soil, preventing the access of oxygen to the roots of the tomato. The problem can be solved by timely loosening the soil. Mulch scattered over the garden bed helps retain moisture in the soil longer. By the way, this option is beneficial for lazy vegetable growers. Mulch prevents the formation of crust, and the issue of frequent loosening of the soil under the tomato bushes disappears.
The Pink Giant bush can be formed with 1,2 or 3 stems. Here the gardener chooses the best option for himself. The more stems there are on a tomato, the more fruits will be produced, but they will be smaller. A plant with one stem will grow a lot, but the tomatoes will grow much larger. In any case, all other excess shoots are removed from the tomato bush. The same is done with the leaves of the lower tier.
Care
Caring for the pink giant is not difficult. The main thing is to water it in a timely manner, periodically feed it, loosen it, weed it and protect it from diseases and insects.
Watering
Young bushes are watered infrequently, but abundantly. The largest amount of water is required when the plant is actively flowering and forming fruits. Watering frequency: in the evening, once a week. When the fruits begin to ripen, watering is reduced. Excess water will only do harm.
Top dressing
The bushes are fed 3-4 times throughout the growing season. The type of fertilizer depends on the growth period. When the tomato is actively growing, nitrogen is added. After the appearance of the second fruit cluster - calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
Loosening
It is necessary to loosen the soil; without this procedure, the plant suffers from a lack of oxygen. Despite the frequent loosening of dry soil, tomatoes are loosened immediately after watering. It is advisable to disinfect garden tools and wear protective gloves. During loosening, periodically remove weeds.
Bush formation
This is a mandatory procedure. Without it, the plant will grow greatly, and a large number of stepsons will reduce the yield and weight of the fruit. In a greenhouse, plant growth is much higher than in open beds. In order for the bush to actively grow and bear fruit, in a greenhouse shelter it is led to 1 stem, in the ground - to 3.
In order to grow a real giant in the future, summer residents pluck out several flower ovaries on the first clusters. This will not affect yield indicators. 1.5 months before the expected end of growth, the tops of the shoots are removed.
Stepsoning
An equally important procedure for the formation of a tomato bush. A stepson is a shoot of a stem that will turn into an independent plant if it is not removed in time. If there are too many stepsons on a bush, it spends its energy on greenery, and not on flowering or fruiting. In order to prevent this, all leaves and stepsons are removed from the lower filling brush.
Appearance of tomatoes
To describe the appearance of Pink Giant tomatoes, no extra words are needed: everything is in the name. The color of ripe fruits is bright pink, sometimes even crimson, and the size is very large.
Some tomatoes are irregularly shaped, some are slightly cracked, but all are equally delicious.
If there were several dozen of these tomatoes on the bush, it simply would not be able to withstand their total mass. Therefore, the Pink Giant bush looks poor, but the tomatoes on it are still located not one at a time, but in small groups.
Video: Siberian woman’s opinion about the Pink Giant tomato
Diseases and pests
A serious drawback of this variety is its average immunity to diseases, in particular to late blight. Therefore, to avoid plant death, preventive treatment is carried out. Harmful insect varieties - Colorado potato beetle, mole cricket, aphids, slugs. Sometimes the weevil ("elephant") attacks.
Pest and disease control
If the plant is sick with late blight or mosaic, only tearing off and burning the leaves and affected plants will help. After removing the plant, the soil is disinfected from possible relapse of the disease. Special preparations will help against serious pests: “Taboo” and others. Folk methods will help with less dangerous ones:
- Mole cricket, slugs - eggshells. The sharp crumb cuts the delicate skin of gastropods;
- Aphids - a solution of laundry soap.
Preventative treatment
For more active growth, fruiting and protection from diseases, special preparations based on potassium and sodium are used. As a rule, they are available in the form of an aqueous solution. “Epin” and “Sulfur checker” are also used. For pests - “Phosbecid”. And, of course, manual assembly of insects and their larvae.
Advantages and disadvantages of the pink giant
The advantages of the pink giant deservedly include:
- sweet taste and attractive appearance of the fruit;
- excellent product characteristics (resistance to transportation and storage);
- relatively large fruit size with quality care;
- resistance to heat;
- fleshy pulp with a small amount of seeds;
- the ability to easily collect seed material.
At the same time, experienced summer residents note an average level of productivity even with careful care, the need for competent formation of the bush, and instability to many diseases, especially late blight. Considering the timing of ripening, preventive treatment of plants against late blight is recommended.
The giant tomato tolerates heat well, but does not like overwatering. With excess moisture, large fruits often crack, which entails the loss of most of the harvest. In the middle zone, it is recommended to grow it indoors to increase productivity.
Reviews
Below are reviews from gardeners about this variety:
Pavel, Kaluga
Where grown: open ground
“I have been growing the pink giant variety for 5 years. I wanted to grow huge tomatoes. Because there are fewer fruits, but the weight remains almost the same. I immediately decided that I would grow it in the garden. After all, the yield is no different from the greenhouse and soil, only the growth is higher. I formed the bush as needed, removed the extra ovaries and - voila, the bush produced fruit weighing 932 grams!”
Love, Kremenchug
Where I grew it: beds.
“I don’t really like tall tomatoes, but I love homemade ketchup. I don’t trust store-bought ones, and why should I, if I’m a summer resident and can cook it myself? But for this you need good and large tomatoes. What's the point of grinding and cooking rocket or demids? In addition to the giant, I also grew ox heart - the same large fruits. And what a sweet juice it makes!”
Anna, Vyshny Volochok
Where grown: greenhouse
“The pink giant has been familiar to me since childhood. My mother also grew it. God, how hard it was to carry those buckets of tomatoes! But then you eat a salad or drink juice and immediately forget. I grew it in a greenhouse. It is more convenient to care for taller bushes; you don’t have to bend down. It’s a strange reason, but it was better for me.”
Main characteristics
It is not for nothing that this variety of tomatoes is called the Giant:
its fruits are large-fruited, their shape is flat-round with clearly visible ribbing and a pleasant bright pink color of the skin.
On average, each Pink Giant tomato weighs about 400 g
, but with certain agricultural techniques it is possible to obtain larger fruits weighing from 700 to 1000 kg. To get such large tomatoes, it is necessary to normalize the number of fruits in the bunches. Usually, up to 7 flowers are formed in each of them; to obtain large tomatoes, half of the buds must be removed. Also, the mass of fruits will be much greater if fertilizers and moisture are regularly applied to the bushes of this variety.
The skin of the Pink Giant fruit is compacted, so tomatoes are not prone to cracking if the watering regime is followed. The pulp is tender, with a sour-sweet taste. Each fruit can have up to 4-6 seed chambers with an average number of seeds.
Important!
It should be noted that the harvested crop does not tolerate transportation over different distances very well, and is also not stored for a long time at home. Therefore, the collected fruits should be immediately eaten or processed.
TOMATO VARIETIES!
Tomato Sevruga or Pudovik Tomato variety Japanese Tomato Sugar Bison
Due to the large size of the tomatoes, they are not suitable for canning in their entirety, but they make delicious tomato juice and sauces. In addition, the fruits of the Pink Giant variety have very delicate skin and pulp - during heat treatment they can spread, so they are not suitable for pickling and pickling, even when preserved in pieces.
Harvesting and application
The first fruits are plucked from the bush 105-115 days after emergence. Productivity – 12 kg per 1 sq. m (from three bushes) .
When forming into one stem, fewer tomatoes are harvested, but each fruit is larger in volume and weight (up to 1 kg), and with 2 and 3 stem formation, more fruits grow on the bush, but are smaller in size (300-500 g). The variety is classified as a salad variety, so tomatoes are consumed fresh . Juicy tomatoes are suitable for making juice, sauces, ketchups and snacks. Due to the large size of the fruit and delicate skin, it is not used in pickling. For the same reason, tomatoes do not tolerate transportation and long-term storage.
general description
“Pink Giant” is a variety that has already taken root quite well among summer residents in our country. It was bred back in 2000, and a couple of years later it was included in the register. Tomatoes are suitable for growing both outdoors and in a greenhouse. This makes it possible to cultivate the crop throughout Russia, as well as in Ukraine and the CIS countries. “Pink giant” got its name for a reason - its fruits are truly amazing in size, while also delighting in taste.
It is worth noting that scientists have long found out that varieties of tomatoes that have a pink or crimson shade of skin are more beneficial for our body. It is believed that these species contain 1/3 more of the substances we need - fiber, vitamin C, selenium, carotene and other antioxidants. Such vegetables, as a rule, are always sweeter. Agricultural technology has its own subtleties, but we will tell you all about this in detail a little later. Even a beginner can grow the “Pink Giant”.
If you are thinking about growing tomatoes for sale, it is worth noting that raspberry varieties are always more expensive than red tomatoes. Moreover, the “Pink Giant” is also large-fruited.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
Tomatoes are planted in open ground at the end of May and only in the southern regions of Russia , but even in this case, in the first 2 weeks it is recommended to cover the plants with agricultural material at night.
They are planted in the greenhouse at the end of April (southern regions) - beginning of May (middle zone and north of the Russian Federation) . When growing in greenhouse conditions, make sure that it is not too hot and ventilate regularly. Install the shelter so that in the afternoon the tomatoes are not exposed to active sunlight.
In a greenhouse, summer residents recommend forming a tomato into one stem , in open beds - into two.
Subtleties of cultivation
The Pink Giant variety is grown in seedlings. This makes it possible to get tasty and large tomatoes.
The seedling method allows you to grow heat-loving crops with a long growing season in areas with a short summer period.
Seed preparation
For sowing seedlings, it is better to use purchased seeds that have good germination and produce a high-quality fruit harvest in accordance with the description of the variety.
Before planting, the seeds are soaked in a saline solution to ensure high-quality screening of specimens suitable for planting. Use 1 tsp per liter of water. salt.
Seeds must be germinated before planting
For sowing, seeds that have settled to the bottom are selected. They are washed with water, then dipped in a raspberry solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour to increase resistance to various infections.
The washed seeds are immersed in warm water for 2 hours, then wrapped in damp gauze for pecking and placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours. After this time, transfer to heat for another 24 hours, periodically spraying with a spray bottle.
Hardening of seeds of heat-loving crops is carried out at variable temperatures for 7-10 days. There is no point in placing seeds in the refrigerator for just 12 hours. This will not increase cold resistance, but the germination period will slow down.
Container and soil
You can sow tomatoes of this variety in seedling boxes or containers. Some gardeners plant seeds in disposable containers - 200 ml plastic cups. The main condition is the presence of drainage holes, otherwise the soil will become moldy and the sprouts will die from waterlogging.
The optimal planting time is late February or early March.
You can sow the seeds in a store-bought substrate for growing vegetables or in a homemade mixture. It is necessary to mix garden soil with sand and humus (3:1:1).
Before use, the soil is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate or calcined in the oven to destroy all pathogenic microflora.
Sowing and caring for seedlings
The containers are filled with soil mixture, leaving 2-3 cm of empty space from the top. Seeds are placed on top of the ground at a distance of 3 cm from each other. When sowing in disposable containers, seeds are sown in 2-3 pieces. in each glass.
The seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of sand and soil (1:1). Then the crops are irrigated with warm water from a spray bottle.
For successful germination, the crops are covered with any transparent material - glass or film. Place in a warm and bright place, keep at a temperature of 23-25°C.
Until the first shoots appear, the crops are ventilated every day - the shelter is removed for 30 minutes, and irrigated with a spray bottle as the soil dries out. After emergence of seedlings, the shelter is completely removed, and the air temperature is lowered to 18°C.
To prevent the risk of seedlings being pulled out, they are provided with good lighting - at least 12 hours a day. If necessary, use artificial light.
Plant picking is carried out at the stage of appearance of 2-3 true leaves. The soil is thoroughly moistened, and replanting is carried out by transferring the earthen clod into a slightly larger container.
Picking is not transshipment. When picking, sprouts are selected from the soil using a pointed wooden stick - a pick. In this case, part of the root is cut off or pinched specifically to stimulate the growth of lateral roots.
Tomatoes are transplanted into an open bed or greenhouse 50-55 days after sowing the seeds. By this time, the plants will reach 25-30 cm in height and produce 5-6 leaves.
This procedure is usually carried out in the middle and end of May. By this time, the soil will warm up to a temperature of 10-11°C and the heat outside will stabilize.
Preparing the site and soil
Plants need sunlight
The Pink Giant tomato loves the sun, so it is planted in a sunny place away from bushes and trees. Choose a flat or elevated place where there are no winds or swamps.
The preparation of beds for planting tomato seedlings is done in the fall. The area is cleared of weeds and plant debris, sprinkled with a nutrient mixture of a bucket of humus, 3 kg of wood ash, 100 g of superphosphate and 80 g of potassium nitrate. Then a deep digging is carried out.
In the spring, the garden bed is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water) to destroy all parasites and infection.
Planting scheme
Holes are dug at a distance of 50 cm, the distance in the row is 50 cm. Each hole is spilled with water with the addition of a urea solution (1 tablespoon per bucket of water). Consumption - 1 liter of liquid per hole.
After the moisture is absorbed, the seedlings are planted, and a wooden stake at least 1.5 m high is driven in next to each plant.
How to grow seedlings
Seeds for seedlings are sown in early March . In the south of Russia, tomatoes are also planted using the “seedless method” - the seeds are sown directly into the beds.
Seed preparation
To begin with, gardeners calibrate the seeds . Select large (and medium-sized), even grains that are not empty to the touch.
Selected seeds are placed in a saline solution , for the preparation of which a tablespoon of salt is stirred in a glass of water. After 15-20 minutes, the container is checked: the seeds that have sunk to the bottom are selected for planting.
The seeds are laid out on a cotton cloth and placed on a central heating radiator for 36-48 hours to warm up.
Afterwards, the grain is disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate . To do this, dissolve a teaspoon of potassium permanganate in three glasses of water. The duration of the procedure is 15-20 minutes, then the seeds are washed with clean running water.
Interesting! If there is no potassium permanganate, summer residents use hydrogen peroxide. Dissolve 1 tbsp in 400 g of warm (+40 °C) water. l. 3% peroxide and place the seeds in the solution for 12 hours. This method accelerates germination, but is not suitable for coated seeds (with a nutrient coating) and encrusted seeds (with a thin water-soluble layer containing disinfecting and growth-stimulating components).
The seeds are saturated with oxygen - bubbled . To do this, they are placed in warm (+26…+30 °C) water and stirred every hour for 15-18 hours. Some gardeners use an aquarium compressor for this procedure. Bubbling is beneficial for grains: it increases their germination and the viability of the resulting seedlings.
