Tomato Pink Elephant

The Pink Elephant variety is annually included in the list of the best tomatoes in Russia for its excellent yield and great taste. It is distinguished by its very large size and long-term fruiting. Often, private owners use a variety for cultivation for sale. Used for making salads, tomato paste, soup dressings.

The culture was created by domestic breeders - E.N. Andreeva, E.A. The variety was included in the State Register in 1998.

The bushes are medium-sized, 120-170 cm high, the stem is powerful, straight, the branches are strong, spreading, medium-leafy. The growth type is semi-determinant. The leaves are large, potato type, rich green hue. The inflorescence is intermediate, appears after 7-10 leaves, then after 2-3. After the formation of 8-12 inflorescences, growth stops. There are 6-8 fruits in a bunch. If you leave a large number of tomatoes on the bush, then not all will ripen. The variety is grown indoors and in the beds.

Large, weighing from 280 g, can reach 1 kg, the shape is flat-round, slightly flattened with a characteristic ribbing at the base. The color is pink-crimson. The pulp is juicy, sugary, fleshy, contains a lot of fiber and potassium. The skin is shiny and thin, rarely prone to cracking. Tomatoes are well transported, stored in a dry, cool and dark place for up to a month.

Excellent taste, sweet with slight sourness.

Mid-season in terms of ripening, 110-112 days pass from the moment the shoots appear to harvest. Fruiting until late autumn.

From one bush remove from 2.5 kg to 3 kg. The quality of care significantly affects the weight of the fruit. The lower tomatoes are large, the upper ones weighing 150 g or less.

Disembarkation is carried out 50-60 days before transferring to a permanent place. Seeds are planted in mid-March in containers to a depth of 2 cm. The containers are picked up with drainage holes and tight lids or sealed with foil. Seed germination temperature is from 23 to 25 ° С.

After the emergence of seedlings, the covers or the film are removed, the seedlings are transferred to a cooler and brighter place. For the prevention of the disease "black leg" the earth is shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or "Fitosporin". At the stage of 2 true leaves, they are transplanted into separate containers and fed with complex fertilizers. When 5-7 true leaves appear, they are transplanted: in a greenhouse - in mid-May, on open beds - in early June. By this time, the earth should warm up to + 10 ° C in the greenhouse and + 15 ° C in the open field.

The ground for the tomato is prepared in the fall: they dig it up and bring it into 1 sq. m 5-7 kg of humus or compost. Before planting, ash and complex mineral fertilizers are poured into the holes.

When forming a bush, no more than 4 plants per square meter are placed in 1 stem. m, if 2 stems are left, then no more than 2 seedlings are planted. Saplings are placed at intervals of 50x40 cm. The pink elephant does not like dense plantings.

It needs frequent pinching, since a lot of lateral shoots appear on the variety. They must be removed several times a week. They cut off the stepsons in the morning, on the eve of the well watering the beds. Extra flowers in the bud stage are also removed: 3-4 are left on the first 2 brushes, 4-6 on the third. When 4-5 brushes are formed, the tip is pinched.

In hotbeds and greenhouses, this variety is poorly pollinated, it needs additional help. It is imperative to ventilate and shake the plants slightly. In the open field, there are no difficulties with pollination.

About 5-8 tomatoes are left on the bush, leaving about 3 pieces on each of the bunches. The stems will not withstand a large amount of harvest. After the ovaries have formed, it is recommended to remove the lower leaves, but at a time 1-2 per plant. Fruit clusters require mandatory tying and installation of vertical support. If the tomato is grown in open beds, it is recommended to cover it with a film in the cold.

Watered often and abundantly with warm water at the root. In the greenhouse, water is watered every 3 days, one plant takes 5-6 liters of warm, settled water, in the open field with heavy downpours it is watered less often. They loosen the soil, mulch with sawdust or grass.

Large-fruited plants require high-quality feeding with organic and mineral compounds. In the initial period of growth and flowering, they are fed with organic and complex fertilizers, which contain nitrogen. When a second brush appears, nitrogenous compounds are removed from the top dressing. After flowering, they are fed only with calcium, potassium or phosphorus.

For the first time, 2 weeks after planting, abundantly watering the beds, a liquid fermented mullein is introduced. During flowering, fertilize with complex compounds. During the fruiting period, foliar dressing is carried out with a mixture of iodine and milk, a solution of boric acid. Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied under the root: potassium monophosphate, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium, sodium or potassium humate is added to each of them when preparing a nutrient mixture.

The variety has good resistance to late blight, Alternaria, Fusarium. Preventive treatments for diseases and pests are carried out until the period of fruit formation. For slugs and aphids, spray with tincture of hot pepper or garlic. Medvetox granules will protect the bear from attacks; they are buried in the ground at the place where insects appear.

The variety is recommended for cultivation throughout Russia. In the south, it bears fruit well without shelter. In temperate climates, it is possible to plant without shelter in an area protected from the wind, but in cold weather it is recommended to cover the culture with a film. In the northern regions, they are planted only in closed structures.

Gardeners love this variety for its huge fruits and great taste. In the southern regions, when planted in a greenhouse, it begins to bear fruit as early as ripe. They notice that if stepchildren are not removed in a timely manner, tomatoes can get sick. Someone does not like tall bushes - they take up too much space on the site. There are those who were not impressed by the taste, while others' tomatoes do not even have time to ripen and begin to spoil immediately. Most summer residents appreciate disease resistance and a regular harvest in the variety.