- Authors: Yu. B. Alekseev, "Semko-Junior" LLC
- Year of approval: 2010
- Category: hybrid
- Growth type: indeterminate
- Appointment: universal
- Ripening period: mid-early
- Ripening time, days: 99
- Growing conditions: for plastic greenhouses, for greenhouses
- Bush size: tall
- Bush height, cm: 120-150
Gardeners and large farmers often prefer pink varieties of tomatoes. Such popularity is due to the fleshy pulp of juicy fruits and their fresh sweetish taste. Consumers have noted these qualities in Pink Spam hybrid tomatoes.
Breeding history
The authorship of the early ripening hybrid variety belongs to the specialist of the enterprise "Semko-Junior" - Yu. B. Alekseev. Tomato Pink spam was allowed to be used in 2010.
Description of the variety
Under favorable environmental conditions, the tomato manifests itself as a vigorous, indeterminate plant. In the greenhouse it grows without height limitation, and in the open field it grows up to 1.2-1.5 m.
The strength of growth is influenced by the presence of warm days. Tomatoes stop developing at an air temperature of +15 degrees.
7 to 9 tomatoes appear in each cluster. They are uniformly colored, without spots at the stalk.
The main qualities of the fruit
At the stage of ripeness, the skin of tomatoes acquires a uniform pink-raspberry color. The fruits are large in size (weight about 190 g) and heart-shaped. According to the manufacturer, it is possible to grow rounded fruits, depending on the agricultural technology followed. The skin on tomatoes is smooth, thin and firm. The pulp under it is pale pink, dense, the number of nests is 6 or more. They are small and have no voids.
The fruits are well transported and stored. They rarely crack, but overripe tomatoes can crack.
Taste characteristics
The pulp in Pink Spam is juicy, sweet taste and fresh aroma.
Ripening and fruiting
Ripening period is 99 days from germination to ripeness. The hybrid is considered early maturing.
Yield
From each square meter allocated for an early ripening hybrid, you can get 20 kg of tomatoes.
The timing of planting seedlings and planting in the ground
It is recommended to sow seeds no earlier than 2 months before planting in the ground. In terms of mid-March - early April (depending on the region). In the southern regions, you can sow directly into the greenhouse.
The beds must be prepared in advance: in the fall, dig up and feed with manure. It is better to break the beds on the south side, preparing low acid sandy soil or loam. Pink spam should not be planted where potatoes, eggplants or bell peppers grew before. And the ground after cabbage, onions and zucchini will be ideal for tomatoes of this variety.
In open ground, the seedlings are moved, focusing on May 20 (at the end of the morning frost) until June 15. Until that time, the seedlings are supposed to grow up to 20 cm. At the same time, about 7 leaves already appear on them.
Growing tomato seedlings is an extremely important process, because it largely depends on whether the gardener can harvest at all. All aspects must be taken into account, from seedbed preparation to planting in the ground.
Landing scheme
It is optimal to plant tomatoes according to the 50x50 cm scheme.You can choose options 60x60 cm, or 70x40 cm.
Growing and care
If you plan to grow seedlings on a windowsill, you need to warm up the soil to 100 degrees, or, for example, spill it with boiling water. It is necessary to disinfect the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate. Sowing relies on a depth of 1 cm. At +25 degrees, seedlings will appear after 5-7 days.
Pink spam is distinguished by its high growth force, which is noted already at an early stage after planting. As soon as the first leaf appears, the plants need to be dived into larger cups (0.5 l). Alternatively, you can transplant in two stages: first in 0.2 liters, and when the tomatoes become too large, transfer them into a 0.5 liter container.
Watering tomatoes is recommended periodic, but timely. It is produced twice in 7 days, preferably in the morning or in the evening, when the sun sets. The vegetable culture of the nightshade family is watered strictly at the root.
It is necessary to mulch the soil to retain moisture in it.
High-quality loosening and careful removal of weeds are important, providing the roots of tomatoes with oxygen.
The hilling procedure will also help the roots to develop intensively.
Top dressing is necessary for tomatoes 14 days after planting in the ground, as soon as the seedlings begin to grow. They will have to be fed with mineral fertilizers and natural organic matter every month. Top dressing is best done during watering or immediately after it.
To restrict growth, you need to pinch the top of the main shoot of the bush at a suitable height.
It is important for Pink Spam bushes to form in two stems and a garter so that heavy fruits do not break the bush.
According to the manufacturer's recommendation, the number of fruits must be normalized. If you leave only 4-6 of the most selective ovaries in the brush, the tomatoes will turn out to be even and large. This advice is especially relevant if the variety is grown for sale, when marketability is in one of the first places.
A plant needs different micronutrients at each stage of growth. All fertilizers can be divided into two groups: mineral and organic. Folk remedies are often used: iodine, yeast, bird droppings, eggshells.
It is important to observe the rate and period of feeding. This also applies to folk remedies and organic fertilizers.
Disease and pest resistance
The Pink Spam variety is resistant to fusarium, cladosporium and tobacco mosaic. At the same time, tomatoes can pick up brown spot or such a nuisance as top rot. All of these shortcomings can be eliminated with a certain agricultural technique and timely spraying.
To prevent the development of late blight, black leg and other fungal diseases, the soil and seeds need to be disinfected. The beds are treated with some kind of fungicide, for example, Bordeaux mixture is suitable for this. With this solution, you can prudently spray the ceiling, walls and doors in the greenhouse, and also treat trellises and garters.
Resistant to adverse weather conditions
In the open field, in a dry season, or, conversely, in the season of prolonged coolness, flowers sometimes fall off on tomatoes.
Growing regions
It is worth noting that this hybrid variety is not recommended to be grown everywhere. The plant shows the best external and taste qualities, growing in the European part of Russia, including in the northern regions. But in the Urals and in the vastness of Siberia, planting Pink Spam can bring a tasteless and small crop, demonstrating instability to various diseases.
Review overview
In their reviews, gardeners share tips for growing the described variety. So, at the time of mass flowering, many successfully use the drug "Ovary" or a similar remedy.
This variety is recommended to be grown in greenhouse conditions, since in the open field, flowering ends with the arrival of August. This may result in a shortage of harvest.
Fruits are harvested as they ripen. Often the unusual color of the fruit misleads gardeners with its pale pink tint. Many find it difficult to determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit. Compared to regular tomatoes, it sometimes seems that the fruits of Pink Spam are not yet fully ripe.
As they mature inside, they actually acquire a more reddish color, it shines through through the thin skin. But tomatoes at this point are considered overripe and unsuitable for food because of their watery pulp. In this case, the skin often cracks.
The commercial ripeness of the Pink Spam fruit is determined by the color of the unripe red tomato. You can press your fingers on the walls, and they will crumple under them, while remaining elastic. In the context, such a fruit is not green, but the flesh is dense.
In general, it is noted that the Pink Spam tomato will not grow unless it is properly cared for. A healthy and high-quality harvest can be expected from him only if all agricultural techniques are followed.