Tomato Pink Elephant: characteristics and description of the variety, yield with photo

Tomato Pink Elephant is an original variety of tomatoes, which during its existence has earned only positive feedback from gardeners. It is quite tasty, large and beautiful. It is as easy to grow as any other tomato variety.

Destination

The pink elephant tomato variety was bred by Russian breeders twenty years ago. It was created for growing in glass or polycarbonate greenhouses. However, over time, vegetable growers living in the southern regions of the country began to grow such tomatoes in the open field.

Tomatoes are of the salad type, so fish soup is most often eaten fresh. You can also juice them to make homemade ketchup or sauce.

General Description

To grow this variety, you need to read the description of the pink elephant tomato.

Tomatoes are not often used in industry, as they are very demanding on watering and are large. More often they are planted by vegetable growers who grow exotic tomatoes.

These tomatoes are mid-season varieties, so the first harvest can be harvested 115 days after seedlings germinate.

The bush of the plant is medium tall and medium deciduous. If grown in the right conditions, it can grow up to 130 cm in height. The leaves on the bushes are deep green and shaped like potatoes.

The yield of raspberry elephant tomatoes is quite high. From one square meter you can collect up to 7 kg of fruit. If you grow bushes in stationary greenhouses or film greenhouses, then the amount of the crop can increase up to 10 kg.

Description of fruits

The characteristics of the fruits of this variety will help to distinguish them from other types of tomatoes.

On average, each plant bush has about 5-7 tomatoes. The fruits are quite heavy and each of them weighs 300-400 g. Some tomatoes from the first bunch can weigh more than a kilogram.

The fruits are pinkish in color and oval in shape. At the top, the surface of the tomato is smooth, and near the stalk it is slightly ribbed. Tomatoes are covered with a dense glossy skin, under which there is a fleshy pulp. It has a slightly sweet and rich taste, which is devoid of characteristic sourness.

Features of growing seedlings

It is necessary to sow seeds to obtain seedlings at the end of February or in early March. However, before that, you should start preparing the soil and containers for sowing.

Preparatory work

When choosing the most suitable containers for planting seeds, you should pay attention to containers with special lids that will provide a greenhouse effect. Before planting, the containers should be filled with pre-prepared soil. You can buy it at the store or make your own. In the second case, you will have to deal with soil disinfection.

To disinfect the soil, it is necessary to water it with a solution of potassium permanganate. You can also disinfect the ground with boiling water.

Seeds also need to be processed before planting. To do this, they fall for half an hour into a container with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds that sink to the bottom of the vessel are suitable for planting.

Sowing seeds

Before sowing tomatoes in containers, several holes are made with a depth of no more than 3 cm. After that, 2-3 seeds must be added to each of them, covered with earth and watered. During watering, it is better to use a sprayer so as not to violate the integrity of the soil clod.

Growing seedlings is best done in a warm and well-lit place. Therefore, containers with seedlings can be placed on a sunny windowsill. If during the cultivation of seedlings the most optimal conditions are created, then the first seedlings will appear in just a week.

Picking

Replant seedlings only after the appearance of several true leaves on the bushes. This must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system of the plant. Seedlings should be planted in peat-humus cups. After picking, seedlings must be periodically taken out into the street so that they gradually get used to new conditions.

Landing in open ground

It is necessary to plant seedlings in open ground in the first weeks of summer.

Select site

The best place for growing seedlings of tomato raspberry elephant are sunny, lit places, protected from the wind. The soil on the site should have a neutral acidity of 7 pH. To check it, you need to purchase a special test. If during the test it was found that the indicator is too low, then a little lime will have to be added to the soil. At elevated levels, the soil should be mixed with sulfur.

Soil preparation

You need to start preparing the soil in the fall, immediately after harvesting the remains of previous plants. First, the site is dug up to a depth of 25 cm, and then fed with fertilizers. For this, it is recommended to use compost, as it attracts earthworms, which loosen the earth perfectly.During autumn top dressing, about 5-8 kg of compost is applied per square kilometer of the plot.

Planting

Planting pink elephant tomatoes in open ground is necessary on a cloudy day or in the evening. In this case, it is recommended to use a square-nested fit. This method is popular among many vegetable growers, as it facilitates the care of tomato bushes, increases illumination and improves nutrient absorption.

During planting, one tomato bush sits in each hole. The distance between rows and holes should be 70 cm.

To protect young seedlings from frost, they must be covered with plastic wrap.

Care

Any plant needs proper care, and the raspberry elephant tomato is no exception.

Irrigation

For irrigation, it is recommended to use settled water at room temperature. The bushes need to be watered once a week. After the appearance of the first fruits, this should be done more often - every 2-3 days. Water must be poured under the root so that it does not fall on the leaves of tomatoes.

Tomato Hilling

Some vegetable growers believe that hilling is not a mandatory procedure, but this is not so. It stimulates root growth and helps oxygenate the soil. You need to spud bushes several times per season.

Mulching

In order for the fruits to ripen faster, it is necessary to start mulching the soil. For this, it is recommended to use green manure. They are laid out between rows with a layer of 1-2 cm. When using green manure, you can completely abandon chemical fertilizers.

Conclusion

Even a beginner who has never tried to plant vegetables can grow a tomato raspberry elephant. To do this, it is enough to study the description of the variety in detail and communicate with those who previously planted it.

Recommended