Advantages and disadvantages of the "Raspberry Elephant" variety
With the beginning of the summer cottage season, all amateur gardeners rush to their plots. Many people have the question of what to plant in the new year, and what varieties of vegetables and fruits to choose?
One of the crops most beloved by all summer residents is tomatoes. Varieties there are many of this vegetable. All of them are interesting in their own way. For example, pink tomatoes have long attracted the attention of gardeners for their excellent taste. In this article we will tell you about such a representative of pink tomatoes as the "Raspberry Elephant".
The content of the article
Characteristics and description of the variety
Tomato "Raspberry Elephant" is classified as a mid-ripening tall variety. Seeds are sown for seedlings in March. As a rule, fruit ripening occurs 110-115 days after transplanting seedlings into the ground.
The bush reaches a height of 2 meters and requires garters... It is recommended to grow it under a film or in a greenhouse, as strong gusts of wind damage a tall bush.
In the photo of the "Raspberry Elephant" tomato, it can be seen that ripe tomato fruits differ in raspberry or pink color. Each has 6-8 chambers with low ribbing and low grain content.
The shape is rounded, slightly flattened. The weight of one fruit ranges from 350 to 500 g.
Reference. The variety is distinguished by excellent taste. The pulp is juicy, sugary.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantages of the "Raspberry Elephant" variety are:
- great taste;
- beautiful appearance;
- disease resistance;
- high productivity;
- many vitamins in the composition.
The disadvantages include:
- high sensitivity to soil composition and watering;
- poor resistance to temperature changes.
Despite some drawbacks, the "Raspberry Elephant" variety attracts many gardeners with its yield and excellent taste.
Growing features
Like many other varieties of tomatoes, "Raspberry Elephant" has its own cultivation characteristics.
Soil selection and preparation
In order for the tomato to develop successfully, the soil is prepared in the fall. It must be fertilized in advance with compost or manure.
Before planting in the ground, the seedlings must be hardened for 2 weeks. To do this, it is taken out into the open air, first for 1-2 hours, and then every day the time is increased.
7-10 days before landing the beds are watered with hot water and covered with foil.
Landing features
INSaplings are planted no more than four per square meter. The distance between them should not exceed 60 * 40 cm. The sprouts are carefully placed in holes 25 cm deep, while removing the lower leaves. Then they are sprinkled with earth, lightly tamped and watered.
Water the plants abundantly and regularly every 5-7 days. Top dressing produced every 10-15 days. Diluted manure is used as top dressing - 1 bucket per 100 liters of water.
It is also recommended to mulch the soil with a 5-6 cm layer of rotted sawdust, humus or peat. Mulch protects the soil from drying out, overheating and promotes rapid reproduction of worms useful for tomato.
How to care for a plant
Due to the fact that the bush reaches 2 meters in length, it needs additional support and a garter.
One of the difficulties that arise when growing tomatoes of the "Raspberry Elephant" variety is the demand for the variety to the temperature difference. However, if you carry out the procedure for hardening the shoots before transplanting into the soil, such problems can be avoided.
Continuous removal of stepchildren is recommended throughout the entire ripening period.To bring the ovaries back to normal, pinch off 2 shoots from them. If you leave them, the tomato bush will start branching, resulting in less fruit.
Prevention of diseases and pests
Despite the fact that the described tomato variety is highly resistant to diseases, precautions will not interfere. It is necessary to take care of the immunity of the fetus in advance.
The most common diseases of this type of tomato include:
- top rot;
- brown spot.
Tomatoes of this variety are often attacked by the Colorado potato beetle or aphids. The best way to deal with pests is by spraying with chemical compounds (Prestige, Iskra, Aktara, Mospilan, Karbofos, Trichlometaphos).
Reference. To prevent the appearance of various diseases, it is recommended to soak the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting.
When rot or brown spot appears, it is necessary to increase the calcium content in the soil and try to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the soil mixture by processing with ready-made products that are sold in any specialized store.
Reviews
Tomatoes of the "Raspberry Elephant" variety most often speak positively. Most gardeners note the unique taste of tomatoes, their beautiful appearance and high yield.
Many people share delicious recipes for lecho, ketchup and juice from these tomatoes. However, sometimes there are reviews in which gardeners complain that the fruits ripen unevenly: they do not ripen near the stalks, burst on a branch and begin to rot. Perhaps a lot depends on the region of tomato planting.
Conclusion
"Raspberry Elephant" is one of everyone's favorite tomatoes. It is appreciated by both amateur summer residents and large vegetable producers.
If you have enough space on your site or have a spacious greenhouse, be sure to try planting a few seedlings. Tomatoes of this variety will delight you not only with tasty and healthy fruits, but also with high yields. Have a great season!