Content
Tomato Pink Leader is one of the earliest ripening varieties, which is very popular among summer residents and gardeners throughout Russia. It has a high yield, juicy and sweet fruits, good resistance to adverse weather conditions.
Description of tomato Pink Leader
Tomato Pink Leader is an early ripening, fruitful, determinant variety. It was developed by domestic experts. The originator was the Sedek agricultural company. The variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2008 and is recommended for growing in open ground, film shelters and subsidiary farms throughout Russia. Tomato Pink Leader can be grown both seedling and non-seedling.
The pubescent branches of a tomato are decorated with large green foliage, the inflorescences of the plant are simple, the flowers are small, yellowish, the stalks are articulated. The first ovaries are formed after the appearance of 6 - 7 permanent leaves. Each cluster with ovaries ripens up to 5 tomatoes. The ripening period for this variety is 86 - 90 days after germination.
As the photos and reviews show, the Pink Leader tomato is a low-growing variety: a standard bush with a powerful main stem is very compact in nature, does not need to be molded and pinned. The height of the bush reaches no more than 50 cm.
The compact root system of the plant allows you to grow the Pink Leader tomato in a container on a loggia, balcony or on a multi-tiered garden bed, which is both a decorative element and a space for growing various vegetables.
Description of fruits
Ripe fruits of the Pink Leader variety are red, with a raspberry-pink tint, unripe - light green in color. One tomato weighs from 150 to 170 g. Fruits are medium-sized, their shape is round, the skin is slightly ribbed, the pulp is of medium density, juicy and fleshy.
Fruits of the Pink Leader variety are characterized by a high sugar content in their composition, so they taste pleasant and sweet, without the bright sourness characteristic of tomato culture. The acidity of the fruit is about 0.50 mg, it contains:
- dry matter: 5.5 - 6%;
- sugar: 3 - 3.5%;
- vitamin C: 17 - 18 mg.
The fruits of the Pink Leader tomato are ideal for fresh consumption and for preparing salads. Delicious freshly squeezed juice is obtained from tomatoes of this variety; they are also used to make homemade ketchup and tomato paste. However, the variety is not suitable for conservation, since the thin peel cracks in the process, and the entire contents of the tomato flow into the jar. The fruits have average transportability and keeping quality.
Characteristics of tomato Pink leader
Tomato Pink Leader is an extremely early ripening variety, its fruits begin to ripen 86 - 90 days after the first shoots. Thanks to this, the variety can be grown in all climatic zones, the Pink Leader is especially popular in the regions of the middle zone, in the Urals and in Siberia, where the summer season is not too long and rather cool. However, even in such unfavorable conditions, the fruits have time to ripen before the onset of severe cold weather.Fruiting of tomato lasts from late June to early September.
The variety is very resistant to weather fluctuations, has a high frost resistance for this crop. The Pink Leader is characterized by resistance to late blight, as well as many diseases caused by fungi and bacteria.
The culture is considered one of the most productive varieties of low-growing tomatoes. From 1 sq. m in the open field, up to 10 kg of juicy fruits are obtained, in the greenhouse - up to 12 kg, and from one bush of the Pink Leader tomato you can get 3-4 kg of tomatoes. This is really rare for such small plants.
The yield is mainly influenced by the fertility of the soil. It should be airy, have a structure that at the same time allows you to retain moisture and let it pass freely. Experienced gardeners advise not to skimp on organic additives when preparing the soil. Adding rotted manure, compost or peat to the soil will have a good effect on the yield.
Advantages and disadvantages
Gardeners distinguish the following advantages of the Pink Leader tomato variety:
- resistance to many diseases, including late blight;
- vitality of the variety in unfavorable climatic conditions;
- high productivity, not characteristic of undersized tomatoes;
- excellent nutritional properties, as well as a pleasant, sweetish aftertaste of tomatoes;
- the presence in the fruit of vitamins C, PP, group B, as well as lycopene, which is responsible for a healthy heart and blood vessels;
- short periods of fruit ripening, after about 90 days it will be possible to harvest the first crop;
- compactness of the bush, thanks to which the plant does not need a garter and pinching;
- suitable for growing both in greenhouse and outdoor conditions;
- the crop can be grown even on a loggia or balcony, since the plant has a compact root system and feels comfortable even in a container.
There are not so many disadvantages, as opposed to advantages:
- medium-sized fruits;
- thin skin;
- impossibility of conservation.
Growing rules
Growing a tomato Pink leader is easy. Its bushes do not take up much space, so this variety is suitable for planting even in small summer cottages. Below in the article are the rules of planting and care, adhering to which you can easily achieve a high yield.
Planting seeds for seedlings
The seeds of the Pink Leader variety are sown for seedlings at the end of March or in April, this largely depends on the climate and the region in which it is planned to grow tomatoes.
First of all, you need to prepare containers for planting. It can be very diverse, but it is best to use special containers with a lid: if necessary, this will create a greenhouse effect for the plants.
Planting material is bought in specialized stores or made independently. For tomato seedlings, the Pink Leader is perfect for a universal soil consisting of sand and peat, taken in equal proportions.
During sowing, the seeds should not be lowered into the soil too deep. The depth of the holes should be no more than 1.5 - 2 cm. After sowing the seeds, the future seedlings must be watered and covered with polyethylene film, left in this position until the first shoots hatch. After that, the film must be removed, and the pots must be placed on the windowsill, in a well-lit place.
After the appearance of 2 - 3 true leaves, the seedlings dive into separate pots. During the growing season at home, seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizers 2 times. 2 weeks before planting, watering is gradually reduced, tomato seedlings are hardened, taking them out for several hours in fresh air.
Transplanting seedlings
Transplant tomato seedlings Pink Leader to a site protected from the wind, well-lit and warmed up by the sun's rays.Tomato Pink Leader loves nutritious, loose, moisture-consuming soil. The beds have been prepared since autumn, digging up and enriching the soil with fertilizers.
Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out in May, when the air warms up and becomes warm enough. The site is dug up, loosened, everything is removed weeds and start planting according to the 50x40 cm scheme. m fits about 8 bushes of tomatoes of this variety.
Transplant algorithm:
- Prepare holes for planting, spill them with warm water.
- Carefully remove the seedlings from the container and place them in the prepared holes, deepening to the cotyledon leaves.
- Sprinkle with soil mixture, compact slightly.
Follow-up care
The Pink Leader variety does not need any special further care. To get a good harvest, it is important:
- Control soil moisture throughout the entire ripening period of the crop. Dry soil causes crumbling of fruits, can provoke loss of yield and death of plants.
- Loosen the soil after watering: this can enrich it with oxygen and prevent the appearance of a shriveled crust on the soil surface.
- Weed regularly, getting rid of all weeds.
- Do not forget about feeding with complex mineral fertilizers.
- Timely get rid of the lower leaves, which are the cause of the formation of stagnant air in the near-earth zone, which, in turn, leads to the development of various diseases.
- Take preventive measures aimed at preventing damage to the plant by diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Tomato Pink Leader is unpretentious in care and can grow in any climate, so even novice gardeners can cope with its cultivation. Delicious, quickly ripening, pink fruits will delight with their appearance until the beginning of September.
I have been planting the Pink Leader tomato for 5 years. I am very pleased with this variety. They always have a harvest and are very tasty.