Pineapple tomato appeared on the beds relatively recently, but has already managed to earn recognition among gardeners due to its taste, undemanding care, and increased resistance to the main diseases of not only tomatoes, but also nightshade crops in general. "Pineapple" bears fruit longer than other varieties, is able to grow under agro conditions of different climatic regions. Today we offer to talk about the pros and cons of the variety, its yield, and the characteristics of the care. In addition to the characteristics of the pineapple tomato, you will find reviews about it and photographs of the fruits.
Varietal characteristics
Domestic gardeners appreciate tomatoes of this variety for their high resistance to diseases that affect plants belonging to the nightshade family, for its long-term fruiting. The variety belongs to indeterminate - tall. Over the entire growing season, the height of one plant can reach two meters. That is why summer residents recommend growing plants in two, and preferably three stems. The first inflorescences of the pineapple tomato appear near the 8th-9th leaves. About 5-6 large fruits ripen on each brush.
Tomato "pineapple": a description of the fruit
Tomatoes of this variety are large enough, average weight limits range from 150 to 250 grams. However, with proper care and timely feeding, some gardeners managed to grow these giants weighing 900 grams. The variety got its name due to the appearance of the fruit: the peel and pulp of tomatoes have a rich shade, embossed ribbing is noted on vegetables, and a corresponding figure can be seen on a section of ripe tomato.
Today there are several varieties of this variety:
- yellow;
- the black;
- "steak";
- Hawaiian;
- Taiwanese
- BIO
The main difference is the color of the fruit. So, the black “pineapple” (pictured below) has a brown skin with light greenish spots, a dense green flesh. But the "pineapple" "steak" has a bright orange flesh, which from the center to the edges changes to yellowish. Tomato "pineapple", according to gardeners, contains a large amount of sugar: the vegetables are very sweet in taste, in their aroma there are fruity and citrus notes. Summer residents note: the closer the end of the season, the brighter and richer the taste of tomatoes.
The pineapple pulp is dense, contains a small number of seed chambers. It is best to eat fresh tomatoes in this class. Many gardeners grow tomatoes for sale, because the "pineapple" does not crack, it can be transported over long distances without losing commercial quality. Speaking about harvesting tomatoes of this variety for the winter, gardeners note: it is best to make juice with pulp and homemade tomato paste. Pineapple tomato is suitable for ketchups and adjika. But the full-fledged preservation of such tomatoes is a rarity, because for tomatoes of this size, banks with a very wide neck will be needed.
Variety disadvantages
Basically, all the disadvantages of the variety are due to indeterminacy. The main disadvantage is the impossibility of growing “pineapple” in open ground in those regions where the summer is short and cloudy. In the middle latitudes or northern regions, it is not recommended to grow “pineapple” on the beds; these tomatoes are best suited for greenhouses. The disadvantages include the long development of the vegetative part, the impossibility of full-fledged preservation, the need for tying bushes. Gardeners also note that the fruits ripen somewhat later than other varieties.
Grade Benefits
All the disadvantages of pineapple tomato can be forgiven due to the advantages that it has. These include the following:
- multiplicity and surprisingly high productivity;
- easy molding;
- the ability to grow tomatoes not only in the greenhouse, but also in open ground in the southern regions;
- long fruiting period, which allows you to pick tomatoes until September.
- tall, which is combined with a small diameter of the bushes.
We can not say that thanks to the strong skin, the tomato is well stored, has increased keeping quality, does not crack, and for a long time retains its excellent presentation. The pluses include the unusual appearance of tomatoes.
Productivity
Working on the creation of a tomato variety for greenhouses and open pineapple, breeders tried to develop a variety that would begin to bear fruit no later than 4 months after sowing the seeds in the soil. On each bush of this amazingly beautiful hybrid, about 40 brushes grow, each of which has 5-6 fruits. It turns out that with an average weight of 150 grams, one bush is capable of giving at least 30 kilograms of fleshy and fragrant tomatoes for the entire fruiting period.
It is best to form a tomato in three stems, dive on the fourteenth leaf. Such an artificial growth stop will allow to achieve the highest productivity, improve the taste and marketability of tomatoes.
Cultivation and care
Gardeners recommend starting seed preparation in March-April. First of all, they must be disinfected: for this, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide is required. In this composition, hold the seeds for at least 12 hours. After that, they should be treated with a growth stimulant and soaked in gauze or cotton wool. It is important to ensure that the fabric does not dry out.
After that, you can plant the seeds in a container with a pre-prepared substrate. The best soil is a combination of wood ash, garden soil, washed river sand and peat. Before sowing planting material, the soil should also be decontaminated: experienced gardeners advise calcining it in the oven at a temperature that does not exceed 100 degrees, or shedding it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. In containers with soil, grooves should be made, the depth of which should not be more than a centimeter. They should be planted seeds, sprinkled with soil, moisten. Immediately after this, the mini-greenhouses must be covered with film or glass. Before seedlings appear, it is necessary to maintain the temperature at the level of +25 ... +27 ° . When the first shoots appear, it is recommended to lower the temperature by 7 degrees, and rearrange the container in a well-lit place.
As soon as the last spring frosts pass and stable warm weather is established, you can plant a "pineapple" in a permanent place. On one square meter should not be placed more than two to three plants. Best of all, if before this, zucchini, carrots or cucumbers grew on the soil. But any nightshade, including sweet peppers or potatoes, as precursors are undesirable. Tomatoes should be planted in pre-prepared wells, in which a small amount of fertilizer must first be applied. Immediately after transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place, the soil should be moistened, mulched. Water the pineapple tomato once a week. In a timely manner, it is necessary to carry out procedures such as loosening, pinching, tying and fertilizing. It is best to use fertilizer three times per season: two weeks after planting seedlings in the ground, during flowering of bushes and during the formation of fruits.
Reviews
Speaking about tomato of this variety, gardeners say: productivity will be higher if not only adult bushes are fed, but also seedlings. For this, a complex fertilizer for seedlings of tomatoes and peppers is suitable. The variety is quite unpretentious, it does not require any special care. The only feature is the need for tying bushes. Otherwise, they will either break or lie on the ground, which will lead to decay of the fruit. It is most convenient, gardeners say, to use trellises.
The tomato is not afraid of the main diseases of the nightshade family, pest attacks. Summer gardeners recommend the cultivar “Pineapple” to those who either consume large quantities of tomatoes or sell them. The fact is that the yield of the variety is very high: they cannot be preserved, and there are too many of them for homemade salads and tomato paste.