Sweet hybrid variety of pink tomato “Pink Lady f1”: what is good and why it is worth trying to grow it
Pink Lady F1 is a Dutch hybrid, impressive with juicy, tender fruits, beautiful and rich color. Other advantages of the crop include stable yield, high germination, and unpretentiousness. The article describes how to grow seedlings, how to harvest, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid. The nuances of growing tomatoes in open ground and greenhouses are also covered.
The hybrid has enough advantages, but in order to be pleasantly surprised by the harvest, you will have to become familiar with the intricacies of agricultural technology, gain knowledge and experience in growing tomatoes.
Description
The hybrid is not included in the state register of breeding achievements, but is popular among gardeners for its taste and agrotechnical qualities.
Distinctive features
Pink Lady refers to indeterminate plants. The tomatoes are collected in clusters containing about seven fruits, each weighing from 230 to 280 g. The entire bunch can weigh about 1.5 kg. A mature plant reaches 2 m in height. The leaves of this hybrid are light green in color, elongated in shape and fill the entire plant.
Productivity is high: from 1 sq. m harvest up to 25 kg of tomatoes. The color of the fruit is pink, which is logical, based on the name of the hybrid, the peel is dense and smooth, helping to maintain the integrity of the specimen, the flesh is pink, soft and juicy.
A photo of the hybrid is shown below.
Fruit characteristics, yield
The harvest lasts from July to August.Pink Lady is grown mainly in home gardens and garden plots under film. The fruits become ripe 93–96 days after germination. The hybrid tolerates transportation well and is stored for a long time without changing taste or color.
The fruit contains a large amount of beta-carotene. Tomatoes are consumed fresh and used for making salads, juices, and pastes.
State Commission employees rated the quality and taste as “excellent”.
How to grow sweet hybrid seedlings
We bring to your attention step-by-step instructions for growing Pink Lady.
Seed preparation
Having bought a package of seeds, a novice farmer wonders how to grow them now? The standard method can be read on the back of the package. To prepare planting material for growing fruits, simply soak them in preparations that stimulate growth (for 12–14 hours). Hybrid material, as a rule, has already been treated with disinfectants, as evidenced by the bright color of the seeds.
Container and soil
When growing seedlings, the climate of the region is taken into account. For example, in the southern regions planting takes place in February, in the Urals - at the end of March. The ideal land for planting is soil with ash, humus, and low acidity.
To disinfect the soil, it is calcined in the oven or spilled with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Sowing
For sowing, take seedling boxes or peat tablets. Seeds are placed in a container filled with soil without planting them too deeply.
In order for the first shoots to hatch faster, the containers are covered with film, watered and provided with lighting. When plants appear, the film is removed and the container is placed in a warm, illuminated place.
Growing and care
When several leaves appear, complex fertilizing is applied. They use special fertilizers: “Fertika Lux”, “Clean Sheet”, “Agricola”.
The total duration of growing seedlings is 35–65 days, depending on the time of year. For example, in winter there are about 65 days, and in summer – 35.
How to grow tomatoes
Further cultivation of hybrid tomatoes requires compliance with simple but important rules.
Landing
The method of planting Pink Lady hybrid tomatoes is square nesting or checkerboard. A distance of 50 cm is maintained between the holes; leaf humus is added to them. The width between rows is 60 cm.
Care
After transplantation, after 7-10 days, the plant begins to form into one stem. This is done so that future fruits are at least medium in size.
The stepsons break off in the morning when their length reaches 5 cm.
To properly care for your plant, you must:
- tie up trunk to supports;
- water two to three times a week;
- loosen the soil and pull out weeds;
- use fertilizers.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Hybrid Pink Lady F1 is sensitive to heat - plant growth begins at +15°C. Greens (for example, basil) are usually planted next to tomatoes, which help in the fight against pests and other insects.
Little is said about how Pink Lady bushes are formed. We inform you that the bush is indeterminate - with unlimited growth. Such tomatoes are grown in one stem. However, some sources indicate that growth is limited and is 150 cm, which means the plant can be grown with two stems.
To decide for yourself which method is most appropriate, you can form one or two bushes on the site into one stem.During the harvest period, the algorithm for next year will become clear: how to properly grow Pink Lady to get the maximum benefit.
Diseases and pests
To prevent plant diseases, the soil is spilled with copper sulfate and a solution of potassium permanganate. To prevent problems, plantings are sprayed with Fitosporin or copper-containing preparations.
For slugs that attack greens, spray with a regular solution of ammonia and water. Aphids also love tomatoes; to get rid of it, treat the affected areas with soapy water.
Attention. It is extremely important to carry out prevention of greenery, since the resistance of fruits to pests ensures a good harvest.
Pink Lady F1 is resistant to plant diseases:
- fusarium wilt;
- gray rot;
- leaf curling;
- stem cancer.
Early ripening protects the plant from late blight.
The nuances of growing in open ground and in a greenhouse
Pink Lady hybrid plants are powerful and tall, so it is necessary to provide enough space in the greenhouse for the full growth and development of tomatoes.
For open ground, a planting pattern of 40x60 cm is followed and periodic treatments with fungicides are carried out, especially in rainy weather.
Harvesting and application
The fruits are harvested in July. Tomatoes that have not yet ripened will ripen without problems indoors. Pink Lady fruits have a dense, smooth skin, thanks to which they are stored for a long time. They are grown in open ground in the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea. In the Moscow and Voronezh regions - in greenhouses, and in the northern regions - in greenhouses.
The fruits of the hybrid are used in the commercial sphere. Tomatoes are combined with all vegetables in salads and are used in making juices and pastes.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
If you read reviews about Pink Lady F1 tomatoes, it will not be easy to find negative statements. This hybrid is one of the most unpretentious. Even a beginner can cope with agricultural technology and care. It is enough to adhere to the basic rules and do not forget about disease prevention.
The main advantage of the hybrid is its yield: 25 kg per square meter. m will impress even an experienced farmer. Resistance to pests and diseases is also important.
In reviews describing Pink Lady tomatoes, many note that the sprouts sprout well. The short growing season is also an advantage. An additional plus: the fruits contain large quantities of beta-carotene, which has a positive effect on health.
Pink Lady is a tomato hybrid, which means you won’t be able to collect the seeds yourself; you’ll have to buy them in a special storee. This refers to disadvantages. The plant in favorable conditions reaches a height of about two meters, so the bushes will have to be tied up and shaped.
Farmer reviews
Several reviews from those who have already grown the hybrid.
Elena Pereguda, Novosibirsk: “Pink Lady F1 is an excellent tomato. I consider disease resistance and productivity to be advantages. This is not the first year that I have been purchasing seeds and growing crops in a greenhouse.”
Valentina, Nizhny Novgorod: “The Pink Lady F1 tomato is distinguished by its high yield and sweet taste, and has an unusual taste. Immunity to disease makes life easier because you need to spray less insecticides. I recommend this hybrid for growing to everyone.”
Semyon, Saratov: “I buy the seeds of this hybrid every year again, and I always manage to grow a good harvest without any serious problems.Stable immunity to a number of diseases is especially pleasing, since there are no hidden threats to already mature plants. The fruits have a thick skin, do not crack and are well preserved.”
Conclusion
The sweet hybrid Pink Lady F1 is one of the best in the line of pink tomatoes. All farmers recommend cultivating it; it is suitable for growing in the country and on an industrial scale.
Productivity, taste, good seed germination, disease resistance, easy transportation – these are the qualities of this particular tomato. The only disadvantage of the hybrid is that you won’t be able to collect the seeds yourself; you’ll have to buy them at a specialized store.