How to grow Red Giant tomato

Every gardener dreams of having only the best in his arsenal. varieties plants, be they vegetables, fruits or other crops. When it comes to tomatoes, one of the generally recognized leaders in beauty and taste is the “Red Giant” variety.

In this article you will learn the most useful information about the Red Giant tomato and the rules for growing it.

Characteristics, description of the variety

The red giant stands out among the others varieties of tomatoes by its size. You can recognize it not only by its size, but also by the bright red color of the fruit, round, slightly flattened shape, and unpronounced ribbing. The plant reaches a height of 140-180 cm, has long drooping leaves. One bush can contain up to 6 fruits.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Red Giant tomato was developed in the USSR and quickly earned people's love due to its excellent characteristics.

Namely:

1. High taste qualities. Due to their high sugar content, these tomatoes are tasty both fresh and after processing. “Red Giant” is a juicy variety: its moisture content is about 95%.
2. Large fruit size. One tomato weighs 450-650 g, and at the first harvest it can reach 850 g.
3. High resistance to diseases.
4. Possibility of growing both in greenhouses and in open ground. It grows not only in warm regions, but also in the north (but only in heated greenhouses).

However, the variety also has some disadvantages:

1. Low yield compared to other tomato varieties.
2. Picky about soil.
3. Short shelf life of ripe vegetables.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The variety itself has high resistance to diseases and pests. But if not properly cared for, it is susceptible to diseases.

Important. You should choose the right soil for planting (neutral is perfect), carefully monitor the watering and lighting of the plants, and do not forget to regularly ventilate the greenhouse.

Thrips, aphids, spider mites, greenhouse whiteflies and Colorado potato beetles are the most dangerous for this variety. These are common pests that most modern drugs successfully combat.

Keep in mind that almost all insects lay larvae in the soil in the fall, so After harvesting, dig up the soil to avoid pest problems in the spring.

Rules for planting and subsequent care

Proper planting and proper care ensure a good harvest of the “Red Giant”.

Reference. Experts recommend not buying seedlings, but growing them yourself to avoid the risk of getting diseased plants. Start planting in February-mid-March.

When preparing the soil for seedlings, pay special attention to disinfection: soak the seeds in the solution potassium permanganate, and then rinse in running water. For the same purposes, it is recommended to scald the soil with boiling water.

Before sowing, it needs to be moistened. Then depressions up to 2 cm are made, seeds are planted in them and sprinkled with earth. Watering is done once every 3 days. Seedlings should be kept in a room with a temperature of 23-25 ​​degrees. After the sprouts appear, the seedlings are transferred to the ground.

Remember that neutral soil is suitable, in the range of 6-6.5 pH. It must be carefully prepared for replanting: remove all weeds and grass, add humus, compost and sand in equal parts.If tomatoes are planted in a greenhouse, treat it for pests.

2-3 plant bushes are planted per 1 square meter of soil. The soil can be covered with mulch (chopped grass and plants). Water the tomatoes with settled water. The greenhouse must be systematically ventilated to prevent fungal diseases.

At the growth stage, complex feeding is needed: every 10 days it is recommended to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers (with phosphorus and potassium).

Important. Don't water tomatoes too often. To assess soil moisture, roll it into a ball. If it quickly rolls up and collapses when pressed, then the humidity is normal and watering is not required.

During the period of active growth, “Red Giant” is watered once a week, spending 20-30 liters of water per square meter. During the flowering period, water twice a week, one and a half to two liters per meter. The appearance of ovaries is accompanied by watering twice a week, 3-5 liters (if it is very hot, the volume is increased to 10 liters).

When the first fruits appear, it is worth watering only if the soil is very dry. The optimal time of day for watering is morning, since at this time of day the sun is not too aggressive and the soil has time to absorb all the moisture.

An important part of care is planting. This is the name for removing shoots to prevent the appearance of excessive fruit. This is especially important for the “Red Giant” variety, since too much fruit provokes a decrease in size.

The large weight of this variety of tomatoes weighs down the stems, and if there are a lot of fruits, it may break.

The bushes are pruned once a week, leaving the shoot to form a stem. It is better to do this in the evening (when it is not hot).

Important. Due to the large weight of the fruit, it is important to place supports under the branches of the plant.

Productivity

Due to the fact that up to 6 “Red Giant” fruits grow on one bush, and there are no more than 3 plants per square meter, the yield of the variety is relatively low: up to 12 kg per 1 square meter.

For comparison, medium-high productivity is 5 kg/bush. For the “Red Giant” this figure is 3-4 kg. But the variety compensates for its low yield with excellent taste.

Reviews

Enas, Ukraine: «Growing large tomatoes will now not be difficult for me, because I bought “Red Giant” tomato seeds. The tomatoes from them will turn out to be bright red in color and each of them weighs up to 500 grams. A very interesting variety, I haven’t grown such large ones yet, but they suggested that the tomato variety is of high quality and resistant to various diseases».

Ekaterina, 30 years old: «I tried to grow a Red Giant tomato. I'm satisfied with the result. Very tasty when processed, especially in ketchups!».

Alexander: «I consider the Red Giant tomato to be the best variety. The most wonderful and sweet. I don’t grow green or yellow tomatoes, I think that the best ones are red ones, because they don’t get any sweeter.».

Conclusion

The red giant was bred in 1989 and still occupies a leading position among other tomato varieties. It has established itself as a tasty, sweet, unpretentious variety.

The giant has already been recognized by many gardeners and has received a lot of positive reviews. Try it too grow this vegetable and appreciate it!