Description of the Grapefruit tomato, hardening and care of the fruits

Many gardeners are interested in how to grow the Grapefruit tomato. Today, we'll present the characteristics and description of the variety. The Grapefruit tomato hybrid was developed quite recently, so it hasn't yet been fully studied and included in the Russian state register.

Characteristics of fruits

Characteristics and general description of the Grapefruit variety:

1. The bushes are indeterminate, not restricted in growth once shoots emerge. The height of the bushes reaches 1.5–2 m.
2. Late-ripening tomatoes: the ripening period of the fruits is approximately 180 days from the date of planting the seeds.
3. The leaves are similar to potato leaves, fluffy on one side, bright green in color, with a corresponding smell.
4. The rhizome and stems are very strong and can form 2 or more bushes.
5. It has immunity to many fungal and viral diseases, but for prevention purposes, bushes should be treated with copper sulfate or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, that is, potassium permanganate.
6. This variety can be grown year-round in a greenhouse. Outdoor cultivation in the ground is limited to summer.
7. The yield is average; up to 15 fruits can be collected from one plant throughout the season.

Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of tomatoes.

When unripe, tomatoes are light green. When fully ripe, the skin turns red with yellow speckles, or vice versa.

When cut, the tomato has a bright pink color, which is reminiscent of the fruit of the same name.
No chambers, small number of seeds.

Grapefruit tomatoes are round, flattened at the "poles." There's a small green spot near the stem, but this doesn't indicate immaturity.

The average weight of 1 vegetable is 600-700 g, but many fruits reach a weight of more than 1 kg.
The skin is strong and does not crack in the sun or during transportation.

In everyday life, they are used fresh, in salads, lecho, and for canning. However, in the latter case, tomatoes have to be cut into several pieces due to their large size.

However, this variety isn't suitable for tomato juice lovers. Due to its high dry matter content and fleshiness, the fruits don't yield much juice.

Planting and caring for tomatoes

The Grapefruit variety is not very picky about soil, but sandy or clay soil is best.

Planting seeds for seedlings begins in late February or early March. For faster germination, soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours.

Picking seedlings is possible after the formation of the third true leaf.

Before planting in the ground, in a greenhouse or outdoors, plants need to be hardened off: leave them with an open window or place the containers outside for a while.

Planting in the ground is done in mid-May for greenhouses, and at the end of June for vegetable gardens.

After flowering begins, the bushes are watered generously. During the season, tomatoes are fed 2-3 times with organic and inorganic fertilizers (manure, nitrogen-containing fertilizers), and the bushes are weeded and hilled several times (hilling should be done when the bushes reach a height of 50-60 cm).

Plant at a distance of 40-70 cm from each other.

• Since plants can form several stems and the fruits are heavy, the bushes need to be tied up in various ways.
• Every 10 days, you should remove the side shoots from the bushes, meaning trimming off a few of the top leaves that are producing shoots. Incidentally, these shoots make good seedlings.
• If the stepson has reached a size of 4 cm, it can no longer be cut off.
• Since the fruits begin to ripen late (early autumn), the bushes should be treated with solutions against insects for preventive purposes.

This variety is susceptible to late blight (a disease that causes early wilting of green bodies). To prevent and treat it, you can use a solution of 1 liter of milk and a few drops of iodine per 10 liters of water.

If the disease progresses, you can use a remedy from a specialized store.

Reviews from gardeners

If a gardener wants to grow this variety at their dacha, they can read the reviews, which are mostly positive. Negative reviews include the fact that the variety ripens late and doesn't produce juice. Photos are also provided for more information about these pink-on-the-inside tomatoes.

Review. Valentina Semenovna, 54 years old:

"I've been growing Grapefruit tomatoes at my dacha for two years now. We plant them using seedlings. The plants are easy to grow and don't require much care. The results from planting this variety are excellent! The harvest is excellent. The fruits are very tasty and fleshy. I recommend this variety to everyone."