A good choice for gardeners is the Pink Souvenir tomato, prized for its excellent flavor and abundant fruit. As a hybrid with pink tomatoes, this variety promotes health. The red and pink fruits are rich in antioxidants, which help prevent the development of cancerous tumors. Tomato lovers are less likely to have heart and vascular problems.
Description of the variety
Pink Souvenir was bred for outdoor cultivation, as the tomatoes reach technical maturity 78–80 days after germination. They can be used in summer salads or simply enjoyed fresh.
Here is a description of the variety:
- This hybrid is a determinate tomato variety. The bushes reach 60 centimeters in height, eliminating the need for staking or pinching.
- Up to 7 deep pink tomatoes weighing 100 grams each are formed on the shoots.
- Determinate produces fruit consistently, regardless of weather conditions. The variety is drought-resistant, withstanding temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. The bushes are cold-resistant, surviving freezing temperatures in the spring.
- The first flower cluster of the Pink Souvenir variety is formed after the 6th leaf, and the rest are formed at intervals of 1–2 leaflets.
- The leaves on the stem are light green and medium sized.
Fruit characteristics are important when choosing a variety. Pink Souvenir tomatoes:
- round shape;
- with dense flesh and skin;
- with optimal sugar content;
- contain dry matter within 5 percent.
Tomatoes can be grown in open ground, but under a film cover they will yield more than 8 kilograms of tasty, fleshy fruits per square meter.
Growing
Tomato seedlings begin to be prepared in the third ten days of March. This begins with preparing the seeds, containers, and soil.
Pink Souvenir tomato seeds require cold stratification and disinfection with a potassium permanganate solution. It's best to germinate the seeds in advance by placing them in damp layers of toilet paper or napkin.
The boxes are prepared with mandatory disinfection. They are filled with a soil mixture consisting of garden soil, peat, and a little sand or vermiculite for looseness.
Initially, the boxes should be kept warm. However, once the seedlings emerge, the room temperature is reduced to 18 degrees Celsius. At the two-true-leaf stage, the seedlings need to be pricked out. It's best to prepare individual containers with nutrient-rich substrate. Before planting in the ground, water and feed the seedlings regularly. Two weeks before planting in the garden, the seedlings are hardened off by taking them out into the fresh air during the day.
Once the threat of frost has passed, prepare the holes for the tomatoes. The plants should be planted in a well-lit area, in loose, fertile soil, in a 60x60 cm pattern. Up to six stems should be placed per square meter.
Ten days after planting, treat the tomato plants with Bordeaux mixture, repeating the process two weeks later. This will protect the tomatoes from fungal infection.
Care Features
To grow Pink Souvenir tomatoes, you need to care for them properly:
- Water the bushes regularly, up to twice a week, more often during hot summers. During the fruit-setting period, reduce watering to a minimum.
- Fertilizing tomato plants begins two weeks after planting. First, water with a 1:6 solution of mullein or 1:15 solution of bird droppings.
- After 2-3 weeks, it's time to apply mineral fertilizers. Among these, superphosphate (40 grams), ammonium nitrate (20 grams), and potassium salt (15 grams) are essential for the development of vegetable crops. The fertilizers are diluted in 10 liters of water. One liter of nutrient solution is required per bush.
- Repeat fertilizing every 2–3 weeks, preparing more concentrated fertilizer solutions.
- This variety doesn't require pruning. Side shoots are removed, leaving 2-3 stems.
- To make tomatoes ripen faster, remove the leaves that cover the fruit from the sun.
Proper care is the key to increasing the variety’s yield.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of choosing the Pink Souvenir variety include:
- high yield of the hybrid;
- true tomato flavor;
- versatility of using fruits in cooking and winter preparations;
- resistance to adverse climatic and weather conditions;
- lack of tendency of tomatoes to crack.
The disadvantages of this variety are the appearance of fungal infections and pests on the bushes.
Pests and diseases
Spider mites are a common pest attacking this varietal vegetable. To avoid this, treat the plant with Fitoverm.
Fungal diseases that pose a threat to tomatoes include various types of rot, which affect not only the leaves but also the stems and fruit. These diseases often arise as a result of improper care of the vegetable crop. Weather conditions, including fluctuating temperatures and high humidity, promote the development of these diseases.
To stop the spread of infection, remove entire affected plants or parts of leaves and shoots. Healthy bushes are sprayed with fungicides. Phytosporin is effective. Copper-containing products are used to treat late blight.
The plant will show resistance to diseases when the seeds are disinfected and the seedlings are sprayed with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture after planting.
Harvesting and storage
With proper cultivation practices, Pink Souvenir tomatoes begin bearing fruit as early as late July or early August. Adults and children alike enjoy the sweet fruits. These tomatoes are excellent in salads and sliced. They are also used to make pickled and salted products for winter storage. When marinated, the fruits remain whole and do not burst. This variety is also suitable for sun-drying.
Pink tomatoes stay fresh for a long time. Therefore, they can be enjoyed for two weeks after harvesting, providing health benefits.
Gardeners' reviews
Those who have planted and grown the Pink Souvenir hybrid give only positive reviews.
Ivan, Minsk:
"Here in Belarus, all vegetables take root and grow easily. That's why I plant the Pink Souvenir tomato variety directly from seeds in April. I cover the beds with plastic at first. Once they've established themselves, I remove the covering. I appreciate the Pink Souvenir tomato variety because it requires virtually no maintenance. You don't have to waste time staking or pinching out the side shoots. When the bush gets too big, I trim off the excess branches. Our whole family loves these sweet, fleshy tomatoes. Even my wife doesn't always have time to preserve them for the winter—we eat them all fresh."
Natalia, Novosibirsk:
"I love low-growing tomatoes. I like that they require less maintenance. And the tomatoes I get are delicious, juicy, and sweet. I've been growing the Pink Souvenir variety for about two years now. It was hard to plan my summer menu without them. We pick ripe tomatoes every day and cut them into salads. Add a little greenery, and you'll be fine. The tomatoes from that variety are simply excellent. And the plant itself is easy to care for. It doesn't cause much trouble."
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