Description of the Big Pink McClintock tomato

The tall tomato 'Big Pink McClintock' is an ideal variety, the fruits of which have excellent taste and excellent yield. One of the best large-fruited varieties of recent times.

Characteristics of the variety

McClintock's Big Pink arrived in Russia from the United States. Seed production in our country was established by the company "Russian Garden," thanks to which a large number of domestic gardeners have become familiar with this variety in just a few years.

This tomato belongs to the group of varieties with a medium ripening period. The growing season lasts on average 115-125 days. Tall bushes in a greenhouse reach two meters, while in the open ground, their growth is less intense, reaching 130-150 centimeters. Up to five flower branches form on the central trunk. The bush develops a voluminous green mass of large, potato-like leaves.

Each cluster produces three to six large tomatoes. The fruits are round, slightly flattened, with slight ribbing near the stem. The skin is dense and firm. At technical maturity, the surface is dark green. At biological maturity, the tomatoes take on vibrant red hues. The tomatoes have a generous amount of pulp. Its texture is slightly sugary, with a small amount of juice. "Big Pink McClintock" tomatoes have a wonderfully juicy, sweet flavor and a pleasant tomato aroma. The flavor is perfectly balanced: both sweet and tart. The tomatoes hold their shape well when sliced, but they are not dry. On the contrary, they are very juicy, making them suitable for a variety of preserves, from juices to pastes. The pulp also contains many seeds. The fruits weigh 300-500 grams.

Advantages of the variety:

• large-fruited;
• good yield;
• very tasty fleshy fruits;
• Tomatoes have a universal purpose;
• the dense skin allows tomatoes to be stored for a long time;
• immunity to many diseases;
• long fruiting period;
• tolerates short-term drought well.

Despite its many advantages, this variety has virtually no drawbacks. The only difficulties are staking the bushes and frequently removing side shoots. However, all the effort will be rewarded with a good harvest.

When describing the "Big Pink McClintock" variety, it's impossible not to note its good yield. When grown in a greenhouse, a single tomato plant can yield up to 4 kilograms, while in open ground this figure is significantly lower. External factors, especially low light and low temperatures, also affect fruiting.

The first fruits appear in mid-July. The bushes bear fruit over a long period, gradually yielding large, plump fruits. The last tomatoes are harvested with the onset of the first frosts.

Peculiarities of tomato cultivation

Seeds are sown for seedlings in mid-March, with the intention of planting the grown plants in a greenhouse bed as early as the second ten days of May. By this time, the seedlings will have grown to 30-35 centimeters in height and may already have a single flower cluster.

Before sowing, the seeds undergo preliminary preparation. They are first soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect them.

If the seeds are old or small, you can treat them with a growth stimulant to improve germination. You can also plant already sprouted seeds. To do this, place the seeds in a moist environment (wrapped in a cloth) and keep them near a radiator for a couple of days. This will help them sprout quickly and develop white roots. In this state, plant the seeds in the soil.

The soil for seedlings should be light, well-drained, and nutritious. To achieve this, a soil mixture is prepared from peat (which loosens the soil), garden soil (which contains beneficial microorganisms), and humus (an organic fertilizer for rapid growth). The soil is scattered among the seedling containers and thoroughly moistened. The seeds are spread over the surface of the soil, lightly pressing them to a depth of about a centimeter. The distance between seeds is 2 centimeters. The width between rows is 4 centimeters. The seedlings are then covered with a centimeter of soil and carefully watered again.

To ensure rapid germination, cover the seedlings with transparent material and place them in a bright location. The first shoots will appear in 5-8 days.

Conditions for seedling germination:

• Air temperature is +23-25 ​​degrees.
• Humidity – 60%.
• Lighting – at least 14 hours a day.

At the stage of appearance of the first pair of true leaves (not cotyledons), the seedlings need to be pricked out, since they can no longer grow in the same container.

Individual pots are selected for the seedlings, containing fresh soil consisting of the same ingredients used for sowing the seeds. Pricking out should be done very carefully to avoid damaging the fragile roots. During the first few days after transplanting, the seedlings are "sick," so they should be kept in partial shade. Then, place the tomatoes on a windowsill, providing them with a constant supply of fresh (not cold) air, watering them regularly, and feeding them with complex mineral fertilizers.

Planting in the ground

Mature seedlings are planted in fertile soil. To achieve this, when planting the beds, the soil is enriched with organic matter and minerals, watered well, and disinfected to remove harmful microflora. Seedlings are planted in separate holes. Overgrown seedlings are placed horizontally in the holes. Regular seedlings are placed perpendicular to the soil surface.

Tomatoes are planted slightly deeper to encourage additional root development. Immediately after planting, a stake is installed next to each plant, and a couple of weeks later, the first tie is attached to this stake.

Caring for tomatoes

The "Big Pink McClintock" tomato is highly productive only when grown in warm conditions. Therefore, it is generally grown in greenhouses rather than outdoors. Overall, this variety is easy to care for. The key is maintaining a balance of temperature and humidity to ensure the plants are comfortable to grow.

Comfort and external factors

To ensure that your plants feel at home in the garden and produce a successful harvest, they need good lighting. The more light your tomato plants receive, the more juice they will produce. Therefore, it's important to carefully position your tomatoes in the greenhouse, giving them the brightest, most comfortable spot.

Tall tomatoes value their space. And they need plenty of it. Therefore, there shouldn't be any other beds nearby, especially not other tomato plants. No more than two plants should be placed per square meter—this will ensure optimal, even lighting, good ventilation, and abundant nutrition.

Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity is crucial when growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. While plants thrive in a warm, humid climate, if the greenhouse is too hot and the soil becomes swampy, the tomatoes will immediately react to the discomfort. Fruit drop (due to excessive temperatures) and fungal diseases (due to excessive humidity) will result. To prevent these problems, regularly ventilate the greenhouse. On hot days, keep the greenhouse open. Fresh air will cool the hot greenhouse atmosphere and dry the moisture on the soil surface.

Unfortunately, greenhouse soil quickly compacts due to high humidity. As a result, moisture and air become less able to penetrate deep into the soil. Plant roots receive less and less nutrition. This can be remedied by loosening the soil after each watering. Agitating the soil stimulates rapid oxygenation, instantly providing the roots of tomato plants with a boost of oxygen.

It is believed that such a simple agricultural technique as loosening plays a crucial role in cultivating vegetable crops, as it lightens the soil by breaking up its dense structure, combats weeds, and improves water and air permeability.

In open ground, tomatoes can pollinate themselves. In a greenhouse, however, this is difficult for plants to do. Therefore, regularly shake the flowering branches and then humidify the air with a spray bottle. You can also attract insects by opening all the greenhouse doors and placing containers filled with a sugary solution inside.

Watering

For the first 10 days after planting, do not water the tomato plants. Allow the plants time to adapt to the new conditions. Then, once the tomatoes have established themselves, the main cultivation phase begins. Watering is very important for tomatoes. Tomatoes love to drink a lot of water, but it's important not to overwater them. It's generally better to underwater tomatoes than to overwater them. Excess moisture also encourages the development of pathogenic microflora.

Tomatoes in a greenhouse should be watered no more than twice a week. In mild summers, once a week is sufficient. You can tell when it's time to water by checking the soil surface—if it's very dry, it's definitely time to water.

Water the tomatoes with warm water at the roots. Leaves and stems should remain dry to avoid any potential disease.

Formation

Bushes of the "Big Pink McClintock" variety require training. It's best to grow these tomatoes with two stems. However, many gardeners successfully cultivate these tomatoes with one or three stems. To properly train the bush, remove all additional shoots (side shoots) growing from the leaf axils, leaving only one or two (depending on how many stems the bush is planned to have). The desired side shoots are left under the first and second flower clusters.

Since the plant grows unrestricted throughout its life, the height of the bush can reach two meters or more. Because of this, the fruit can ripen longer on the branches, and the final harvest is often picked while still in the milky stage. Therefore, it is recommended to pinch out the tops and all main shoots 40-50 days before the final harvest (in mid-August). This will help redirect the plant's energy toward fruit ripening rather than toward the growth of the green portion of the bush.

It's important to understand that tomatoes can't withstand frost. Even if they're picked brown, if they've been exposed to extreme cold for some time, they'll quickly rot before they've had a chance to ripen on the windowsill.

To ensure large-fruited tomatoes, you also need to manage their number. Tall tomato varieties are primarily grown for their giant tomatoes. Therefore, excess inflorescences and ovaries should be removed, leaving two or three buds on each branch. Yes, this will reduce the number of fruits, but the resulting tomatoes will be very large, plump, and sweet.

In addition to flowers, excess flower clusters are also removed. Only the strongest and most powerful ones are left—these will produce enormous specimens.

It often happens that large, double, and very beautiful flowers form on bushes before flowering. This is not good. The appearance of such flowers indicates that the plant is "getting fat," meaning that pathological processes are occurring. These flowers will later form ugly, unsightly, and tasteless fruits. Therefore, it is recommended to pluck the flowers immediately to avoid wasting the plant's energy on their maintenance.

Top dressing

During the growing season, it's recommended to fertilize tall tomatoes at least three times. Fertilize for the first time 10-12 days after planting. Use bird's eye solution or mullein. Ready-made fertilizers such as "Gumisol," "Veromistin," or "Rost-concentrate" can also be used. Spread the fertilizer in a thick layer (5 centimeters) directly under the plants and water thoroughly.

To ensure fertilizer stays in the soil as long as possible, the surface should be mulched. Grass clippings, straw, and sawdust can all be used as mulch. However, pine needles are considered the best mulch material.

The second feeding is carried out 14-16 days after the first, during the period of intense flowering. This time, organic fertilizer is also used, along with ready-made fertilizers (Rastvorin or Kemira Universal), 3 grams of manganese, and 3 grams of copper sulfate (dissolved in water). Two liters of fertilizer are applied under each bush.

The third feeding is necessary for the bushes during fruiting. The composition of this feeding is the same as the second, but the concentration of the components is increased by one and a half times.

Reviews

Catherine

A good, large-fruited variety. I grew it in a greenhouse. The bushes are 180 centimeters tall. I trained them with two trunks. I only planted five bushes, but the harvest was impressive. Each bush yielded 3-4 kilograms. The fruits are very large, fleshy, and not watery, so they hold their shape well when sliced. Heat treatment doesn't affect their flavor or aroma. The plants haven't had any diseases. Caring for the tomatoes is easy; no additional care was needed. Although I use a lot of fertilizer, the tomatoes still love to eat.

Gregory

For a couple of years, I've been planting the "Big Pink McClintock" tomato variety in my garden. It's a good-quality, productive variety, and most importantly, it produces very large, tasty tomatoes. It's a mid-season variety. We're already eating the tomatoes in July. The bushes grow vigorously and spread out, requiring constant staking. Especially during the fruiting season, the branches become heavily laden with heavy fruits, and they all break and dry out. Watering should be done carefully. These tomatoes don't require much water, so frequent watering is not recommended. It's best to let the soil dry out, otherwise disease can easily occur. The bushes bear fruit, as I mentioned, from July until the end of September. We all eat these tomatoes fresh. I use other varieties for canning.

Victoria

Last year I grew tomatoes of this variety. I liked it. The seedlings grew well, without any problems. I planted them in the greenhouse in mid-May. The summer was cool, so the greenhouse temperature was very comfortable. Maybe that's why the bushes grew so well and set fruit beautifully. Each bush produced 7-9 tomatoes, each weighing at least 300 grams. The tomatoes are round in size, not too uniform, but not gnarled either. They have a very good, meaty flavor. The inside is loose and balanced. These tomatoes are very good for juicing. We also cut them into salads and added them to various dishes. I'm planting this variety again this season. I can't wait for good results and delicious, sweet tomatoes.