Characteristics and description of the tomato "Big Carol"

Beef tomatoes have become a favorite among gardeners, and foreign-bred varieties are also successfully grown in Russia. The Big Carol tomato variety, which originated in the United States, has become a popular choice in many gardens.

Description of the variety

These varieties are prized for their large fruits, exceptional flavor—sweet and aromatic—and plump, juicy flesh. Making a family-sized salad from just one of these tomatoes is no problem, and the vegetable truly qualifies as a delicacy.

The Big Carol variety goes by various names in catalogs—Carol's Big Paste, Carol Chyko's Big Paste—so be careful. This unique beef tomato is believed to have been developed by American breeders and is the pride of the Carol Chyko family (Pennsylvania). While the variety is advertised as mid-season, reviews suggest it began bearing fruit later than 115 days in some regions.

The bush is very vigorous, growing up to two meters. It is recommended to grow this tomato in a greenhouse, with careful shaping and pinching of side shoots. The leaves are regular in shape and dark green. Side shoots grow quickly, so remove side shoots promptly.

Form a bush with 1-2 stems, taking this into account when planting the plants in the greenhouse. The recommended spacing is no more than three plants per square meter, and when growing with two stems, two bushes can be planted. This will ensure the plants receive sufficient light and nutrition.

The cluster begins to form after the ninth leaf; the shoot under the first cluster is used as a second stem. The tomato is disease-resistant, but requires prevention against late blight.

Description of fruits

Beef tomato varieties typically produce large fruits, and Big Carol is no exception. With proper care, these tomatoes grow to approximately 400 grams, with all the fruits in the cluster being uniform.

The skin is a deep, burgundy, rich color. The fruits look beautiful against the foliage of the bush, attracting attention.

The pulp is juicy and fleshy, with up to 4-6 small chambers forming inside. The flavor is balanced, vibrant, and sweet, with refreshing notes. There are very few seeds, all "occupied" by the pulp. This variety is unique in that it produces excellent yields even under unfavorable conditions.

Tomatoes are used in salads and processed into juices, sauces, and pastes. All products made from Carol Chyko's Big Paste tomatoes have a very rich flavor and a beautiful tomato color. This variety has an average shelf life; it's best to process or eat the tomatoes immediately after they're fully ripe.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Big Carol tomato variety

The main advantage of these tomatoes is their weight and meaty, juicy flesh. The taste of the sor variety is excellent, and it is also quite weather-resistant.

Advantages:

• large fruits (400-450 grams);
• pleasant sweet taste of tomatoes;
• high commercial properties of fruits;
• disease resistance.

The American tomato is a cultivar, so it is enough to order its seeds from collectors only once, and in the future, collect seeds from your own plantings.

But growing such a tasty and large tomato requires some effort. This variety requires plant training and mandatory pinching.

The Big Carol tomato has a unique characteristic: it tends to produce double flowers (fasciation), which should be taken into account. To obtain large tomatoes, it is recommended to pluck the flowers in the cluster, leaving 2-3. Deformed clusters usually produce large tomatoes, but their shape may be slightly crooked. Whether to remove or leave such clusters is up to the gardener. It is believed that double flowers most often appear in the first cluster and can inhibit the development of other fruits. Therefore, double flowers can be removed.

This tomato also requires adequate nutrition and good care, so for inexperienced gardeners, it is better to choose other tomato varieties or devote sufficient attention to the Big Carol variety.

Reviews of tomato growing

Marina, Irkutsk region

I've been wanting to order beef tomatoes for a while, and finally, my dream has come true! Last year, I had three varieties growing in my greenhouse, including 'Big Carol.' The plants were tall and vigorous, with few clusters. The tomatoes were large, but frankly, I wasn't impressed with either the color or the flavor. Perhaps I did something wrong, but I didn't like the flesh at all; it was just an ordinary tomato, like the kind I grow in abundance in my open garden. I gave up on this variety.

Galina, Kemerovo

This variety is a dream! I was amazed by its high yield and flavor. This is a tall tomato; in my greenhouse, it was about 180 cm tall. The fruits are round, with a hint of a heart shape, but not quite that. When fully ripe, the fruits were a deep red, and almost all weighed about 400 grams. The flesh is juicy, and there are practically no seeds inside. The flavor is wonderful, it goes great in salads, and we also love tomato sandwiches, so Carol is perfect for that. It's a very productive tomato; I collected seeds, and it's growing again this year.

Features of agricultural technology for the Big Carol tomato

Since this variety is large-fruited, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of cultivating such tomatoes.

1. When planting, strictly adhere to the bush placement pattern, planting them less frequently than regular varieties, 2-3 plants per 1 square meter.
2. Such varieties require increased fertilizing, since the plant needs a lot of energy to form and ripen the fruit.
3. Fertilizer application rates should be appropriate ("too much isn't always good"), monitoring nitrogen levels. Excessive amounts of nitrogen cause plants to become overweight, with elongated bushes, increased lateral growth, and reduced fruit production.
4. Both the plants themselves and the clusters are trained, leaving a limited number of flowers. For the Big Carol variety, it is recommended to leave 2-3 flowers per cluster; otherwise, the tomatoes will be small, uneven, or will not produce any flowers at all.

Growing seedlings

This variety is sown from seeds in early March, so that the seedlings are approximately 60 days old by the time of planting. It is recommended to consider supplemental lighting for the plants, using fluorescent lamps or LEDs.

Before sowing, seeds are treated with a potassium permanganate solution (soak for no more than 20 minutes), then rinsed. If you have growth stimulants on hand, such as EPIN or ENERGEN, you can soak the tomato seeds in them, or you can immediately place the seeds in a damp cloth for germination. If you choose the sowing day according to the lunar calendar, keep in mind that the soaking or germination of the tomatoes is considered the beginning of the sowing season.

Boxes, containers, peat pots, and plastic or thick paper cups are all suitable for seedlings. Sowing directly into individual containers eliminates the need for pricking out, but if seeds are sown in shared containers, pricking out is essential.

Fertilize twice, waiting approximately 10 days after transplanting. It's best to use complex fertilizers, as well as ready-made water-soluble fertilizers.

A stable temperature (23ºC to 25ºC), regular and moderate watering, and adequate ventilation are essential for producing high-quality seedlings. Before planting in a greenhouse, it's recommended to harden off tomatoes by placing them outdoors.

Greenhouse care

Planting is only carried out when the weather is consistently warm, taking into account the regional climate. In the temperate zone, tomatoes can be placed in a greenhouse as early as early May, while in northern regions and beyond the Urals, this can be done in late May or even early June.

The bushes are planted, keeping a distance, since large-fruited beef tomatoes love freedom and space.

The soil is fertilized in the fall with humus and superphosphate. In the spring, wood ash and bone meal are added during tilling, avoiding fresh manure or bird droppings.

Big Carol is a variety that requires proper training. Indeterminate tomato varieties are grown with 1-2 stems, as this increases the likelihood of producing larger fruits.

If training a plant with a single stem, remove all side shoots, and then regularly remove all side shoots. When training a bush with two stems, leave the largest, most vigorous and tall side shoot under the first flower cluster. This will become the second stem, where inflorescences and fruits will form.

This variety requires pruning, otherwise the tomato will grow excessively in the greenhouse, detrimental to fruit production. This procedure is performed in the morning, approximately 1-2 times a week. Lateral shoots are removed, not allowing them to grow very long (about 5-6 cm), leaving a stump of 1.5 cm. It's best to do this in the morning so that the broken branches have time to heal by evening and to prevent viruses from entering them.

Tall 'Big Carol' bushes require support. A trellis is effective, but regular stakes with fabric straps are also suitable. It's best to avoid using twine or wire for tying, as they can cut the tomato stems and branches.

Another essential technique is proper watering; otherwise, you won't get juicy and plump fruits. It's commonly believed that tomatoes need infrequent but abundant watering. This is true, but you should also consider:

• microclimate in the greenhouse;
• soil condition;
• the condition of the plants themselves;
• weather conditions.

In hot weather, you'll need to water more frequently, and then ventilate the greenhouse by opening vents and doors. In cloudy weather, water no more than 1-2 times a week, monitoring the humidity level inside the shelters.

Tomatoes don't thrive in excessive humidity or extreme heat, as these negatively impact growth and fruit production. Dry air in the greenhouse prevents tomato pollination (the pollen becomes sterile), and high humidity causes pollen to become heavy and prevents pollination.

The optimal humidity level is no more than 60%.

To improve the microclimate, it is recommended to mulch the soil in the greenhouse. Mulch can be:

• sawdust;
• humus;
• peat;
• mown grass.

Such materials not only provide the necessary moisture in the soil, but also eliminate weeds.

Particular attention is paid to tomato fertilization. Plants are fed 4-5 times per season, alternating between organic and mineral fertilizers, applying both root and foliar feeding. This schedule will help produce high-quality, large fruits with excellent flavor.

Fertilizers include poultry manure, mullein (diluted with water), complex fertilizers, and wood ash. A very good supplement is an infusion made with herbs (dandelion, nettle, comfrey, and other garden weeds). This green "cocktail" is left to steep for a week, then diluted with water (1:10) and watered at the roots of the tomatoes.

Among folk remedies for feeding, baker's yeast, spraying tomatoes with iodine, and boric acid have shown good results.

Since the Big Carol variety does not ripen fruits early, you will have to take care of preventive measures for this tomato.

You can spray plants with the following compounds:

• garlic infusion;
• copper-containing drugs;
• Bordeaux mixture;
• ash infusion.

In mid-August, remove all the upper flowering clusters to allow the lower fruits to develop properly. The tops of the flowers are also pinched, and any ovaries that haven't formed yet are removed.

Judging by reviews, despite its mid-season maturity and later ripening period, the Big Carol tomato variety is resistant to late blight. However, to be on the safe side, when cold weather sets in, it's recommended to remove all green fruits so they can ripen indoors. To obtain your own seeds for sowing, select the most beautiful fruit and leave it to ripen on the plant.

Generally, the fruits can be harvested when they reach technical ripeness (i.e., green). They ripen well at home, acquiring the variety's characteristic deep crimson color.