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The Cardinal tomato is a classic representative of the nightshade species. According to many gardeners, this is how a real tomato should look - large, smooth, fleshy, in an elegant raspberry-pink dress, which just asks for the table. How beautiful the Cardinal tomato can be seen in this photo:
Description of the variety
According to its characteristics, the Cardinal tomato belongs to medium early hybrids (110-115 days from germination). Suitable for growing both in a greenhouse and in an open garden. The height of the indeterminate bush of the Cardinal tomato in the greenhouse can reach two meters, if the crown is not pinched in time, it grows up to 1.5 m on the street, so a garter of both stems and branches with fruits is imperative. Up to 10 large fruits can form on one brush, which do not ripen immediately, but gradually, delighting gardeners throughout the summer, starting from mid-July. When forming a bush, no more than two main stems should be left and carefully monitor the timely garter to the support so that the branches do not break under the weight of the fruit.
The very first tomatoes of the Cardinal variety by weight can reach 0.9 kg, the weight of the latter is no more than 0.4 kg, on average it turns out that the weight of one tomato is about 0.6 kg. Fruits of a rich pinkish-raspberry color, a peculiar heart-shaped shape, with a sweet-sour juicy pulp, which does not contain many seeds. Due to the high sugar content and meatiness of Cardinal tomatoes, many people prefer to eat them fresh, so to speak, from a bush, or to make tomato juice, all kinds of sauces and tomato puree from them. The yield is very high due to the large weight of the fruit - up to 14-15 kg / m2.
Tomato variety Cardinal outperforms other varieties by:
- excellent taste, increased meatiness and beauty of the fruit;
- disease resistance;
- excellent seed germination (9 out of 10);
- cold resistance;
- long storage without loss of presentation;
- no cracking.
But the Cardinal tomato variety also has minor flaws:
- There is no way to pickle them whole, since the large size of the fruit will not allow it to be placed in a jar.
- Due to its high growth, the Cardinal tomato variety takes up a lot of space in the greenhouse.
- Due to the size of the fruit, additional efforts are needed to garter not only the stems, but branches with tassels.
- Mandatory pinching is required to form a bush.
In principle, according to the reviews of those who have already planted Cardinal tomatoes, there are no particular difficulties in growing these tomatoes, only strong support and timely feeding are needed.
How to sow tomato seeds
According to the characteristics, the Cardinal tomato prefers light nutritious soil, which can be prepared independently by mixing the garden or sod soil harvested in the fall with well-rotted humus. It is better to take the land from the beds after cucumbers, legumes, cabbage, carrots, onions. The addition of superphosphate and wood ash is allowed to increase the nutritional value of the soil.
For sowing seeds for seedlings, the best time is late March - early April. First, they need to be disinfected, that is, soak in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, followed by rinsing under running water. Then fill them with a growth stimulant for 11-12 hours.
After that, sow the seeds of the Cardinal tomato variety into a container with prepared soil to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.In order not to damage the roots of seedlings in the future when transplanting into a greenhouse or garden bed, you can use disposable peat pots, since ascended plants in such a container do not require picking and you can plant them in the ground directly in pots.
After planting seeds in a container, do not water them from a watering can, it is better to use a spray bottle for this. Then you need to stretch a film on a container with seeds and remove it in heat until shoots appear.
Transfer to the greenhouse
Planting seedlings in open ground takes place on June 7-10, you can plant them in the greenhouse three weeks earlier. Before planting in the hole, it is advisable to add a tablespoon of wood ash. It is better to tie the Cardinal tomatoes to the support immediately after planting the plant. A trellis can serve as a support - it is very convenient for fastening not only stems, but also heavy branches with fruits.
When the bush reaches the desired height, the crown should be cut off, thereby stopping the growth upward. Water the Cardinal tomatoes sparingly, using warm, soft water, not forgetting at least three times over the summer, to feed the bushes with a full range of fertilizers.
Speaking of Cardinal tomatoes, one cannot fail to mention the Mazarin tomatoes. A photo Mazarin tomato can be seen below:
In terms of their properties, characteristics and description of the variety, Mazarin tomatoes are very similar to Cardinal, but they have a sharper heart shape with a pointed tip. Fruits weighing 400-600 grams, pink in color, can even compete with the Oxheart and Cardinal in terms of fleshiness. The cultivation of the Mazarin tomato variety is practically no different from the cultivation of the Cardinal variety. Both those and other tomatoes are a real decoration for a personal plot and an opportunity to enjoy an amazing taste.
