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Growers who are also breeders find it interesting to work with mass-produced tomatoes, since they often have similar genetic roots, but may differ in a number of traits that are interesting to different gardeners. On the other hand, the passion of many people for collecting makes them, having purchased one tomato from a whole series, want to try all the others. Moreover, if the experience of growing the first variety was successful.
And this is more than justified in relation to the group of tomatoes, united by the fact that the word “elephant” appears in the name of the variety. All tomato “elephants” are quite unpretentious in care, but they differ in the variety of colors, tastes and sizes of the fruits and plants themselves.
In this article we will talk about a tomato called Orange Elephant, which, according to its characteristics, is the smallest representative of this tomato family. Other "elephants", such as the Pink Elephant or the Crimson Elephant, are more suited to their name due to the size of their fruits and bushes.
Description of the variety
The Orange Elephant tomato, like most of its counterparts from this series of tomatoes, was obtained by breeders of the Gavrish agricultural company. It is sold in bags of the “Russian Hero” series. In 2011, this tomato was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia.It was recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia in film or polycarbonate greenhouses.
Of course, in the southern regions of Russia you can try growing it in open ground. This condition is due, first of all, to the fact that this tomato has a fairly early ripening period. Tomatoes ripen approximately 100-110 days after the emergence of full shoots. Therefore, in order to get a really early tomato harvest, it is advisable to plant the seedlings in the ground as early as possible, no later than May.
For southern regions with warm and sometimes hot spring, this is quite acceptable. But in the middle zone and Siberia in May, tomato seedlings can only be planted in greenhouses, or at least under film covers. But when planted in a greenhouse, the first ripe fruits can be obtained already at the end of June - in July.
The Orange Elephant tomato belongs to the determinant type, which means it is limited in growth. And, indeed, its height in open ground does not exceed 60-70 cm. When cultivated in a greenhouse, the bush can reach a height of 100 cm. Although, according to reviews from gardeners in some areas with warm climates, the Orange Elephant tomato has reached a height of 1.6 meters.
Since the Orange Elephant tomato is determinate, it does not need pinching. But a garter to the stakes will never be superfluous, since without it, bushes with ripening tomatoes can simply collapse to the ground. The leaves on the bushes are medium in size, dark green, and have a traditional tomato shape.
The description of the variety will be incomplete without such characteristics as productivity, but here the Orange Elephant was not up to par. On average, you can get from two to three kilograms of tomatoes from one bush.And from one square meter of planting you can thus get up to 7-8 kg of fruit.
The variety is quite resistant to adverse weather conditions, and tolerates heat especially well, including abnormal heat. It sets fruit quite well in these conditions, so it is suitable for growing by gardeners from the southern regions. The fruits are not subject to cracking. As for disease resistance, it is at an average level, on par with most tomato varieties.
Fruit characteristics
Tomatoes of the Orange Elephant variety have the following characteristics:
- The shape of the fruit is traditionally round, but slightly flattened both above and below. There is ribbing at the base of the stalk.
- At the stage of technical maturity, the fruits are green; when ripe, they become bright orange.
- The skin is quite dense, smooth, the surface of the tomato is elastic.
- The pulp is tender, juicy, and its color is soft orange. Tomatoes contain a large amount of beta-carotene, which prevents the aging process and also has a beneficial effect on vision, immunity and regenerative processes on the skin.
- Manufacturers claim that the average weight of tomatoes is 200-250 grams. Perhaps such fruits can be achieved if the number of fruits in the clusters is normalized. According to gardeners, the average weight of tomatoes is only 130-170 grams.
- The taste of the tomatoes is rated as excellent. The fruits have a rich, sweet taste and pleasant aroma.
- The number of seed nests is average - from three to four.
- The fruits are best used for preparing salads and original-colored tomato juice.They are not very suitable for canning for the winter, except for making sauces, squash caviar and similar dishes.
- Of the entire family of elephants, it is the Orange elephant that is best stored and withstands transportation.
- It ripens well in room conditions without losing its taste.
- The fruiting period is long - tomatoes can set fruit and ripen for several months.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like most vegetables, the Orange Elephant variety has advantages that are appreciated by gardeners who choose this tomato for growing:
- Fruiting over a long period.
- Good preservation of fruits and transportability, unlike other tomato “elephants”.
- Original color and excellent taste of the fruit.
- Increased usefulness of tomatoes due to the content of various additional elements and vitamins.
- Disease resistance.
- Easy to grow.
Among the relative disadvantages are:
- Not the largest fruit size compared to other tomato “elephants”.
- Not as high a yield as other comrades in the series.
Features of cultivation
Since the Orange Elephant tomato is recommended to be grown in greenhouses in most regions, seeds can be sown for seedlings starting in March. If there is a desire to experiment, gardeners in the southern regions can try sowing this tomato in April in the soil of an unheated greenhouse, in order to later transplant it into open ground or leave it to grow under a roof all summer.
In such conditions, the seedlings will grow the maximum number of roots and will be able to quickly grow after planting.
When sowing seeds in fertile soil, fertilizing is not required before planting tomatoes in a permanent place. It is necessary to plant seedlings while maintaining a sufficient distance between plants (at least 30-40 cm), even if at first it seems that they are planted too far from each other.
It is very advisable to immediately tie the Orange Elephant seedlings to stakes upon planting and mulch them with straw or rotted sawdust. If everything is done correctly, further care will be reduced to watering once a week, fertilizing twice a month and harvesting.
Reviews from gardeners
Reviews from gardeners about the Orange Elephant tomato are mixed, but generally positive.
Conclusion
Among tomatoes with exotic fruit colors, Orange Elephant stands out primarily for its unpretentiousness. Therefore, novice gardeners who are afraid to take on exotic varieties of tomatoes due to their inexperience can be advised to start with this variety.
