Different varieties of tomatoes are grown in garden plots. Some people like miniature ones the size of a pea, while others prefer large giant varieties. One of these varieties is the Bear's Paw tomato. Thanks to its large size and shape, it has such an interesting name. This variety is not planted very often, since generally everyone likes medium-sized fruits.
More about the variety
Bear's paw tomatoes most often grow well in warm climates. But you can also plant them in greenhouses in the northern regions, with careful care.
Characteristics and descriptions of this variety can be found in many gardening books. These tomatoes are unpretentious, but love warmth and good fertilizer. They will survive dry summers just fine, but may freeze in open ground if it is cool. They almost never get sick.
The bush can grow up to one and a half meters. If it is too high, then it should be tied up, since the vegetables hanging on it are quite heavy.
The first fruits ripen 3 months after planting the seedlings. They are very large, brightly colored, pink or red. The weight of one fruit can be up to 750 grams. The skin is thin, soft, shiny. The pulp is juicy, red, and tastes sweet and sour. The shape has a ribbed surface. There are a lot of seeds inside.
There is also a variety of these large tomatoes called bear claw. It is similar in shape, only slightly curved.
You can reap a good harvest from one bush if you properly care for the plant. When purchasing seeds, you should ask for a description of how to care for them.
How to plant
It is better to plant tomatoes in March. After sowing, cover with film for a week. When sprouts begin to appear, place the container in a lighted place.
Plants should be transplanted if they are too large and interfere with each other. Feeding with fertilizers and ventilation is mandatory. In two months it will be possible to prepare them for planting in a greenhouse.
The land is prepared in advance: loosened, fertilized, watered. Bushes should not be planted close to each other. This will make it more convenient to approach them, and they will hurt less.
The yield will be high if you carefully care for the tomatoes, water them on time, and trim the shoots.
Features of care
If you take into account the description of the variety, the fruits ripen early.Since there is constant intensive growth, they require high-quality care. If the care is of poor quality, then you should not expect a good harvest.
- Tomatoes love good watering. You can even water them three times a month, but generously. For water use a nearby stream or wells. The most important thing is not to pour ice water.
- It is necessary to weed weeds in a greenhouse, as they suck out nutrients and contribute to the proliferation of pests.
- Periodic loosening of the soil. This is done in the first days after planting, during flowering, and after - as soon as the soil becomes flat again.
- Fertilizing cultivated plants is important. During flowering, fertilizing should include nitrogen, and when the fruits grow, potassium and phosphorus. Peat, humus, sand, and chicken droppings are also added to the soil.
- In the summer, during the day you need to open the windows and doors of the greenhouse to ventilate it.
- Sometimes pinching is required, which speeds up the process of fruit ripening. Remove shoots and all lower leaves at least twice a month.
- Bushes that are too tall should be tied with ropes. In northern regions it is better to raise the stem high from the ground, as the nights can be cold and with dangerous dew.
Large fruits and tall bushes require more attention from gardeners. The result is a rich harvest.
What dangers happen?
Plants of this species have excellent properties to resist diseases and pests. But still, due to improper care, troubles can happen to them.
They can be attacked by aphids, beetles, mites, slugs, caterpillars, and mole crickets. In this case, the bushes should be treated with various means until the insects are completely eliminated. You can find out about them from sellers in the store.
Among the diseases, late blight, fusarium, spotting, fungus, and rot are known. During flowering, strong effective methods can be used. But during fruiting it is better to treat with decoctions of chamomile, celandine, and onion. Everything that grows in the greenhouse is sprayed and fed.
Gardeners' opinions
Reviews from summer residents about the disadvantages and advantages of this type of tomato are very diverse. Here are some of them.
Katerina: I really wanted it large tomatoes. I saw bear paw seeds at the market. And I thought, I’ll plant them, because in the picture they looked very beautiful, like a bear’s paw. And I didn’t regret it. Very good harvest. And we ate fresh, and cooked a lot of adjika and juice.
Maxim: I grew this particular variety for many years. Planted both in greenhouses and in open soil. They give a very good harvest. The fruits are huge and tasty. You don't have to water it often. Such tomatoes are rarely pickled, but we pickle them in jars, cutting them into four parts.
Lyubov: I put a bear in a greenhouse for the first time. She looked after and fed. After the first fruits were collected, the whole family went on vacation for three weeks, upon arrival nothing was dry, and they collected a ripe harvest. A lot fell, but did not crack.
The bear's paw tomato variety is suitable for lovers of large fruits. It produces very tasty and healthy juices. And in salads it gives a unique and bright taste. By following all the rules for caring for this hybrid, you can enjoy fragrant tomatoes in summer and autumn.
