How to Grow Kilogram Tomatoes

In the 1980s, at an experimental station near Tambov, agronomists developed a variety of tomatoes that still excites the minds of gardeners.

“Soviet Bogatyr” is not just a name, but a technology based on strict control of each stage of growth.

Declassified documents from the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing reveal shocking details: in order to obtain fruits weighing more than 1 kg, seedlings were grown at a temperature of +12°C, artificially slowing down the development of the stem.

The roots were pinched twice, forcing the plant to spend energy not on greenery, but on fruits. And most importantly, they were watered not with water, but with a mixture of whey and ash, creating a nutrient medium rich in calcium and potassium.

Doctor of Biological Sciences Lidiya Semenova , who worked at the research institute , recalls:

"We were trying to achieve gigantism, but such tomatoes were tasteless. Then we added night illumination with daylight lamps to the scheme - this increased the production of sugars."

The result appeared on the pages of the journal Science and Life in 1987, but the method did not find wide application—it was too labor-intensive.

However, today enthusiasts like Viktor Luchko from Novosibirsk are reviving traditions.

"I recreated the Soviet scheme in the garage," he boasts in a YouTube video. "I grew a 1.4 kg tomato! The flesh is dense, like a watermelon, but the juice flows like a river."

The secret is in the details: the seeds of " Bogatyr " are germinated in frozen soil, simulating Siberian winters. The picking is carried out not once, but three times, each time shortening the central root by 0.5 cm.

And during flowering, the brushes are sprayed with a solution of boric acid (1 g per liter) to prevent the ovaries from falling off.

"This is not for the lazy," warns Olga from Krasnodar. "You need to adjust the temperature in the greenhouse every two days, otherwise the tomatoes will crack."

But the game is worth the candle: imagine how you cut a giant tomato, and its aroma fills the entire kitchen. The Soviet dream is alive - you just need to put your hands to it.