Contents
Experienced summer residents love to get acquainted with new varieties of tomatoes. When choosing a variety, not only descriptions from manufacturers are taken into account, but also reviews from gardeners who have already grown new tomatoes. Almost all summer residents speak well about the Loving Heart tomato.
Characteristic of the variety
The indeterminate variety Loving Heart in the greenhouse grows up to 2 m, in the open field powerful bushes form a height of 1,6-1,8 m. The tomato is resistant to adverse weather conditions and diseases. The variety is mid-season. The fruits ripen 90-115 days after seed germination. An average of 5-6 brushes is tied on a bush. In the brush, 5-7 fruits of the Loving Heart are usually formed (photo).
The fruits have a mass of 700-800 g. If you set out to grow a tomato even larger, you need to leave 3-4 ovaries on the cyst. With proper care, a tomato can ripen weighing a kilogram or more. The shape of the deep red tomatoes resembles a heart. Loving heart tomatoes are characterized by thin skin, fleshy flesh, which has a granular structure at the break. The fruits have a rich tomato flavor that does not disappear even after processing. Delicate, sweetish taste of a tomato with hints of sourness is a significant advantage of a tomato.
Benefits of tomato:
- expressive taste and persistent aroma;
- high yield;
- resistance to temperature changes and diseases.
The disadvantages include the weak keeping quality of the fruit, so the tomatoes must be eaten or processed immediately after harvesting. Due to the large mass and thin peel, the fruits are poorly stored and practically not transportable. It should also be borne in mind that in the direction from the lower brushes to the upper fruits they become smaller.
Growing seedlings
It is recommended to plant seeds in early to mid-March. For high-quality germination of planting material, it is desirable to carry out some preparatory work.
To disinfect the grains, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, the seeds wrapped in a cloth are dipped in a pale solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes and then washed in clean water.
To speed up the germination of grains, they are soaked in water. The best option is to wrap the planting material in a damp cloth for 10-12 hours. At the same time, the canvas must not be allowed to dry – it is periodically moistened.
Some gardeners practice hardening tomato seeds. To do this, the seeds of the Loving Heart variety are placed in the refrigerator (on the lower shelf) for 15-16 hours, then left in the room for 5-6 hours. The alternation of temperatures can be done 2 times. It is believed that such events harden the plants and therefore future seedlings will grow more resistant to low temperatures.
Stages of planting seeds
- In the prepared moistened earth, several rows are made. Seeds are placed in the ground and lightly sprinkled with soil (a layer of 1 cm is enough). The container before emergence of shoots is covered with polyethylene and placed in a warm place.
- As soon as the first shoots appear, the covering material is removed. In order for the seedlings to grow strong, it is advisable to equip additional lighting. For this, phytolamps are installed.
- When two leaves grow on the seedlings of the Loving Heart, you can plant the sprouts in separate pots. When watering plants, waterlogging of the soil is not allowed, otherwise the roots of tomatoes may rot.
One and a half to two weeks before planting tomatoes of the Loving Heart variety, seedlings begin to harden into open ground. To do this, the containers are taken out into the street for a short time. Gradually increase the hardening period.
Care of tomatoes
It is possible to plant seedlings in open ground after the threat of frost has passed, as soon as the soil warms up to + 15˚ C and stable warm weather is established. More specific dates depend on the climatic features of the region. In the middle lane, the right time is mid-May.
In a row, the bushes are placed in increments of 60-70 cm, a path 80-90 cm wide is left between the rows. It is better to place the beds, adhering to the north-south direction. In this case, the tomatoes will be better and more evenly lit. When planting Loving Heart tomatoes, pegs are immediately installed and the bushes are neatly tied up.
Form bushes of tomatoes of the Loving Heart variety in one or two stems. Stepsons must be cut off. At the same time, it is important to leave small processes in order to prevent the growth of new stepchildren from these sinuses. At a height of about 1,8 m, the top of the tomato is pinched to stop further growth of the stem.
To form large fruits, it is necessary to remove several ovaries on flower brushes. It is enough to keep 5-6 brushes with 2-3 ovaries on the bush. When the Loving Heart tomatoes ripen, it is important to tie each brush so that it does not break off.
Watering and fertilizer
During watering, moderation must be observed. To prevent the drying of the earth, it is recommended to mulch the soil. During the setting and growth of fruits, the volume of watering is increased. At the same time, care must be taken not to allow stagnation of water.
The green mass of mustard will simultaneously protect the soil from drying out, protect the bush from pests and increase soil fertility.
Top dressing of tomato bushes
When choosing a fertilizer, it is impossible to allow the plant to direct all its forces to the growth of green mass. Therefore, nitrogen supplements are used only at the stage of young seedlings, when it has recently been transplanted into open ground and the plant requires nutrition for growth.
As soon as ovaries appear on the bushes and fruits begin to form, they switch to superphosphates and potassium chloride. It is best to thoroughly fertilize the site in the fall, when the soil is being prepared for future plantings of tomatoes.
When growing tomatoes in open ground, foliar feeding of bushes is practiced. At the same time, the nutrient solution is made weakly concentrated. You can use superphosphate, which prevents the shedding of flowers, increases the number of ovaries, and increases yield. When spraying tomatoes Loving Heart, trace elements are better absorbed.
You can spray the bushes with a solution of ash with the addition of boric acid (10 liters of ash and 2 g of boric acid are taken per 10 liters of water). Such a composition not only helps the ovaries to form faster, but also effectively fights pests (black aphids).
Harvesting
Harvest ripe tomatoes every three to four days. Tomatoes are cut together with the stalk. For storage of tomatoes Loving Heart, a dry, ventilated room with a normal level of humidity is selected. In order for the tomatoes to be better preserved and not damaged, it is better to lay them out in boxes lined with paper.
In regions with a short summer, not all tomatoes have time to ripen. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, all fruits (of any degree of maturity) are collected. For ripening, they are placed in a cool, dry room. Among the green tomatoes leave a few ripe fruits. Ripe tomatoes release ethylene, which contributes to the rapid ripening of other unripe fruits.
Growing tomatoes does not require much time or effort. Simple rules for caring for a Loving Heart variety tomato will allow even novice gardeners to get a great harvest.
