Contents
An amazing creation of domestic breeders is a tomato variety “Valentina”. He fell in love with most gardeners for a reason. This variety is ideally adapted to the climate, the requirements for its care are minimal, and the harvest can please even true gourmets. It is in connection with the high yield and excellent quality of the fruit that he gained his popularity throughout the country.
General description of the variety
Tomato “Valentina” in the characteristics and description of the variety is distinguished by the fact that it is most suitable for growing in open ground, and not just in greenhouses. Externally, the plant is a dense bush, which reaches an average height of 60 cm in height. If we talk about the statistical ripening time, then the variety belongs to the early ripening species. It has been established from practice that most of the planted bushes produce ripened fruits for about 100-105 days, if we count from the day of seeds for breeding seedlings.
At the same time, those who have already planted the Valentina tomato in the greenhouse supplement their reviews with photos with warnings about the moderate removal of stepchildren in seedlings.
The tomato bush is sprawling, which is why it is necessary to tie its stem to the garden support, because with a large number of fruits, their weight can simply break the stem. There are few leaves on the bush, but this does not mean that the seedlings are bad or the bush was grown in negative conditions. The foliage of this plant naturally has a greenish-yellow hue, which is the norm. The shape of the leaves is slightly corrugated and more reminiscent of potato leaves than tomato.
The first inflorescence appears on the stem no lower than the seventh leaf. All subsequent flowers are arranged with alternating 1-2 leaves up.
In case of a drought of a low level or if it was short-term, you should not immediately carefully shed the bush with water and the negative effect of dryness will not affect the plant.
This variety was bred more than one decade ago, however, it became known only in the 2000s, when a group of breeders’ researchers subjected it to a large number of tests. The result of such experiments was the leading position of this variety due to the high quality of ripened tomatoes.
Significant Benefits
Reviews about the tomato “Valentina” are most often positive and laudatory. This is due to the large number of advantages of this variety, which are as follows:
- The bush has a compact size in height and width.
- The fruits ripen fairly quickly after planting seedlings.
- The plant is drought tolerant if it does not last long.
- Strong stems give a good level of seedling safety during transport.
- Tomato variety “Valentina” has a very high threshold of resistance to common diseases of this type of plant.
- After planting seedlings, removal of stepchildren is not required.
- Enhanced plant care is not needed.
- The yield is high and stable.
- The fruits have excellent taste and aromatic qualities, without the need for chemical fertilization of the plant during flowering and fruit set.
- In the description of the developers for tomatoes of the Valentina variety, there are no indications of special requirements for soil.
Reviews of tomatoes “Valentina” say that the average yield of this species is 2-3 kilograms per bush. If the planting frequency is no more than 6-7 bushes per 1 square meter, then the yield will be approximately 10-12 kg from this area.
The characteristic of the Valentina tomato says that this variety is optimal for those who do not have deep knowledge in gardening or horticulture. Thanks to the minimal requirements for soil, care and fertilizers, even a beginner in gardening will be able to get the maximum yield from seedlings of this tomato with little effort.
Existing shortcomings
If you look at the reviews of gardeners about the Valentina tomato, the proposed photos and read the yield statistics, you can say with confidence that this species has no obvious shortcomings. The only thing that can be attributed to negative characteristics is the need to tie a bush to a support. Although this situation is not surprising, because with the high fertility of the bush, its stems simply cannot withstand the weight of tomatoes, they bend and can break. To avoid such consequences, it is better to tie the stems of the bush to the support in advance. This will allow all set tomatoes to form and ripen normally.
Characteristics and description of fruits
The fruits of the Valentina tomato variety are medium in size and slightly elongated, plum-shaped. The average weight of one tomato is 80 grams, although if the bushes are grown in a greenhouse, it can be up to 100 grams. Tomatoes “Valentina” in their taste characteristics are suitable for salads, however, they are best used for:
- Preparation of dishes such as sauces and lecho.
- Whole fruit canning.
- Preparations for the winter as part of lecho, frying and canned salads based on tomato.
The fruits of this variety are perfectly stored for a long time and during transportation, they have a strong skin and a dense pulp structure.
The fruits are very fleshy and juicy in their consistency, even despite the thickness of the peel, which is why they are often used in preparations of tomato juice or paste. This variety is excellent for making high-quality, aromatic sauces, as well as gravies.
From the description of tomatoes of the Valentina variety and from the photo, you can see that the fruits are formed in clusters, and not singly. Due to the fact that the fruits themselves are not large in size, but the average one in one bunch of tomatoes is usually a lot.
A fully ripe tomato variety “Valentina” has a bright red color, with an orange tint. They taste sweet and sour, which makes them more original. Producers who grow the Valentina tomato variety in their descriptions and reviews say that from large areas, the yield of this species is approximately 40 kg per hectare of land.
Useful composition
Reviews about the tomato “Valentina” and the characteristics of experts suggest that the fruits are not only very tasty, but also healthy. The special value of this type of tomato lies in the vitamin composition:
- natural saccharides.
- Vitamins of groups: C, K and B.
- Proteins.
- Cellulose.
- Organic acids.
- Carotene.
- Minerals.
The peculiarity of tomatoes is also that even after heat treatment they do not lose their useful properties. The available reviews about the Valentina tomato, along with the description of the variety and the existing photos, leave no doubt about the uniqueness of this species, its excellent taste and usefulness both for domestic and industrial cultivation.
What you need to know about growing
The description of the Valentina tomato contains important information that in order to maintain a high yield of this variety, it is not recommended to breed seeds on your own. Such a task is troublesome and inefficient. Due to the fact that this species is a breeding development, it is not capable of independently breeding seeds. For the northern regions of Our Country, it would be optimal to grow such tomatoes only in a greenhouse. Although it is adapted to the domestic climate, however, it does not tolerate low temperatures during flowering and fruit formation.
According to the description and photo about planting the seeds of the “Valentina” tomato, it can be seen that a certain distance should be maintained when sowing. Although the root system of this variety is dense, when planting sprouts, it is not recommended to damage the roots. After planting the seeds and until the first shoots appear, it is strongly recommended to keep the seed container covered with a film, not forgetting to open it periodically for 10-20 minutes for airing and watering.
After the first shoots reach a height of 30-50 mm, they must be planted at an even greater distance from each other for enhanced growth. At this time, the sprouts should be provided with abundant light and watering.
Landing in the ground should occur only when the stems and roots get stronger. The land in which the seedlings are planted must be loose. It is recommended to lay peat, sand and manure at the bottom of the hole, but place seedlings on top of them. Such manipulation will subsequently keep the earth loose, and at the same time feed the seedlings with natural fertilizers that tomatoes love so much.
More about care
The description of the Valentina tomato and the captions under the photo show that this variety does not require special care, however, tomatoes do not grow like weeds. They still need some basic care. Yes, this species does not require the creation of special soil or special conditions for ripening and increasing yields. At the same time, professionals talk about the need to follow a few simple rules:
- Ensuring proper watering. This does not mean that it is worth pouring water on tomato seedlings every day. Either every day a little bit, or once a week and very plentifully.
- Regular loosening of the earth. You can also loosen the ground around the sprout once a week.
- Frequent cleansing of the land next to seedlings from weeds. Weeds not only take water from the ground from the tomato, but also the nutrients that are necessary for their proper and timely development.
- Spraying against pests. This variety is immune to common diseases, but it is not immune to insects that eat its foliage, flowers, and roots.
- In a greenhouse, it is important to provide the plant with frequent ventilation. Once a day will be enough.
- If the seedlings are planted in open ground, at first it will need to be covered with a film.
Warning! Watering plants should be done only with warm water, in no case cold.
Moreover, the water must be settled. That is why experienced gardeners have large containers on their plots in which they store water for irrigation.
Those who have been growing Valentina tomatoes for more than one year willingly post a description of this variety and a photo of their own crop, precisely because they have something to boast about. Beautiful appearance, amazing taste and unforgettable aroma – these are its main advantages.
