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Experienced summer residents love to get acquainted with new varieties of tomatoes. When choosing a variety, not only descriptions from producers are taken into account, but also reviews of gardeners who have already grown new tomatoes. Almost all summer residents speak well of the Loving Heart tomato.
Characteristics of the variety
The indeterminate variety Loving Heart grows up to 2 m in the greenhouse, in the open field, powerful bushes form 1.6-1.8 m in height. The tomato is resistant to adverse weather conditions and diseases. The variety is mid-season. Fruits ripen 90-115 days after seed germination. On the bush, an average of 5-6 brushes are tied. 5-7 fruits of the Loving Heart are usually formed in the brush (photo).
Fruits have a mass of 700-800 g. If the goal is to grow a tomato even larger, it is necessary to leave 3-4 ovaries on the cyst. With proper care, a tomato can ripen a kilogram or more. The shape of a deep red tomato resembles a heart. Loving heart tomatoes are characterized by a thin skin, fleshy pulp, which has a granular structure at the break. The fruits have a rich tomato flavor that does not disappear even after processing. The delicate, sweetish taste of a tomato with hints of sourness is a significant advantage of tomato.
Tomato advantages:
- expressive taste and persistent aroma;
- high productivity;
- resistance to temperature changes and diseases.
The disadvantages include the poor keeping quality of the fruits, so the tomatoes after harvesting must be eaten or processed immediately. 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 advisable to carry out some preparatory work.
To disinfect the grains, they are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. For this, the seeds, wrapped in 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 the 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 should not be allowed to dry - it is periodically moistened.
Some gardeners practice hardening tomato seeds. For 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 activities harden the plants and therefore future seedlings will grow more resistant to low temperatures.
Seed planting stages
- Several rows are made in the prepared moist soil. The seeds are placed in the ground and lightly sprinkled with soil (a layer of 1 cm is enough). The container is closed with polyethylene until germination 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 in open ground. For this, containers are taken out into the street for a short time. The hardening period is gradually increased.
Tomato care
It is possible to plant seedlings in open ground after the threat of frost has passed, as soon as the ground warms up to + 15˚ С and stable warm weather is established. More specific terms depend on the climatic characteristics 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, between the rows they leave a path 80-90 cm wide. It is better to arrange the beds, adhering to the north-south direction. In this case, the tomatoes will be better and more evenly illuminated. When planting Loving Heart tomatoes, pegs are immediately set and the bushes are neatly tied up.
The Loving Heart tomato bushes are formed into one or two stems. The stepsons are sure to be cut off. At the same time, it is important to leave small processes in order to prevent new stepsons from growing out of 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, you need to remove several ovaries on flower brushes. It is enough to keep 5-6 brushes with 2-3 ovaries on the bush. When ripe tomatoes, Loving Heart, it is important to tie each brush so that it does not break off.
Watering and fertilizing
Moderation should be observed during watering. To prevent drying out of the soil, it is recommended to mulch the soil. During the setting and growth of fruits, the amount of watering is increased. At the same time, one must try to prevent 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, the plant should not be allowed to direct all its forces to the growth of green mass. Therefore, nitrogen fertilization is 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 tomato planting.
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 shedding of flowers, increases the number of ovaries, and increases yields. When spraying tomatoes, Loving Heart, trace elements are better absorbed.
You can spray the bushes with an ash solution with the addition of boric acid (2 liters of ash and 10 g of boric acid are taken for 10 liters of water). Such a composition not only helps the ovaries to form faster, but also effectively fights pests (black aphids).
Harvesting
Ripe tomatoes should be picked every three to four days. The tomatoes are cut with the stalk. For storing tomatoes, Loving Heart is selected in a dry, ventilated room with a normal humidity level. So that the tomatoes are better preserved and not damaged, it is better to lay them out in boxes covered with paper.
In regions with a short summer, not all tomatoes have time to ripen.Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, all fruits are harvested (of any degree of maturity). For ripening, they are placed in a cool, dry room. Several ripe fruits are left among the green tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes release ethylene, which promotes the rapid ripening of the remaining unripe fruits.
Growing tomatoes doesn't take much time or effort. Simple rules for caring for a tomato of the Loving Heart variety will allow even novice gardeners to get an excellent harvest.
