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Nowadays, tomatoes are grown almost everywhere. New varieties are constantly being bred, so one of the achievements of domestic breeders is the Valentine tomato. It is adapted to the climatic conditions of Russia, gives a good harvest, and care for it is minimal, for which the people received the name - tomato for the lazy.
Description and varietal features
To appreciate this variety, you need to learn more about Valentine's tomato characteristics and description of the variety.
Appearance
Determinate Valentine tomatoes can be grown outdoors without film covers. After examining Valentine's tomatoes, the description of their appearance, we can say that this tomato is a small bush with a thick stem, its height reaches 60 cm. The bush has large spreading branches, so it must be tied up. There are few leaves, but this is a varietal feature. The leaves are corrugated and look more like potato leaves. The color is also unusual - not dark green, like most tomatoes, but green-yellow. This color is normal and does not indicate any disease.
Tomato Valentine
Fruits are oval, plum-shaped, red-orange when ripe and light green unripe.
Their mass on average reaches 85 g, if grown in a greenhouse, then you can get fruits weighing 100 g, they are mainly used for conservation. The first flowers are formed not lower than the seventh leaf, then alternate with the leaf. Tomatoes do not grow piece by piece, but whole bunches. At the same time, there are no strong large fruits, all are approximately the same, of medium size.
The variety is early maturing, the harvest is obtained already on the 102nd day from the moment of planting seedlings. From one bush, you can get up to three kilograms of fruit. If the plantings are not thickened, and no more than 7 plants are planted per square meter, then up to 13 kg can be obtained from this area.
Tomato valentine fruit
The main purpose of the fruit is conservation. Due to their small size, they can be salted as a whole or used in various blanks. They are especially often used when preserving lecho, preparing tomato sauce, and when preparing salads with tomatoes.
Features of the variety
Early ripe tomato Valentine has its own distinctive features, so it has a high yield and good transportable qualities. The bush is compact, low, there are many fruits and ripens quickly. It is quite resistant to the main diseases that tomatoes are susceptible to. It is grown mainly in the open field, but it is also possible in a greenhouse. The quality of the fruits is high, which was proved by numerous tests carried out by Russian breeders in the early 2000s.
Novice gardeners can start growing tomatoes, practicing on this particular variety, since it is not picky about either soil or care, it can get by with a minimum amount of fertilizers. Even without having a lot of knowledge, and in the absence of practice in growing tomatoes, you can get a high yield when growing a Valentine tomato.
Tomato bush Valentine
Agrotechnics and care features
Always grow only fresh seeds to obtain good germination. After the appearance of the first true leaf, the seedlings are planted.Good lighting and regular watering are very important for effective seedling growth. Do not forget about feeding. If Valya's tomato is planted in open ground, then before that it is necessary to harden the seedlings.
Soil requirements
The site for planting this tomato is chosen in the fall. At the same time, preparations begin. For this, peat, humus and sand are introduced into the soil, since soil fertility is very important. The acidity should be low. It is important to disinfect before planting.
Checking the soil
To obtain a high yield, it is important that the soil meets the following requirements:
- Looseness;
- Fertility;
- Softness.
Only after making sure that the soil meets all the requirements, you can plant tomatoes in a permanent place.
Growing technology
It is worth noting that this is a selection variety and it does not make sense to breed its seeds on your own. Although the tomato is adapted to the Russian climatic conditions, it is recommended to grow it only under film shelters in the northern regions. A drop in temperature is especially dangerous during the period of flowering and fruit formation.
Growing a Valya tomato does not require much effort. When growing tomatoes in open ground, pinching should not be carried out, since this is a determinant species, and few stepsons are formed. If you remove them by mistake, then the yield is significantly reduced. When growing this tomato in a greenhouse, opinions differ on the need to remove stepchildren. But most gardeners note that stepchildren must be partially removed. Their complete cutting leads to a decrease in yield.
When inflorescences appear, the plant stops growing. To get a good harvest, you must leave the sprout under the first inflorescence. As it grows and after the appearance of three leaves and two inflorescences, it is necessary to pinch the top.
It is very important to tie the tomato to a support. It is especially important with high yields, otherwise the stem may break under heavy load.
Garter tomatoes
The next feature of caring for a tomato is to cut off the lower leaves, they do this thirty days after planting the seedlings in a permanent place. This procedure is carried out in the morning. By the time the fruits begin to grow, there should be no leaves below the first inflorescence.
Further, as it grows, the leaves are removed to the third inflorescence. Such manipulations improve air exchange, accelerate fruit ripening. In August, you need to remove the new stepsons and pinch the top. This is necessary so that the bush stops pinching, and the fruits have time to ripen.
A tomato can withstand a slight drought, so that it can bear it painlessly, you should not immediately water it abundantly. You need to water a little at first, then the fruits will not crack or fall off.
To obtain a high yield, you must adhere to a number of rules:
- Correct watering. It should be carried out either little by little, but daily, or abundantly, once every 7 days;
- Regular loosening, even during the growth of seedlings;
- Timely removal of weeds, as they absorb nutrients that are intended for the plant;
- Pest control;
- When grown in a greenhouse, ventilation is necessary;
- When grown in open ground during the seedling survival period, a film cover is required.
Advantages and disadvantages
This tomato has a number of undoubted advantages, thanks to which it has gained great popularity among gardeners. You can find out about them by examining the Valentine tomato characteristic and description of the variety:
- Simplicity of care;
- High productivity;
- Small height and width of the plant;
- Disease resistance of tomatoes;
- Good transportable qualities provided by a thick skin;
- Resistant to dry weather;
- Does not require pinning;
- Good taste;
- There is no need to stimulate fruit set with chemicals;
- Fast ripening of fruits.
- Good ripening of unripe fruits.
In comparison with the large number of advantages, there are practically no disadvantages. The only gripe that gardeners present to Valentine's tomato is the need to tie it up. Although this is not surprising, because the yield is high, which means that the weight of the fruit is quite large, which can lead to bending and even breaking of the bushes.
In conclusion, I would like to say that tomatoes contain a large amount of nutrients, including serotonin and lycopene, which normalize metabolism and lower cholesterol. Tomato Valentine can be eaten both fresh and canned, they can be harvested for future use and eaten throughout the year.
The simplicity of caring for a Valentine tomato is one of its main advantages, so do not be afraid if you have no experience in growing tomatoes, you should buy the Valentine variety and start mastering this art.
