Content:
Small rounded tomatoes look very aesthetically pleasing in canned form. However, many gardeners prefer to grow large-fruited tomato varieties. It is difficult to fit them whole in a jar, but they are great for use in salads and for cooking hot dishes. One of these varieties is the Volovye Heart tomato.
Tomato Volovye Heart: characteristics and description of the variety
This variety appeared in the year of the "millennium", taking into account the Russian specifics, thanks to domestic breeders. It belongs to the late maturing, therefore, in the northern parts of our country, it must be grown exclusively in a greenhouse. Without this, the fruits will not have time to ripen. This tomato is non-hybrid, so gardeners can get seeds from ripe fruit.
The characteristics of this variety are as follows:
- The bush is indeterminate, the height is large - up to 1.7 m when planted in open ground; grows up to 2 m in the greenhouse;
- They begin to ripen on average after 115 days from the moment of seed germination;
- The leaves are medium in size, the number is small;
- It has a developed root system with a width of up to 2.5 m and a depth of up to 1 m;
- Average yield: open ground allows you to collect up to 7 kg per m², and in a greenhouse - no more than 11 kg per m²;
- Flowers begin after the 7th leaf;
- Fruits are formed by tassels up to 5 pieces;
- The average weight of one fruit is 350 g. The lower fruits are larger and reach a weight of 1 kg;
- The color of a ripe tomato is dark pink, the shape resembles a heart;
- The fruit has a persistent pleasant aroma and sugar taste.
Tomato cow heart
Varieties
The tomato variety under consideration has two subspecies: the Volovye heart of the Minusinsk and the Volovye heart is striped. Minusinskoe - bred by the people. By crossing the varieties, we achieved an earlier ripening of the fruits. But at the same time, the fruits are smaller here.
The striped heart is distinguished by its appearance: the fruits are golden-pink, with yellowish veins. By the ripening period - mid-season. The size is smaller than that of the main species, but this did not affect the taste. They are also sweet and tasty. Often this subspecies of the Wolf's Heart is used for canning as a whole. They fit perfectly in glass jars. The height of the bush is up to 1.3 m. The ideal bush is one, maximum two stems.
Agrotechnics
Landing procedure
The tomato variety in question requires some attention and good care. There are some specific rules here. The cow's heart perceives well the warmed up earth, where there is a sufficient amount of trace elements.
Requires special care
As elsewhere, it all starts with the correct planting of the seeds. They should be planted at the very beginning of spring. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. This is followed by rinsing in clean water.
Seedling boxes must be washed and dried. Then the earth is spilled well and grooves are made, about 2 cm deep. Seeds are placed in them and sprinkled with soil.
The boxes must be covered with a film that transmits light. This will create a "greenhouse" effect: the soil does not dry out, and the climate for seed germination is favorable. It is required to install the boxes in a warm place with a constant temperature of +22 ° C with a lot of light. An important condition is the absence of a draft in the room with the planted seeds.
Periodically, the soil is watered abundantly, but the seeds should not be constantly in the water. All seedlings appear almost simultaneously. At this point, the tape is removed.
Water in moderation
The next stage comes when two full leaves appear on the seedlings. At this moment, the seedlings are dived: the seedlings are divided and a separate pot is allocated to each bush. In them, it will grow until the moment of transplanting into a greenhouse at the end of April or into open ground after warming up the soil to +17 ° С. Before transplanting, the seedlings should be hardened: the pots should be exposed to the street for several hours every day for a couple of weeks. The bushes of this variety are large and spreading, therefore it is recommended to plant no more than 3 plants per 1 m².
Care
Because The Volovye Heart variety is not hybrid, then it requires more careful care than hybrid varieties. Each adult bush requires periodic pinching - removal of lateral processes. Otherwise, the gardener will have a beautiful, spreading and strong bush, but practically no harvest will turn out. In addition, an obligatory support for an adult plant is required, otherwise it will break. The bush is tied to this support and it is made sure that it does not deviate.
The ideal bush of Volovyov's heart is one, maximum two stems. In addition, it is also recommended to remove excess ovaries after inflorescences. 1 bush can fully "feed" no more than 8 brushes. Otherwise, tomatoes will not please in size and taste.
The next required action is feeding. It needs to be done 4-5 times per season. Fertilizers are required mineral and organic. Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus mixtures are often used.
Top dressing with potassium and phosphorus
Do not forget about watering. This variety is moisture-loving. It is not easy for him without water. Watering should be done at least once every two days. If the average daily air temperature does not drop below +19 ° C, then watering is required daily in the evening. In any case, the soil should never dry out.
To increase air circulation, leaves are removed from the ground. In addition, weeding and loosening should not be forgotten. This will have a beneficial effect on the quantity and quality of the crop.
Harvest and rules for its storage
A big advantage of this variety is the ability to transport this tomato variety over long distances without losing the presentation of the fruit. Their peel does not crack and retains all the taste characteristics of the pulp.
However, these tomatoes are not intended for long-term storage. They start to rot and deteriorate. Therefore, after collecting them, it is recommended to use them as soon as possible. Most often used for making salads and juices, tomato paste and mashed potatoes.
Soup puree
Diseases and pests
The cow's heart is extremely tolerant of pests and resistant to various diseases. Even the main disease of all major tomato varieties - late blight, bypasses this variety. However, this does not mean that disease prevention can be neglected. There are many tools for this at any garden store. The so-called Bordeaux liquid has proven itself well. Plants must be processed only before the first inflorescences appear.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
This variety is rather peculiar in cultivation and care, however, it has a number of indisputable advantages and benefits.
Pros:
- It does not belong to hybrid, but varietal.This means that there is no need to buy seed for the next season. You can prepare it yourself;
- Has a rich, bright sweetish taste that reveals all the benefits of fresh tomatoes, especially if it is freshly squeezed tomato juice;
- The presence of large fruits, well suited for making delicious salads and rich juices;
- Lack of tendency to diseases typical of tomato bushes, for example, late blight.
Minuses:
- Requires constant attention: the need for pinching, tying, intolerance to the lack of moisture;
- There is no possibility of canning as a whole;
- Only the southern regions of the country allow outdoor cultivation.
All of the above shows that for novice amateur gardeners, the cultivation of the Volovye Heart variety can be a difficult test, which will discourage all desire to deal with tomatoes. However, with proper care and constant attention to culture, it will certainly delight you with an excellent harvest, which every summer resident will remember in winter with a glass of delicious chilled tomato juice in hand.
