Content
The Bull's Heart tomato can be called a well-deserved favorite of all gardeners. There is probably not a person in the middle zone who does not know the taste of this tomato. The Ox Heart variety has earned its popularity precisely because of its special taste: the tomato pulp is very sweet and meaty. These tomatoes have many advantages, but they also have their own disadvantages, features and requirements for growing conditions - the gardener should know about all this even at the stage of purchasing seeds.
Characteristics tomato Ox heart and a detailed description of the variety can be found in this article. Here we will talk about agricultural technology and the stages of growing these tomatoes.
Peculiarities
As already mentioned, these tomatoes are loved for their wonderful taste. Indeed, no matter how hard the breeders fought, they were unable to produce a more rich, aromatic and sweet tomato. Ox heart is an excellent tomato option for fresh consumption. This tomato is tasty on its own; you can eat the fruit with salt and sunflower oil; they are good with sour cream or mayonnaise; excellent salads and aromatic sauces are made from heart-shaped tomatoes.
The characteristics of the Bull's Heart variety are as follows:
- The tomato belongs to the determinate type, that is, the bushes stop their growth on their own, they do not need to be pinched. Typically, tomato growth is limited to three to four shoots with an ovary.
- Bull's heart tomatoes are tall, the bushes are powerful, well branched. Sometimes the height of tomatoes exceeds 170 cm, but the standard height of bushes is about 100-120 cm.
- The ripening period of tomatoes can be called late, since the fruits need from three to three and a half months to fully mature (120-135 days after the appearance of the first sprout).
- The agricultural technology of the Bull's Heart variety is ordinary. These tomatoes can be grown both in a greenhouse and in open ground. Tomatoes are planted using the seedling method.
- The shape of the fruit is elongated, maybe flat. They are colored crimson, the flesh of the tomato is also bright crimson. Oxheart fruits contain little water, which is why they are so sweet and their flavor is concentrated. The weight of the fruits may vary, but they are all quite large, often reaching a weight of 400 grams.
- The Bull's Heart variety cannot be called unpretentious. Still, this tomato loves the sun and warmth, it does not tolerate high humidity, and in many regions the fruits of the late variety do not have time to ripen. To grow large and tasty tomatoes, you will have to fertilize the soil well and also regularly water the beds with tomatoes.
- The yield of the variety greatly depends on the growing conditions. So, in open ground it is possible to collect up to five kilograms of tomatoes from each bush, and in a greenhouse you can harvest up to 12 kg of crop from one plant.
Today, several varieties of Ox heart are known., because breeders are trying in every possible way to diversify this unusual variety. New hybrids are divided according to the appearance of the fruit into:
- black;
- pink;
- yellow;
- white.
The above description indicates that the Bull's Heart tomato variety deserves the attention of every gardener. This is also evidenced by the enthusiastic reviews of those who have already planted these tomatoes in their gardens.
Growing
To grow a decent harvest of tomatoes, it is not enough to take into account all the features and properties of a particular variety; you also need to follow the rules of agricultural technology. This is not to say that Ox's Heart is a particularly capricious variety, but this tomato has its weak points, and this must be taken into account.
The disadvantages of the Bull's Heart include the following nuances:
- The need to tie up the bushes due to their high growth and large mass of fruits.
- Due to the fact that the bushes are very spreading, they often do not have enough air, therefore, in the open ground, the Bull's Heart is planted with an interval of at least a meter between the bushes, and the greenhouse must be ventilated.
- The variety is able to withstand many diseases, but Ox Heart is often infected with late blight, so it needs to be prevented from this fungal disease and followed the rules of cultivation.
- The ripening period of tomatoes is late; not in all climatic conditions the fruits will have time to ripen before the onset of autumn cold weather.The way out of this situation is greenhouses and greenhouses.
Preparing seeds for planting
Like all late tomatoes, Bull's Heart is sown as seedlings in early March. Tomato seeds need to be prepared for planting, then their germination rate will be higher, and the seedlings themselves will be healthier and stronger.
The preparation of Ox heart seeds is as follows:
- soaking seeds in melt water to stimulate growth. It’s easy to get melt water: pour tap water into a plastic bag and freeze it for several hours. When most of the liquid turns into ice, you need to drain the remaining water. The ice is melted and tomato seeds are placed in the resulting water. They are kept for 12-14 hours at room temperature.
- To disinfect tomato seeds, they are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate. The solution should be weak and pinkish. The seeds are kept here for a short time - 15-20 minutes, after which they are washed with running water.
- If you bought expensive seeds, you can use growth stimulants or feed them with special mineral complexes - this will significantly increase the number of sprouted tomatoes.
Prepared Ox heart seeds are laid out on a moistened cloth or cotton pad, cover the container with a lid and place in a warm place. In a few days, the tomatoes should germinate - the seeds will sprout.
Planting seeds for seedlings
It is recommended to plant tomato seeds in special purchased soil intended for seedlings.It is likely that the store will have soil whose composition is ideal for Bull’s Heart tomatoes - you need to ask the seller about this.
The soil is heated to room temperature, placed in plastic cups so that the layer of soil is uniform and approximately 3 cm. Now water the soil with settled water at room temperature. Take tweezers and place the Ox heart seeds into each glass. Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of dry soil.
Containers or cups with tomato seeds are covered with film or an airtight lid and put in a warm place for germination. When the first sprouts appear, remove the lid - this must be done gradually. The tomatoes are moved to a cooler and brighter place (a south-facing window sill is ideal).
Diving tomatoes
When two true leaves appear on the tomato seedlings, it is time to pick them, that is, plant them in separate containers. Diving has a beneficial effect on seedlings: the roots of the plants are strengthened, the tomatoes become more hardened, they are prepared for subsequent transplantation to a permanent place.
Before diving, the seedlings need to be watered. After a couple of hours, carefully remove the sprouts and transplant them into large containers with soil of the same composition.
Planting Oxheart seedlings in a permanent place
If you plan to grow Ox's heart in a greenhouse, you need to plant the seedlings in early May. The height of the tomatoes by this moment should be 20-25 cm, the bushes should have 7-8 strong leaves, and the first buds of inflorescences may be visible.
When growing Ox's heart in open ground, it is worth considering the climate of a particular region. As a rule, this variety is grown in garden beds only by gardeners in the south of the country; in other regions it is better to prefer a greenhouse, since the tomato may not ripen.
The distance between the holes is at least a meter. The depth of the hole should be such that there is 3-4 cm left from the ground to the first leaves. It is better to water the seedlings less often, but more abundantly. Mulch or cardboard should be used to retain moisture in the soil.
Reviews
Conclusion
Ox's heart is an excellent variety that has been cultivated in the country's gardens for many years and has established itself as one of the most delicious and productive tomatoes. The fruits of this tomato are very tasty, but they cannot be preserved, since they are quite large. Juice from Ox's heart is also not made, since these tomatoes contain a lot of sugary pulp.
Considering all of the above, for the gardener’s own needs and his family, a few bushes of these tomatoes will be enough to get plenty of fresh and tasty fruits.
