Tomatoes are an integral element of the summer table, which they decorate throughout the summer season due to the existence of early and late varieties. The latter includes a variety that has truly outstanding parameters - the cow’s heart. We will talk about him and his characteristics in our today's material.

Features and description of the variety

The variety was bred in the 90s of the last century in the Russian Federation, and was officially registered in 2000.

Did you know? In various regions of the world, tomato belongs to different botanical groups. The United States classifies it as a vegetable, the European Union as a fruit, and Russia as a berry.

The cow’s heart has the following characteristics:

• Tomatoes belong to varieties with late ripening - the crop is harvested 120 days after planting;
• bushes are indeterminate type, in height can reach 200 cm;
• The heart of the cow is characterized by the formation of a large number of side shoots, in connection with which regular garter and stepsoning are required;
• the bush occupies a fairly large area, has dense leaves and stems of medium length;
• the leaves are medium-sized and have a rich dark green color;
• the fruits are heart-shaped (hence the name);
• the average weight of the fetus is 250-300 g;
• grows up to 8 fruits on a bush;
• per 1 sq. m can grow no more than 4 bushes;
• unripe tomatoes have a pale green color with a dark green spot at the stalk, ripe - bright red;
• the peel is thin and can crack when water gets under high pressure;
• the pulp is dense, has a juicy taste;
• fruit transportation occurs normally, but they do not differ in the possibility of long-term storage;
• the variety has no predisposition to any disease;
• productivity is quite high - up to 7 kg per 1 sq. km. m

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• The benefits of the Cow's Heart include:
• large fruits;
• attractive appearance and good taste, which is especially true when selling;
• high productivity;
• strong immunity.

• Nevertheless, this variety has its disadvantages:
• high dependence of the plant on the conditions of detention;
• long vegetation, which complicates cultivation outside a temperate climate;
• low resistance to temperature extremes;
• perishable fruits.

Growing Features

In general, the conditions required for the Hindu heart to grow are no different from other tomatoes.

Optimal conditions

The most optimal temperature for tomatoes of this variety is + 20–24 ° С. Daylight hours must be at least 8 hours long. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves, therefore it is recommended to avoid them.The situation is similar with the level of humidity - its excess will lead to dampness and the appearance of pests and diseases, and therefore only the topsoil should be moist.

Important! The cow’s heart is very sensitive to crop rotation, which is why these tomatoes grow better on land that was previously used to grow carrots or legumes.

Preparation and sowing technology

Seeds for sowing are selected from fruits that were plucked 14 days before and placed in a warm place for ripening.

The seed material is placed in a small jar in which it remains for 2-3 days, after which it is washed several times with warm water with the addition of potassium permanganate - the popped up seeds are discarded, since nothing will sprout from them.

Land for planting can be purchased at a specialized store or made with your own hands from 2 parts of peat, 1 part of garden soil, 1 part of humus and 0.5 parts of sand.

Dates and technology of planting seedlings

Since seedlings move into open soil after 65 days from the day of sowing, when it is planted, it is worth taking this time from the period of the desired appearance of tomatoes. In other words, if you want to plant seedlings in the ground in early May, then the seeds should be sown in early March.

It is worth noting that when planting in a greenhouse, the period is reduced by about 10 days.The technology of planting seedlings does not involve any unusual procedures. Seeds are planted in boxes, which are covered with a film to maintain the temperature at + 20–24 ° С. When the first true leaves appear, the seedlings are picked in separate pots or plastic cups.

A week before transplanting into the ground, the plants are hardened by putting pots or cups outside during the day. When transplanting, it should be borne in mind that for 1 square. m should not grow more than 4 plants. The minimum distance between them is 40 cm.

Important! The most suitable depth of the pits is the two heights of the cups in which the seedlings were located before planting.

How to care for a variety of tomatoes

The conditions for plants already transplanted into the ground are generally similar to the conditions for maintaining seedlings. However, there are also features.

Feeding and watering

Fertilizing the plant requires 3 times in one season: when transplanted into the ground, so that the plant quickly takes root in a new place, 3 weeks after planting and at the end of flowering. Nitrogen fertilizers and mixtures of potassium and phosphorus are used for top dressing.

Watering should be carried out regularly, preferably in the evening. Water should be warm and pour under the base of the stem, and not on the leaves. To preserve moisture in the soil, you can resort to mulching.

Pasynkovka and formation of a bush

Pasynkovanie this variety is required in cases when it grows high. To do this, leave two stems, cutting off additional shoots and leaves in the lower part of the bush, which are tied to the trellis. Pruning should be carried out regularly - otherwise the bush will lose stability. The number of valid brushes is from 6 to 8.

Did you know? There is a plant that is a mixture of tomato and tobacco. It's called tomac, and it was brought in 2003 by American farmer Rob Baur from Oregon. Nicotine is present in the leaves of this plant.

Soil cultivation and weeding

Weeding is extremely important for tomatoes, as weeds are a source of crop diseases. It is carried out once every few days, as weeds germinate. Loosening is also recommended to improve oxygen access to the roots. In this case, only the top layer of the earth is loosened.

Harvesting and storage

Harvesting is carried out at the moment when the fruits begin to turn red. This usually happens at the end of August. You can pick more green tomatoes and put them to ripen, however, such fruits lose significantly in taste.

Torn tomatoes are neatly stacked in wooden crates and covered with a lid. They can be stored in this form for up to 50 days.

Disease treatment and prevention

Cherry tomatoes are subject to the same diseases and pests as other tomato varieties. The main indicators of the presence of problems are mechanical deformations of the plant and the formation of white or yellow spots on the leaves. In this case, calcium nitrate and the Fitosporin preparation are used for tomato recovery.

Did you know? Two glasses of tomato juice per day will provide a person with a daily norm of vitamins A and C.

For prevention, you should follow simple rules:

• carry out regular weeding of weeds;
• avoid excessive watering;
• treat the plant with Bordeaux liquid before flowering.

Tomatoes of the Volovye heart variety ripen only by the end of summer, but this does not prevent them from delighting gardeners with their taste. You can enjoy the harvest both in pure form and adding to salads.