The Oxheart tomato is considered one of the largest species. The plant received its name due to the shape of the fruits, which look like a heart. The variety is characterized by pink-raspberry pulp.
Gardeners believe that this is one of the best late varieties. The crop can be grown in any soil. Both open ground and places under film and greenhouses are suitable. Each gardener chooses his own option, depending on his goal.
Description
The characteristics and description of the variety indicate that it is a tall crop. The ripened fruits are large in size with fleshy pulp.Tomatoes have delicate shades of pink. Rich pink color when cut.
The weight of one tomato ranges from 110 to 160 g. Usually the harvest begins in mid-August. There are 5 ovaries on one hand, but in some cases there may be fewer. If tomatoes are collected for the first time, their weight can reach 400 g. A maximum of about 7 kg of fruit can be collected per season.
The tomato variety has a delicate, slightly sweet taste. It has good resistance to a large number of diseases. The tomato is considered a mid-season variety.
It is grown in almost every locality in Russia. This can be either open land or a greenhouse. The Minusinsk municipal economy grows this crop.
Nuances of cultivation
Oxheart is a tomato variety that can be easily grown in greenhouse conditions. So why do many gardeners refuse it? It's all about growth. The fact is that this parameter is not limited for the bush.
During cultivation, a tomato needs picking. It is necessary to monitor its growth all the time in order to form a good crown by tying it up. This process is very labor-intensive and time-consuming. It happens that 2-3 large fruits ripen on one crop, the rest dry out.
Good crop yield depends not only on proper picking, but also on fertilizing. Every gardener wants all the brushes to ripen and to have as many of them as possible. The stages of growing this tomato are different, so to get a high-quality harvest, you need to know a few secrets.
Proper cultivation
It is best to sow the crop in early spring (March is suitable). They start by placing the seeds to a depth of 1.5 to 3 cm.Complex fertilizer will help to achieve good germination of seedlings. To prevent the sprouts from dying, they must be hardened. 1-2 weeks before planting, it is periodically placed in a cool place, leaving for 2-3 hours.
The soil in which the seedlings will be planted should not be heavy and contain humus. It is recommended to plant tomatoes after cucumbers, cabbage, peas or beans. The formation of the beds is carried out a week before planting. The bed must meet the following dimensions:
- Height – 30-45 cm.
- Width – from 50 cm to 1 m.
- The space between the beds is 65-78 cm.
The temperature of the soil in which tomatoes are planted should not be below 9 degrees. It’s even better if gardeners wait until the ground warms up to 17 degrees. Air temperatures will range from 20 to 25 degrees. Under such conditions, the crop is planted in the soil for further growth and maturation.
Anyone who has grown the variety knows that tomatoes are planted in greenhouses without heating later - in mid-May. If the room is heated, then you can plant in April, towards the end. It is not recommended to plant late species in open ground, as there is a possibility of losing the harvest.
Planting scheme
Experienced gardeners recommend adhering to the following planting scheme - 60*80. You need to count on the fact that the crop will turn out to be quite large. If the lashes are very elongated, then they are dug in, pulling the top to the north.
Plant to a depth of no more than 25 cm, since the deep layers have a low temperature. The time for planting seedlings is from 1.5 to 2 months.
The soil
Soil plays an important role in growing fruits. Oxheart tomatoes are a large species and therefore require minerals.If the nutrition is insufficient, then you will not be able to get an excellent harvest. An experienced gardener notices that if he plants tomatoes every year in the same place in the greenhouse, the harvest is not particularly pleasing. The situation is easy to correct: it is necessary to fertilize the soil in the fall, adding humus and minerals.
The choice of seeds must be approached with great responsibility. It is important to understand that for their germination the soil must be light and fertile.
Seeds purchased at a specialized kiosk are first sorted. It is necessary to set aside those that have an uneven shape and small size.
Selected seeds are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and washed with clean water. Then they are planted in the soil to a depth not exceeding 2 cm. If you cover the container with film, you can create a kind of greenhouse effect. The film will promote rapid heating and not lose moisture. This is the main difference between growing seedlings in this way; as a result, seedlings will sprout faster.
Before the dive
There is a rule among gardeners: if the first leaves appear, the plant is ready for picking. Each bush should have enough space for good growth. For this, take a separate pot. The roots will not intertwine, and the system will form as it should.
Regular feeding will allow the sprouts to form a powerful root system. 2 weeks before planting, hardening of the seedlings begins. The plant has already grown and become stronger, so you can start. On the first day, the seedlings are taken to a cold room and left for 1 hour. Then every day this time is increased. The day before planting tomato seedlings, it should spend a day in the fresh air.According to reviews, the crop will more easily adapt to cold soil.
Care after picking
Description of Oxheart tomatoes contains information on how to properly care for the crop after diving.
The pots are watered regularly in the evening. Prevents moisture from evaporating. During the entire growth period, fertilizing is carried out only 2-3 times.
Differences between fruits and Ox heart
How do Oxheart tomatoes differ from Oxheart tomatoes:
- Tomatoes Ox's Heart are considered a mid-season variety, Ox's Heart - late-ripening.
- The ox heart differs primarily in its height. The culture is much lower than its relatives.
- The ox heart is exclusively pink in color. Sometimes the fruits are decorated with stripes of all shades of pink. The bull's heart can come in a variety of colors, ranging from yellow to black.
- Another difference is the size of the fruit. The ox heart is slightly smaller than the bull heart.
Each variety has certain taste characteristics. Some prefer a sweetish taste, while others, on the contrary, choose the one that is more sour. Some people choose a striped tomato, while others like the crumbly, uniform pulp. In any case, to enjoy delicious vegetables, you need to try hard.
