Tomato Maiden's Hearts is intended for growing in a greenhouse. This is an indeterminate variety with an average start to fruiting and excellent taste of tomatoes.
Plant characteristics
Tomatoes of the Maiden's Heart variety were bred as a variety cultivated in greenhouses. The height of the bushes reaches up to 160–200 cm. Brushes are formed in the axils of the leaves, 4–5 pieces on one stem. Each cluster can have up to 5 fruits. The first ovary is formed above the 11th leaf, and subsequently every 3 leaves.
Description of fruits:
- The weight of one fruit often ranges from 150 to 170 g, although some tomatoes from the lower ovaries can grow up to 300 g.
- The total yield of these tomatoes is 10–11 kg per 1 m2.
- The fruits have a bright scarlet color.
- In shape they are slightly elongated downwards, which resembles the shape of a heart.
- They are quite juicy with increased sugar content.
- Ripe tomatoes have medium firmness.
The main purpose of Maiden's Hearts is to prepare salads and juices. Some also use them to prepare lecho and fillings.
Sowing and planting seedlings
This variety requires preliminary seedlings. Seeds should be planted 60–65 days before the seedlings are planned to be placed in the greenhouse.
3–4 plants are placed per 1 m². This variety requires mandatory removal of side shoots (pinching).
Plant care
In addition to the necessary weeding, hilling, watering and fertilizing, indeterminate varieties require pinching. In greenhouse conditions, it is preferable to grow varieties with tall stems in order to fill the volume of the structure as much as possible. There tomatoes can grow until frost.
The disadvantage of the characteristics of such plants is the increased formation and growth of stepsons. One or two side shoots can grow from one leaf axil. And if you feed frequently, the stepsons can also grow from flower clusters.
Too much thickening can slow down the process of fruit formation and ripening. In addition, excess green mass can make it difficult to move around the greenhouse.
As a rule, varieties indeterminate tomatoes grown to form a single stem. In this case, all lateral processes are removed from it. On such a stem, 5–6 clusters of Maiden’s Heart tomatoes can form over the summer.Even novice gardeners can use this method of forming a bush.
Stepsoning
The lateral stem begins to form no earlier than the first flower cluster is formed. Directly below her, the stepson begins to grow. Sometimes the first side shoot is left before the first flower cluster, and then pinched after 2 leaves.
Reviews from gardeners indicate that plants should be inspected approximately once a week so as not to miss the optimal time for planting. You should also remove all leaves that grow before the first inflorescence. But you shouldn't delete everything at the same time. It is better to do an interval of 3 days.
When removing a sheet, you need to make a sideways movement, not downwards. This can provoke the removal of the skin from the trunk, which will negatively affect the yield of the bush.
Reviews
Elena, 51 years old: “I like to experiment with varieties of vegetable crops. I try to periodically buy varieties unknown to me. Having planted the Maiden's Heart tomatoes, I was pleased with the result. Large fruits, good taste."
Yuri, 62 years old: “I bought a bag of Maiden’s Heart seeds from a retail chain to grow in a greenhouse. But it so happened that they had to be grown in open beds. The bushes have grown large, and the ovary is friendly. But after heavy rain and wind, half of the bushes died. But those that survived gave a good harvest, about 4 kg per bush.”
