Love tomato (my love, first love) is a good option for experienced and novice gardeners who want with a minimum of effort to get ripe and juicy fruits. In regions with a warm climate, this hybrid grows well in open ground, whereas in the northern regions this variety can bear fruit only in greenhouse conditions.
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Description of the variety and its characteristics
This variety was bred by vegetable growers in Russia, who treat their work with particular attention.This is what allows them to get varieties that are distinguished by good taste, high yield and resistance to harmful microorganisms and bacteria. As a variety that is recommended for cultivation in greenhouse and open field, he received state registration in 2009.
This hybrid yields a high yield in the open ground in such southern regions as the Voronezh and Astrakhan regions, as well as the Crimea and the regions of the Caucasus. In other regions of Russia, love can be grown in greenhouse conditions, where it is possible to get good yields.
Description of the main characteristics of the variety:
- the term of full ripening of fruits is 90-105 days;
- tomato weight - 200-230 g;
- productivity - 19-20 kg / m²;
- the shape of the fruit is round or slightly oval;
- the color of the tomatoes is deep red.
The plant is strongly leafy, after the formation of 5-6 brushes with tomatoes on it, it stops its growth, giving all its strength to the ripening of the crop. Up to 6 fruits are formed on one brush, which allows collecting about 6 kg of tomatoes from a bush.
This is a pretty good result, especially for medium-sized varieties. Farmers and gardeners love this variety for its universal purpose and high commercial quality.The hybrid derived by Russian amateur breeders is characterized by resistance to low light and resistance to stress and anxiety of the bush.
The pros and cons of tomato love
The main advantages of tomato love, for which it is appreciated by many people:
- early ripeness;
- high yield;
- good transportability;
- high durability, resistance to cracking;
- the possibility of growing in different regions of the country;
- resistance to pests and diseases;
- good taste;
- universal use;
- resistance to lack of moisture.
But besides the advantages, the tomato love has disadvantages, which include:
- requirement for fertilizers at the growth stage;
- the need for a strong support;
- tying a bush;
- strong foliage.
Soil requirements for planting and tomato sowing rules
Tomato love grows best on slightly acidic soil rich in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. If the acidity index is less than 6.0-6.8, then it is required to add lime to the soil. If it is higher, then sulfate granules should be scattered over its surface.
Tomatoes respond well to the introduction of compost and rotted manure, which not only improves the composition of the soil, but also gives the plant all the necessary nutritional elements. To do this, it is enough to apply compost or manure during planting, and then 2-3 times during the growing season to conduct additional feeding.
The best predecessors for tomato are:
- zucchini;
- cucumbers;
- carrot;
- dill;
- parsley;
- cauliflower.
But in order to get a good crop of tomatoes, it is necessary to grow seedlings. The best time for sowing seeds will be the third decade of March - the beginning of April. The sowing depth of seeds is 3-4 cm. After the appearance of 3-4 leaves, the love tomato can be transplanted into a larger container.
Before planting seedlings in the ground it is necessary to harden it, which requires carrying it out in the daytime to the street.Tomato seedlings, which should be strong and healthy, can be planted 2 months after sowing the seeds.
To get a good harvest, the distance between the bushes of this variety in a row should be at least 45 cm, and between rows - at least 75 cm, so that there is no more than 4 plants per 1 m². After planting, all the tomato stems love must be gathered together and tied to a support.
Grade care after transplanting
This variety can be successfully grown even beginner gardeners, because it is not too picky about care. In the open field it does not need to stepchild, that is, to remove excess leaves and shoots. If this is done, then the tomato will bear fruit much later.
During the whole growing season, tomato love responds well to potash and phosphate fertilizers. Feature of the variety can be called tolerance to the minimum amount of moisture, as well as good tolerability of different temperatures and lack of lighting.
The big plus is that the hybrid is actively bearing fruit before the onset of frost.
Diseases and their prevention
Since the variety is resistant to a large number of diseases (fusarium, late blight, Alternaria), compliance with all care measures and their prevention will minimize the problems associated with its cultivation.
To do this, it is necessary to balance the regime of humidity and light, as well as regularly air the greenhouses (when grown in closed ground). All this will be an excellent prevention of the development of fungal diseases.
One of the diseases that a love tomato can suffer from is black bacterial spotting, which can be controlled by Fitolavin. At the summit rot, the plant should be treated with nitrate with calcium and reduce the soil moisture.
The main pest of the tomato is the Colorado potato beetle, which is well known in the southern regions of Russia. You can cope with it with the help of various preparations that are presented in a large assortment on the counters of garden stores.
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- Colorado potato beetle on a leaf of tomato
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- Bacterial Tomato Spotting
Harvesting
The ripened fruits of this variety are smooth, beautiful, dark crimson color. The pulp is homogeneous, dense, with a slight sourness. Due to the fact that the fruit is resistant to cracking, this type of tomato tolerates transportation, while maintaining its appearance. Fruits torn from a bush can be stored for a long time in a cool place and they will not lose their commercial value, which is very attractive for buyers. The output of quality products from one bush reaches 96%.
Dishes from it are obtained not only tasty, but also useful, since sugars and healthy substances are optimally combined in fruits.
To get a good tomato crop of love, you need to attach a minimum amount of labor, so even an aspiring gardener can handle it. This hybrid knowingly got its name, as it became the choice of many people.