Characteristics of the Golden Heart variety
Tomato Heart of Gold has such a name for a reason. The shape of the fruit really resembles a heart. In addition to its unusual appearance, a feature of the vegetable is its high yield.
Characteristics of the Golden Heart variety
Unpretentious care and the ability to grow outdoors are the main advantages of this variety. Reviews of summer residents indicate that tomato fruits have excellent taste. Having once tasted this orange vegetable, the gardener will not resist the temptation to grow the Golden Heart tomato.
Characteristics of the variety
The Golden Heart tomato variety was bred by Russian breeders. It is intended for cultivation in different regions of Russia, except for the northern ones. Reviews of summer residents confirm this fact.
Why are yellow tomatoes good for you? They lack pigments that cause an allergic reaction in humans. They contain iron and vitamin C, which strengthen nails and hair, make the skin smooth and beautiful.
The characteristic of the Golden Heart tomato plant is necessary in order to familiarize yourself in detail with the characteristics of the vegetable. In addition to its excellent taste and beautiful shape, tomato has many other qualities.
Description of the variety
The Golden Heart tomato belongs to the early maturing varieties. Fruit ripening occurs 85-95 days after planting.
The plant is not hybrid, so you can harvest seeds from its fruits. Tomatoes will fully retain the characteristics of the old bushes.
Description of the bush
The Golden Heart tomato belongs to the category of plants of the determinant type.
The bush stops growing after 5-7 clusters are tied. Its height does not exceed 1 m. Gardeners note that these tomatoes have excellent foliage. The bushes are taller in greenhouses, but they grow no worse in the open field. About 7-9 kg of high quality tomatoes can be harvested from 1 m². The leaves are medium-sized, simple, have a dark green color.
Description of fruits
The description of the Golden Heart tomatoes on the seed packages says about their bright fruits and excellent taste. Even a beginner in gardening will find it difficult to confuse this variety with other tomatoes.
The characteristics of the fruit are presented as follows:
- bright orange color;
- oval and heart-shaped with a sharp end;
- weight about 120-200 gr;
- thin, dense skin;
- slight ribbing;
- small-seeded pulp.
The taste of tomatoes is rich and sweet, without pronounced sourness. Due to its excellent structure, there is no excessive wateriness.
The fruits are suitable for consumption in any form
The Golden Heart tomato is used in cooking. It is an ideal product in all respects for dietary and proper nutrition. It can be consumed even by young children due to its beta-carotene content.
This variety is suitable for preserving or making sauces. Due to its unusual color, it is often used for vegetable cuts and is eaten fresh.
Growing seedlings
Intensive care is needed to get a tasty food.No matter how simple it is, there are still nuances. Those who are going to grow Golden Heart tomatoes should familiarize themselves with them. A good recommendation will help you avoid negative consequences and grow excellent seedlings on your own.
Planting seeds
The quality of future fruits directly depends on the quality of the seeds. It is better to purchase them in specialized stores. One of the most popular manufacturers is Aelita.
The description of the variety indicates that the planting of seeds takes place from the end of March to the beginning of April. But before that, you need to disinfect. This will require a manganese solution. You can make it yourself according to the following scheme:
- Prepare the container.
- Fill it with warm water (about 37-40 ° C).
- Take a match and soak the end of it in water.
- Place it between the manganese crystals.
- Put the match in the water again.
- When the water turns pink, the solution is ready for further use.
Soak the seeds in liquid and let dry. After that, you can treat it with a growth stimulant.
What are the requirements for the soil? To achieve high yields, the soil must be nutritious and rich in beneficial trace elements. It is better not to buy it, but to make it yourself. Excellent soil is obtained from these mixtures:
- Garden land and cow humus. Their ratio is 1: 1.
- Sod and peat. You can add washed river sand.
Seeds of this variety must be planted to a depth of about 1.5-2 cm. Sprinkle them with a small layer of peat and pour warm, slightly warmed water. For the first few days, the soil is covered with oilcloth and placed in a warm place.
Sprout care
Young shoots and stems are very sensitive to external influences. The gardener's task is to limit the negative impact and create the most comfortable living conditions for the plants.
The main requirements relate to the following indicators:
- temperature;
- humidity;
- lighting.
The optimum temperature is 22-24 ° C. This is quite enough for fast germination of sprouts. After 5-7 days, the seeds will sprout, and the sprouts will become strong and bright green.
Use lamps to ensure good lighting. Ordinary tabletop or special devices will do. This is necessary in bad, cloudy weather. If the sun is shining outside, then such natural lighting will be quite enough.
Water the sprouts sparingly and as needed. Make sure that the soil is not dry or too wet. Waterlogging can lead to the formation of fungal infections.
Transplanting
The plant needs a garter and a dive
One of the most important processes when caring for sprouts is diving. It consists in removing side shoots. Tomatoes dive after the formation of 2 true leaves. As a result, there should be 1 or 2 stems in one plant. When the sprouts are strong, tie them to a strong support.
When to plant tomatoes in the ground? Summer residents advise landing from mid-May, not earlier. You can pour warm water over the soil.
Having formed the holes, place fertilizer at the bottom for the rapid growth of the bush. To do this, you can make a mixture of superphosphate with wood ash. Use 1 tablespoon each. on the bush. It is not recommended to place more than 3-4 plants per 1 m².
Fertilizer
For the entire period of growing a tomato, 3-4 dressings are made.
The first is carried out at the beginning, before planting the shoots in the ground. For this, fertilizers with mineral elements are used.
The most effective feeding of tomatoes is nitrogen-containing. It helps to increase foliage. A mixture of straw, humus and peat will help maintain the normal condition of the soil. They need to be brought in once every two weeks.
Watering
Watering a Golden Heart tomato is not much different from others. The task of the gardener is to monitor the condition of the soil and prevent waterlogging or drying out of the earth.
Watering time for a tomato depends on where the seedlings are grown. There are such differences between them:
- If tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, the seedlings are watered up to 2 pm.
- When planting a plant of this variety in open ground, watering is carried out early in the morning or late in the evening. The main thing is that there are no direct sunlight.
During the period of intensive growth, watering is often carried out at the root. Many gardeners use a regular plastic bottle for this. The neck is cut off in it and installed so that it is at the bottom. Then they collect water, which the stems of the Golden Heart use as needed.
During extreme heat, do not water the plant. This can lead to late blight and deterioration of the condition of the bush.
Diseases
Tomatoes of the Golden Heart variety are resistant to various diseases.
But despite this, they can sometimes be exposed to them. The main reason for the appearance of diseases is improper care.
Late blight can affect a vegetable due to waterlogged soil. Also, the cause may be the ingress of water on the leaves and stem. How to notice the development of this disease? The leaves will begin to develop black spots. At a rapid pace, they appear on other bushes.
The second disease that is common is root rot. The plant begins to wither, the leaves curl and turn yellow. The bush stops bearing fruit, and the fruits that were already on it become rotten.
Prophylaxis
No matter how resistant the plant is, preventive measures will not be superfluous. Start by treating the soil. Remove old shoots in a timely manner to promote the growth of new ones. It is important to water on time and as needed.
Soil or seed of questionable quality? It is better not to use them and buy those that the gardener will be sure of.
It is important to follow the rule of crop rotation. Change the place of sowing and growing tomato plants every year. Thanks to this, the land is depleted more slowly. Bushes that remain after harvest must be removed.
Conclusion
If a gardener is looking for tasty and bright tomatoes, he should pay attention to the Golden Heart variety. Its fruits are undemanding to care for and are resistant to pests.
Tomatoes of this variety can be used to make sauces or eat them fresh. They are ideal for conservation due to their dense skin. For the same reason, it is convenient to transport them, which is especially important for sellers.