Large-fruited variety from Bulgarian breeders - tomato “Mother’s Love”
The world is constantly working to develop new varieties of tomatoes. Breeders try to combine excellent taste with ease of cultivation and subsequent care.
Such unique varieties include the Mom's Love tomato. It is popular and widespread among gardeners, so let’s talk about it in more detail.
Description of the variety
The variety is productive, semi-determinate, mid-season and large-fruited. Developed by breeders from Bulgaria, who recommend growing tomatoes using greenhouses in cold regions and open ground in southern regions.
In the photo you can see what Mom's love looks like.
Distinctive features
The bush can reach a height of 1.8 m, when grown in a greenhouse - 2 m. The plant has a strong and thick stem that can survive without a garter for some time. As soon as the fruit appears, the tomato needs to be tied up.
Necessarily stepsoning. The highest yield can be achieved if you form a plant with 2 stems. The leaf shape is the same as many other varieties. During flowering, a large number of small flowers, up to ten pieces, are formed in an inflorescence. It begins to bear fruit 120 days after the appearance of the first shoots.
About other varieties of tomatoes:
Tomato “Important Person” and its advantages over other varieties
Fruit characteristics, yield
The fruits of the Mama's Love tomato are large. They have a flattened, oval shape, weight - 500 g. The ribbing on the fruit is not visible, but there may be large grooves near the stalk. Ripe fruits of rich red color with shiny skin.
Tomatoes contain a small amount of seeds. They have juicy and soft flesh. The fruit is characterized by a slightly sweet taste and a pronounced tomato smell. The maximum yield is up to 3.5 kg per bush when grown in open ground. When using a greenhouse, it increases by approximately 30%.
Reference. The fruits on the bushes grow densely, sometimes they may not have enough space.
How to grow seedlings
Tomato seedlings Mama's love are planted in greenhouses in the second half of February, and if planting is done in open ground, then in mid-March. To obtain an earlier harvest, seeds are planted in a greenhouse at the very beginning of February. Then the first fruits will appear in early May.
Seed preparation
When growing seedlings yourself First you need to prepare the seeds.
The first step is to separate the good from the bad. To do this, place them in a glass of water with salt (1 tsp) and leave for 5–10 minutes. Any that float should be thrown away.
Next, the seeds are soaked in an ash solution for approximately 8 hours so that they absorb nutrients and swell. The next step is disinfection by soaking in a manganese solution for 20 minutes.
Container and soil
Soil from a summer cottage is quite suitable for growing seedlings. from the place where cucumbers or cabbage grew. To improve the quality, it is mixed with some ready-made soil and 0.5 liters of wood ash and 1-2 tablespoons of superphosphate are added to this mixture.
It is important not to make mistakes in choosing the soil and under no circumstances use the soil after growing potatoes, peppers or onions. The soil after these crops may be infected with late blight.
The container can be any box or drawer.where there are drainage holes. It must be disinfected.
Sowing
When planting seedlings, follow these rules::
- Plant the seeds to a depth not exceeding 1 cm, and maintain a distance of 5 cm between seeds.
- Place tomato rows at a distance of at least 10 cm.
- It is recommended to plant two seeds in one hole.
- Next, water the seeds and place them in a dark place, after covering the container with film.
Growing and care
Until the seeds have sprouted and the first shoots appear on the surface, it is important to maintain soil moisture.
Seedlings need to be provided with as much light as possible.. Artificial lighting will not be superfluous. For the first 72 hours, it is recommended to illuminate tomato seedlings around the clock. Subsequently, 16 hours a day will be sufficient for lighting.
It is important to maintain a favorable temperature air - from 25 to 28 degrees for seed germination. After they sprout, the temperature will be comfortable at 20–15 degrees, and after another two weeks room temperature is sufficient.
The film should be lifted periodically, with which the seedlings are covered to remove excess moisture. Too much moisture can cause mold to form. The film is completely removed from the seedlings two weeks after the first shoots appear and at the same time the plant is fed for the first time. Afterwards, fertilizing must be done weekly.
After the appearance of the third true leaf tomatoes dive: transfer plants from a common box to separate containers, deepening them almost to the first leaves. When picking, only healthy and strong specimens are transplanted, weak ones are thrown away.
How to grow tomatoes
In the second half of April, seedlings can be transplanted into a greenhouse. Planting in open ground is possible no earlier than the middle or end of May. It is recommended to harden off the plants before planting. Over the course of a week, the seedlings are left in new growth conditions, starting with a few hours and gradually increasing the time. The seedlings should remain completely in the new conditions for the last 24 hours.
Read also:
How to grow Black Elephant tomato
Advantages and disadvantages of the Raspberry Elephant variety
Landing
It is important to choose a suitable site for planting tomato Mom's love. The productivity of the plant depends on how suitable the site is. There should be a lot of sun on the site. It will be a plus if the area chosen for planting is fertilized in the fall.
It is best to transplant seedlings on cloudy days or in the evening. When planting, maintain a distance between bushes of 60 cm, and a distance between rows of 50 cm. Since the plants are spreading, it is not recommended to plant more than four per 1 square meter. m.
Important! After transplanting, tomatoes must be watered.
Care
Caring for the Mom's Love tomato is practically no different from caring for other varieties.: watering, fertilizing, loosening and destroying weeds. Since the bushes grow large, they must be tied up. Stepping should be regular. New stepsons need to be removed when they reach a length of 5 cm. It is recommended to monitor their formation once a week.
Water the plant every few days. The need for watering depends on soil moisture.It is important to avoid overwatering, as this will cause the tomato roots to rot. Plants need to be fed 2-3 times throughout the entire season with complex fertilizer.
The main feature of the tomato “Mom’s Love” - bush formation. Since the variety is determinate, it is recommended to grow the plant with two stems.
Diseases and pests
Tomato is disease resistant, but despite this, the following rules must be observed:
- Maintain the balance of nutrients in the soil and provide additional fertilizing.
- Handle plants carefully. Even an accidentally broken branch can contribute to the appearance of the disease.
- Mulching the soil will improve its quality.
- Observe the timing and planting pattern.
It is equally important to treat plants with a variety of solutions.:
- Wood ash and water. Brew 0.5 kg of ash in 1.5 liters of water and add another 10 liters of water. Be sure to add a small amount of laundry soap shavings to this solution. The bushes are sprayed with the resulting solution.
- "Trichopolus". The solution is made using six tablets of the drug, a glass of milk and a bucket of water. They treat bushes with it.
- "Tattoo". This is a popular remedy against late blight. It must be used if symptoms of the disease appear.
The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses
Tomato seedlings Mom's Love are transferred to the greenhouse in the second half of February. After transplantation, at the end of April, the process of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse includes the following steps:
- Timely watering. It is important not to over-moisten the soil.
- Loosening the soil.
- Fertilizer application.
- Treatment against pests and diseases.
- Garter as you grow.
- Stepsonning.
Growing tomatoes in a greenhouse is recommended in areas with cold climates. The use of greenhouses in the southern regions will not lead to an increase in yield. The manufacture and maintenance of the structure will require additional resources, and the positive effect of using a greenhouse in the southern regions will be practically unnoticeable.
The process of planting tomato seedlings in open ground and in the greenhouse it is produced in the same way.
Harvesting and application
Harvest begins in late August or early September. You don’t have to wait for the fruits to fully ripen; they ripen successfully in the storage area. It is important to complete the collection before the first frost. If you collect tomatoes later, they will be stored much worse.
Fruits widely used in the preparation of all kinds of dishes and drinks. It can be used not only for food, but also for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages of this variety include:
- excellent taste;
- versatility in use;
- high productivity;
- possibility of growing in open ground and greenhouse;
- good immunity to diseases and pests.
The disadvantage of this variety can be considered its heat-loving nature.. If you grow Mom's Love in a cold climate, the yield will be significantly reduced.
Farmer reviews
Gardeners speak positively about the variety. Everyone shares the opinion that with proper care it produces a large harvest.
Tatiana, Rostov-on-Don: “The best variety this year. Large fruits, a lot of them. The very first ones are ripe. Very tasty. I’ll definitely order one for next season.”.
Olga, Krasnodar: “I planted it on the advice of a friend. There were no particular difficulties in caring for them; they matured quickly.It’s good that we didn’t get sick; before that we suffered from late blight for several years. The taste is excellent, I recommend it to everyone!”
Conclusion
The Mom's Love tomato is very easy to grow and does not require significant expenses. If you form the plant into two stems, its care will be minimal.
The plant is resistant to pests and diseases and produces a rich harvest.