What is good about the Bull's Heart tomato variety - reviews, advantages and disadvantages

The Bull's Heart tomato has been known for a long time and gardeners have only good reviews about it. These are tomatoes with large fruits with an unusual attractive taste and special aroma. Ox heart is a gourmet variety that belongs to the salad category. There are several types of tomato that differ in the color of the fruit.

Description of the variety

The variety has been on the State Register since 2003. It is approved for cultivation in all regions of the country and is intended equally for cultivation in greenhouses and open ground. This is a medium-late variety, in which the first fruits ripen after 130 days from the moment of emergence from the seeds.

This tomato is intended for greenhouse and open ground conditions. In regions with hot climates, it is better to grow “ox heart” in open ground, while in temperate climates the best option is a greenhouse.

Bushes of indeterminate type, spreading. In closed ground they grow up to 180-200 cm, and in open ground up to 120-130 cm. The root is deep and strong. The stems are powerful, slightly pubescent, with large leaves. The foliage is average. The first fruit cluster on the bush is placed above the 8th or 9th leaf. One brush contains up to 5 tomatoes. If the bush is grown into one stem, then no more than 10 brushes are left on it.

Today the following varieties are available:

• “Bull's heart of gold” – yellow, cone-shaped fruits. The average weight of tomatoes is from 400 to 750 g;
• “Bull's heart pink” - the color of the fruit is deep pink. Their weight is about 1 kg. Tomatoes ripen a little later than other varieties. The most popular variety of the variety;
• “ox heart white” – the fruits are white, slightly yellowish. Weight up to 900 g. The fruiting period is long, ending immediately after the onset of the first frost;
• “Bull's heart orange” - tomatoes of a rich orange color, weighing up to 1 kg. Plants can tolerate a lack of moisture for some time;
• “Bull’s heart black” – the color of the fruit is dark burgundy-brown. Their weight is up to 700 g. The tomato is late-ripening. Its peculiarity is not only in color, but also in the fact that the fruits on all clusters ripen almost simultaneously.

Oxheart varieties are grown through seedlings in all regions.

Variety varieties

Today, many hybrids based on the red tomato Bull's Heart have been bred:

1. Pink. Medium ripening tomatoes. The average weight of the fruit is 300-400 g. The bushes are densely leafy, quite tall - 1.2-1.5 meters high. Productivity up to 8 kg/m². The Abakansky variety stands out especially.

2. Black is an indeterminate tomato with a medium ripening period. Fruits weighing 400-500 g, slightly ribbed. The color of the skin is brownish-violet, the stalk is green.

3. Orange heart. The bushes are indeterminate, medium late. The fruits are fleshy, practically without juice, strongly ribbed, their average weight reaches 350 g. The Yellow Giant Brown variety is especially popular, which is characterized by good immunity and resistance to drought.

4. Golden is an indeterminate plant with rounded fruits, the weight of which reaches 280 g. In a greenhouse, the yield is up to 13 kg/m².

5. Dawson's tomato is an indeterminate plant with yellow-red fruits weighing half a kilo.

6. The Minusinsk hybrid is an indeterminate bush, its distinctive features are the fruits are not elongated, but have a regular shape. The taste is rich, the flesh is fleshy. Tomato weight 350 - 500 g.

7. Vystovochnoe – tall species with red fruits, late ripening period.

8. White heart is a subspecies that has not yet been found in mass sale.

All varieties have similar characteristics, the differences are manifested in the shades of the skin and taste. Other indicators - the shape of the tomatoes and the ripening time are close to the parent variety.

Fruit characteristics, yield

• The tomatoes are large. The weight of fruits taken from the lower clusters is about 500 g, and from the upper ones - from 250 g to 120 g. Individual fruits can reach a weight of 800-1000 g, this occurs quite often, but only if grown correctly. The tomatoes are fleshy with a small number of seeds and juicy. The color of the fruit depends on the variety. The classic color is red with a green spot near the petiole. There are also yellow, orange, black and white varieties of the variety.
• The surface of the fruit can be either smooth or ribbed. Regardless of the variety, the skin of the fruit is smooth, not strong and thin. Once picked, ripe tomatoes can be stored for up to 2 weeks, provided they are not damaged. Overripe tomatoes must be consumed immediately, as they can last on average no more than 30 hours.
• When grown in a greenhouse, the variety's yield is higher. In closed ground, you can collect up to 12 kg of fruit from a bush, and in open ground - only 4 kg. To achieve maximum yield, “ox heart” should be grown on a trellis. In this case, it is necessary to correctly form the bush, removing excess stepsons and controlling the number of fruit clusters.
• Tomato resistance to diseases, and especially fungal ones, is low, which is why the lower fruits often become infected when there is excessive moisture. Diseased tomatoes should not be eaten, and therefore, if agricultural practices are violated, the yield is significantly reduced.
• The main purpose of the variety is salad. The fruits are not suitable for whole preparations due to their large size. At the same time, juices, tomato pastes and ketchups made from “bull’s heart” have high taste qualities. At the same time, the color of the fruit does not affect the taste characteristics.

Varieties of culture

The bull's heart has an amazing feature. The mid-season determinate variety, bred by breeders, is divided into several varieties that differ in the color of the fruit.

Golden

The tomato tolerates unfavorable weather well, rarely suffers from fungal diseases, and from July to September pleases with large yellow-golden tomatoes.

Sweet fruits, covered with thick skin, resemble a cone in shape, and are placed on a bunch of 3-4 pieces. When ripe, individual specimens weigh 0.5 kg.

Pink

Many gardeners choose to plant this productive variety, which does not require special care and is resistant to fungal infections.

Important: tomatoes with an attractive pink color are larger and tastier than yellow and red fruits, but they ripen somewhat later.

White

Brightly colored tomatoes often cause allergies in children. Breeders have created an original variety of Ox Heart, the fruits of which delight with a refined taste, have juicy yellow flesh and white skin. Up to 5 kg of cone-shaped tomatoes are picked from one bush per season, but in cool weather the ovary does not set.

Orange

Bull's heart pleases with a decent harvest in protected ground: more than 10 kg of fruits will ripen on a plant up to 1.8 m high. One of the varieties of the variety produces many stepsons that constantly need to be plucked off, but is resistant to unfavorable conditions and surprises with beautiful orange tomatoes rich in amino acids and sugars.

Black

Although it takes a long time to wait for the fruits of this productive subspecies of Ox's Heart to ripen, gardeners plant the variety to harvest large, sweetish tomatoes of a dark burgundy or purple color with a black tint. The sugary tomato pulp has a rich aroma; one bunch can bear up to 7 heart-shaped fruits.

How to grow seedlings

Since a significant period of time is required from germination to the beginning of fruiting, “bull’s heart” cannot be grown without seedlings. The exception is the southern regions, where high air temperatures last from mid-spring to the end of September. In other areas, plants should be 50 to 70 days old at the time of planting. The further north the growing region, the older the bushes should be at the time of planting.

Seeds can be sown in boxes in furrows or in 200 ml pots of 2 seeds (later a stronger plant is left). It is optimal to use industrially produced soil intended for seedlings of vegetable crops.

Before sowing, the seeds must be disinfected, as well as the substrate in which they will be planted. The soil can be calcined in the oven at a temperature of 70 degrees for 30 minutes. The seeds are soaked for 20 minutes in a strong solution of manganese. This is enough to kill any fungi that may be present.

The seeds are embedded in the soil to a depth of 1 cm. Afterwards, the box with them or a tray with cups is covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect and placed in a warm place. After emergence of seedlings, the polyethylene is removed.

Seedlings are picked at the stage of 2-3 true leaves. For each plant, use a 500 ml container. Fertilizing is carried out a week after transplantation and then once every 14 days with a complex composition for tomato seedlings, strictly following the instructions given by the manufacturer.

Hardening of seedlings begins 10 days before planting in a permanent place. To do this, take it out into the fresh air - first for 30 minutes, then, gradually increasing this time, bringing it up to 12 hours.

How to care for plants after transplantation?

The maximum yield from tomatoes Ox heart compact, Japanese, golden and other types can only be obtained with proper care.

Irrigation

For tomato bushes, you should absolutely not use sprinkling, as moisture that gets in can cause the ovary to fall off. The best option is to use drip irrigation.

If it is not possible to buy an irrigation system, you can make it yourself. If there is no desire to do so, then the bushes are moistened under the root system once every 4 days. Before flowering, water at the rate of 5 liters of water per bush. During flowering, the norm is increased to 10 liters.

25-30 days before harvesting tomatoes, irrigation should be reduced to a minimum, as the fruits will become tasteless and watery.

Fertilizing

It is recommended to apply fertilizers once every 15 days.

1. 3 weeks after transplantation, the 1st feeding is carried out, which contains nitrogen-containing elements;
2. No more nitrogen is used. Mineral complexes with phosphorus, potassium, and boron are used as fertilizers;
3. They make infusions from herbs and organic matter;
4. Immediately after flowering, tomato bushes are treated with a solution of boric acid.

When growing in a greenhouse, there is no need to apply a lot of fertilizers, because rain does not wash away nutrients from the soil.

Bush formation

For indeterminate varieties, such as the tomato Bull's heart amber or grandma's, it is important to form the bush. Although, according to reviews from gardeners, determinate tomatoes of this variety are being formed.

1. You need to leave no more than 2 stems on the bush;
2. Install supports for plants, otherwise the shoots will break due to the weight of the fruit;
3. Stepping should be carried out regularly. But only the lower leaves are torn off, and only if necessary.

Landing

At the time of planting, the height of the seedling bushes is from 20 cm to 25 cm. It is optimal if there is a heated greenhouse, since in this case the tomatoes can be planted in a permanent place early, in mid-April. This will allow the bushes to develop faster, so you can get the maximum yield. A distance of 50 cm is left between plants in a greenhouse and 30 cm when grown in open ground. the gap between the rows of tomatoes is 50 cm. The maximum planting density is 3 plants per 1 m2.

For tomatoes, prepare holes 15 cm deep. Add a little humus or humus to each. Plant seedlings, if necessary, tearing off the lower leaves so that they do not interfere with deepening the stem. After planting, the plants are watered with warm water, which has been left to sit for at least a day. One bush requires 2-3 liters.

Tomatoes Bull's heart on video

The tomato variety Bull's Heart is included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation for garden plots, homesteads and small farms for cultivation in open ground and under temporary film covers.

If you grew Oxheart tomatoes, please write what the yield and taste of the fruit was in your climatic conditions? How do you rate the disease resistance of this variety? Briefly describe the advantages and disadvantages of this tomato in your opinion. If possible, attach to the comment a photo of the entire bush as a whole or individual fruits that you grew. Thank you!

Your reviews of the Oxheart tomato and additions to the description will help many gardeners evaluate this variety more objectively and decide whether it is worth planting or not.

Care

1. Watering 2 times a week is usually sufficient. In extreme heat, if the soil dries out quickly, increase the amount of watering. Loosening, to improve the supply of oxygen to the roots, is carried out after each watering. Then, if necessary, weeds are pulled out. When growing in open ground, the soil is mulched after watering.
2. Feeding begins 2 weeks after planting the seedlings. To do this, you should use an infusion of chicken manure or complex organic fertilizer. The second edging is carried out 10 days after the formation of the first ovaries. A solution of manure is taken for it. For the third time, a manure solution is also used, which is used to water the bushes during the ripening period of tomatoes.
3. Pinching allows you to get large fruits with high quality indicators. If the tomato variety is indeterminate, then after 10 clusters have formed on the plant, its growth is stopped by pinching the crown.
4. If a tomato is grown in one stem, then all the stepsons are removed. If a bush is formed into two stems, then the first stepson is left and pinched, stopping its growth after the formation of one brush. To injure the plant less, it is better not to break out the stepsons, but to pinch them, stopping their growth as soon as the size reaches 5 cm.
5. Bushes should be tied to a vertical trellis or strong stakes of sufficient height. In order not to damage the stem, when tying it to the stake, take a wide soft ribbon, which is used to secure it every 2 leaves.
6. Pollination in the absence of insects is carried out independently, using a brush. This is usually only required when growing tomatoes in greenhouses.

Agrotechnics of cultivation and care

The Oxheart tomato variety can be grown both in the garden and in a greenhouse. The choice of location for plants largely depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. Average ripening times allow you to get a full harvest only in places with a long season of warm days. In harsher climates, it is better to give preference to closed ground.

Like any tall crop, Oxheart tomatoes are grown through seedlings. Planting seeds in the soil does not justify itself. Plants aged 1.5-2 months are suitable for planting in a permanent place, so sowing is carried out from February to March. To do this, use heated greenhouses or, with a small number of plants, place containers with seedlings on window sills. When planting early, additional illumination with special lamps must be used.

Before planting seeds in the soil, they are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate in order to minimize the possibility of infecting plants with various diseases. Treatment of seed material with the drug “Fitosporin”, which is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, is also effective.

For planting seedlings, shallow wooden and plastic boxes with drainage, special cassettes, and peat tablets are used. The soil is prepared independently from a mixture of earth, humus, sand and fertilizers or you can purchase a ready-made substrate in specialized stores.

Prepared Ox's heart seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1.5-2 cm, well moistening the soil with warm water. It is kept moist constantly, preventing it from drying out. In an apartment or house, before germination, you can cover the container with seeds with film. This will allow you to water the tomatoes less frequently and create a microclimate favorable for their growth. After the shoots emerge, the film is removed.

When the seedlings reach 2 true leaves, they are pruned. Carefully transplant into a large container. The purpose of this procedure is to stop the rapid growth of green mass and allow the tomato root system to form well. It is not mandatory, but it is better not to ignore it. The result will be noticeable in the future.

Throughout the entire period, the plants are fed 2-3 times with complex fertilizers. They are introduced at the root, trying not to touch the stem and tops. Excess humidity, especially in greenhouse conditions, can lead to the emergence and spread of diseases. Hardening of seedlings is carried out only if they are intended to be planted outside. Two weeks are often enough for plants to get used to new conditions.

Agricultural technology for growing tall tomatoes of the Bull's Heart variety also implies mandatory soil preparation in places where they constantly grow. To place plants in the beds, it is carried out in the fall. Remove plant debris and dig the entire area deeply. For tomatoes, choose the best areas, mainly with light and cultivated soil. If necessary, add some fertilizer, humus or urea.

The soil for growing Ox's heart in greenhouses is prepared shortly before planting the seedlings. It is steamed, organic matter and fertilizers are added, and it is also dug up and leveled.

The planting pattern for tomatoes can be different. Usually, 3-4 plants are planted per 1 meter with row spacing of 75 cm. Another option is 6-8 tomatoes per 1 m with row spacing of 125 cm. In this case, the plants are placed in pairs, but then hung on a double trellis. For modest-sized beds and greenhouses, a 50 by 50 cm scheme is used.

Immediately after planting, the plants are watered and tied up. The first feeding is carried out 1-2 weeks after this. Seedlings that have not stretched are placed vertically. Overgrown seedlings are buried in the ground at an angle.

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When grown in open ground, as well as in a greenhouse, Ox Heart tomatoes form one or two stems. After tying the first cluster, so as not to weaken the young plant, 2-3 fruits are left on it. When they begin to fill, remove all the lower leaves except the last one. This allows the plantings not only to be better ventilated, but also leads to faster ripening of the crop. After the formation of 8 brushes, the growth point on each plant is pinched.

When growing Oxheart tomatoes in a greenhouse, additional pollination may be necessary. This can be done manually by lightly shaking the bushes. But it will be much more effective to place honey plants that are attractive to bees and bumblebees near buildings with tomatoes. Then in the summer, insects will fly into the greenhouse through the open windows and transfer pollen from one flower to another.

Many gardeners today are switching to drip irrigation, using it in closed and open ground. This allows you to solve several problems at once:

• deliver moisture directly to plant roots;
• do not stand with the hose for hours;
• save water;
• irrigate and fertilize the soil at the same time.

With normal watering, it is carried out 2-3 times a week. At the same time, the soil is soaked generously to a depth of 25-30 cm. Mulching makes it possible to carry out this operation much less frequently. Root and foliar feeding with fertilizers, microelements and stimulants is done every 10-15 days.

Diseases and pests

"Bull's heart" is not highly resistant to diseases and pests. Because of this, to prevent them, tomato bushes must be regularly treated, for which they are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Initially, its strength should be 3%, and closer to fruit ripening - 1%.

If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can spray the tomatoes with a mixture of whey and iodine. In this case, for 10 liters of water you need 2 liters of whey and 15 drops of iodine. Treatment is carried out once every 2 weeks, as well as after rain.

Description of the people's favorite

In the description of the Bull's Heart tomato, the variety is stated as determinate. But adult bushes differ from most tomato determinants - they are powerful, spreading, reaching a height of 180 cm (in a greenhouse). On strong, slightly pubescent shoots, leaves of the usual tomato shape are located alternately. The color of the leaves is green, the matte surface of the leaf has mesh veins.

The very first tassel with flowers is formed after 8-9 internodes. And through each leaf the following flower brushes are formed, consisting of a simple inflorescence, in which up to 5 yellow flowers.

The key feature of the tomato variety is the special appearance and taste of the fruit:

• the shape of the heart is clearly expressed;
• the color of the fruit is a uniform red color without marks or spots;
• pointed tip;
• ribbing occurs on the surface;
• thin but dense matte skin does not crack;
• There are no thick veins in the dense pulp;
• Tomato pulp contains an increased amount of dry matter, but at the same time it is juicy, sugary, and without voids. In cross section, the tomato resembles the inside of a watermelon;
• in the narrow seed chambers located closer to the walls there are few seeds and free liquid;
• The taste has sweetish notes with a slight sourness.

Experts on the characteristics and description of the tomato variety Bull's Heart consider it a reference, rating its taste properties as “excellent (5).”

The State Register states a yield of 3-4 kg per 1 sq. m. These are average figures, but among gardeners there are achievements of 6-8.5 kg per 1 m2 thanks to quality care.

The period of full ripening of the fruit is late; it takes 120-135 days after the seedlings have appeared to obtain a large tomato. It happens that the summer is cool and rainy - then the ripening dates are shifted by another 1 week. But late ripening is a reason to eat tomatoes when other tomato plants have already finished bearing fruit.

Some sources contain information that this vegetable crop is the work of folk breeders, and the tomato itself was imported from Italy. But officially, specialists from Poisk were the first to submit an application for authorship to the State Register in 2001 and after 2 years received the rights of the originator.

The nuances of growing in open ground and greenhouses

When growing tomatoes without shelter, you will need to pay special attention to mulching the soil to prevent moisture loss. At the same time, due to lower air humidity in an open area, the risk of fungal pathologies will be lower. For plants in a greenhouse, more attention will need to be paid to treating diseases.

Particularly abundant spraying should be carried out for the lower parts of the tomato and its lower bunches. In addition, it is worth noting that in closed ground, the “bull’s heart” will begin to bear fruit earlier, and the number of fruits from the bush will increase several times, since the plant will be larger.

Description and characteristics

Ripening period is medium late. The tomato enters the fruiting period 120–130 days from the moment the seedlings peck. One of the features of the Ox heart is that the length of the main stem can reach 180 cm (the average is 130 cm). It is impossible to grow a tomato without tying it up. The plant requires pinching; in addition, the bush needs to be formed and fruiting normalized.

The taste characteristics of the variety are excellent - sweetness predominates in the taste, sourness is faintly felt. Tomatoes have dense, aromatic pulp, the skin is thin, easy to separate, and there are no veins. In accordance with the description recorded in the State Register, the surface of the fruit is smooth, but in practice, ribbing is almost always observed. There are few seeds.

The fruits are suitable for making pastes/juices, but are mainly eaten fresh. They are not used for whole-fruit canning due to both their large size and thin skin.

Ox's heart tomatoes can be frozen in the form of slices.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Harvest dates

Harvesting takes place as the tomatoes ripen. As a rule, this occurs from the end of July to mid-September. Fruits that have not yet ripened are harvested before frost - they will gradually ripen at room temperature.

A rich harvest is a gardener’s reward for his labors in growing

Growing and caring for the Ox's Heart tomato is a labor-intensive but interesting process. All efforts will definitely be crowned with success. The reward will be delicious, juicy fruits that can delight you not only in the warm season, but also in winter in the form of home canning.