If you are a fan of varieties with large fruits, then the Eagle Heart tomato will not leave you indifferent. Huge, pink-skinned tomatoes weighing under 1 kg can feed a family of four, with some left over for guests.
Let's give a description of the Eagle Heart tomato variety, talk about its yield, disease resistance and other qualities. We will also share some secrets of agricultural technology, without which the tomatoes will not turn out so tasty and large.
Description of the Eagle Heart tomato
Eagle Heart tomatoes are indeterminate varieties of tomatoes, so their bushes can grow up to 1.5-1.6 m in height in open ground. The size of plants grown in a greenhouse is on average 10-15 cm larger.
The bushes are powerful and dense, but the leaves are small. The flowers of the variety are pale yellow and small. They form inflorescences of 5-8 pieces.
Description of fruits
The fruits of tomatoes of the Eagle Heart variety are very large - their weight on average is 700-900 g, but often reaches up to 1 kg. As the fruits ripen, their color changes from a pale green tint to a rich red color with a pinkish tint.
Eagle Heart tomatoes have a round, heart-shaped shape with a slightly elongated tip. The pulp of the fruit has a soft texture and a sweet, sugary taste with a barely noticeable sourness. There are few seed chambers in tomatoes.
The tomato skin is quite dense, but not rough. It does not crack during transportation.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
“Eagle Heart” is among the top five best varieties for many gardeners. This is true. It has a number of advantages:
- large fruit;
- great taste;
- heart-shaped interesting shape;
- raspberry color.
- Good yield.
As a disadvantage, low product yield.
Characteristics of the Eagle Heart tomato
Eagle Heart is a relatively unpretentious variety. On the one hand, it is resistant to many diseases, has good transportability and easily tolerates sudden temperature changes. On the other hand, the yield of tomatoes strongly depends on fertilizing and the quality of planting material.
Productivity and fruiting
From the moment the first sprouts appear until the tomatoes begin to ripen, about 110-120 days pass. Fruiting is extended - the bushes bear fruit throughout the season.
As indicated in the description of the Eagle Heart variety, the yield from one bush is 8-12 kg of tomatoes.
Area of application of fruits
Eagle Heart tomatoes are classified as salad varieties. Tomatoes form the basis of dietary and baby food, and are also used to prepare tomato puree, soups and thick concentrated juices, which can be preserved for the winter.
Despite their large size, Eagle Heart tomatoes tolerate long-term transportation well due to their moderately dense skin, which protects the fruit from cracking. In addition, tomatoes retain their attractive appearance and taste for 2-3 months after harvest.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The variety is immune to many diseases that affect tomatoes. These include:
- late blight;
- mosaic;
- gray rot;
- brown rot;
- Alternaria blight.
Among insects, the Eagle Heart variety is especially attractive to aphids, whiteflies and wireworms.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages of the Eagle Heart variety include the following qualities:
- large fruit;
- sweet taste of fruits;
- immunity to sudden changes in temperature;
- good transportability;
- early ripening;
- extended fruiting, making harvesting easier;
- immunity to many diseases;
- possibility of long-term storage;
- the possibility of independently collecting seeds from fruits, since the variety is not a hybrid.
Despite the impressive list of advantages, the variety also has disadvantages. These include:
- demands on soil quality;
- the need for stepsoning;
- obligatory garter of bushes.
Seed preparation
Quite often, stores sell substandard tomato seeds, so germination is very poor. Therefore, in order not to waste your time growing, it is advisable to check all seed material before planting. To do this, dilute a 5% solution of table salt and dip tomato seeds into it. Defective and poorly developed specimens will float. The remaining seeds that remain at the bottom are washed in clean water.
Then they can be processed in fresh aloe juice or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If you have growth stimulants at home, soak the seeds in this solution for 12 hours.
Subsequently, the treated tomato seeds are well dried and can be used for planting.
Growing rules
In order to get a good harvest of the Eagle Heart variety, it is necessary to choose the right site for planting tomatoes and observe the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings. In addition, it is important to regularly fertilize the beds and tie up the bushes to avoid breaking the central stem.
Planting seedlings
The optimal time for sowing seeds for seedlings is mid-March to early April. Special containers or wooden boxes are used as containers.
Important! The height of the sides of the container for tomato seedlings should be at least 5 cm.
Before filling the containers with soil, they are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid. It is also recommended to process the planting material, but first you need to check it for germination. To do this, the seeds are dipped in a weak salt solution for some time. Unusable material and pacifiers will end up on the surface of the water in a few hours. The seeds that have sunk to the bottom are thoroughly washed in clean water and, like the containers, treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can replace potassium permanganate with fresh aloe juice.
Advice! For better seedling growth, you can soak the planting material for 10-12 hours in any growth stimulator.
Before planting, the seeds are dried to a free-flowing state.
Soil for seedlings can be purchased at a specialized gardening store or you can make it yourself. To do this, mix the top layer of soil from the garden plot, peat and humus in equal proportions. As a primary feeding, you can dilute the mixture with wood ash or potassium. In this case, the ash acts not only as a fertilizer, but also as a prophylactic against blackleg disease.
Regardless of whether the soil mixture for seedlings was purchased or prepared independently, the requirements for it are the same: the soil for Eagle Heart tomatoes must be light, breathable and fertile.
Sowing of seeds is carried out according to the following scheme:
- In the disinfected soil, grooves are laid at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other.
- Seeds are placed in the resulting grooves, maintaining a gap of 2-3 cm.
- Planting material should not be buried too deep. Recommended depth 1 cm.
- After sowing, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle.
- Containers with seedlings are covered with film or glass and moved to a dry, warm place.
Important! For seedlings to germinate, it is necessary to maintain the room temperature at +25C°. After the first shoots appear, it can be reduced slightly.
As soon as the first shoots appear, the container with the seedlings is moved to the windowsill, towards the sun. You cannot water the seedlings with tap water - for this use soft, settled water at room temperature. It is also important to ensure that moisture does not stagnate - this variety does not tolerate high soil moisture.
With the formation of 1-2 true leaves, the tomatoes are picked and planted in separate containers. This is necessary in order to strengthen the roots of plants before planting in open ground or a greenhouse. Typically, picking is done 2 weeks after the sprouts appear.
The seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizers.
Tomato transplant
Eagle Heart tomatoes are transplanted in May or early June. The timing of planting plants in open ground largely depends on local climatic conditions.
The soil is prepared in advance before transplanting plants. To do this, planting holes are filled to the top with boiling water with the addition of manganese. When the water settles, complex fertilizers are placed at the bottom of the holes.
Planting scheme: 2 bushes per 1 m2. It is not recommended to thicken the plantings, as this may lead to the fruit becoming smaller. In addition, when plantings are thickened, the risk of plant diseases from fungal infections, which require shade and moisture to develop, increases.
Immediately after planting the tomatoes, they must be tied to a support. At the same time, not only the main stems are tied up, but also the fruiting shoots, since they can break under the weight of heavy fruits.
Subsequent care for tomatoes
Caring for tomatoes of the Eagle Heart variety comes down to moderate watering, fertilizing and mandatory pinching. Form tomatoes into 1 or 2 stems.
For irrigation, use only warm water. Using cold water inhibits the growth of tomatoes and can lead to the shedding of all the ovaries.
The yield of the Eagle Heart variety is directly dependent on the quality of the soil, so fertilizing cannot be neglected. For the best development of tomatoes, it is recommended to feed the plants at least 3 times, using both mineral and organic fertilizers. Tomatoes respond well to the addition of phosphorus, potassium, mullein and bird droppings to the soil.
Advice! It is best to apply fertilizers to the soil in cloudless, warm weather. In such conditions, plants absorb nutrients faster.
Despite the fact that the variety loves feeding, you cannot overfeed tomatoes. Fattening bushes grow poorly and produce fewer fruits.
Tomatoes are harvested throughout the season. At the same time, you don’t have to wait for full ripeness - Eagle Heart tomatoes ripen well even after harvesting.
You can learn more about the features of caring for tomatoes from the video below:
Soil preparation
The Eagle Heart tomato variety prefers fertile, light and breathable soil so that the plant can receive a sufficiently large amount of oxygen and develop quickly. It is allowed to use ready-made soils designed specifically for growing individual vegetable crops for sowing seeds. But many gardeners and summer residents prefer to prepare the substrate for planting themselves.
In this case, you need to purchase all the components, namely turf soil, humus or compost, as well as wood ash, which is available to everyone who lives in a rural area or has a fireplace. Ash is very important in preparing the mixture because it has many beneficial properties, and most importantly, it protects the plant from fungal diseases and prevents blackleg.
Special boxes with sides of 6 cm or more or plastic containers are used as planting containers. They, like the soil, must first be treated with boiling water, dissolving a small amount of potassium permanganate in it. If it is not available, boric acid can also be used.
Note! Superphosphate can also be used in the substrate for sowing seeds and as a fertilizer for the soil itself, but it must be added strictly according to the instructions.
Sowing
Step-by-step recommendations:
- Carefully unfold the gauze with sprouted seeds so as not to damage the fragile sprouts.
- Place 1-2 pieces in each glass; when sowing in common boxes in a furrow, maintain a distance of 2 cm between them.
- Sprinkle with a little soil.
- Spray warm water with a spray bottle.
- Cover with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect inside.
- Place the box in a warm place for germination.
Under no circumstances should containers be placed on the windowsill immediately after sowing - the sprouts under the glass may die!
With the appearance of the first shoots, the plantings are moved to places with constant access to sunlight. For the full growth and development of seedlings, it is necessary to carry out additional illumination with lamps. The air temperature in the room should be +20-22 degrees Celsius.
Capacity
Depending on the planned volumes of sowing and other factors, the choice of containers for seedlings is made by each gardener independently according to his preferences and capabilities. The following types of containers are now widely used:
- flowerpots;
- cassette;
- containers;
- egg trays;
- disposable plastic cups;
- peat forms and tablets;
- food packaging and containers;
- boxes made of various materials.
The main requirement is the presence of a drainage hole at the bottom to drain excess liquid.
Bush formation
Tomato Eagle Heart (a description of the variety, photos of the plant at different stages of cultivation can be found on thematic Internet sites). The formation of a bush is a mandatory procedure for a crop, since if this requirement is ignored, all microelements coming from the soil will be spent by the plant not on the development of juicy and tasty fruits, but on the growth of green mass.
The plant should be formed into 1 or 2 stems, taking into account a simple agrotechnical rule - the fewer are left in the process of pinching the stems, the larger the tomatoes will turn out. During work, the lower part of the bushes should be rid of excess and withered foliage. Such activities should be carried out once a week, removing up to 3 plates at the same time.
How to grow seedlings
Mid-season tomatoes are grown in seedlings . Seeds are sown 55-65 days before their intended planting in a permanent place.
As a rule, seeds are sown in early May . These terms are suitable for all regions, since in cold cities tomatoes of this variety are grown in a greenhouse.
Advice. Gardeners believe that the best seedlings are those grown in a heated greenhouse. It is in such conditions that it is possible to grow strong and stocky plants.
Seed treatment
Before sowing planting material, the seeds need to be prepared.
Many manufacturing companies do this in the factory. If you use seeds from your own harvest or there is no information on dressing on the packaging, then the procedure is carried out at home. How to prepare seeds for sowing :
- Before use, planting material is sorted . Damaged and darkened seeds are removed.
- The seeds are soaked in salted water prepared from 1 tsp. salt and a glass of water. Those specimens that have sunk to the bottom are suitable for planting.
- Planting material is disinfected . It is soaked in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide for 20 minutes. Another option is to soak the seeds in aloe juice or soda solution (1 teaspoon of soda per 1 cup of water). After etching, the planting material is washed under running water.
- Growth stimulation . The easiest way to do this is to soak the seeds in one of the following products: Epin, Sodium Humate, Zircon, aloe juice, soda solution. Another option is to keep the seeds in the refrigerator for 3 days before planting, and then keep them for another two days in a piece of cloth moistened with warm water.
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A little about containers and soil
Eagle heart is grown both in individual containers and in common boxes .
If you plan to grow a large number of seedlings, it is more convenient to sow the seeds first in one large container (boxes, trays, packaging for cakes and semi-finished products, cut bottles), and then plant the already grown plants in individual pots with a volume of at least 300 ml.
Advice. To prevent tomato roots from becoming tangled and damaged when picking, some gardeners divide the box into cells with cardboard or plastic partitions. One seed is sown in each of them.
When growing several tomato bushes, it is more advisable to use peat tablets. In this case, seedlings will not need picking.
All containers are treated with a disinfecting solution . They are soaked in boiling water, copper sulfate (0.5 tsp per 2 liters of water) or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Stores sell special soil for tomatoes and universal soil for seedlings. Both options will do.
There are many recipes for making your own soil mixtures . The most popular option is to combine chernozem and peat in equal proportions, adding 0.5 parts of sand to them. A bucket of such soil is mixed with a glass of ash.
The soil is also disinfected . It is poured with boiling water, copper sulfate or a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Sowing planting material
A layer of soil is poured into the boxes and watered with warm water . Grooves 1 cm deep are made in the soil at a distance of 3 cm. Seeds are placed in them at a distance of 2 cm from each other.
Planting material is sprinkled with earth . Boxes with crops are covered with glass or film and placed in a warm place - for example, near a radiator.
Basic rules of care
Often, novice gardeners are afraid to grow seedlings on their own, preferring to buy tomatoes ready for planting in a permanent place on the market. Quality plants are recognized by their bright green foliage , short internodes, strong stems and stockiness.
When buying seedlings on the market, it is impossible to accurately determine whether the seller is offering the right variety. It is much safer to grow seedlings yourself. Moreover, this is not difficult to do, the main thing is to follow the rules of care :
- After all the seeds have germinated , the film is removed. Tomatoes are moved to a cool place for a week. This will prevent them from being pulled out. Then they are brought into the room.
- It is important to provide the seedlings with 16 hours of daylight . Experienced gardeners use fluorescent lamps. This reduces the risk of plants being pulled.
- Water the plants as the top layer of soil dries. It is important to moisten only the soil so that the liquid does not get on the green tomatoes. Use warm water.
- Tomatoes peak during the formation of the third true leaf. Two weeks after this procedure, the plants are fed.
- The seedlings are fed three times during the entire growing period with an interval of two weeks. Use special preparations for seedlings (“Strong”, “Solution”) or a product prepared from a bucket of water, 1 kg of chicken manure, 1 tbsp. ash.
- 10 days before picking for a permanent place, the tomatoes begin to harden, taking them out to the balcony in the warm time of the day.
Seedlings should not be placed in a draft , otherwise the plants will freeze and die. If the plants begin to lose turgor, you should make sure that they are watered correctly.
Landing in a permanent place
The plant is hardened off 14 days before planting in the garden. To do this, cassettes with seedlings are taken outside or a window is opened in the room with seedlings, starting at short intervals. Gradually it is necessary to increase the duration of exposure to air.
Related article:
Tomato cheat sheet
The presence of 6-8 true developed leaves indicates the need for replanting in the ground.
- Dig up the area for the garden bed (you must choose a sunny place), apply organic or complex mineral fertilizers.
- Loosen and prepare holes according to the pattern 50*40 cm.
- Pour water into each of them.
- Plant in a mixture of water and soil.
For 1 sq. m of beds, 1-2 tomato bushes are planted, other gardeners talk about the possible arrangement of 3-4 stems. This is explained by the height of the plant, the installation of a supporting structure and future garter. The main condition is that the tomatoes do not interfere with each other; this is possible if the following conditions are met:
- Timely removal of excess leaves, shoots and weeds for the purpose of complete aeration.
- Availability of stakes for fixation.
- Garter of bulky tassels.
- Mulching the soil with straw and grass after mowing.
You can also mulch tomatoes with straw or hay.
If there is not enough space for the development of the bush, fruits will be set much smaller than the parameters stated by the originator.
Care
The description of the crop says that growing this variety does not require radically different agronomic techniques. In order for Eagle Heart tomatoes to grow well and the yield to correspond to the description, it will be enough to take care, as when growing any other variety. Plant care should include:
- garter;
- stepsoning;
- regular watering;
- fertilizing.
Garter and stepson
Pinching will increase plant productivity.
The description shows that this variety has an indeterminate type of growth and the cultivation technique involves the use of pinching and tying to supports or trellises. These agronomic techniques will simplify plant care and can increase yield.
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Due to the fact that the bushes grow tall and the fruits are heavy, staking is required.
- In open ground, for such purposes, wooden stakes are used, which are driven into the ground next to the bushes immediately after planting the seedlings in the soil, and as the tomatoes grow, the stems and branches with fruits are attached.
- A more advanced method is used in the greenhouse. The so-called mixed type of garter. A high support is placed near each bush, and a wire is fixed horizontally between them at different heights. The main stem is attached to the support, and side branches and branches with fruits are attached to the wire.
Growing on a trellis improves ventilation, simplifies care and handling, and prevents injury to plants and cutting off branches due to the weight of the fruit.
Pinching has a beneficial effect on the yield and size of fruits. The method involves removing the side shoots (lateral stems) that grow at the leaf nodes. It is recommended to form Eagle Heart into 2-3 stems. To do this, leave the lower, well-formed and strong stepsons, and remove the rest. This technique allows you to grow large and high-quality fruits without overloading the bush.
Watering
It is enough to water the bushes twice a week, in hot weather, as the soil dries out. To do this, use warm, settled water. Watering is carried out in the morning. It is better to add tomatoes to the root. It is important to remember that cold water and excess moisture can adversely affect the development of plants, as well as become a catalyst for the development of fungal diseases and rotting processes.
Top dressing
To fertilize tomatoes, root and foliar (spraying) fertilizing is done. They will provide the plants with all the necessary microelements and give them strength for growth and fruiting.
During the development of tomatoes, three main root feedings are carried out:
- Two weeks after planting the seedlings in the ground. Use complex fertilizer. Fertilizers are dissolved in water and the bushes are watered. It is also practiced to use chicken manure in the form of a low concentrated solution.
- During the period of mass flowering. Fertilizing is done with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, or herbal infusions, as well as bone meal.
- At the beginning of fruiting. Use the same fertilizers as during flowering.
Foliar feeding is carried out as additional in case of detection of a deficiency of certain nutrients.
