Does tomato "My love" justify its name: pros and cons of a hybrid?

Tomato My Love is a super early, unpretentious hybrid, especially popular with novice gardeners. The crop ripens in 85–90 days after the first shoots appear. The culture grows and bears fruit equally well in the beds, in heated and ordinary greenhouses, under a film cover.

Description and characteristics of the hybrid

On the branches of tomatoes My love f1, large enough fruits (up to 250 g) of a round shape and bright red color ripen. Ripening period is about 3 months (from 95 to 105 days).

Determinant hybrid: bushes have limited growth. In hotbeds and greenhouses, they can grow up to 1.2–1.4 m. In open ground, they stretch less: the average plant height is 70–80 cm.

The leaves are bushy, standard size and medium green in color.

Yield indicators

Tomatoes My love are not very productive. With proper care and under the film, gardeners receive no more than 8-10 kg of fruit per 1 m², in the open field - no more than 6 kg per season. 3-4 kg of tomatoes are collected from one bush.

Fruit ripening is amicable, so they are removed immediately. With proper care of tomatoes, up to 20 kg / m² are obtained.

Pros and cons of a hybrid

The virtues of culture:

• the skin of the fruit is dense, due to which they do not crack, they can be stored for a long time and transported far;
• a high level of productivity among determinant bushes and fruiting until the very cold;
• resistance to major diseases of culture;
• the possibility of growing in the open field (in the southern regions without film);
• plants can do without regular watering, do not respond to low light and sudden temperature changes;
• ripe fruits have excellent taste (there is juiciness, sourness, sugar content, aroma);
• simultaneous ripening of vegetables.

The disadvantages are:

• dependence of crop volume on fertilizers: root and foliar feeding significantly affect productivity;
• a pronounced fresh sourness in the taste may not please lovers of sweet tomatoes;
• the need for a garter of plants;
• dense foliage, making it difficult to collect fruits and care for bushes.

How to grow

Consider the features of growing tomato My love.

Soil requirements

Prepare the soil for planting by digging and loosening it. If the soil is compacted, a little sand or peat is added to it. Acidic soil is mixed with dolomite flour or chalk, or lime is added to it (once every 3 years).

Reference! Sprinkle seedlings with fluffy soil rich in oxygen. Prepare it in advance, before landing.

Sowing rules

Seeds are planted from mid-March to early April. The land is prepared and fertilized in advance.

The largest and strongest specimens are selected from the packaging. To increase germination, they are soaked in a growth stimulator. Some vegetable growers wash grains with a solution of potassium permanganate to prevent fungal diseases and destroy traces of pests. However, the planting material of the hybrids has already passed the necessary processing at the manufacturer.

When the seeds hatch and the first 2 leaves appear, the plants dive into separate containers. The strongest seedlings are chosen. After 2 months (late May-early June), the seedlings are planted in open ground. Before that, they are tempered in the fresh air for better adaptation to new conditions.

When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, sowing is carried out already at the beginning of March. Such seedlings will yield a good harvest by the end of June.

The planting holes are dug 40 cm apart, the distance between the rows is 70 cm. There should not be more than 3 plants per 1 m2. Fertilizers are placed in the pits with the elements necessary for the culture: potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus. The holes are made at least 20 cm deep: they should be larger than the rhizome, which will ensure a high-quality pick of the plants.

Post-transplant care

To grow a good harvest, the crop is properly cared for throughout the summer:

• watered at least once every 5 days;
• tie up bushes to the support;
• weed the beds, remove weeds and loosen the soil between the rows;
• prevent plant diseases;
• remove stepsons;
• feed tomatoes.

Despite the fact that the hybrid tolerates temperature changes and drought well, in the first weeks after planting in open ground, it needs to be covered with a film.

Grassing bushes in the greenhouse ensures the early ripening of the fruits. Outdoors, plants have a sturdier stem, so it is not necessary to tie it up and support the branches. For ground tomatoes, garters and supports can significantly slow down and prolong the ripening process.

When cultivating a hybrid in central Russia in the open field, the seedlings are covered with a film during the first month after planting. After it is removed. In the northern regions, crops are grown only in greenhouse conditions.

Tomato My Love is quite unpretentious in watering, tolerates drought with restraint. Warm water is used for irrigation. Water once every 5 days, in the evening. One day after the soil is moistened, it is loosened and weeded.

Phosphorus and potash feeding are very important for fruit ripening. Fertilize bushes with them at every stage of growth. In the future, they switch to complex formulations. Mulching the soil increases yields and reduces the frequency of loosening the beds.

Clusters with tomatoes, as a rule, form on 7-9 leaf axils. To get the desired shape of the fruit, the stepson is left under these brushes: a second stem will form from it. Subsequent stepchildren, growing up to 6–8 cm, are cut off in time.

Attention! When removing the stepson, a small "stump" of 0.5 cm is left to avoid the emergence of a new shoot in this place.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Although the My Love hybrid is characterized by increased disease resistance, sometimes it is affected by phomosis (bacterial spot) and apical rot. In the first case, HOM and "Fitolavin" are used for treatment, and in the second - saltpeter with calcium.

For the prevention of diseases, the seeds are warmed up before planting, they observe moderation in watering, and regularly ventilate the greenhouse. In autumn, the remains of former plants are burned, they dig up the ground.

The most serious damage to the culture is caused by Colorado beetles, whiteflies, bears, scoops. They use special insecticides ("Prestige", "Thunder", "Confidor" and others). For prevention, before planting, the seeds are disinfected with potassium permanganate or a mixture of 50 g of aloe juice, 0.5 tsp. honey, a couple of drops of garlic juice and an immunostimulant.

A week after diving into open ground, the plants are treated with a weakly concentrated mixture of boric acid and potassium permanganate.

Another preventive measure is a tincture of nettle, wood ash and horsetail, mixed with a small amount of garlic. She is sprayed with bushes once a week.

Reviews of gardeners

Marina, Rostov-on-Don: «I use the fruits of this hybrid for conservation. The pleasant sourness and strong rind are great for a winter snack. As for cultivation, I personally like that the bushes do not stretch, only about 70 cm. I grow them outdoors. After the transplant, in the first weeks, I cover with a film, I feed. Bushes have significant leafiness and rather dense branching. On average, up to 5 brushes are formed on each, each with 5-6 ovaries. The fruits are beautiful, as in the photo, round in shape, smooth, do not crack.The ripening period is early: about 3 months. "

Svetlana, Belgorod: "For the third season I have been dwelling on the seeds of this hybrid. The description and characteristics on the package almost completely coincide with the real result. The most important thing is not to be late with planting dates, as this will provide exceptional taste. Once I missed the right planting - the tomatoes were a little brown and ripened in a box on the shelf. "

Tamara, St. Petersburg: “As a novice vegetable grower I bought these seeds for planting in a new greenhouse, not all have sprung up, but the seedlings were enough for me. They tried, weeded, watered, fed with simple fertilizers. I can't say anything special about leaving. I don't know how to prune twigs, I tied them up instead. They waited for the harvest for about 3 months. The fruits grew large, round with a small pimp at the end. Tomatoes are fragrant, tender, very much. I will plant them again next year. "

Conclusion

Tomatoes My Love are suitable for growing both beginners and experienced growers. The hybrid is unpretentious to care for, does not require regular watering, and can grow in open and closed ground. The fruits are tasty, strong with a characteristic pleasant sourness. Suitable for fresh salads, preservation. They have excellent transportability.