Review of the tomato "My Love"

The "My Love" tomato variety is incredibly popular among residents of the southern regions. These red tomatoes are distinguished by their elongated tips, excellent flavor, and unrivaled tomato aroma.

Tomato variety "My Love"

tomato seeds "My Love"

The fruits of the tomato variety “My Love” are juicy, aromatic, and not sour

History of variety selection

This variety was developed by Russian scientists just over 10 years ago. In 2008, it was added to the state register. Farmers from Crimea, Kuban, Astrakhan, and other warm regions recommend this crop.grow in open groundResidents of colder areas can grow this variety in a greenhouse.

Characteristics and description of the My Love tomato

Their main advantage is their distinct tomato flavor. The flesh is firm and rich. These tomatoes are perfect for salads and purées.

Productivity

Three months after germination, tomatoes begin to ripen, all plants simultaneously. A single plant can produce five clusters of six tomatoes each, yielding approximately 30 tomatoes per plant.

The weight of one fruit is 200 g, 1 bush yields approximately 5 kg, from 1 square meter you can collect about 20 kg.

Description of the fruit

The tomatoes are round, slightly pointed at the ends, and bright red. The flesh is sweet and tender, and looks beautiful when cut. There are 3-4 seed chambers.

Advantages and disadvantages

The My Love variety, like other plants, has its advantages and disadvantages, and these nuances must be taken into account when growing the plant.

Benefits of My Love tomatoes:

Disadvantages of My Love tomatoes:

Acceptable terms for cultivation

This tomato variety is mid-early in terms of ripening time. It begins to bear fruit 90 days after germination. To transplant seedlings into open ground in May (early June), sow the seeds in the last week of March.

Read the article about How to properly germinate tomato seeds for seedlings.

If you're growing tomatoes in greenhouses, you can move the sowing date for seedlings to the first week of March. Then, you'll be able to enjoy delicious, juicy tomatoes at the end of June.

Growing at home

This tomato variety has a strong stem, and the trunk doesn't require staking or support. In open ground, side shoots can be avoided, but it's important to remember that this will significantly delay ripening.

During the period of active growth, it responds well to fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus; subsequently, only complex fertilizers can be used. After planting, it requires regular watering and mulching the soil.

Preparing and planting seeds

Before planting, the seeds must be treated to prevent the plants from becoming susceptible to various diseases. A weak solution of potassium permanganate is used for disinfection.

The seeds are placed in a bandage or gauze and immersed in a potassium permanganate solution for 40 minutes. After this, the seeds are rinsed with water and soaked in a growth stimulator, which improves germination. The planting material is then warmed in water for 15 minutes.

The seed planting scheme is simple:

1. Treat the seed material as described earlier.
2. Take a container and pour the prepared soil into it.
3. Place the disinfected seeds at a depth of 3 cm, cover them with a thin layer of soil, water and cover with film.

Growing seedlings

There's no need to fertilize the seedlings additionally. As soon as the plants develop two leaves, they can be transplanted into individual pots. Gardeners use special peat containers, which can then be placed in the soil along with the plants.

Place tomato seedlings in a sunny, warm, and ventilated location. Water the plants once every 10 days, but monitor soil moisture. The seedlings can be planted outdoors in early June, provided the soil is already warm.

If you don't have the opportunity to do it yourself grow tomato seedlings, you can purchase it from gardeners. However, when choosing seedlings, you should know what to look for.

Rules for choosing tomato seedlings:

• Purchase sprouts in the last week of May or early June.
• Don't buy seedlings with ovaries, they won't survive transplantation.
• If there are fruits on the plant, pick them off.
• Don't buy very brightly colored seedlings; they are oversaturated with nitrogen fertilizers, and as a result, the tomato will bear few fruits.
• Plants should be free of yellow leaves, spots, larvae, etc.
• The plant should already have 7 leaves.
• The stem is small (the size of a pencil), the height is approximately 0.3 m.
• It should be located in boxes or containers with soil.
• If the seller has planted the seedlings too densely, the root system will be damaged during transplantation, and it will take a long time to recover.

Preparing a site for planting seedlings

The better the soil for growing tomatoes, the faster the plants will delight the gardener with red and ripe fruits.

Soil requirements:

• The soil should not contain seeds of other crops, especially weeds.
• There should be no insect larvae in the soil.
• The main requirement for the soil is that it must have the ability to retain water.
• Soils with high or low acid content are not allowed.
• The soil contains vermicompost and mineral components.
• Tomatoes grow better in soil with sand or other loosening components, such as ash.

Specialty stores sell special soil mixes for tomatoes. Naturally, there's no point in buying them for mature plants, but you can buy a mix for growing seedlings.

You can create a special soil for tomatoes yourself. It consists of a 3:1 ratio of peat and turf, sawdust, cow manure, sand, soil, and ash. This mixture is ideal for growing tomatoes, containing all the nutrients this crop needs.

Seedling planting technology

It doesn't matter whether you plant the seedlings in a greenhouse or outdoors; the sprouts need to be hardened off for two weeks before transplanting. Seedlings of the "My Love" variety are taken outside for several hours daily, then the time is increased.

The yield of bushes can be increased not only by fertile soil, but also by maintaining the distance between bushes (0.4 meters).

Seedlings are very sensitive to high temperatures, and can withstand temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius. However, if the temperature is higher, the sprouts begin to wilt, even with good watering. For this reason, the seedlings are shaded.

When transplanting from pots to open soil, seedlings require moisture and root aeration. The soil should be loosened at least once every three days. However, this process must be carried out with extreme caution to avoid damaging the plant's root system.

Caring for the crop

The My Love tomato variety requires a lot of water, but can go for long periods without it during the fruiting season. Also, remember to loosen the soil, remove any side shoots, and fertilize.

Watering rules

It might seem like there's nothing special about watering, but that's not true. Tomatoes are a southern crop, so they love not only sun and warmth, but also plenty of moisture. Watering should be done in a way that prevents water from getting on the leaves and stems. Always use water at room temperature.

The crop can suffer from too much or too little water. Watering is extremely dangerous in cold weather, and it's best not to water the beds on rainy days.

On hot days, water daily in the evening, sometimes reducing the frequency to once every other day. You can water in the morning and simply mist in the evening. If the plant doesn't get enough moisture, its leaves and buds will drop.

Top dressing

Fertilizing the soil before planting is essential, but the tomatoes themselves also need to be enriched with beneficial micronutrients. During the growing and development period, only organic fertilizers are used, as chemical components can harm the fruit and accumulate in them. Two main fertilizing applications are performed during the growing season: immediately after planting the seedlings and again 20 days later.

An example of a fertilizer: per 10 liters of water: 25 g of nitrogen, 40 g of phosphorus, 15 g of potassium. The dry fertilizers are applied between the rows. Each component of the fertilizer performs specific functions: potassium hardens the crop, phosphorus ensures flowering and a large number of fruits, and nitrogen increases green mass and accelerates the ripening of tomatoes.

Pinching out side shoots and shaping the bush

Pinching out side shoots is the removal of all lateral shoots that appear in the leaf axils. This procedure is not required for the "My Love" tomato variety, but it can be done. The purpose of pinching out side shoots is to encourage larger fruits. These additional shoots should be trimmed off as soon as they reach 3 cm in length. This will help gardeners properly and beautifully shape their tomato plants.

To attract bees or other insects to the bushes, plants are sprayed with a weak solution of honey or sugar.

Loosening the soil and weeding

The soil in the Moya Lyubov tomato beds needs to be regularly weeded and loosened. Loosening helps the root system get more air. The soil is highly permeable, so it's best to loosen it with a Fokin flat-plower; this tool removes weeds and pierces the soil without damaging the tomato roots.

The first loosening is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings in open soil. Afterwards, repeat the procedure every 14 days. Loosen the soil to a depth of 5 cm. Weeds should be removed manually a couple of times. Excessive grass negatively impacts crop growth and fruit formation.

Harvesting and storage

The fruits are harvested in late summer. It's important not to delay this process to avoid the onset of cold weather, otherwise the harvest will not be stored for long. Avoid harvesting early in the morning or late in the evening, as dew will significantly reduce the shelf life of the tomatoes.

Only ripe tomatoes are easily separated from the stem. They can also be picked green; they'll ripen after storage, but the flavor is much worse. However, these tomatoes last longer.

Store in the refrigerator for about a week, after wiping them with alcohol. You can also store tomatoes in a cellar or basement using wooden boxes. Place the harvest on sawdust and wrap them in paper. Do not stack more than three layers deep, and keep the stems facing upward.

Tomatoes are also placed in a three-liter jar and sprinkled with mustard powder. The jar is sealed, and the tomatoes are washed and dried beforehand. They can be stored this way for almost six months.

Pests and diseases

Despite the variety's strong immunity, two diseases can still affect the plant: blossom-end rot and black spot. Bacterial spot (black spot) can be treated with "Hom" and "Fitolavin," while black spot can be treated with calcium nitrate.

Don't neglect preventative measures: warm and treat the seedlings before planting. Watering should also be moderate and the greenhouse should be ventilated regularly.

Some diseases and pests that also harm the tomato variety My Love: Phoma (control agent - "Lepidocid"), Colorado potato beetle (control agent - "Prestige"), melon aphid and thrips (control agent - "Zubr", "Aktellik").

Reviews of the tomato variety My Love

The My Love tomato variety ripens quickly, producing healthy and tasty fruit. Excellent results can be achieved with proper care, following all recommendations for watering, planting, and harvesting.

Frequently Asked Questions