Orange Heart Tomato: Variety Description, Photos, Reviews

Among the many varieties of Orange Heart tomatoes, they stand out not only for their shape and color, but also for two other important characteristics. First, they can be grown safely in all possible regions of the country, and second, this variety is recommended for allergy sufferers as safe.

Characteristic

Yes, Orange (or Bull's) Heart can indeed be grown in any of the country's many regions. It's true. This tomato variety is considered a hybrid and early-ripening, as it typically takes about 125 to 130 days from planting the seeds to the ripening of the first fruits. The bushes are indeterminate, meaning they have no defined growth limit. The bushes are tall, with medium foliage, and are not standard.

Liskin's Nose (also known as Orange Heart) grows easily both in open garden soil and in greenhouses. The bushes reach a height of approximately 150-180 cm, sometimes reaching 2 m. These tomatoes are highly resistant to most diseases (unfortunately, plants also have their own diseases, including cancer), but they often suffer from the scourge of vegetables—late blight. A single bush can produce up to 5 kg of beautiful, ripe fruit; if grown in a greenhouse, with favorable conditions and maximum care, harvests of up to 20 kg are possible.

Fruit

Any photo of a bull's heart tomato will show its distinctive shape—heart-shaped with a pleasant, bright orange color. They weigh 150 grams, but larger, 400-gram tomatoes are also available. They have few seeds, a medium dry matter content, and a moderate number of internal chambers. This makes them easy to use in cooking. They are easier to shred for salads and hold their shape.

A small disadvantage is that Liskin Nose cannot be stored for a long time, it spoils.

The main specialization of this variety, as reviews say, is its use in salads or fresh.

Pros and cons

Any tomato description will include the variety's strengths and weaknesses. Without this, the description would clearly be incomplete, as it's studied not only by consumers but also by gardeners and serious producers selecting crops for mass cultivation. They value specific criteria.

Fox's Nose (aka Bull's Heart), what are the advantages:

• Excellent taste, beautiful appearance, with a pleasant, bright color;
• Drought-resistant (this is during the period of ripening and growth);
• Give a good harvest (with proper care);
• They can be grown in almost any region of the Russian Federation;
• Large-fruited.
• The beautiful appearance of this tomato variety is also noted in photos. What are the disadvantages?
• Susceptible to late blight;
• Not very suitable for preservation.

Apparently, this variety is used more by cooks who eat it immediately, without storing it. Not everyone likes its large fruit, as it's difficult to distribute the quantity of large fruits across a dish, when one isn't enough, and two are too many. Its undemanding nature and soil composition are a great advantage for any vegetable variety. This means that gardeners can confidently plant Bull's Heart without worrying about nature's "surprises" and get a good harvest. tomato harvest.

This variety is drought-resistant, and if properly supported, it can withstand even strong winds. Other, more demanding varieties are more difficult. Either change the soil, buying or importing a different one, or plant only in a greenhouse. Moreover, not all gardeners have spacious greenhouses. Most prefer to plant, following the example of their ancestors, simply in the soil of their own plot. Of course, they need to select only undemanding varieties so that their efforts are rewarded with a good harvest.

Peculiarities

"Bull's Heart" (also known as "Liskin's Nose") forms clusters just above the first leaves. A single cluster can contain 5-6 whole fruits. The fruits themselves vary in shape and weight. Larger ones usually grow at the bottom, while smaller and medium-sized ones grow at the top. It's as if nature takes care of the clusters, distributing their weight evenly.

Growing

Growing "Bull's Heart" is considered quite labor-intensive. First, the seeds selected for seedlings are sown around early March, before the snow melts. They should be placed in 3-cm-deep holes in seedling pots or portable beds (usually, gardeners make a dozen separate holes for seedlings or several long communal beds made from scrap materials). Before planting, all seeds should be thoroughly treated with a ready-made solution of potassium permanganate, then rinsed with water. Once the seedlings have developed two leaves, it's time to transplant.

Important: Don't forget about complex fertilizers, then about 1.5-2 weeks before planting the finished seedlings, harden them off.

If there is no heating in the greenhouse, then tomato seedlings Planting should be done by early May (or planned for ground planting). By May, the snow will have melted, bringing the long-awaited warmer weather. General planting should be done between late May and early June. It's worth checking the lunar calendar for favorable planting dates. It specifies specific types of vegetables or fruits for planting, along with dates for each month. For gardeners, the lunar calendar is a veritable cheat sheet. Planting during a favorable period increases the chances of a bountiful harvest.

Space the plants as follows: no more than 5 individual plants per square meter. Otherwise, they will become crowded later. Imagine tall bushes, up to 1.8 m. This variety requires both staking and subsequent side-sonning. Only one stem needs to be trained. To stop the bush from growing too fast, pinch it back around July 28th-30th.

Diseases, pests

Unfortunately, late blight, the scourge of vegetables, also threatens the "Bull's Heart." To combat this, you need to thoroughly ventilate your greenhouse and inspect your tomato plants. Regularly loosen the soil and don't forget to weed the beds, even when the plants are already large. Incidentally, inspections and spraying will not only help against late blight but also serve as excellent general preventative measures.

Important: Love your plants, every single one. They sense their owner's care and, with good, warm care, will grow strong and bear fruit well. This advice applies to growing any crop.

By the way, try not to plant tomatoes next to, for example, potatoes or other nightshade crops. This will significantly reduce the risk of late blight.

If late blight has already appeared, a garlic or fermented mushroom infusion will help. Fill a sprayer with it and regularly treat the affected plants. Fungicides are also helpful. To avoid unpleasant pest infestations, treat your tomatoes with insecticides more frequently.

Fertilizing should be done approximately 3-4 times during the growing season. This is a complex fertilizer, alternated with a regular mullein solution.

Lateral shoots and lower leaves should be removed promptly. When flowering begins, carefully pinch off any deformed or small flowers from the clusters. This procedure stimulates ovary formation, and the fruits will grow larger.

Important: The fruits may not be very suitable for canning, but they transport well and can be stored well.