Rapunzel Tomatoes: Description of the Variety and Subtleties of Growing at Home

For the first time everyone heard about the Rapunzel tomato from a report from an exhibition of breeding crops held in 2014, and the variety immediately created an unprecedented stir among gardeners. The first video that appeared immediately provided the tomato with a lot of fans who dreamed of buying seeds for planting. In our country, unfortunately, there is no Rapunzel planting material on sale yet.

In various information sources, there is much talk about the Rapunzel tomato variety that has become popular, which bears the name of a fairy-tale princess with beautiful hair from the famous Rapunzel cartoon by Walt Disney. The beautiful name of the tomato was for the falling brushes, studded with red glossy fruits the size of a walnut, which are very similar to the plaited braids of the Disney heroine.

The hybrid tomato “Rapunzel” was bred in 2014 thanks to the breeders of FloraNova, who are still working on the resistant varietal characteristics of tomato seeds.

Currently, planting material can be purchased only in agricultural firms in England and the United States. In 2015, there were attempts to sell seeds by two British online stores, but in our time there is no such implementation. Tomato is not yet grown in Europe and Asia. Russian gardeners can only hope that soon Rapunzel tomato seeds will appear on the shelves of our stores.

Tomato refers to non-determinant hybrids because of its unlimited growth of branches. The bushes of the plant are not standard, they grow large enough and reach a height of 1.7 to 2.5 meters. Tomato has a core type of root with well-developed lateral and adventitious roots, which have the ability to grow quickly, but not deeply.

The appearance of the plant compares favorably with other tomatoes for its beautiful fruiting lashes and the location of the fruit on two sides of the branches. Tomato belongs to the early ripening varieties, the growing season (from planting to ripening fruits) is only 75 to 80 days. The fruits are the same shape, dense, they are very juicy with a sweet taste, they have a few small chambers.

"Rapunzel" brings a big harvest - on one brush only 40 fruits grow. This variety belongs to the salad varieties, the fruits are suitable for use in raw form, they can be used for the preparation of various preserves, but can not be stored for a long time. Fruits are endowed with dietary and nutritional properties, they are very useful.

Tomato "Rapunzel" experts have a positive view on many qualities. Tomato advantages:

• on the plant there is a quick ovary of the fruit;
• high yield of plants;
• fruits are very tasty, sweet, thin skin;
• beautiful presentation;
• fruits are well preserved during transportation.

The disadvantages of tomato "Rapunzel" include the fact that:

• fruits can not withstand prolonged storage;
• It is impossible to purchase seeds in the Russian market.

The company FloraNova, which brought Rapunzel, claims that the tomato can be grown both in open ground and in greenhouses, and in any other enclosed space in conditions of limited soil. But to get a high harvest, you need to make a lot of work. Breeders initially deduced a special variety for growing tomatoes at home on window sills, terraces or on balconies in special patio containers.

When growing a house should be borne in mind that not every window sill can accommodate such long shrubs.Tomatoes are very light-loving, so tomatoes are planted indoors in the spring, when there is a lot of sunlight. When planting in the winter period, additional lighting with phytolamps should be provided.

Growing tomatoes on a loggia, balcony or on a windowsill provides for some special features:

• plants need bulk capacity to produce a powerful root system;
• Containers with growing plants should be regularly rotated with different sides to the sun's rays - this will allow uniform coverage of all brushes with fruits;
• for maximum number of ovaries, it is necessary to carry out a slight shaking of the brushes with blooming flowers;
• watering plants, due to the drier air, is carried out in rooms more often than with open ground.

Breeders assure that the variety is suitable for cultivation in any climatic zones, so in the future we will be able to see such an excellent culture in the most northern areas of our country.

The agrotechnical processes for growing Rapunzel tomato are the same as for any other tomato variety. The soil should be prepared acidic or slightly acidic, the distance between the bushes should be provided at least half a meter from each other.

Lack of light and constant waterlogging - the main enemies of any tomato, which will lead to the fact that the plants can not give a good harvest. The temperature regime in which the plants should be located is from 23 to 27? С. It is necessary to carry out regular staving of plants and leave one or two stems from one root. Watering should be done only after the topsoil dries.

As soon as the fruits begin to ripen, it is necessary to apply complex fertilizers twice a month. Organic fertilizers, ammonia, boric acid, and hydrogen peroxide are suitable as fertilizers for tomatoes. Plants planted on balconies need to be fed every two times a month with mineral fertilizers, and tomatoes planted in greenhouses should be watered with grass extract every week. In the second half of the vegetative period (from mid-July), fertilizing is carried out by mineral complexes.

Tomato "Rapunzel" has an enviable resistance to diseases that are susceptible to the family of the nightshade. Despite this fact, experts advise to carry out regular prevention and spraying the whole plant Bordeaux liquid, and leaves - onion extract with garlic and soap. The ground insect variety Rapunzel is not afraid, and underground pests of plants can gladly feast on the root of a tomato. These pests include the bear, the larva of the May beetle and the mole.

Vegetable growers of the United States of America and Great Britain, where Rapunzel is now actively grown, say positively in their responses that regular watering and timely fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will help to improve the growth of the roots to increase the yield of tomatoes.

A beautiful plant, like the princess, by whose name it was named, is very capricious and sensitive. The tomato negatively reacts to a lack of sunshine, sharp temperature drops and an excess of moisture.

All gardeners who love the Rapunzel cultivar come to one conclusion that it is necessary to put a lot of effort into growing tomatoes, but all the work will thankfully pay off in the fall in the form of beautiful branches with fruits and a large harvest.

Various sources say that this variety of tomatoes does not propagate by seed, but exclusively by cutting. If this information is correct, then our Russian gardeners will not be able to acquire planting stock in the near future.

Review of errors in the cultivation of tomatoes, see the following video.