The subtleties of growing tomato tree

Tomato tree began to gain popularity only a few years ago, although in many foreign countries it grows a long time ago. Tomato tree causes wide interest not only among many professional gardeners and gardeners, but also among amateurs. It is not very capricious, it can be grown both in open and in closed ground. The plant gives an excellent harvest, however, for its self-cultivation it is necessary to study its description, main characteristics, pros, cons and all the nuances of cultivation at home.

Tomato tree is grown in many countries around the world, so it has several different names. Very often, this plant is called tamarillo or tsifomandra. It is a woody bushes, reaching no more than five meters in height. On one brush of a tree, most often grows up to six fruits, the weight of which varies from 100 to 150 grams. The leaves of the tomato tree are rounded. When the plant blooms, you can find pale pink flowers on it.

The fruits of the tree can be different colors. Most often the color varies from carrot to bright red. Fruit pulp is very sweet and juicy in taste. Professional gardeners are confident that tomato tree can produce high-quality crops up to 15–20 years old. Fruiting can begin as early as one year after planting the plant in the ground.

Tomatoes from a tomato tree can be eaten fresh or canned. Of these, often prepared dressings, sauces, ketchups and fresh juices. Whatever way of eating vegetables is chosen, you can be sure that everyone will like it and will be very useful for the organism as a whole, since tomatoes are enriched with a huge amount of vitamins and other useful components. Gardeners are sure that even a beginner or amateur will cope with the cultivation of the tree, especially if he has already been involved in planting the Solanaceae.

Some amateur gardeners still believe that if you plant a tomato bush in the soil and give it free rein to grow, it will bear fruit like a tomato tree. But the reality is not so simple. For a great harvest you have to look for the original varieties of tamarillo. In addition, many breeding varieties have been developed to date, which may also be of interest for their excellent characteristics. It is the best of all to get such plants only in the checked places and gardening shops, and also from private traders.

Varieties of tomato trees differ in the following criteria:

• in appearance of fruits and leaves;
• according to the intensity of fruiting - some species will delight with ripe vegetables until the end of autumn, and some only until the middle of summer;
• on some other features, including important points for care and cultivation.

Today the most popular varieties of tomato tree are the following:

• Rotamer - juicy fruits with a slight sweet aftertaste; most often this variety is chosen not only for delicious salads, but also for desserts;
• Inca Gold - the juicy and sweet fruits of amber shade will appeal to real connoisseurs of "curiosity" from the tree;
• Solid gold - The fruits of this variety resemble small eggs, many believe that they are the most common in taste, but are equally popular compared to other varieties;
• "Octopus F1" It is considered one of the most popular varieties today; and it is not surprising, because he collected the best properties of tomatoes in himself, and his taste qualities will surprise many, even the most fastidious ones.

Many wonder what kind of tomato tree to choose. It is quite difficult to answer, since each variety is considered to be unique in its own way.But the most popular today in our country is the "Octopus F1". The great advantage of this variety is its endless growth, especially if it allows free space. If a tree is planted in a greenhouse, then it will start branches on the walls and on the ceiling. To fix them, of course, desirable. And besides greenhouse cultivation, this tree bears fruit very well in open ground, since it is adapted to the most varied weather conditions.

Tamarillo is very popular and receives a lot of positive feedback from professional gardeners and amateurs from around the world. It is worth more to consider what it is connected with.

• The tree is considered to be very unpretentious in the care, it can bear fruit until the autumn cold. Harvested several times.
• It is believed that many varieties of tomato tree are resistant to various diseases and frosts. With regular spraying of the plant, you can not worry about the fruit, because insects are unlikely to attack them.
• Tomatoes are great not only for fresh consumption, but also in salted. Often they make delicious sauces and ketchups.

To grow a real tomato tree, you have to make a lot of effort, because not all lovers have discovered the real properties of this beautiful and tasty plant. The disadvantages of growing a tree include painstaking care for it, because it is considered a very important component of the further harvest. Many seeds of tomato tree simply do not take root, which is also a significant disadvantage. In addition, not always varietal tomatoes of tomato tree are obtained as tasty as, for example, from the garden.

Today, tomato tree can be grown in several ways. Which one to choose will depend on personal preferences and conditions for the further cultivation of the plant.

• Traditional way considered the most popular. It represents the usual planting of plants in open ground or in a greenhouse. Usually, with this method, the tomato tree can grow up to 3-4 m, especially if it is provided with enough sunlight. And also it is important to consider that the tree will need a strong support or trellis.
• Unconventional way is the cultivation of tomato tree by a special technique. For example, when growing a future tomato hydroponically (on special nutrient media), you can get a very good harvest. It will be no worse than in the open field. You can grow a strong tomato tree without any difficulty in protected ground, the main thing is to observe a number of certain conditions, including the necessary temperature conditions, regular watering and correct, natural top-dressings.
• In the garden, tomato tree is often grown in a metal barrel, making in its sides special openings for oxygen to the rhizome. Using this method of growing a plant, it is necessary to pour soil mixture, compost and earth in the same ratio and layers in a barrel. It is best to plant the plant at the beginning of May, then just water it regularly, but not flood the growing tree. In the future, it will be possible to harvest a great harvest.

It is worth considering in more detail each of the methods of cultivation.

Recently, many gardeners and professional gardeners have introduced the practice of growing tomato trees at home. This can be done even in residential conditions, if space permits. It is possible to grow a tree in an apartment or a private house as an unusual and outlandish scenery, which will surely attract the views of many friends and acquaintances.

It should be guided by the following rules:

• for planting it is best to use loose earth with mineral fertilizers and dressings;
• before planting, the soil should be disinfected; for this, a light solution of potassium permanganate can be used;
• seeds should be planted to a depth of no more than one centimeter, spraying them from a spray bottle and covering with a special film for plants;

• ideal temperature for growing plants is from +20 to +25 degrees;
• if the seeds have been correctly selected and planted, then the first shoots can be seen already in 15–25 days; with proper further cultivation even at home, the tree can reach a height of two meters, and 1 month after planting the seeds it is important to transplant them into separate pots;
• Picks should be made every 3 months when changing a larger pot; it is better to choose a shallow capacity, namely wide, since the roots of a tomato tree grow closer to the surface, and you should not forget about the pot as well, because it is best to water the plant in it;
• young tomato tree may die due to frequent watering, or if water stagnates in the pan;
• when growing plants at home, experts insist that in the first year it should bloom, it is not necessary to pluck flowers from it;
• in order for the seeds to germinate faster, they should be pre-washed, dried and put into the fridge for about 24 hours; fresh seeds will give the first shoots in the first days.

Tomato trees are grown not only in modern greenhouses, but also in ordinary areas, and in cities. In order for the tree to grow quickly and not cause unnecessary trouble when growing it, you need to follow the recommendations of experts.

• Seed should be planted somewhat earlier than, for example, the seeds of other Solanaceae. If planting will be done in winter, it is best to take care of additional lighting of the seedlings, for example, with the help of fitolamps.
• It is very important to pinch the main roots of the seedlings. This is done to stimulate accelerated growth of tomatoes.
• As the tomato tree grows very large, it will need a lot of space. An adult tomato tree becomes very large in size and sometimes reaches three or even four meters in diameter.
• No matter whether open ground or closed ground, no staking is necessary.
• Top dressing should be carried out at the stage of growing seedlings and after transplanting grown plants to the ground. Feed fertilizer should be constant. As feedings you can buy ready-made mixtures for plants. You can buy them in any gardening shops.

• Unlike many hybrid tomatoes, tomato trees are most often susceptible to various bacterial and fungal diseases, and they are often affected by pests. Due to all these factors, it is very important not to forget about the correct and regular treatment of plants with special means for preventive purposes.
• To improve the yield it is very important to regularly remove old and yellowed leaves from the bottom of the trunk. Remove the first yellowed leaves should be on the first pair of the appearance of full tomatoes.

One of the main problems is the small number of ovaries on the young bush. As for the rich harvest, in the middle lane of this kind of trees can bear fruit until the autumn cold.

Due to some of its features, a tomato tree is considered to be quite susceptible to various diseases, especially if it is not properly looked after and does not provide it with proper germination conditions. Sometimes preventive measures are not enough to permanently get rid of pests, especially if other plants grow near the tree. To protect the plant, it is best to grow it in nutrient solutions without soil, while regularly sprayed and fertilized. It is necessary to adhere to simple rules from experts.

• As a preventive measure against bacterial and viral infections of tomatoes, you can use a special iodine solution. One bottle should be diluted with ten liters of water. This recipe is considered very effective.
• Many varieties of tomato tree are resistant to late blight. But this does not mean that we should forget about the preventive treatment of plants.
• Often, tomatoes can be attacked by septoria or gray rot. Nevertheless, in well-ventilated areas with optimal humidity, these diseases are often not terrible.

On the intricacies of growing tomato tree, see the following video.