Most summer residents and gardeners love to experiment in their home gardens, and grow new plants to evaluate the taste and other benefits of newcomers. Thanks to the work of breeders, such gardeners face a difficult choice, because there are a huge number of tomato varieties, and, moreover, this list is constantly updated with new products. There are types of tomatoes with not only unusual and interesting shapes and colors, but also taste characteristics. And the agricultural technology and productivity of these species are very different from each other. These new products include the Banana Legs tomato. The name of the tomato variety Banana Legs is intriguing and makes you want to learn more about it, read reviews about it and compare its characteristics with other varieties.
Characteristics and description of the variety
Tomatoes Banana legs are medium-sized and belong to the semi-determinate type. The height of the bush does not exceed 70-80 cm in open ground and 1-1.5 m in a greenhouse.
The leaves and stems of the variety are thin, so you can plant two tomato bushes in one hole.
After 9-11 leaves, the first inflorescence is formed on the stem. The next ones are laid every 2-3 sheets.
The first harvest at the stage of technical ripeness can be harvested 90-95 days after emergence.
When fruits are fully biologically ripe, they acquire a bright orange color with yellow stripes and barely noticeable splashes of pink.
The skin of the Banana Legs variety is dense, so the tomatoes are not prone to cracking.
The fruits have an elongated shape with a tuberculate surface and a pointed nose pulled to the side. The average weight of one tomato is 80 g.
The pulp has two seed chambers with a small number of seeds. When not fully ripened, the photo shows that the inside of the tomato has a central white vein.
The State Register commission noted the taste of the tomato as good. But, like most early varieties, Banana Legs does not have a pronounced tomato aroma. The taste has a characteristic sourness, the flesh is quite dense.
Tomatoes are ideal for pickling for the winter and for making fresh salads.
The variety's seeds are produced for sale by the agricultural company Partner.
Pest and disease control
Despite the variety’s resistance to diseases, if cultivation technology is violated, it is affected by late blight. The infection can be spread with low-quality seeds. Damp and cold weather leads to the development of late blight. The disease begins from the upper leaves. Dark spots are noticeable on them, which gradually spread to the entire plant, stem and fruits. The advanced stage leads to the death of the bush.
To protect tomatoes from late blight, in the fall all plant debris is removed from the site and the soil is dug well. In spring, seedlings are treated with copper-containing preparations. Use them strictly according to the instructions. A few weeks before harvest, spraying is canceled.
In open ground and greenhouses, the Banana Legs variety is affected by whitefly. The pest settles on weakened plants. You can get rid of the insect using the drugs “Aktara” and “Commander”. The treatment is repeated after 10 days.
When to plant seedlings
Tomato seeds Banana legs are sown for seedlings 45-50 days before transplanting to a permanent growing location. To this period add 3-5 days, which will be needed for germination of planting material.
Sowing time largely depends on the region and growing conditions in which the crop will be kept.
In the south, seeds for seedlings can be planted in early March. For residents of the northern regions, planting dates are shifted to the end of March or beginning of April.
Advantages and disadvantages
- In addition to good resistance to fungal and infectious diseases, the described plants have a number of other undeniable advantages, these are:
- quite high yield;
- exotic look;
- uniform formation and ripening of fruits;
- dense skin, allowing long-term storage and transportation of collected fruits;
- possibility of growing without seedlings;
- high percentage of seed germination;
- the special taste of tomatoes, a little reminiscent of citrus fruits;
- fleshy pulp.
The only disadvantage of the variety is its specific taste, which not all consumers like, but this is more of a feature than a significant disadvantage, because everyone has different tastes. Otherwise, the process of growing and harvesting does not differ significantly from the cultivation of other varieties of tomatoes and receives only positive feedback from gardeners.
Planting seeds and growing seedlings
The variety can be grown without seedlings. But a richer harvest and stronger bushes will only be achieved when growing seedlings at home.
Sow Banana Legs seeds according to the standard pattern for tomatoes. When sowing in common containers, the distance between the grains should be 1.5-2 cm. The planting material is buried approximately 1-2 cm.
The optimal temperature for the appearance of the first shoots is from +23 to +25 degrees. After pipping, the temperature is reduced. This will prevent the risk of seedlings being pulled.
When planting early, additional illumination of seedlings will be required. In the absence of sufficient light, the seedlings will become elongated, thin, frail and long.
After the formation of the first pair of true leaves (not to be confused with cotyledons), the tomatoes are planted in separate cups.
2 weeks after transplantation, the seedlings are fed for the first time. For these purposes, special fertilizers for tomato seedlings with a predominance of nitrogen are used.
Two weeks before transplanting to a permanent place, banana legs tomatoes begin to harden in the fresh air, veranda or in a greenhouse.
Features of planting and care
The breeding process begins with preparing Banana Legs tomato seeds for sowing. First of all, deadlines are determined.
Attention! With the seedling method of cultivation, at the time of transplanting into the ground, the age of the plants should not be older than 55 days.
The vegetable grower determines the exact timing of planting individually. Two important factors play an important role here:
- climatic conditions of the area where the Banana Legs variety is supposed to be grown;
- closed or open type of cultivation.
Based on the above factors, approximate deadlines are determined. Vegetable growers will learn a more accurate date from the lunar calendar.
Before sowing, grains of the Banana Legs variety are soaked for three hours. You can use a solution of iodine or potassium permanganate. In the first case, add 20 drops of iodine to a glass of water. Tomato seeds are immersed dry. When using potassium permanganate, prepare a slightly pink solution. Dry tomato seeds cannot be immersed; they are pre-soaked in warm water.
Soil for tomato seedlings Banana legs are calcined in the oven. A simple method of disinfection is based on pouring boiling water or a dark red solution of manganese.
Attention! When heated, beneficial microflora in the soil along with parasites are destroyed. The best way to disinfect is boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Fill the available containers with soil, cut grooves 2 cm deep with your finger. If the seeds of the Banana Legs variety are sown in containers, then leave gaps 5 cm wide between the rows. Tomato grains are laid out along the grooves in 2 cm increments. The crops are sprinkled with soil, moistened, and covered with film. , placed in a warm room for germination.
After the emergence of friendly shoots, the film cover is removed. When the tomatoes adapt to the air, the plants are moved to a cooler room with an air temperature of about + 17°C. For the Banana Legs variety, this procedure is necessary to prevent premature elongation of seedlings.
After 2-3 true leaves appear, the tomatoes are picked, seated in separate cups. The air temperature in the room is raised to +20°C. The seedlings are not placed on the window for a couple of days until they get sick. When the tomatoes adapt, the containers are moved to the windowsill and additional lighting is provided with lamps.
Greenhouse cultivation of the Banana Legs variety has its own characteristics. From the very beginning, the tomatoes are growing. A large amount of green mass takes up a lot of oxygen. Tomatoes shade each other, which is unacceptable for full development. In the greenhouse for the Banana Legs variety, the optimal planting scheme is 4 bushes per 1 m2. It is better to form tomatoes with three or four trunks.
In a greenhouse, tomato bushes grow up to 1.2 m high. Thin stems are not able to support the harvest on their own. Tomatoes are provided with supports 1.3 m high in the form of a trellis or wooden stakes.
After transplanting the Banana Legs tomatoes into the greenhouse, regular watering begins within a week. The amount of water is determined by the condition of the soil. Typically 25 liters are required per 1 m2. After each watering of tomatoes, the greenhouse is ventilated, and after a day the soil is loosened.
As for foliar feeding, the Banana Legs variety responds well to spraying with boric acid. The solution is prepared in a consistency of 1 g of powder/1 liter of water. Fertilizing enhances the sweetness of the tomato.
If the Banana Legs variety is intended to be grown outside, the planting scheme is determined taking into account the future formation of the bush. Planting a tomato, after which the plant has 3 or 4 trunks, allows you to adhere to the greenhouse planting scheme - 4 tomatoes / 1 m2 of bed. However, on the street, the Banana Legs tomato does not need to be planted. The bushes will grow wide and will need free space. The planting scheme is changed to 3 tomatoes/1 m2 of bed.
Tie tomatoes to stakes or trellis. On the street, the bushes will grow up to 1 m high, but they need support. The intensity of watering is controlled by weather conditions and the condition of the soil. The soil is kept moist but not waterlogged. The plant responds well to mulch.
With any growing method, the Banana Legs variety requires feeding. To increase productivity, it is optimal to carry out the procedure every 2 weeks, alternating organic matter and mineral complexes. If this is not possible, in the summer you need to apply at least 2 additional feedings: at the beginning of flowering and during the appearance of the ovary.
The Banana Legs variety is disease-resistant, but with high humidity, fungus or late blight may appear. When growing tomatoes outdoors, mustard is sown between the rows. Mow green manure until it reaches a height of 15 cm. Mustard mulch helps fight fungi well. Late blight of tomato banana legs is most often affected in the greenhouse. Containers with iodine suspended from the ceiling help prevent the spread of the disease.
Features of growing in open ground and greenhouses
Banana legs are moved to open ground or a greenhouse after the ground has warmed up to +10 degrees and the air temperature is not lower than +12.
For 1 sq. m. place up to 3 plants. Form into 2-3 stems. With dense planting (up to 5 bushes per sq. m.), the crop can be planted in one trunk.
To obtain an earlier and richer harvest, it is recommended to remove all stepsons up to the first flower cluster.
The watering and fertilizing requirements for the Banana Legs tomato variety are standard, as for other types of tomatoes. To reduce the frequency of watering, tomato beds are mulched.
It should be taken into account that the crop is prone to blossom end rot due to the structural features of the fruit. The disease is the scourge of most elongated tomatoes.
Calcium nitrate against blossom end rot is considered one of the best remedies. The drug is applied to the holes before planting the bushes, used as a top dressing during watering, or the bushes are treated leaf by leaf.
Like all tall tomatoes, Banana Legs need extra support. Moreover, you will have to tie up not only the central stem, but also the side shoots.
Growing rules
Banana legs are planted in a permanent place when the soil warms up. In most regions, planting occurs in May-early June.
In the south of our country, tomatoes are planted in open ground at the beginning of the last month of spring. At the same time, it is possible to plant seedlings under film in regions with a temperate climate or in a greenhouse in northern areas.
Planting tomatoes in a permanent place
Before planting tomatoes, you need to choose a suitable area of the garden. The place where tomato crops will grow should be in the most illuminated part of the garden. Otherwise, the plants will become sick, and the sweetness of their fruits will be significantly reduced.
Attention ! The beds where nightshade crops grew last year are not suitable for planting tomatoes. The best precursors for tomatoes are legumes, cabbage, onions, carrots and cereals.
You should also not plant other nightshade crops next to tomatoes. Potatoes are considered a particularly dangerous neighbor.
The beds for tomatoes are prepared in the fall. They are dug up and cleared of weeds. Mullein, humus and dry lime are added to the soil.
In the spring, the area where the tomatoes will grow is dug up again. All emerging roots of weeds are removed.
At a distance of 50-70 cm, holes are dug in rows. There should be a gap of 60 cm between the depressions in the ground. Per 1 sq. m place no more than 3 holes.
Fertilizers are added to the holes. Use ash, long-acting granular mineral fertilizer, or homemade formulations.
Before planting in a permanent place, the plants are watered and fed. This must be done 3 days before the pick.
Immediately before planting, the tomatoes are removed from the pots along with a lump of earth and placed in the holes, placing the roots towards the center. It is important not to damage the roots.
Warm water is poured into the holes with seedlings and covered with soil. The next watering is possible only after 2 weeks.
Care
To get a rich harvest, you need to properly care for your tomatoes. The list shows the basic steps for growing the Banana Legs variety:
- Watering tomatoes should not be frequent, but plentiful . In hot summers, the soil is moistened three times a week; in months with a more gentle climate, one watering every 7 days is sufficient.
- Tomato stems Banana legs are thin. Therefore, plants without support break under the weight of the fruit. To prevent this from happening, they are tied up.
- Form a tomato banana legs into 3-5 stems. The more stems there are, the later the harvest will ripen, but the more abundant it will be. Gardeners note that when formed into 3 stems, the fruits grow larger.
- Banana legs do not require pinching . This makes them easier to care for.
- Root dressings are used 3-4 times per season. It is best to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. Chicken droppings or mullein diluted with water are used as organic compounds. Mineral fertilizers are purchased in stores.
- Foliar feeding will not only speed up the formation of ovaries, but will also reduce the risk that the plant will drop them. To do this, the bushes are sprayed with compounds containing boron.
Mistakes when growing tomatoes
There are techniques that will not only help you grow healthy plants, but also increase your yield. Here are some tips for growing tomatoes:
- It is better to use synthetic thread for tying tomatoes. If you tie up bushes with natural material, there is a risk of rot not only on the ropes, but also on the stems of the plants.
- It is important that the fruits do not lie on the ground. This will increase the risk of plants becoming infected with late blight and slugs appearing on them.
- Plants are planted in the morning or evening. You cannot water tomatoes on the day of planting. This procedure is not carried out on cloudy days.
- All damaged and incorrectly formed inflorescences are removed. Thanks to this, healthy fruits will form faster.
Diseases and pests
The Banana Legs tomato is resistant to most diseases. He rarely gets sick even from late blight.
Despite the presence of immunity, tomatoes still have a risk of getting sick. To prevent this from happening, preventive methods are used.
Disinfection of seeds, containers and soil is the very first and most important stage of prevention.
It is equally important to disinfect all tools that come into contact with plants. This is where fungal and viral infections accumulate.
Compliance with the rules of watering, shaping and pinching the bush is another important step in disease prevention.
To reduce the likelihood of plant infection, they are sprayed with disinfectants. For example, Fitosporin or a solution of potassium permanganate are often used.
Insects carry fungal and viral infections. They also damage plants. Therefore, we need to fight them.
To combat harmful insects, bushes are treated with a soap solution and infusion of celandine. Large pests are collected by hand.
Disease resistance
Banana feet are susceptible to blossom end rot. Preventive treatments and fertilizing with calcium nitrate will help avoid fruit spoilage.
In reviews, gardeners note that the variety is not very resistant to fungal diseases. In open ground, a tomato can have time to get rid of late blight, but when grown in a greenhouse, it sometimes becomes infected with cladosporiosis.
To prevent disease, tomato bushes are treated with fungicides.
Like other tomatoes, Banana Legs are not immune to pest attacks. At the first signs of aphids and whiteflies, the bushes are treated with insecticides. When tomatoes are attacked by spider mites, the plants are sprayed with insectoacaricides.
Application of fruits
“Banana Legs” tomatoes, having excellent taste, are excellent for eating fresh, as well as for preparing summer salads and slices when serving on a holiday table. When preparing salads, you need to keep in mind that tomatoes have a slight lemon flavor.
Many housewives often use tomatoes for canning, both as a whole and as a component for winter salads and lecho. When whole-fruit pickled, they reveal their refined taste.
For those who like to experiment in the kitchen, Banana Legs tomatoes can be used in the preparation of a variety of sauces, pastes and as an ingredient for gravy. They are very suitable for instant freezing of whole or sliced tomatoes, as well as for drying.
Each housewife, in accordance with the preferences of her family members, will find where and how to use these unusual, bright and incredibly tasty tomatoes.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like almost any variety of tomatoes, Banana Legs is not without its advantages and disadvantages. The pros and cons are compiled based on reviews from those vegetable growers who planted this cultivar.
pros
Abundant and long-lasting fruiting.
Early ripening.
Beautiful appearance of the fruit.
Not a hybrid - you can collect your own seeds for seedlings.
Low maintenance requirements.
Tomatoes are easily transported without loss of commercial quality.
Good seed germination.
Minuses
Not resistant to fungal diseases (late blight, cladosporiosis).
Has a mediocre fruit taste.
The presence of white veins in the pulp.
Prone to blossom end rot.
In reviews, some gardeners note that sometimes there is a mismatch. But this feature is characteristic of many new, unsettled cultivars.
Thick skin can be attributed to both advantages and disadvantages. The strong, thick skin prevents the tomatoes from cracking, which is especially important when canning or growing for sale.
Reviews from gardeners who planted the Banana Legs variety
Irina Sergeevna Kachur, 42 years old, Gukovo
I’ve been growing the Banana Legs variety for the second year now, I really like the taste, and they look very unusual. I grew it in seedlings in a greenhouse. There were no difficulties in caring for it, the plants grew well and did not get sick. I was pleased with the generous harvest; there were so many fruits that there was enough to eat in salads and to roll up for the winter.
Irina, 38 years old, Saratov region
I advise everyone who has not planted yet to plant it! You just need to shoot the plants, then the tomatoes will be much larger. If you don’t do this, then you will have a miracle - a bunch of thin shoots with a huge amount of very tasty, beautiful tomatoes. Simply great for pickling! They ate fresh until October, harvested green in mid-September.
Petr Nikolaevich Konevsky, 59 years old, Volgodonsk
Tomato variety Banana legs was grown in a greenhouse. The harvest was large, but not everyone will like the taste of the tomatoes, as they are sweetish and have a lemony taste. My wife liked the fresh tomatoes better, but the marinated ones somehow taste better to me. The variety is very productive, so I won’t plant more than three bushes, there is no one to take it to the market, but it will be enough for a family.
Similar varieties
The Banana Legs tomato is similar in characteristics and descriptions to the following varieties and hybrids:
- Chukhloma is tall, early ripening. Ripens 110-115 days after germination. The orange fruits are elongated, pepper-shaped, weighing up to 150 g. The declared yield by the manufacturer is 6 kg per bush.
- Honey fingers F1 is a medium-ripening hybrid. Elongated cylindrical tomatoes weigh up to 80 g. They are distinguished by high yield and sweet taste of the fruit.
- Orange banana is a mid-season, high-yielding cultivar. Ripens 110 days after germination. The plant is tall, growing up to 1.5 m in a greenhouse. It has high taste characteristics. For good yield, be sure to carry out pinching and plant the crop in one stem.
- Eros - the cultivar received its name because of the specific shape of the fruit, similar to a phallus. Tall tomato. Unlike the Banana Legs tomato, it is a medium-ripening variety. The average fruit weight is 120 g.
Characteristics of tomato Banana legs
It is no coincidence that tomatoes have gained popularity among gardeners. The Banana Legs variety fully corresponds to its description and characteristics, produces good yields and does not require special labor costs.
Tomato yield Banana legs and fruiting
The description of the tomatoes states that Banana Legs are a racemose variety. In one bunch, from 7 to 13 fruits are ripened at the same time. This makes it possible to get a large harvest. From one bush it is possible to collect from 4 to 6 kg of marketable tomatoes. In greenhouses the figures are slightly higher. Compared to other popular varieties, Banana Legs have an average yield, as can be seen in the table.
| Variety name | Yield indicators, kg/bush |
| Banana legs | 4-6 |
| American ribbed | 5,5 |
| Banana red | 3-5 |
| Dina | 4,5 |
| Persimmon | 6 |
Tomatoes sing together, harvesting should be done regularly. The first fruits can be tasted 65-70 days after planting.
Attention! The growing method does not affect tomato yield.
Area of application of fruits
Thanks to their thick skin, banana legs are suitable for whole-fruit canning. They are well preserved in salting and the color is not lost. However, the main purpose of the variety is fresh salads. Some housewives make unusually colored juice from the fleshy fruits.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Tomato bushes are resistant to major diseases and pests. Gardeners are especially pleased with the fact that banana legs are rarely affected by late blight. At the genetic level, they have good immunity, however, preventive treatments in heavy farming conditions will not hurt.
The variety easily tolerates heat and drought, but is sensitive to low temperatures. In regions with an unstable climate, it is better to plant the crop in greenhouses or cover the bushes with agrofibre.
Reviews from netizens
ADVANTAGES: very productive variety! DISADVANTAGES: slightly thick peel Hello! This is the second year I have been growing Banana Legs tomatoes. This is some kind of madness! Purely by chance I found these seeds in another gift. The name was very surprising)) legs, and also banana legs, and even tomatoes. The variety itself is already ancient - 1988 and began to be grown in the USA. Slowly he moved to us. I planted the Banana Legs tomato directly in the greenhouse, then transplanted it. There were only 10 seeds, 9 hatched, and 7 survived to transplant. I think this is an excellent result! I will not describe planting and replanting in detail - everything is standard, as for all tomatoes. It's just a miracle, not a tomato. Already in green they look exotic. All of them have marble stripes, hanging like exotic fruit. Very abundant fruiting! I was advised not to plant the stepson, but I ignored the advice and very carefully carried out this procedure with several Banana Legs tomato bushes. The yield on the stepson bushes was noticeably greater! The tomato branches are thin, but the fruits are large. I was very afraid. that they would break, I tied them up carefully. In the greenhouse, the tomato grew about a meter and a half tall! Just a real jungle with yellow icicles! Although they wrote that it grows into a small bush strewn with tomatoes. The tomatoes weigh a lot. I definitely didn’t weigh every tomato, but there were about 8-10 pieces per kilogram. Seven tomato bushes Banana legs just filled me up with tomatoes up to the tomatoes)) we ate them and gave them away. I canned a lot. The taste is excellent! So meaty. By the way, they look interesting in appearance - there is practically no foliage. And very lightweight! They picked them green in the fall and ate the last one before the New Year. Yes, straight into the salad))) I’m very pleased with the variety! Unusually productive! But now I will plant less, 3 bushes will be enough because they are overwhelmed with the harvest.
Bazhenaa
https://otzovik.com/review_5748674.html
Diseases and pests
The variety is extremely rarely affected by diseases and pests. On the one hand, this is due to high immunity, on the other, early fruiting. Tomato is not afraid of late blight either. However, preventive treatment with Fitosporin solution will not hurt. Otherwise, the preventive measures are usual - cleanliness in the beds and maintaining a dry microclimate in the greenhouse.
Why do the Banana Legs tomato leaves curl?
In a variety with thin, almost lacy leaves, the leaf blades often begin to curl. The main reasons are late blight and fattening of tomatoes. Banana legs. If there are no black or gray spots on the leaves, then most likely the reason is the latter factor. Confirmation will be fleshy, green stems, the formation of a large number of shoots and small tomatoes that take a long time to ripen. Reasons: excessive fertilizing and watering, lack of lighting. The way to fight is to identify and eliminate the causes.
You can learn more about the Banana Legs tomato in the prepared video:
