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Yakov Pavlovich
Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing
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Summer residents who grow vegetables plant tomatoes, if not in an open garden bed, then in a greenhouse. Many of them have not heard of the tomato tree, which, even with conventional cultivation technology, bears up to 2 buckets of fruit per season. In the wild, tamarillo, as a member of the nightshade family is also called, is found only in Latin America. The crown of a tree-like shrub grows up to 50 meters wide, and a tomato tree resembles an apple tree, stretching up to 5 m.
Basic techniques
A tomato tree, which is the easiest way to grow in open ground, will give a rich harvest when using the so-called EM technology. In this case, the plant is planted in a barrel, and the harvest is harvested from the end of June to October.
The second method involves growing it in a greenhouse for one and a half years. Using this technique, a real tomato tree grows, with a crown occupying a huge area.
Harvesting octopus tomatoes
When the tomatoes begin to turn red, begin harvesting. They do this until the fall.
After harvesting, the fruits are placed on the windowsill where they ripen. Leave them for about 10-14 days.
Particularly difficult care and special conditions for growing a tomato tree are not required.
It is important to remember that in open ground the hybrid will look more like a large and powerful tall bush.
When grown in a greenhouse, the tree grows to impressive sizes. Its height is practically unlimited, its width reaches several meters.
However, even in open ground the hybrid produces a rich harvest.
Transplanting
Tomato seeds for growing “trees” should be sown in boxes as early as possible. For central Russia, the best time will be February. Some summer residents plant seedlings for a barrel even at the end of January.
Seeds are prepared in the usual way. That is, they are disinfected and soaked. Picking of grown seedlings is carried out in fairly large containers. In this case, it is important that the root system of the plants develops as best as possible. Plants are transplanted into open ground after stable warm weather has established outside.
Growing tamarillo at home
According to the recommendations of experts, you should use the Lunar calendar when planting. The best time is considered to be mid-January. The soil is loose, with mineral fertilizers and a high content of vermicompost. You can prepare a soil substrate from equal parts of peat, leaf soil and sand. Fine expanded clay is used as a drainage layer.
Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 12 hours and then placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. They also spill soil for disinfection.
Sowing is done to a depth of no more than 1 cm, the top is sprinkled with earth and the surface is sprayed with a spray bottle. Then they are covered with a special film to create a greenhouse effect.
The containers are placed in a bright, warm place. The temperature is maintained at +20-25 degrees. In winter and early spring, daylight is short, so its duration is increased with the help of special lamps. If the seeds are planted correctly and have not lost their germination, then sprouts usually appear after 15-25 days. Seedlings grow up to a meter in height. A month later, it is planted in separate pots.
Picking is done once every 3 months, transplanting the seedlings into a large container. It is advisable to take containers that are not very deep, but wider, since the root system of a tomato tree grows closer to the surface in width. The soil should be moistened regularly, but without stagnation of water. A tray is placed under the pot through which bottom watering is carried out. Every two weeks the plants are fed with organic and mineral fertilizers.
Barrel preparation
Of course, it is impossible to grow a large tomato tree on ordinary soil. Therefore, a barrel or any other sufficiently large container is filled with a special mixture. First of all, the bottom of the selected “bed” should be removed. This is necessary so that excess water can easily come out of the barrel.
Next, holes with a diameter of approximately 1 cm are made in the walls of the container according to a 20x20 cm pattern. They are necessary to ensure that as much oxygen as possible reaches the roots of the plants.
The barrel should be installed in the sunniest place on the site. A layer of urgasy is poured into its lowest part. This is the name of a special fertilizer prepared using EM technology. We'll look at how to do it in detail below.
The thickness of the urgasy layer should be about 10 cm. Next, another ten-meter layer is laid, consisting of EM compost, ordinary and turf soil in the proportion 1x1x1. At the next stage, one tomato is planted in the barrel.
How to make urgasu
By using this type of fertilizer you can end up with a fairly large tomato tree. Growing in open ground will not take too much effort.
Urgasa is prepared throughout the year. You can do this right in your city apartment. Under the urgasu, take an old plastic bucket and place a grate on its bottom so that it is located at a low height. Next, the walls of the container are lined with a plastic bag with holes in the bottom.
All kitchen waste is not placed in a garbage can, but in one prepared for disposal. Excess liquid will flow down and can be used, for example, as fertilizer for indoor plants (a solution with water in a ratio of 1x1000).
After each addition, the mixture should be sprinkled with the preparation with bacteria “Baikal EM1”, sprinkled with Urgasy starter and pressed down with some weight, carefully wrapping it in a bag. The bucket must be tightly closed with a lid.
Sourdough is made from kitchen waste twisted into minced meat and dried on paper. For 1 kilogram of them add 5 tablespoons of “Baikal EM1”. The resulting mixture is placed in a plastic bag and a weight is placed on top. After a week, the mixture is kneaded and dried.
How to make EM compost
A tomato tree in open ground using such a soil additive will develop very quickly. So you should definitely use it. Moreover, making this fertilizer will be completely easy. EM compost is prepared in almost the same way as regular compost. The only thing is that all components should be crushed. The mass should be quite porous. For every 100 kg of mixture, add 10 kg of earth or sawdust. Next, everything needs to be thoroughly mixed and poured in layers with a solution of the EM-1 preparation (100 ml per 10 liters of water) and 100 ml of non-acidic jam without berries. The humidity of the compost should not fall below 60%. In two months it will be ready.
Japanese
The Japanese variety is not in the State Register, but it is found in garden plots. Its ripening is mid-early. The fruits begin to ripen after 112-117 days. The plant is indeterminate, recommended for greenhouse cultivation, but the variety is also cultivated in open areas:
- Japanese tomatoes are heart-shaped. The color is bright, crimson. The pulp is very sweet and takes up most of the fruit. There are practically no seeds;
- average weight 300 g. The lower ones reach 600 g;
- The yield per plant is 10-12 kg.
The Japanese variety has good reviews. It can tolerate low temperatures and hot climates. Plants do not get sick and are resistant to heavy rainfall and strong winds. Plant growers claim that the Japanese woman can survive anything.
Planting a tomato
Next, let's look at how you can actually get a fairly large and productive tomato tree. Growing in open ground, as already mentioned, is done using a fairly large container.
The strongest and tallest plant is chosen for the barrel. It is buried about 5 cm. The top of the barrel is covered with plastic wrap. After the tomato grows by about 10 cm, the lower leaves are torn off and the prepared soil mixture is poured into the barrel to the same height.
This must be done until the barrel is filled almost to the top.
Tomato tree care
A tomato tree, reviews of its productivity, by the way, are very good, like any other plant, it requires careful care. First of all, you need to remember that a planted tomato should not be pinched. Next to the barrel you need to install a small trellis to support the lashes.
The humidity of the soil mixture in the container should not fall below 60%. Fertilizing begins in mid-July. To do this, use a mash made from EM compost. You can fertilize the plants once a week, but 2-3 times is better.
The chatterbox is made by pouring a mixture of EM compost and 1x1 soil into a container to a third of the height and filling everything to the top with water. Infuse the solution for 24 hours.
If desired, using the technology described above, you can grow a small tomato tree at home. Residents of Russia who do not have summer cottages use this method quite often. Of course, in this case, it is not a barrel that is used, but not an overly large bag (for example, a flour bag). It is placed on a loggia or balcony. The harvest in this case can be very good.
Diseases and pests
As already mentioned, the octopus has excellent immunity to various tomato diseases (tobacco or tomato mosaic, for example). But these plants are not immune from late blight. This disease develops at high air humidity and damages first the shoots, and then the leaves and fruits. To avoid such a misfortune, regularly ventilate the greenhouse and water directly at the root of the bush.
Not a single variety is immune from pests, especially since on such a large bush they have something to profit from. The roots of the octopus are attacked by wireworms and mole crickets. You will be saved from them by planting marigolds or garlic nearby, which repel these insects. And the leaves are often attacked by aphids, because in such a dense crown it is difficult to keep track of every leaf. If you notice the presence of aphids (rolled leaves, thin sticky webs), then treat immediately. A soap solution (it is better to use laundry soap) or an infusion of wood ash along with bitter herbs (wormwood, nettle) will help get rid of uninvited guests.
Read about late blight of tomatoes in this material.
In the first year of cultivation, it is permissible to use chemicals to get rid of pathogenic bacteria or insect pests. But when the bush enters the phase of active fruiting, such treatment is unacceptable; it can be harmful to your health.
Real tomato tree
Growing a huge “octopus” with a crown diameter of a couple of tens of meters is very difficult and quite expensive. However, if you wish, you can try this method. But, of course, only when there is a sufficiently spacious heated greenhouse on the site. The cultivation technology in this case includes the following steps:
- Prepare a container with a height of at least 50 cm and an area of 1.5 meters (usually an old bathtub is used).
- A special hydroponic solution is mixed.
- Glass wool cubes for seedlings are prepared, as well as a large cube for transplanting.
- Purchase a powerful aquarium compressor and fluorescent lamps (with a spectrum suitable for plants).
Seeds are planted in cubes at the end of August or even a little later. This is a must. When planted in autumn, a tomato tree (a photo of a large tomato “octopus” can be seen below) develops much better. Glass wool is impregnated with a hydroponic solution. After this, the seeds are placed in specially cut recesses. The cubes need to be moistened several times a day with the same solution. After two months, the strongest plant is transferred to a large cube prepared in the same way. Tubes leading from the aerator are placed in it, after which it is placed in the bath. The latter must be covered with a foam cover. A hole is made in the top of the lid for plant growth.
During the entire cold period, tomatoes need to be illuminated using lamps (with the formation of a 12-hour daylight hours). Emerging flower shoots should be broken off during this period. Fruiting of the plant should begin no earlier than May. In February, the lighting stops. To support the tree, a trellis net is installed above it.
Description
Natural varieties of the crop include such as Cyphomandra beet or Cyphomandra tree from the order Solanaceae with cream fruits of different colors: from orange-yellow to dark red. Digitomandra exists in several forms and names, the most famous of which are: Rubu Red, Solid Gold, Yellow, Rothamer, Inca Gold, Oratia Red, Ecuadorian Orange, Goldmine. All digitalis are low and unpretentious crops; they can grow in tubs or large pots and bear fruit almost all year round. Some of them, for example, the Solid Gold variety has an excellent apricot taste and color, the oval yellow-golden Inca Gold fruits are used for making soups and purees, the Rothamer tomato tree is distinguished by bright red berries, and their golden flesh is sweet and tasty.
Cyphomandra's leaves are large, like those of eggplants, slightly pubescent and fragrant. At the base their plate is heart-shaped, at the top - pointed, its length is 35 cm, width - 12 cm. The leaves grow on a strong woody trunk, up to 80-100 cm high, but in nature they can reach a height of 5.5 m, and in tub - 2-2.5 m and live 10 years or more. Fruiting begins in the second year of life. The crown can reach 50 m in diameter. Despite the tree-like bark, the tree stem is brittle and fragile. The roots are located superficially, so the plant has many aerial root shoots. They prevent him from falling and losing stability.
Flowers with 5 petals are similar to potato ones, collected in groups of 5-8 or more, up to 40. They also emit an unusual aroma, their petals are pale pink, white or lavender. They are enclosed in a purple-green calyx, with yellow stamens visible above them.
The second name of the culture is Tamarillo or octopus . One bush produces many ovoid fruits, 10 cm long and up to 5 cm wide, on each cluster there are 5-6 pieces weighing 30 grams. Double-chambered fruits with thick skin and sweet pulp with flavors of strawberry and apricot, and in the middle - tomato and melon. They are more likely to be classified as fruits rather than vegetables.
When fresh, the fruits are cut into 2-4 parts, sprinkled with sugar or poured with honey and eaten with a spoon. You can make a salad, sauce or compote from them. They are excellent for dietary nutrition because they contain pectin, vitamins B, C and A, as well as trace elements - potassium and iron. They are used to make candies, jellies and jams due to the gelling properties of tomatoes. They benefit hypertensive patients and help lower blood pressure.
Hybrid varieties, such as Sprut F1, can bring up to 1500 kg from one bush within a year. The crown of such a tree can occupy the entire roof and walls of a large greenhouse. Gardeners also plant the Pink Giant, Ilya Muromets, De Barao and others.
Benefits of culture:
- the tomato tree adapts to any humidity in the surrounding area;
- exhibits resistance to late blight, tobacco mosaic virus, fusarium wilt, sudden changes in weather conditions and temperature;
- has developed and branched roots, trunk height - 3-5 m;
- is easy to grow.
Flaws:
- takes up a lot of space;
- prefers heated greenhouses.
What you need to prepare
Before planting and growing a tomato tree (photo), you need to make a supply:
- seeds from tall crops that produce many ovaries and actively grow;
- preparations for fertilizing, such as Baikal EM 1;
- films for covering greenhouses or oil electric heaters for heating;
- containers, for example, boxes, barrels without a bottom or large ceramic pots, special containers with holes: side for oxygen to enter the soil, bottom for moisture;
- fluorescent lamps for additional lighting.
Clue. To improve ventilation of the root system, you need to purchase an air pump and a hose in which holes are made and lowered to the bottom of the container. After planting the bush, the pump is turned on every 10-20 minutes.
Greenhouses should have an area of up to 50 m2, and at least a height of 4 m to provide the tomato tree with conditions close to natural. Additional lighting and heating will be required. For comfortable life of the root system, a large container is needed: an old bathtub, a large wooden barrel, a very large flower pot. And also a lid to cover the space around the trunk to retain moisture at the roots in the summer. A small container is placed nearby and plant food is diluted in it. In a regular greenhouse, Tamarilla varieties can be grown, but only as a seasonal tomato tree ; it can produce only up to 10 kg of fruit, although in natural conditions this figure reaches 1500 kg.
The crop needs to be provided with 12 hours of daylight, so it cannot do without fluorescent lamps. The air temperature in the greenhouse in summer should be close to 24-25°C, in winter with the help of heating devices or heating - up to 19°C, not lower.
The tomato tree prefers soil that is light, nutritious and breathable. First, seeds are sown for seedlings, the sprouts are cared for and planted in a permanent prepared place.
How to prepare a hydroponic solution
Growing a large tomato tree is only possible when using a composition of this particular variety to wet glass wool. To prepare a hydroponic masterbatch, take:
- iron citrate 0.009 g,
- ammonium nitrate 0.2 kg,
- superphosphate 0.55 kg,
- magnesium 0.3 kg,
- potassium 0.5 kg,
- boric acid 0.003 kg,
- manganese sulfate 0.002 kg.
The mixed ingredients are diluted in 10 liters of water. To prepare the working solution, the stock solution is diluted in a ratio of 1/100 liters. Air is supplied to the roots periodically (once a day or twice). Glass wool should not be allowed to dry out. Moisten it with the same solution.
This is how a large tomato tree is grown. You can see photos of such plants on the page. Growing this miracle is quite labor-intensive. It is unlikely that too many summer residents will want to get a huge tree from the Sprut F1 variety. If only because of the lack of professional greenhouses on the sites. However, it is certainly worth trying to grow small trees in a barrel or bag during the warm season. If you follow all the recommendations, the harvest with this method of cultivation will probably turn out to be very good.
