Tomato tree: description, planting, growing and care in open ground with photos

Breeders and gardeners are delighted with such a miracle of nature as the tomato tree, and gourmets and lovers of gourmet dishes adore the taste of its fruits. In nature, there are huge and small trees - natural varieties of this crop. On their basis, artificial, hybrid forms of trees with tomato berries were created. The plant amazes everyone with its size and rich harvest.

We will talk about what a tomato tree is, how to grow varieties and hybrids at home, and how to properly care for plants. You also need to know what to prepare for growing these phenomena.

Description and characteristics of the tomato tree

To become more familiar with the characteristics of the tomato tree, you need to study its description. Such trees are classified as indeterminate plants that grow up to 2-3 meters in height. In the first two months after planting, the seedlings do not bear fruit, as it takes time for the crop to form. Many gardeners plant young trees that have been planted, but this should not be done. Often, early pinching has a negative effect on the growth of bushes and even leads to their death.

The main feature of tomato trees is that during growth they form a lot of branching shoots.

This feature allows the planted bushes to grow over tens of square meters.

Each cluster of plants produces several fruits weighing more than two hundred grams. They have a round shape and are colored bright red. Their peel is reliably protected from cracking, and therefore the harvested crop is stored for a long time.

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.

Advantages and disadvantages

Tomato trees are popular among gardeners, as they have many advantages, which include:

adaptability to high air humidity;
strengthened immunity, which protects the plant from wilting, tobacco mosaic and late blight;
strong root system;
high productivity;
resistance to sudden temperature changes.

There are very few disadvantages to tomato trees. The main disadvantage is that they take up a lot of free space due to growth. Therefore, vegetable growers rarely plant such plants in small greenhouses or greenhouses.

Reviews from gardeners about the variety

Some of the lucky owners of a tomato tree say that its fruits are quite sweet, and even make jam from them. The latter call this variety a technical hybrid, which stores well, but is completely tasteless. For some, it grows several meters in size. And for some, it is practically no different from ordinary tomatoes. Therefore, some gardeners are happy and plan to expand their plantings in the future, while others sincerely regret that they spent so much effort and time on it.

Which one is right and why are the results so different? In order to get an answer to this question, you should carefully study the conditions that are necessary for the Sprut F1 variety.

Necessary materials for growing

It is recommended to figure out in advance what materials should be prepared before planting. To plant tomatoes, prepare in advance:

Seed material. Experts advise planting the tallest varieties on the site, as they bear fruit better.
Preparations used to create feed mixtures. Most often, gardeners use the Baikal M1 product.
Polyethylene film for covering crops. This material is used in northern regions, where without additional shelter seedlings may die due to severe frosts. In the southern regions, you can do without the use of polyethylene films.
Iron barrel with a carved bottom. It is customary to grow tomato trees not in ordinary holes, but in metal containers. Holes must be made in their bottom through which additional moisture and oxygen will flow.
Pump. This device is used to improve the supply of oxygen to the roots. When organizing a ventilation system, a hose connected to an air pump is passed through the bottom of the container.

Planting a plant

In order for a healthy and strong tomato tree to grow, the seeds are planted closer to autumn, at the end of August. Cubes are made from glass wool, the size of which is 15x15. They have small holes for seeds.

Before planting the planting material, it is dipped in a nutrient solution for several minutes, then planted in containers. All subsequent care for tomato seedlings consists of daily moisturizing (several times a day). About 2 months after the seedlings appear, the seedlings are transplanted into larger glass wool containers. All cubes are supplied with air supply tubes. Next, the tomatoes are placed in a container (for example, a bathtub) and covered with a lid made of polystyrene foam.

In the autumn-winter period, plants will need additional lighting. 12 hours of daylight is exactly what tomato plantings need. This condition should be provided to the plant almost until the end of February. During this period, tomatoes may periodically produce flower buds that need to be broken off. This is done in order to form a branching dense crown. It must be remembered that the tree should not bear fruit until 8 months. The first fruits will begin to appear in May. If all the rules of agricultural technology are followed and the correct temperature conditions are ensured, then the plant will grow very quickly.

A trellis is used as a support. The mesh, onto which the tomato branches will be tied in the future, is stretched at a height of 2-3 m.

Varieties of tomato trees

There are several popular varieties of tomato trees, the features of which should be familiarized with:

Miracle tree F1. A popular tall variety that attracts many gardeners with its resistance to common pathologies and high yield. Miracle Tree seedlings grow up to two and a half meters under optimal conditions. The fruits of the variety are quite large and weigh about 270-280 grams.
Japanese tree. This is another common variety of tomato tree. The variety copes with lower temperatures, and therefore can be grown by gardeners in the northern regions. The peculiarities of this tree include the bright orange color of the fruits. Among the advantages are the pleasant taste of a ripe harvest and resistance to cracking of tomato peels.
Italian tree. Many gardeners classify it as a greenhouse variety, since the plant does not tolerate frost well and may die due to low temperatures. The Italian tree grows up to three meters, and therefore it is tied to special supports. When growing, the tree is formed into two stems to increase productivity.

Tomato Octopus

Not so long ago, photographs of this variety of tomatoes spread all over the world, which aroused the envy and surprise of almost all tomato growers. The Octopus F1 was first demonstrated to the general public in 1985 in Japan, at the international EXPO exhibition. A huge tomato tree, grown from a single seed, occupied a central place in the government pavilion. During the six months of the exhibition, more than 13,000 fruits managed to ripen on its spreading branches.

In recent years, Octopus F1 has been favored by many gardeners. This hybrid tomato tree is characterized by high fertility: you can collect up to 1.5 tons of fragrant and tasty fruits from one bush. Therefore, it is not surprising that growing these wonderful vegetables is the dream of many gardeners.

So, what kind of miracle is this tomato tree Octopus F1? Can it be cultivated in home gardens or is it suited to grow only in laboratory conditions?

Features of cultivation

Every gardener who plans to plant a tomato tree should study the technology of growing it. This will help to properly grow the planted trees.

Preparing seeds and soil

To increase the germination of the seed, it is heated in advance. To do this, all tomato seeds are heated in the oven at a temperature of fifty degrees for 1-2 hours. To speed up the process, temperatures can be raised to 60-65 degrees.

The soil mixture in which the seed will be planted is also prepared in advance. To make the soil more fertile, it is mixed with peat, sand and superphosphate fertilizers.

Planting seeds for seedlings

Seed material for growing seedlings is planted in peat pots. Before planting, the containers are filled with prepared soil mixture, after which holes are made in the soil. 1-2 seeds are planted in each hole.

Selection and preparation of a place for transplantation

Before planting the grown seedlings, you need to prepare the barrels in which they will be planted. To do this, cut out the bottom of each barrel and fill it with soil mixed with fertilizers.

Transplanting seedlings into open ground

Experienced gardeners do not recommend replanting all seedlings, as some seedlings may not take root. Therefore, only the largest seedlings with strong roots are selected for transplantation. Before planting them, holes 6-9 centimeters deep are made in prepared barrels with soil. Then the seedlings are carefully planted in the dug holes and watered with warm water.

Features of planting at home

When planting tomatoes at home, you need to monitor weather conditions and temperature. You cannot plant vegetables if the outside temperature is below ten degrees Celsius. To grow strong bushes in harsh climates, you will have to plant them in a greenhouse.

Specifics of growing in a greenhouse

When growing plants in greenhouses, they carefully monitor the climate inside. A high-quality ventilation system is installed in the greenhouse so that air circulates well. They also monitor the temperature in the greenhouse so that it does not fall below 5-10 degrees Celsius.

How to get a good harvest?

An adult plant does not need pinching. Support trellises are installed next to it for tying the lashes. The soil humidity should be maintained at least 60%. Water abundantly, but excess moisture must leave the barrel to avoid stagnation. In hot weather, moisten the soil every day in the morning.

By mid-July, nutrients are usually used up, so feeding is necessary. It is performed at intervals of 4-7 days. You can fertilize with herbal infusion or make a mash of EM compost. To prepare it, take compost and soil in equal parts, fill a third of the container with them and fill it with water to the brim. The mixture is infused for two days.

When ovaries appear, care should be taken that they do not hang randomly from the barrel. If the tree is small, then the fruits are simply removed from the clusters. It is better to tie the branches to supporting trellises or to nets. In this case, the crop will get more air, and it will be able to grow freely.

The first fruits begin to appear in July. Harvest should be done as the tomatoes ripen. It is also advisable to remove old and yellowed leaves from the bottom of the trunk. The yield of the tree in the first year is normal, in the second it is very high. When reaching maximum fruiting in one season, you can harvest up to 1.5 tons. After every third node, and sometimes more often, ovaries are formed in the form of bundles of 3-5 pieces. The number of fruits collected directly depends on compliance with agricultural technology.

Fruiting continues until October. When it ends, all fruiting branches are cut off to stimulate a bountiful harvest next year. If the tree is small, then it is advisable to bring it indoors before the first frost.

In the greenhouse, after harvesting, the tree is given a dormant period of 2-3 months:

reduce watering:
stop feeding;
reduce the temperature to +16-18 degrees.

By following the described technology, you can grow a tomato tree in an apartment, but for this you do not take a barrel, but a small bag. As it grows, the bush is shaped so that it does not grow too much. You can also reap a good harvest at home.

Rules for caring for a tomato tree

Any planted plant needs proper care. Therefore, every person who has planted a tomato tree should become familiar with the features of caring for it.

Working with soil

When caring for tomatoes, be sure to loosen the soil so that it is more quickly saturated with oxygen and better absorbs moisture. Experts advise carrying out this procedure twice a season.

Fertilizer application

The first fertilizing is carried out in early June, when there are few nutritional components left in the soil. The soil is fertilized with ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, mullein and humus.

Watering

Tomato trees should be watered at least four times a week. At the same time, 8-10 liters of water are consumed per bush.

Stepsoning

The first pinching procedure is carried out 7-8 days after transplanting the seedlings. First you need to get rid of the stepsons located below, and only after that you can cut off the remaining shoots.

Protection from diseases and pests

There are a number of products that are used to protect tomato trees from pests and diseases. The most effective drugs include Ridomil, Acrobat, Kuproksat and Ditan.

Diseases and pests

The plant rarely suffers from late blight and mosaic, but is affected by septoria and gray rot. To prevent fungal infection, once a season the tomato tree is sprayed with the drug “Fitosporin”. If there is insufficient ventilation of the roots, the plant is attacked by parasites and harmful microorganisms. Treatment with iodine solution helps prevent the development of diseases.

To cope with the invasion of aphids, which love to feast on the juice, the tree is sprayed with wormwood infusion and sprinkled with tobacco dust.

Description

Stem: branching with a huge number of racemes;
Height: 3-5 m;
Crown: spreads over 50 m2;
Fruits: smooth, uniform, large, fleshy, with excellent taste and long shelf life. Brushes are laid every three sheets. One cluster can contain up to 6 fruits weighing up to 160 g;
Productivity: high. The fruits can be collected from July to the end of September.

Cyphomandra, tamarillo and other names of the same plant

Tomato tree is a beautiful name for a unique fruit-bearing plant that has become increasingly confusing lately. The tomato tree was originally called beetroot tree (Cyphomandra betaceae). But the appearance of the commercial name tamarillo in New Zealand (a trademark derived from the Maori words for “superiority” and “yellow”), and then the official recognition of beetroot tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) as an independent species of plant from the Solanaceae family, radically changed the situation.

After all, the status of the digital figure itself remained “unresolved”. There is a lot of debate about the status of digitomandras and the need for their reclassification from a separate species into tamarillo (or vice versa), a possible complete change of names. In the meantime, scientists have not decided and the plant continues to be studied, it is worth remembering that tsifomandra , tamarillo , tamamoro , and even octopus are all names of the same plant, which remains original, large, fruitful and special in everything.

There is even more confusion with regular tomatoes. One of the large varieties of tomatoes bearing fruit with stunning clusters received its name in honor of Cyphomandra, but we are talking about classic tomatoes that bear fruit in the year of sowing, and not at all about a perennial fruit tree.

The best option is not to pay so much attention to the name, but to the characteristics of the plant, because real tomato trees are certainly different from tomatoes, they are perennial, with different fruits and are difficult to confuse with something else.

Cyphomandras are especially popular in countries with subtropical and tropical climates, where their fruiting can be enjoyed all year round. This plant migrated to us from Southern Europe and the Americas, where commercial plantings can boast a special scope in the territories of Brazil. It is believed that the European history of digital figures began only in the last century and we owe its status as a fashionable culture, first of all, to the French.

Types and varieties of tsifomanders

In addition to the beetroot cyphomandra, very rarely on sale are the seeds of the tree cyphomandra (Cyphomandra abutiloides) with coarser branches and yellow or orange, almost perfectly round fruits with a soft edge. The berries are sweeter.

There are about 30 varieties of Cyphomandra. They differ only in the color of the fruit, pulp and taste - from sweet to sour. In our country, the variety is often not indicated, and buying any tamarillo is almost like a lottery. The best way to choose the variety you like is to try its fruits.

The only exception is the hybrid variety "Sprut" , its main advantage is considered to be fruiting in the first year and the ability to grow tamarillo as an annual tree for open soil.

Formation

Tomatoes have the ability to branch heavily. From each bud, located in the leaf axil on the main stem, a side shoot grows. Removing these shoots is called pinching. If the plant is not pinched, a highly branched bush with a large number of shoots and flower clusters will form. As a result, a large number of fruits are set, but due to the short growing season, they do not have time to form and ripen. As a result, the yield is greatly reduced.

Therefore, tomatoes need to be shaped correctly. Usually formed into 2 stems, leaving a stepson under the first flower cluster. The remaining stepsons are removed, i.e. pinch them, leaving stumps 0.5-1 cm in size. Stepsons are carried out systematically, once every 7-10 days, not allowing the stepsons to outgrow more than 4-5 cm. If you are late and the stepchildren have grown large, then you should not break them out, but simply pinch them the top.

In most of our country, tomatoes that set before August 1, i.e., the fruits of the first three to five inflorescences, have time to grow and ripen in open ground. Therefore, in order to speed up their ripening, at the end of July, all the remaining small stepsons are broken out and the growing points on the shoots are pinched, leaving two or three leaves above the inflorescences with already set fruits. If you leave the stepsons located above and below the first inflorescence, the bush will have 3 stems. At the same time, no more than eight inflorescences are left on them and the growth point must be pinched.

Some gardeners form semi-determinate tomatoes (up to 1 m high) into one stem, leaving 3-4 clusters with fruits on it. When the first brush is formed, all the leaves under it are gradually removed. They do the same when the second hand develops, etc. After this, the top of the plant is removed, leaving 2-3 leaves above the top brush. This way the fruits will ripen faster and be larger.

It should be borne in mind that the single-stem form of tomatoes produces 1.5-2 times more fruits ripened on the bush than the bush form, but the yield per unit area is always less. Therefore, when forming into one stem, tomatoes are placed in a row more often - every 25-30 cm. If the tomatoes are of the determinate type and are ultra-early ripening, then they do not need to be formed. They form a low, compact bush, although not very productive. But the harvest begins to ripen much earlier.

The fruits can be harvested at the so-called blanche ripeness, when they begin to turn white and slightly pink - they will quickly arrive in a box or basket.

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Soil and climate requirements

For this variety, it is best to use a soil mixture containing clay, sand and preferably humic acids. Also, to improve soil characteristics, you can buy ready-made soil mixtures specially designed for tomatoes at garden centers.

For good growth of this bush, a temperature of at least +25 °C is required. In greenhouses this is quite easy to do, but when growing in unprotected soil, choose sunny areas that are protected from the wind.

As for humidity, its indicators should be at the level of 60%, which requires watering every week 2-3 times with further loosening and mulching.