Tomato Banana red

A determinant tomato variety with an interesting name Red Banana has been a favorite of gardeners in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan for many years. Consider what caused such a popularity of the vegetable.

The red banana was bred in Russia by Gavrish Breeding Firm LLC. The authors of the variety were S.F. Gavrish, V.V. Morev, E.V.Amcheslavskaya.The variety began to be actively used since 1997.

Low-growing bushes of Red Banana grow up to 70 centimeters in height, but in greenhouses this figure can increase. The bushes are distinguished by increased branching, but there are not too many leaves on them. The creeping stems are covered with medium-sized leaves of a light green color. There is slight corrugation, stipules are absent. The first ovary, as a rule, forms above the level of the 8th leaf, then the stems grow in 1-2. The stalk is characterized by the presence of an articulation. The brush forms about 12 eyes, due to which the fruits ripen in bunches.

Positive aspects of the variety:

• the possibility of cultivation in various regions;

• decent indicators of productivity, keeping quality;

• the ability to carry out transportation over long distances;

• wide range of applications;

• an unusual type of fruit.

Negative:

• the plant requires a lot of care;

• the variety is afraid of high humidity;

• the culture is very prone to disease.

The red banana got this name precisely because of its non-standard fruit shape. It is elongated, cylindrical and, indeed, resembles a strong small banana. Ripe red berries are collected in bunches of 5-6 pieces. They do not weigh too much - about 100-110 grams. Thanks to this, tomatoes of this variety are used in completely different ways: they are eaten directly from the bush, they are completely rolled up in jars, they are used for salads and various preparations.

Each fruit is covered with a dense skin that prevents cracking. The inside of the tomato contains dense, fragrant pulp without excess water content. There are quite a lot of dry substances. The taste is not very pronounced, but it is harmonious, tomato, with a very weak characteristic sourness.

Early Red Banana ripens successfully in 90-95 days. The harvest begins in July or August. However, it will not be the only one, since a new batch of tomatoes will ripen in 14 days. Under the condition of the covered ground, tomatoes will bear fruit even until November, but in the fall their colors will begin to become much less bright.

The red banana quite often pleases gardeners with a rich harvest. From a bush, you can get up to 2.5-3 kilograms of tomatoes. In greenhouses, the yield is always higher than in the open field.

Seeds are planted for seedlings from March 20 to April 10. If this is a proprietary material, it has already been processed, if these are your own seeds, then it is highly recommended to lower them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes (be sure to be wrapped in a rag). You can make your own nutrient soil or buy it from a store.

The soil is lightly spilled with heated water, and then rows are made in it with a depth of 1 centimeter.The seed is placed there, keeping a distance of 2 centimeters. Leave about 4 cm of free space between the barbs themselves. The seeds are slightly buried, covered with foil. They are brought into a room with a temperature of at least +20 degrees. After a week, sprouts will appear, the film will need to be removed. Already grown seedlings are dived and hardened. It will be planted in open ground from May 15 to June 5. It is very important that any frost has already stopped.

The area for planting tomatoes must be thought out so that 3-4 bushes fit on 1 square meter. There should be a free space (60 cm) between the plants, as well as between the rows - 50 cm. The bushes are immediately formed so that there are 2-3 stems. Each copy will need to be tied to a support. The first days, it is advisable to mulch the soil around the tomatoes.

Water the Red Banana every day, but only before the ovaries begin to form. It is necessary to pour the liquid under the root. After the ovaries appear, watering is reduced to 1 or 2 times a week. Prolonged rains will eliminate watering completely if the tomatoes grow in the open air. After saturation with moisture, it is recommended to weed and loosen the soil.

When the season starts, the soil should be rich in nitrogen, which will start new growth. It is best to use diluted organics here. But during the active growing season, mineral compositions with all the elements necessary for the formation of fruits should be used. Fruiting will require potassium-magnesium complexes.

An obligatory moment of leaving is pinching. Stepsons grow back pretty quickly, so they need to be cut off regularly. It's best to get busy this morning before the sun starts to bake hard. Watering and feeding before pinching should be excluded. It is recommended to sprinkle the wounds with wood ash.

Disease and pest resistance

Banana red is not particularly good at fighting disease. Very often it is struck by cladosporium. The disease occurs in high humidity conditions. To prevent the appearance of tomatoes, it is recommended to spray with infusions of garlic or iodine. Medicines containing copper will help get rid of the disease.

The culture shows medium resistance to fusarium and spotted mosaic virus. The first is a fungal disease that appears due to a lack of light. They are treating her with Trichodermin, but the forecasts are not always reassuring. Mosaic is an extremely serious ailment. It is better to remove the diseased plant immediately before the pathogen has passed to other bushes. Some gardeners try to treat the mosaic with a milk solution (a liter of milk and 1 tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water), but this only helps in the very early stages.

Pests are quite rare, and most often it is a whitefly. To get rid of it is simple, you just need to treat the bushes with insecticides.

Banana red is an incredibly hardy plant. It is able to adapt to heat and cold, and will endure temperature changes. The variety is grown in completely different climates, but it gives the richest yields in temperate.

Reviews about Banana red are different. Some summer residents praise him. They liked the interesting shape of the fruit, the opportunity to harvest a good harvest. Many are satisfied with the fact that the variety grows in different regions. Gardeners are pleased with the taste and the fact that tomatoes are well suited for canning and drying.

Others, on the contrary, argue that the taste is bland. Juice cannot be made, since the pulp contains little liquid. Not everyone has a decent harvest. Gardeners claim that the Red Banana constantly grows a large number of stepchildren and often picks up diseases.