Tomato Rapunzel

Rapunzel - cherry tomatoes with an unusual way of development, excellent taste and name. The culture is named after the heroine of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale for her remarkable braids.

The Tomato Rapunzel culture was obtained by English specialists in 2015, representatives of the FloraNova company. It is not yet in the State Register. This thermophilic variety was created for cultivation in greenhouses, on balconies or at home. In warm regions of the country, it is successfully cultivated in open soils.

The plant is early maturing, indeterminate, 180-240 cm high. In order to grow it productively, it is necessary to pinch the top of the main stem. Ripe fruits are harvested within 2.5-3 months after the first shoots appear. In open soils, it is capable of bearing fruit, including the beginning of October, and those growing in greenhouses or in containers on loggias bear fruit all year round.

The bushes are tall, the crown is densely leafy, the stems are thin, flexible. Leaves are overall, rich green shades. The upper part of the leaves is slightly pubescent. Fruit clusters form up to 50 ovaries. Proven type of formation in 1-2 stems.

The main feature of the variety is the unusualness of its bushes, on which long lashes are formed, similar to strands of hair braided in braids. They reach a length of 2-2.5 m and bear 30-50 miniature fruits.

If the shaping of the bushes is not carried out in a timely manner, then the yield may become dubious or minimal.

We add to this that culture never has empty flowers, every flower gives birth to a fruit.

A variety with extremely bountiful harvests, so domestic gardeners liked its cherry fruits.

The pluses of culture include:

• the possibility of productive cultivation on balconies;

• reliable immunity and resistance to wrecking attacks;

• the fruits of the culture are classified as dietary types of products;

• independence of fruiting from climatic features;

• early ripeness of fruits;

• ripening in clusters;

• does not require frequent watering.

Minuses:

• short shelf life and poor preservation during transportation;

• low yield in open soils;

• poor root development;

• difficulties in purchasing seeds;

• intensive growth of bushes;

• the culture is extremely light-loving and requires 10 hours of illumination.

The culture is quite demanding and capricious. For this reason, for a productive fruit return from it, it is important to strictly adhere to all care recommendations.

Cherry fruits are round in shape, weighing up to 15-20 g. The peel is red, thin. The consistency is dense, juicy, contains sugars and many useful minerals.

Transportability is low, long-distance transportation of thin peel does not withstand. Low storage capacity, ripe fruits can be stored for up to 5 days.

According to their characteristics, fruits of the salad type, they are consumed mainly fresh, used as a healthy food. There are only 15 kcal per 100 g of fruit.

The fruit tastes sweet and sour, rich.

The growing season of the variety is 89-95 days. With proper care, 2.5 months after germination, Rapunzel bushes will bring a bountiful harvest.

High-yielding culture:

• up to 40 small fruits ripen on 1 scythe;

• up to 10 brushes develop on 1 bush, giving 1 kg each during the season;

• more than 20 kg are harvested from 1 m².

Seedlings are sown from mid to late March. The grown seedlings are planted in the ground around the end of May.

The distance between the bushes during their planting in the ground should be at least 50 cm, and between the rows - 70 cm.

A characteristic feature of the culture is its extraordinary love for the sun's rays. But she prefers acidic or slightly acidic soil.

The culture is beautifully cultivated on the balconies. The main task is to organize optimal conditions for growing a significant harvest.

Initially, you should study the level of temperature and illumination on the balcony. If there is a shortage of light, carry out the necessary illumination with the help of lamps. Additional heating will be useful in winter. In the course of growing a crop, it is important to take into account several nuances.

1. For her, you need to use voluminous containers that allow you to develop a strong root system.

2. Containers with seedlings should be constantly rotated, which is done for greater efficiency in the illumination of the fruits and to reduce the level of damage to plants by fungi.

3. For an effective process of fruit ovary, a gentle shaking of the flower brushes is performed.

4. Small volumes of soil in containers on balconies require more frequent fertilizing. They are carried out 1 time in 7 days from the time of the dive of the bushes. Complex formulations are usually used as dressings. Here, compliance with the fertilizing schedule during the setting and ripening of fruits is relevant.

The order of cultivation of a culture on loggias is not much different from the order of its cultivation in greenhouses or in open soils.

But first, before sowing seeds, they must be prepared. The preparation procedure consists of several stages.

1. The seeds are placed in a deep container and poured over with a non-concentrated saline solution. Then they are left in a warm room for 12 hours. Empty seeds float up, they are thrown away, and the rest are passed through a sieve and rinsed with water.

2. Then they are dried and treated with a manganese solution for disinfection (10 mg of manganese per 50 ml of warm water). The seeds are wrapped in gauze or thin cotton cloth, and then dipped in a saline solution for 20-25 minutes.

3. At the end of the procedure, the seeds are rinsed in water.

4. Wet seeds are laid out on a dry cloth and dried in a ventilated place, protecting them from direct sunlight. The seeds are ready for planting.

When planting seedlings in the soil, a number of rules should be followed:

• a distance of 50 cm between the bushes should be maintained;

• holes are prepared with a depth of no more than 10 cm;

• we recommend that the disembarkation process be carried out by the transshipment method in order to avoid injury to the roots.

Good yields are achieved with proper shrub formation.

1. In the process of development, the plant, in addition to the main stem, also develops additional ones - stepchildren, which are eliminated as soon as possible.

2. Pinching of the growth point of the main stem should be carried out, which greatly contributes to the yield.

The culture is minimally susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. However, prophylactic procedures, such as using Bordeaux liquid, are necessary. It is also useful to regularly sprinkle the aerial part of the bushes with infusions of onions and garlic.