Is Cyphomandra a variety of tomato or another type of plant? Confusion arises because on sale you can find both tomato seeds with the same name and seeds of the exotic tomato tree Cyphomandra.
Tomato tree – South American exotic
The tomato tree is native to the tropics. Different species of this plant are found in South America. In Russia, this exotic, perennial plant has gained popularity due to the original taste of the fruits and their beneficial properties.
Description of the tomato tree
Cyphomandra, or tamarillo, grows and bears fruit for 3 years. This beautiful plant is covered with pubescent leaves (20 cm long), emitting a light, specific aroma. The flowers are fragrant, pale pink or lavender in color. The diameter of the flower is up to 2 cm. The value is tomatoes, or rather the fruits that resemble them. They are up to 10 cm long, smooth, regular ovoid in shape, and weigh about 200 g.
The seeds may be dark, almost black. They have a bitter taste, so they are peeled during cooking. The orange-red or yellow flesh can be used in dishes like regular tomatoes. The skin is a bit tough, so it is usually removed. It can be easily removed.
Tomato trees require a high room; they can reach a height of 2.5 meters. When providing the plant with 10-12 hours of daylight, up to 20 kg of useful fruits are collected from the tree. This is a good yield.
Reproduction
The exotic plant is propagated in two ways:
- cuttings;
- seeds.
During seed propagation, the tree (bush) does not bear fruit for the first year; flowers, if they appear, are removed. A tree grown from a cutting produces fruit in the first year. Seedlings obtained from seeds better retain varietal characteristics. Trees from cuttings grow compact and bushy, while trees from seeds grow taller.
Choosing a cutting
Growing exotic plants from cuttings is a fascinating activity. It is necessary to take mature annual or biennial shoots from the upper part of the crown for cutting. The length of the cutting is 40 cm, thickness is about 10 mm. You can root planting material in perlite or water. Both methods are good.
Types and varieties
Types of plants that are most often found among Russian summer residents:
- C. beetroot.
- C. treelike.
Variety C. beetroot
A greenhouse plant belonging to the nightshade family. Can be grown in an apartment. In winter, pots with tomato trees are placed near the south window and provided with lighting; in summer, they are taken out onto the loggia or into the garden.
The stems grow quickly and become woody. The leaves are smooth, oval-shaped, up to 20 cm long. The fruits are formed 5-6 pieces in one cluster. They have an elongated, oval shape and small size. The seeds are flattened and large.
Variety C. treelike
The trunk and branches are like a tree. The leaves are heart-shaped. The length of the plate is 12 cm. The inflorescences are similar in appearance to potato flowers. The fruits are not large, oval, and become orange when ripe. When ripe, they easily fall off the tree.
Features of care
Exotic lovers use the method of growing indoors. A container for wood needs to be shallow and wide. Roots form in the top soil layer. There should be plenty of drainage holes. The tray needs to be deep. It is better to water through it.
The substrate for planting requires a fertile, light one. Fertilize the tomato tree during growth. Both liquid fertilizers and granules are used.
The tree is especially responsive to fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus. The soil around the trunk must be mulched.
Reviews say that you can grow an exotic plant at home, in a greenhouse or a heated greenhouse. In winter, it needs lighting and a room temperature of about 18° C. To maintain the required humidity, irrigate the trunk and leaves with warm water at least once a day.
Diseases and pests
Growing an exotic plant can be marred by pests that also attack ordinary tomatoes:
- Thrips.
- Aphid.
- Whitefly.
- Spider mite.
It is worth fighting them when the first signs appear.At the initial stage, you can get by with a soap-ash solution. In advanced forms, when pests have formed large colonies, insecticides will have to be used.
If soil contaminated with fungus is used, fungal disease may occur. Prevention saves:
- Disinfection of soil before planting (potassium permanganate, fungicidal drug).
- Loosening the soil and using mulch.
- Maintaining the required temperature and soil moisture.
- Regular application of fertilizers.
Characteristics of the variety
Of interest to summer residents may be the Tsifomandra tomato seeds from the Siberian Garden company. This is another successful early ripening variety from Siberia. Characteristics of the fruit may be of interest to lovers large tomatoes. The weight of tomatoes can reach up to 800 g, which is quite a lot.
Tomato Cyfomandra can be grown under temporary shelter and in the ground. The bushes grow up to 1.2 m in height. Description of the variety from the manufacturer: recommends forming a bush. When removing stepchildren, choose one of the schemes:
- In one stem - remove all the stepsons in the axils of the leaves of the central stem.
- In two stems - leave one stepson under the first flower cluster. All above should be deleted.
The tomato variety will delight you with harvests. You can remove up to 6 kg of tomatoes from one bush. Tomatoes ripen early; to improve pollination, the bushes need to be shaken and treated with a fruit formation stimulator during flowering.
Plantings are not recommended to be compacted; no more than 3 roots should be planted per 1 m². Throughout the entire season, the tomato plant needs watering and combined feeding with organic matter and mineral fertilizers, both root and foliar.
Reproduction
March is coming - time to sow tomato seeds for seedlings.Seedlings at the age of 50-60 days can be planted in a greenhouse, so by the beginning of March you need to prepare:
- seeds;
- boxes;
- priming.
It is better to purchase the substrate for planting in the store. Give preference to a universal primer with the following composition:
- 2 types of peat;
- sand;
- vermiculite;
- mineral fertilizer.
To be on the safe side, treat the soil with phytosporin 7 days before sowing. Where is the guarantee that purchased soil does not contain fungal spores?
Seed treatment is an important point before planting. Pour them into a glass of water. Those that surfaced should be discarded, they are not germinating. Soak the seeds that have settled to the bottom for 15-20 minutes in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, dry and begin sowing.
In moist soil, you need to mark grooves no deeper than 1.5 cm. Place the treated seeds in them. You can stick to the 5*5 cm pattern. To make it convenient to pick seedlings in the future, this distance is enough. Cover the boxes with seedlings with film to create a miniature greenhouse.
Conclusion
You can buy the seeds of an exotic plant, grow a tomato tree and have fun. Summer residents who planted a large-fruited tomato from the Siberian Garden with the exotic name “Tsifomanra” will also receive no less pleasure.
