An amazing variety for experimental summer residents - the Banana Legs tomato and recommendations for its cultivation

Every gardener wants to grow tomatoes that differ from others not only in terms of ripening, but also in their exotic appearance. Breeders willingly provide this opportunity to everyone, breeding varieties that give fruits of unusual colors and shapes.

Often, tomatoes with unusual berries are demanding to care for and unstable to adverse environmental factors. Therefore, novice gardeners are often afraid to grow such varieties. Many simply do not know that among them there are varieties that are no more whimsical than the most common tomatoes. These include the Banana Legs tomato. What is interesting about this variety and how to care for it - read on.

General description of the variety

Tomatoes Banana Legs is a variety bred by the American breeder T. Wagner. Banana Legs is the original name for the tomato variety.

Bred Banana Legs in 1988. Despite its age, it has not yet been entered into the state register of our country. However, this does not diminish its popularity among gardeners.

It is interesting! Despite the fact that Banana Legs tomatoes were bred 30 years ago, they gained their general popularity only in 2018. The reason for this was the video posted on the Internet.

Distinctive features

The Banana Legs variety is distinguished by fruits of an unusual shape. The berries of this plant are yellow and resemble the fruit after which they got their name. Tomatoes are elongated. Their length significantly exceeds the size of popular cream.

The taste of these tomatoes has its own flavor. It is sweet and sour with a light citrus flavor.

Gastronomically, the variety is universal. It is suitable both for fresh consumption and for preservation as a whole. Bright tomato sauces are also prepared from it. Such tomatoes are not suitable only for drying, because they do not have a pronounced taste.

We also note the benefits of such tomatoes. Yellow fruits are less likely to cause allergies than red and pink ones. In addition, they contain tetra-cis-lycopene, which prolongs the youth of the body.

Due to the low growth of the plant do not need pinning... At the same time, the variety has a high yield.

Main characteristics

Even though Banana Legs look very exotic, growing them is not difficult at all. This variety has excellent yields and immunity to many diseases.

Description and characteristics of the variety Banana legs:

Growing seedlings

Plant Banana Legs for seedlings two months before planting the plants in a permanent place. The timing depends on the climate.

In the southern regions, seeds are sown in early March or late February. In regions with a temperate climate, seedlings begin to grow in the second half of March. In the northern part of our country - in April.

Note! In the southern regions, it is possible to grow banana legs tomato in a seedless way. It is important to understand that the harvest in this case will appear much later.

Seed preparation

Seed preparation is the first step in growing seedlings. It is he who prevents the appearance of tomato diseases in the future and increases the percentage of germination of planting material.

Before using, you need to make sure the quality of the planting material. To do this, check the expiration dates on the packaging and sort out the seeds, removing damaged and darkened specimens. To select viable seeds, they are soaked in a saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). After half an hour, the result is checked. Planting material that has sunk to the bottom has the greatest chance of germinating.

Disinfection of seeds is a necessary measure, which significantly reduces the risks of plant contamination. The easiest way to etch the planting material is to soak it for half an hour in a weak solution. potassium permanganate (1 g of potassium permanganate per 10 ml of water).

Seeds are disinfected in other ways:

1. «Fitosporin". For 100 ml of water take 0.5 tsp. powder products. Use the time indicated in the instructions.
2. Soda solution. Take 0.5 tsp in a glass of water. soda. In this mixture, the product is soaked for 12 hours.
3. Aloe juice... Aloe juice and water are mixed in equal proportions. The seeds are soaked for a day.

The methods presented in the list help accelerate seed germination. If a solution of potassium permanganate was used for disinfection, the planting material is additionally treated with a growth stimulator ("Epin").

How to prepare soil and containers

Preparation for sowing seeds includes the choice of capacity and soil. Rare varieties of tomatoes are best planted in peat tablets, which create ideal conditions for germination. Banana legs are also perfectly grown in the usual way.

For pre-germination of seeds, use wide, but shallow containers. Wooden and plastic boxes are suitable for these purposes.

After the first true (not cotyledonous) leaves appear, the seedlings are dived into separate containers. For this, special pots or improvised materials are used.

Before use, all containers are disinfected - soaked in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate, sterilized with hot steam or wiped with alcohol.

The soil for tomatoes should be light but nutritious. Suitable soil mixtures are sold at gardening stores, but it is easy to prepare the soil yourself.

The basis of the soil for tomatoes is black soil, mixed in equal proportions with humus. In the resulting composition add half a portion of peat, sand or sawdust.On a bucket of such a mixture, take 1 matchbox of superphosphate and 1 glass of ash.

Advice... Experienced gardeners advise taking the base of the soil mixture for the tomato from the place where the seedlings will be planted. This will make it easier for the plants to take root after the pick.

The soil needs to be disinfected. To do this, it is poured with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. Another option - the earth is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 100 degrees.

Sowing seeds

Prepared soil is poured into the container, leaving 3 cm to the edge. Planting material is spread in rows on the ground. The distance between the rows should be 2-3 cm, and between the seeds - 1-2 cm.

From above, the planting material is covered with a centimeter layer of earth. The soil is not compacted.

The soil is moistened with a spray bottle. The settled water is used.

The container with seeds is covered with foil or glass and put away in a warm place. The higher the temperature, the faster the first shoots will appear.

Seedling care

It is important to follow all the rules for caring for seedlings. In this case, it is possible to obtain healthy plants that will take root after transplanting to a permanent place.

How to care for tomato seedlings:

1. The most important rule of watering: water should not come into contact with plant greens. It is equally important to use only warm, settled water. Moisturize the soil as it dries.
2. Before seed germination and within a week after the first shoots appear, seedlings need extreme humidity.... It is provided by glass or film, which is not removed at this stage.
3. After the seeds germinate, they are rearranged in a well-lit place.... There is usually not enough sunlight for tomatoes in the spring. Make up for its lack with a fluorescent lamp.
4. When real leaves appear on the plants, they dive into separate containers... In this case, the root of the tomatoes is not pinched, since this can slow down the growth of plants.
5. The first feeding of seedlings is done 2 weeks after picking it into separate containers. Use complex or organic fertilizers. For one plant, take half the dose indicated on the package. The fertilizer is applied for the second time after another two weeks. The last time tomatoes are fed 3-5 days before planting in a permanent place.
6. They begin to harden seedlings two weeks before disembarking to a permanent place.... For the first time, the duration of the stay of plants on the street should not exceed half an hour. Then the time is doubled. Ultimately, the tomatoes are exposed to fresh air for 12-16 hours.

Growing rules

Banana legs are planted in a permanent place when the soil warms up. In most regions, disembarkation takes place in May or early June.

In the south of our country, tomatoes are planted in open ground at the beginning of the last month of spring. At the same time, it is possible to plant seedlings under a film in regions with a temperate climate or in a greenhouse in the northern area.

Planting tomatoes in a permanent place

Before planting tomatoes, you need to choose a suitable garden area. The place where tomato crops will grow should be in the lightest part of the garden. Otherwise, the plants will get sick, and the sweetness of their fruits will decrease significantly.

Attention! The beds where nightshade crops grew last year are not suitable for planting tomatoes. The best precursors for tomatoes are legumes, cabbage, onions, carrots, and grains.

Do not plant other nightshade crops next to tomatoes. Potatoes are considered a particularly dangerous neighbor.

Tomato beds are prepared in the fall. They are dug up and cleaned of weeds. Mullein, humus and dry lime are added to the soil.

In the spring, the area where the tomatoes will grow is dug up again. All emerging weed roots are removed.

At a distance of 50-70 cm, holes are dug in rows. There should be a gap of 60 cm between the recesses in the ground. For 1 sq. m place no more than 3 holes.

Fertilizers are applied to the holes.Use ashes, granular long-acting mineral fertilizers or homemade compositions.

Before planting in a permanent place, the plants are watered and fed. This must be done 3 days before the pick.

Immediately before planting, the tomatoes are removed from the pots along with a lump of earth and placed in the holes, with the roots towards the center. It is important not to damage the roots.

Warm water is poured into the holes with seedlings and covered with earth. The next watering is possible only after 2 weeks.

Care

To get a rich harvest, you need to properly care for your tomatoes. The list shows the basic steps for growing Banana Legs:

1. Watering tomatoes should be infrequent, but abundant... In hot summers, the soil is moistened three times a week; in months with a milder climate, one watering every 7 days is enough.
2. Tomato stems Banana legs are thin. Therefore, plants without support break under the weight of the fruit. To prevent this from happening, they are tied up.
3. Form the tomato Banana legs into 3-5 stalks. The more stems there are, the later the harvest will ripen, but the more abundant it will be. Gardeners note that when formed in 3 stems, the fruits grow larger.
4. Banana feet don't need pinning... This makes it easier to care for them.
5. Root dressing is used 3-4 times per season. It is best to alternate organic and mineral fertilizers. Chicken droppings or mullein diluted with water are used as organic compounds. Mineral fertilizers are purchased in stores.
6. Foliar dressing will not only speed up the formation of ovaries, but also reduce the risk of the plant dropping them. For this, the bushes are sprayed with compositions with boron.

Mistakes when growing tomatoes

There are techniques that will not only help you grow healthy plants, but also increase your yield. The list contains some tips for growing tomatoes:

1. It is better to use synthetic thread for garter tomatoes. If you tie up the bushes with natural material, there is a risk of rot not only on the ropes, but also on the stems of plants.
2. It is important that the fruits do not lie on the ground. This will increase the risk of late blight infection of plants and the appearance of slugs on them.
3. Stepson plants in the morning or evening. Tomatoes cannot be watered on the day of pinching. This procedure is not performed on cloudy days.
4. All damaged and malformed inflorescences are removed. Thanks to this, healthy fruits will form faster.

Diseases and pests

The banana leg tomato is resistant to most diseases. He rarely even suffers from late blight.

Despite the presence of immunity, tomatoes still have a risk of getting sick. To prevent this from happening, prevention methods are used.

Disinfection of seeds, containers and soil is the very first and most important stage of prevention.

It is equally important to disinfect all tools that come into contact with plants. It is on it that fungal and viral infections accumulate.

Compliance with the rules for watering, forming and pinching a bush is another important step in disease prevention.

To reduce the likelihood of plant infection, they are sprayed with disinfecting drugs. For example, "Fitosporin" or potassium permanganate solution is often used.

Insects carry fungal and viral infections. They also damage plants. Therefore, you need to fight them.

To combat harmful insects, the bushes are treated with soapy water and celandine infusion. Large pests are collected by hand.

The nuances of growing in a greenhouse and in the open field

Tomato Banana legs are grown both in protected and in the open field. You need to know a few nuances of using these two methods.

When growing in a greenhouse, it is important to maintain the correct humidity. This is easy to achieve - it is enough to open the vents in the room for several hours every day.

According to gardeners, in a greenhouse, banana leg tomatoes grow up to 1.5 m, while in open ground their height does not exceed 1 m.This must be taken into account when choosing a support.

In the open field, plants are not protected from night frosts. Therefore, in the evening, the first two weeks after the pick, the tomatoes are covered with foil.

Soil mulching mandatory when growing tomatoes in the open field. The beds are covered with hay, straw or burlap.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages of the variety:

• resistance to tomato diseases;
• no need for pinning;
• unpretentious care;
• unusual fruit color;
• low allergenicity of tomatoes;
• high portability.

Not all gardeners like the taste of Banana Feet. Some tomato lovers find that their skin is too dense.

Reviews of tomatoes

Reviews of gardeners about banana legs tomatoes are ambiguous.

Elena Kuropatkina, Tula: “I have been growing Banana Legs tomatoes for two years now. Every time I plant one bed with this variety. I like their simplicity in care and the unusual shape of the fruit. I use it for conservation. When fresh, I prefer sweeter varieties. "

Victoria Koneva, Moscow: “I planted a tomato Banana Legs this year. Liked the photos of the fruits. The berries are really very beautiful and unusual. The rest of the tomato is mediocre, and its skin is harsh. I will not plant any more. "

Conclusion

Tomatoes Banana Legs is an exotic variety with long, bright yellow fruits. They contain many useful substances, but their taste is no different from the most common tomatoes.

The undoubted plus of this variety is the ease of cultivation. Banana legs are a great opportunity for a novice gardener to grow unusual tomatoes.