Long lashes strewn with delicious tomatoes - "Rapunzel" tomato: description, photo and instructions for growing

Growers grow tomatoes all over the world, so breeders bring new tomato varieties and hybrids to markets every year. Some of them are amazing in their characteristics.

One of the most unusual hybrids is the Rapunzel tomato. It is interesting not for the color and shape of the fruits, but for tall bushes from which long clusters with a large number of berries hang. Those who have seen this variety of tomatoes will agree that the whips really resemble the hair of a fairy princess.

General description of the hybrid

The Rapunzel tomato is a hybrid that has become a real wonder for gardeners in our country. It was bred by American breeders. The first presentation of this variety of tomatoes took place in the United States in 2014.

The new hybrid has not yet been entered into the Russian register. It has only recently become available to farmers in our country.

It is interesting! At first, gardeners thought that the described variety of tomatoes reproduced exclusively in a vegetative way. However, later, Rapunzel seeds appeared in stores in European countries.

Hybrid seeds can be purchased from online stores. It will be available soon in horticultural stores.

Features of Rapunzel tomatoes

The main feature of the Rapunzel tomato is its unusual bushes. They form lashes that reach 2.5 meters in length, with 30-50 fruits. How they look can be seen in the photo. Rapunzel fruit is cherry. These are small tomatoes, each weighing no more than 25 g.

The berries of this hybrid are considered dietary. With a low calorie content, they are high in nutrients. Choline is especially valuable as it lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Rapunzel is a salad hybrid. The fruits are suitable for fresh consumption. Due to their thin skin, they crack when preserved.

Another distinctive feature of this variety of tomatoes is the ability to grow not only in the garden and greenhouse, but also on the balcony.

Note! The appearance of the Rapunzel tomato allows it to be grown not only as a fruit crop, but also as an ornamental plant. During the fruiting period, it can become a real garden decoration.

Specifications

The Rapunzel hybrid has excellent performance. It amazes not only with its appearance, but also with its yield.

Description of the characteristics of the hybrid:

Growing seedlings

Rapunzel seeds are sown two months before the proposed transplantation of plants to a permanent place. In most regions, the best time to start growing seedlings is March.

For early ripening tomatoes, it is especially important to observe the timing of sowing seeds. After all, if you overexpose such tomatoes in pots, ovaries form on them and they cannot be planted in the ground.

Seed preparation

Before buying Rapunzel seeds, you need to make sure that their expiration date has not expired. At home, planting material is sorted out, removing damaged specimens.

Rapunzel seeds are usually pickled by the manufacturer. This information should be indicated on the packaging. The disinfected seeds are colored green or orange.

If the seeds have not been processed in production, they are disinfected at home. A solution of potassium permanganate, soda, aloe or honey is used as a disinfectant.

Before planting, the seeds are treated with a growth stimulant. Specialty preparations are sold in gardening stores. The most popular of them are "Epin" and "Fitosporin".

Growth stimulants are also prepared at home. To do this, add a teaspoon of honey to a cup of water or dilute aloe juice with water in a 1: 1 ratio.

Planting material is soaked in a glass with a growth stimulator or wrapped in gauze soaked in the composition. The second option is considered more reliable.

Selection of soil and containers

For sowing tomato seeds, large, shallow containers are usually used. Not only special trays and boxes are suitable, but also plastic containers for meat and semi-finished products.

For picking seedlings in individual pots, 300 ml containers are needed. For these purposes, plastic and peat pots, disposable cups, cut bottles and juice boxes are used.

To grow plants on the balcony, you need a container with a volume of at least 3 liters. Otherwise, the plants will be uncomfortable.

It is advisable to plant such rare hybrids as Rapunzel in peat tablets. This container creates optimal conditions for plants.

The soil needs slightly acidic. The acidity level is checked using a litmus test.

The soil is sold in gardening shops. Experienced gardeners are advised to do it yourself. To do this, mix 1 part of humus and black soil, 2 parts of peat, 0.5 parts of garden soil and a glass of ash.

Before use, the earth is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate. Containers also need to be disinfected by soaking in the same composition for half an hour.

Sowing seeds

The soil is poured into the container, without adding 3-4 cm to the edge. The seeds are spread in rows on the soil. The distance between the seeds should be 2 cm, and between the rows - 3 cm.

Top of the planting material is sprinkled with a 0.5-centimeter layer of soil. The soil is moistened with a spray bottle. Cover the containers with foil and put them in a warm place. The higher the temperature, the faster the seeds will germinate.

Note! The seeds do not need sunlight to germinate. Therefore, they do not have to be placed in a well-lit place. The containers with seedlings are transferred to the windowsill after the planting material has germinated.

If the seeds are sown in peat tablets, the planting procedure is different:

1. The tablets are soaked in boiling water by placing them in a container of water with the open side down. When the workpieces absorb water and increase in size, more liquid is added to the container.
2. A depression is made in the tablets. A seed is placed in it. Sprinkle with earth on top.
3. The tablets are placed in a deep container, covered with foil and placed in a warm place.

Seedling care

To get healthy plants, you need to follow all the rules for caring for seedlings. The list contains the most important ones:

1. Rapunzel is a particularly light-demanding hybrid. Therefore, its seedlings need a day of light lasting at least 12 hours. For the cultivation of such tomatoes, fluorescent lamps are needed.
2. Tomatoes dive when three real leaves appear on the plants.
3. After the first shoots appear, containers with seedlings are placed in a well-lit place. The film is removed after 5-7 days.
4. Seedlings definitely need additional feeding. The first time fertilization is applied two weeks after the picking of the plants, the second time - after another 14 days, and the last time - 5 days before transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place.
5. Water the plants as the soil dries up. When watering, it is important that the water only gets under the root of the plants, but does not touch the greenery. Use only warm, settled liquid.

Growing tomatoes

Seedlings are planted in a permanent place when the soil reaches the optimum temperature. In most regions, this procedure is recommended to be performed at the end of May. In the north of our country - in the first half of July.

Seedlings are prepared 3-5 days before disembarkation. For this, the plants are abundantly watered and fed.

Planting plants in a permanent place

Tomato beds are prepared in the fall. They are dug up and cleaned of plant residues. Compost and ash are added to the soil. Then the acidity of the soil is checked with litmus paper: if it is increased, lime is added.

In the spring, the soil is dug up again, cleaned of plant roots and etched with a disinfectant solution.

Dig holes, add 1 tbsp to each of them. l ash. The distance between the holes should be at least 40 cm. The holes for planting plants are staggered.

Before planting, the seedlings are removed from the pots, placed in the holes, deepening by 10-15 cm. The recesses are covered with earth.

You need to work with tomatoes very carefully. It is important not to damage the roots.

A high support is placed near each plant. Trellises are often used for this variety.

Tomato care

Tomato Rapunzel needs a garter. In the process of growth, new parts are constantly attached to the support. Otherwise, the thin stems will not withstand the weight of the fruit.

Hybrid bushes form one or two stems. In the first case, the harvest will appear earlier, and in the second it will be more abundant.

An important step in plant care is the removal of unnecessary stepchildren. This procedure is carried out in the morning or evening.

Rapunzel is a hybrid, demanding watering. The soil is moistened regularly as it dries. After each watering, the beds are loosened.

The first time tomatoes are fertilized 2 weeks after planting. For this, it is recommended to use complex dressings. In the process of growing a Rapunzel tomato, it is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizers and diluted manure.

The nuances of growing

The Rapunzel tomato is a capricious hybrid to care for. Therefore, every gardener needs to know a few nuances:

1. Demanding heat. If the air temperature after transplanting is below 20 degrees, the plants will start to hurt and die.
2. It is important not to allow the soil to dry out. The hybrid needs regular watering... However, it is also impossible to flood the soil - this will increase the risk of developing tomato diseases.
3. Demanding for light. For tomatoes, choose the most illuminated area of ​​the garden.

Diseases and pests

The Rapunzel tomato is resistant to major tomato diseases.Even during epidemics, it is rarely affected by fungal and viral pathogens.

Despite the good immunity to tomato diseases, prevention cannot be neglected. It is important to disinfect the soil, containers and garden tools that are used to grow the plants.

In the process of growing, it is important to follow the rules for caring for tomatoes: regularly weed and loosen the beds, do not skip watering and pinching.

Insects carry viral and fungal diseases. They damage the tomato bushes themselves. To prevent their infection, plants regularly sprayed with bordeaux liquid or soapy water.

Growing Rapunzel tomatoes in the garden and on the balcony

When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to choose high rooms, because the hybrid reaches a height of 2.5 m. It is important to ventilate the plants daily. To do this, open all the vents in the greenhouse.

When growing tomatoes in open ground, for the first two weeks, the plants are covered with foil overnight to avoid their death due to night frosts.

Important mulch beds with dry grass, straw or burlap.

When growing seedlings on the balcony, it is important to properly prepare containers with soil. To do this, drainage is poured at the bottom of the pots: crushed brick and expanded clay, shell rock or broken dishes.

The soil for tomatoes is the same as for other seedlings. To enrich the soil, add 30 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium compounds, 10 g of urea to a bucket of earth.

When planted in a pot with a volume of 3 liters, the plants are buried 10-15 cm. Tomatoes need a garter at home.

At home, the Rapunzel hybrid usually lacks sunlight. To make up for its deficiency, fluorescent lamps are used.

Advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid

Pros of Rapunzel:

• high productivity;
• great fruit taste;
• attractive appearance of the bushes;
• immunity to tomato diseases;
• rich biochemical composition with low calorie content.

Of the minuses, one can note the inaccessibility of seeds and the whimsicality of the hybrid in care.

Gardeners reviews

Gardeners who have tried growing Rapunzel tomatoes say they will plant it again. There are only positive reviews about this hybrid.

Oksana Grimasova, Adler: “Last year we managed to get a Rapunzel hybrid. Tomato fully justifies its price. Very beautiful and fruitful. I grew it in the open field, and never got sick during the season. "

Kirill Ignatiev, Moscow: “I grow Rapunzel on the balcony. A very interesting variety. On its lashes, a huge amount of cherry tomatoes is formed. They taste sweet and are great for salads. There are still some seeds left. I will plant again. "

Conclusion

The Rapunzel tomato is a young hybrid that can surprise even experienced gardeners. Its main feature lies in long strings on which more than 40 small tomatoes grow.

Despite the whimsicality, many gardeners want to get this variety in their collection. So far, it is only available in online stores, but will soon appear on the free sale.