Content
- 1 What does tamarillo look like?
- 2 What does tamarillo taste like?
- 3 Where and how does tamarillo grow?
- 4 Tamarillo varieties
- 5 Composition and calorie content
- 6 The benefits and harms of tamarillo
- 7 How to eat tamarillo fruit
- 8 Features of cultivation
- 9 Reproduction methods
- 10 Diseases and pests
- 11 Harvest and storage
- 12 Conclusion
- 13 Tomato tree reviews
Judging by the photo and description of tamarillo, it is difficult to believe that the fruits of the plant are edible, although they are very similar to tomatoes. There is no consensus yet as to whether it is a fruit, berry or vegetable. But while scientists are arguing about the name of the tomato tree, some gardeners prefer to grow exotic plants on their site.
What does tamarillo look like?
Tamarillo has many other names: beetroot cyphomandra, tomato tree, tamamoro, octopus. In the scientific community, the status of the plant is still at the “unresolved” stage - not defined.
If we consider Cyphomandra in its natural environment, then it is a compact plant. When it comes to growing at home, this is already a large representative of the flora, stretching up to 2.5-4 meters in height. Therefore, for personal use, it is better to grow a tomato tree in a greenhouse, greenhouse or winter garden.
Externally, tamarillo is similar to a tomato bush, the trunk is overgrown with bark, but breaks easily, its diameter is half the height of the bush
The leaves of the tsifomandra are large in size (up to 30 cm), shaped like an elongated heart. Color – light green, grassy. The surface is slightly glossy, a little shiny, so there is a translucent effect. Internodes are long.
The flowers of the tomato tree are pinkish-white, collected in clusters. The fruits are ovoid, with one pointed edge. They grow in clusters.
The rhizomes of the tomato tree are superficial; aerial roots often appear. The branches are fragile and thin.
Tamarillo fruits help speed up recovery from ARVI
What does tamarillo taste like?
The taste of digitalis is a mixture of tomato and passion fruit, sometimes with a slight sourness. Some claim that the taste is similar to a mixture of gooseberries and currants. The tomato tree has an interesting combination of sweet, sour and salty flavors. There are many color variations: purple, yellow, red, orange.
Where and how does tamarillo grow?
Cyphomandras naturally grow in the tropics and subtropics in South and North America, Brazil, and New Zealand, where they are grown on an industrial basis. Only in the last century did Europeans become aware of the tomato tree.
There is no single point of view about the origin of tamarillo. It is generally accepted that its homeland is Bolivia, Peru, Chile and Ecuador.
Tamarillo varieties
The most popular varieties of tamarillo:
- Ruby Red, bred and grown in New Zealand, is most often found in stores. Tamarillo fruits are well suited for cooking.
Digitomandra Ruby Red ripens well and acquires the desired softness and juiciness at room temperature
- The Inka Gold variety is characterized by orange fruits with an apricot flavor.
The fruits of the Inka Gold tomato tree are suitable for sandwiches and added to desserts
- Gold Salts are large, orange-golden tamarillos with virtually no sourness.
Tamarillo Gold salts are suitable for cooking
- Rotamer was bred by breeders from California. Digitomandras are bright red in color, have a sweet taste and an exotic appearance in cross-section. The pulp of the tamarillo fruit is yellow-orange in color. Often used to decorate dishes, suitable for fresh consumption. The tsifomandra variety is fully adapted for growing at home, in tubs.
The tomarillo variety bush Rotamer is beautiful, strong and with red bark, if the rules are followed, it produces a bountiful harvest from December to April
- The Sprut variety bears fruit in the first year.
Tamarillo Octopus can be grown outdoors as an annual plant
In general, there are approximately 30 varieties of tomato trees, but if you want to grow a specific type, it is better to purchase berries and grow seedlings from seeds yourself.
The fruits can be canned like regular tomatoes.
Composition and calorie content
The tamarillo plant is ideal for dietary nutrition.
BJU per 100 g:
- 0.1 g proteins;
- 0.1 g fat;
- 12.5 g carbohydrates.
Calorie content is only 50 Kcal.
The tomato tree contains:
- vitamins PP, C, E and A;
- B vitamins;
- minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron.
The benefits and harms of tamarillo
Digitomandra activates the immune system and helps to recover faster from illness. Phosphorus helps strengthen the cardiovascular system. Folic acid (vitamin B9) is an excellent preventative against eye disease.
Tomato tree promotes the removal of toxins and is recommended for use for constipation and dysbacteriosis. Helps get rid of atherosclerotic plaques, prevents their appearance and helps in the prevention of thrombosis.
The lack of sodium makes it possible to regularly consume tamarillo fruits for people with kidney failure and prone to edema. Due to its low calorie content, it is recommended for consumption by people who are prone to obesity or who are on a diet.
The popularity of tamarillo began during and after World War II. When people in European countries experienced a deficiency of vitamins, New Zealand began to actively grow the tomato tree and export it. It was then that it was possible to establish that regular use of the product allows you to get rid of headaches and activates restoration processes in the human body.
How to eat tamarillo fruit
Only the pulp of the tamarillo fruit is eaten. The skin is dense, rough and bitter, so it is removed. To do this, place the digitalis in hot water for 30 seconds, then remove the peel. To eat tamarillo correctly, you need to cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
The tomato tree is consumed not only fresh. It is added to meat, vegetable and fruit salads.If the tsifomanda is sweet, then smoothies and other sweet drinks are prepared from it. Tamamoro can be baked and served as a side dish for meat dishes.
Tomato tree can be grown hydroponically
Features of cultivation
Despite the fact that tamarillo is cultivated as a houseplant, it is difficult to care for at home. Please note that this is a large bush.
When growing a tomato tree in open ground, it is planted in a tub, which is brought indoors for the winter. You can cultivate the plant in a greenhouse or greenhouse, winter garden. In open ground it can only be planted as an annual.
Growing tamarillo from seeds at home
Cyphomandra seeds can be sown in sand or nutrient substrates. Pre-soaking them is allowed to speed up the germination process. Stratification is carried out for 24 hours at a temperature of 2-5 °C.
In the future, growing a tomato tree at home follows the general rules. The seeds are immersed in the soil to a depth of about 1 cm. The substrate for tamarillo should be well moistened. The containers are covered with film or glass. The room temperature must be maintained at 25 °C. If everything is done correctly, the first shoots will appear within three weeks. The tamarillo picking procedure is carried out after three leaves appear on the sprout. As soon as rapid growth begins, young seedlings can be transferred to a permanent place, in tubs or a large pot.
For the first three months, you must carefully ensure that the soil around the tamarillo is always moist.During this period, you do not need to count on rapid growth; the digital plant is actively growing its root system.
During the first year, the tomato tree bush stretches at least 1 m
Growing a tomato tree in open ground
To grow tamarillo in open ground, seeds are sown in February. By May, the seedlings will be ready for transfer to open ground. In Russia, it is recommended to choose the Sprut variety for these purposes.
General recommendations for the method of growing tsifomandra (tomato tree) in the garden:
- choose an open sunny place;
- apply fertilizer regularly;
- be sure to tie it up;
- keep the soil moist.
In February or early March, tamarillo seeds pre-soaked in potassium parchment are planted in prepared containers. When the plant trunk reaches 1 meter, it can be planted in a permanent place. The soil in the new container should be nutritious, and the tub itself should have holes at the bottom. Compost can be used as fertilizer.
By the beginning of June, a strong root system is formed in the tomato tree, so before this moment it is necessary to remove all the stepsons, buds and necessarily diseased leaves. At the beginning of June, the ovaries can already be allowed to form. Usually there are 30 pieces per branch.
The top is pinched at the desired height, supports are installed and tied up. We must not forget that the soil must be moist. Fertilizing is also applied on an ongoing basis (it is allowed to use compost infusion every two days).
Fruiting lasts until frost. When grown outdoors, the harvest is harvested within seven months, in greenhouses - 1-2 months longer. Afterwards, the tsifomandra is brought into the greenhouse or disposed of if the plant is used as a seasonal one.
Reproduction methods
Cyphomandra is grown from seeds at home, but if it is used as a perennial, then propagation by cuttings is suitable. To do this, use any fruit-bearing bush. Branches for propagation are chosen that are healthy, one or two years old, no more than 1 cm thick. They are cut at an oblique angle and the apical cuttings are rooted. Each branch should have 2-3 internodes, the cutting length should be 20-40 cm.
It is preferable to cut tomato tree shoots in the spring, but you can also cut them in the summer. Rooting is carried out in an ordinary nutrient substrate under cover, maintaining a temperature of at least 21 ° C.
Diseases and pests
If the conditions for growing tamarillo in open ground are not met, or rather with high humidity, there is a risk of rot. Appears as brown spots on the foliage. To avoid this, the tomato tree is treated with a fungicide.
Like other types of tomatoes, cyphomandra is loved by caterpillars.
Caterpillars on a tomato tree are difficult to get rid of, but to get a good harvest, you will have to regularly pick by hand
When aphids appear on the digitalis, make a mixture based on soap solution and hot pepper.
If the folk remedy does not help, then use insecticides, for example, the drug Aktara
If the leaves turn yellow, this does not mean that the tamarillo is sick. Most likely, there is not enough magnesium in the soil. The curling of the leaves and the absence of caterpillars when grown in the garden indicate that the tsifomandra freezes at night, so it is moved to a warmer place.
Harvest and storage
Harvesting tamarillo, as in the case of other tomatoes, is carried out periodically, as the fruits ripen.If a tomato tree is grown in open ground, then the ends of the branches at a level of 20 cm are cut off and only after that the fruits are removed. The roots can be dug up and planted in a tub, bringing them indoors or into a greenhouse for the winter. If digitalis is grown as a perennial crop, then the crop is harvested carefully so as not to damage the branches.
Tamarillo, like tomatoes, can be stored for no more than 14 days in the refrigerator. They can be frozen after peeling them. After such storage, the fruits of the tsifomandra do not lose their taste.
Conclusion
The photo and description of tamarillo suggests that it is an exotic plant with beautiful berries, especially in cross-section. It can be grown as a perennial crop at home and as an annual crop in open ground. Bushes require careful care, nutritious soil and regular watering.
Tomato tree reviews
