The proper name of tamarillo (colloquially: tree tomato) is Cyphomandra betacea. It is a fast growing evergreen tree that grows wild in Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia.
This plant produces edible fruit, slightly reminiscent of the well-known tomato.The flesh has a distinct flavor, similar to a tomato, but with a hint of currant.Fruits should be peeled from the bitter and tart skin - preferably after scalding them with boiling water.
The large, purple-fruited cultivars of Cigitomandra, cultivated to this day, were bred in the 1920s.last century.Currently, tamarillo is grown, among others in Argentina, Brazil, the United States and New Zealand.Depending on the variety, its fruits may have a purple or red color (the most often and most willingly chosen), but there are also orange and yellow numbers.
Tamarillo can be used in various ways - both as a fruit and as a vegetable.It is an ideal ingredient of salads, purees, jams, a delicious addition to meat, fish, poultry and sandwiches. It is a valuable source of B vitamins (especially B6), vitamins C, E, provitamin A (beta carotene), it also contains a lot of iron, potassium and antioxidants. Since the Lily-of-the-valley is a tropical plant, it has high thermal requirements.
Digital code requirements
A tree tomato usually grows up to 5 m, and its cultivation is carried out for 10-12 years. The most abundant harvest is in the fourth year of cultivation. The most favorable for its growth are temperatures in the range of 15-20 ° C.Temperature below 5 ° C inhibits plant growth, while below -2 ° C causes their dieback. The root system is not very deep, which makes the DigitalMandra not drought tolerant. It grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 5-8.5.
In our conditions, we can try to grow tamarillo only in a greenhouse.The plant is best propagated vegetatively using one-year-old apical cuttings, although cultivation from seeds is also successful.The rooting process continues 3-4 weeks, during this time it is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the digits is 20 ° C.
Young specimens hibernate in a greenhouse or in a tunnel (minimum temperature 7 ° C). Later, the top of the growth is removed so that the plant develops side shoots (usually 4-6).In the first year of cultivation, gains reach approx. 1 m, one plant bears 4-8 fruit.
As in the cultivation of tomatoes, during the growing season, tamarillo should be regularly watered and fed with fertilizers, as well as pruned.Cyfomandra is a tree that becomes bushy as a result of pruning.This treatment is important, because the fruit is formed only on this year's shoots. Tamarillo flowers are white in color - under favorable conditions, the plants bloom intensively, yielding a lot of fruit.
