Tomato tree at home - is it possible to grow cyfomandra in a pot

Is it possible to grow a tomato tree at home, and how to do it? Quite by chance I saw the seeds and grabbed them along with the tomatoes for the greenhouse. On the package I did not find any information about whether it grows in the house. Only it is written that in open ground it is grown as an annual and does not hibernate. And if I put it in a pot, it won't disappear?

He is loved for the original tasty fruits that can be harvested for more than six months, and for the extremely high yield. The tomato tree at home is still a curiosity. And not only because many have no idea at all what it is, confidently believing that tomatoes can grow on trees. However, the main reason why this amazing tree is rarely seen indoors is its size. Agree, not everyone has the opportunity to place a plant with a height of 3 m in a room.However, if the height of the tree can still be restrained by pruning, then its wide crown also requires space. And also - good lighting even in winter to continue fruiting.

What is a tomato tree and how does it differ from ordinary tomatoes

In fact, the tomato tree has almost nothing to do with real tomatoes. They have only one thing in common - belonging to the nightshade family. This culture is perennial and grows naturally in the subtropics and tropics. And the fruits themselves, too, cannot be confused with tomatoes - they taste more like fruits.

To date, there is no definite answer how to call this unusual plant. Only its isolation as a separate species of the Solanaceae family is confirmed with confidence. In the world, the tree is known as cyfomandra or tamarillo.

Tsifomandra differs from ordinary tomatoes at least in its size. The height of an adult tree can exceed 4 m, while it increases a third of its growth already in the first year of life. The tree has a superficial rhizome and a spreading crown with fragile twigs, which lignify over time. Tamarillo has large and heart-shaped leaves, the length of which reaches 30 cm. They are very beautiful, but upon contact they emit an unpleasant odor.

Fruiting: do tomatoes grow on a tomato tree

In the second year of life, the tsifomandra blooms with fragrant lilac or white flowers, collected in a brush. And then it enters into long-term fruiting, which indoors can last continuously for almost a year.

The egg-shaped fruits are collected in small clusters, each weighing a maximum of 100 g. They have a hard, shiny and bitter skin. Its color, depending on the variety, can be red, yellow and even purple. The pulp is golden pink in color, with small seeds and a complex taste. It contains sweetness, sourness, and salty aftertaste. But it definitely doesn't look like a vegetable, more like a gooseberry with strawberries. As you can see, tamarillo has nothing in common with tomatoes, except perhaps an oval shape, like small cream tomatoes.

Tomato tree at home - features of growing and care

If you have a greenhouse, a greenhouse, or at least a spacious and bright room, feel free to plant tamarillo. Despite his mysterious history, he is rather unpretentious in leaving. But there are still some nuances.The easiest step will be in the first stage: buy seeds and sow them like ordinary tomatoes for seedlings.

Be careful when shopping to avoid buying regular tomatoes. Some tall varieties of tomatoes are sold under the name Tsifomandra.

When the seedlings are older, plant them in separate pots. Do not forget that the roots grow in breadth, so the flowerpots should be appropriate, not deep.

How to care for a tomato tree indoors

In order for your indoor cyfomandra to develop well and bear fruit, it needs:

1. Good lighting all year round. This is especially important in winter, so prepare additional lighting lamps. Daylight hours for a tree should be at least 11 hours.
2. Moderate warmth during the growing season (about plus 20 ° C). In the summer, you can even take the pot outside or even dig tamarillo in the garden.
3. A dormant period in the cool. After the end of fruiting, place the tree in a room where the heat is not higher than 15 ° C. But not lower than plus 10 ° C, otherwise the plant will lose its foliage and stop growing.
4. Regular watering as the soil dries up, preferably in the morning. Except the dormant period, when watering is rare.
5. Top dressing in spring, before and during flowering with mineral complexes. During the fruiting period, organic matter can be added.

For fruiting, you also need to take care of pollination. To do this, you must have multiple plants. Or insects can pollinate the tree if you take the tub out into the garden.

And one more tip: to keep the growth in check and give the tree a beautiful shape, prune it every spring. Shortening shoots and pinching young twigs will prevent tamarillo from growing too much. And if you pluck out part of the ovary, you will get larger fruits.

Home care and breeding of tamarillo