The variety of tomato "Banana Red" is a fruitful novelty, which has become a favorite among many gardeners. Characterized by the variety as unpretentious and easily cultivated canned tomato. Our recommendations will help farmers easily grow a useful culture in their own land.
Variety description
"Banana red" - a determinant variety of tomato (has a limited growth). An adult plant does not have high growth - the standard length is 60-80 cm. However, with proper care and under certain conditions, the height of the bush can reach 1-1.2 m.
On the main trunk of the bush in moderate quantities, shoots and leaves are formed. Under any climatic conditions, the plant successfully forms the ovary. The variety is characterized by simultaneous abundant blooming of the entire bush.
The first inflorescence is laid over the 8-9 leaf, then - every 1-2 sheets. In each brush 6-12 simple flowers are formed. Later, almost all the flowers turn into beautiful, bulky clusters of tomatoes, and thus a high level of yield is ensured. The weight of the bush, along with the fruits - about 3 kg. 
Before you decide to cultivate "banana" tomatoes, it is important to correlate the pros and cons of the variety.
Check out the description and farming practices of growing varieties of tomatoes such as Nastya, Dwarf, Raspberry Giant, Klusha, Chocolate, Rio Fuego, Riddle, Stolypin, Sanka, Apparently, invisibly, Lazy, Bobcat, Liang, Rookie, Balcony Miracle, Chio-Chio-San.
Of the benefits worth noting such moments:
- resistance to different weather conditions, which allows cultivating a tomato in all climatic zones of Europe;
- immunity to the majority of diseases peculiar to this culture;
- excellent seed germination;
- good transplant tolerance;
- consistently high yield;
- presentable appearance of the fruit;
- good keeping quality without loss of taste and presentability (resistant to cracking);
- can be transported over long distances;
- almost identical in size and shape of the berries.
Minuses:
- modest taste characteristics of the berries;
- not suitable for making tomato juice;
- complex process of the formation of bushes (plants need pinching, pinching and tying to reliable supports).
A distinctive feature of the variety is that the fruits of the plant have an oblong shape and dense fleshy pulp.
Fruit characteristics and yield
The "banana" tomato is an early ripe hybrid, the fruits of which ripen only 85-90 days after the first appearance of seedlings. Mass ripening of berries occurs after another 2 weeks.
Yield is high: for the entire growing season, 2-3 kg or 30-40 tomatoes can be removed from each shrub with proper care. The total yield is 15 kg per 1 square. The berries are elongated "cream" 10-12 cm long at the stage of maturity (on average, this parameter is 5-6 cm). 
The mass of berries varies and can vary from 70 to 120 g (depending on the growing conditions and the composition of the soil). The color of mature specimens is classic - rich red. The rind is dense. In the cut, the tomato has 2-3 oblong chambers filled with seeds and a small amount of juice.
Tomatoes with an unusual name are not really very similar to the fruit of the same name. The fruits of the "Red Banana" have an elongated cylindric conical shape, but with a blunt rounded end.
You will probably be interested to read about what varieties of tomatoes are called determinant and indeterminant.
Fruits are characterized by a high content of solids, sugars and acids. The flesh is thick, somewhat dry. "Banana" are not the best choice for eating raw, but nevertheless can be used to make fresh snacks, salads.
The taste properties of these tomatoes can not be called bright - the pulp is slightly freshish. But for salting and pickling "Banana red" will be the perfect choice. Plus, berries can be wilted. 
The only restriction in use is that it is impossible to make tomato juice from these hybrids: it goes excessively thick.
Did you know? The largest tomato in the world was grown in Wisconsin (USA). Weighed fruit 2.9 kg.
Selection of seedlings
High-quality seedlings "Red Banana" should be selected for the following external indicators:
- The seedling age should not exceed 45 (maximum 60) days.
- The height of young plants should not exceed 30 cm.
- Seedlings should not look drooping. Buy it in boxes with a substrate, but not in bags.
- The escape must be fat.
- On the stem should develop 10 true leaves of green color.
- The root system should be well developed, with no obvious defects.
- The presence of deformed and wrinkled leaves indicates infection of the plant with infectious diseases. There should be no dark spots on the shoot or under the leaf blades - black or brown markings are signs of the presence of pest eggs.
- Some farmers practice intensive technology of growing seedlings for sale. The technique consists in saturating plants with a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers. It is possible to recognize that such a technology has been applied, by very bright green leaflets twisted inwards.
Video: how to choose tomato seedlings
Growing conditions
The culture grows well both in the open air and in film, glass, polycarbonate greenhouses. Today we will talk about the nuances of open cultivation of "Red Banana". The hybrid withstands a brief rain and heat.
Did you know? Every year in the last week of summer in the Spanish city of Bunol a celebration is held in honor of the tomatoes. The holiday is called "La tomatina". Guests from the most different countries come to Bunol especially for the holiday. The essence of the event is the battle, where tomatoes are the weapon.
A sharp drop in temperature, this tomato also tolerates calmly. Factors required for seed sowing: bright sun, long daylight hours, temperature from +20 to +25 ° С, moderate humidity (60-70%). The earth should be light and rich in nutrients. 
Avoid sowing on the site where in the past years, the burrows were growing. Ideal predecessors are cucumbers, melons, carrots, ordinary or cauliflower. It is preferable to prepare the soil in autumn, digging up it and richly feeding it with organic fertilizers (ground eggshell, ash).
Seed preparation and planting
Before planting, seeds need some preparation. Go through the seeds and get rid of empty, shallow and damaged specimens. After washing, suitable seeds should be dipped into a warm, weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide.
Read more about how to choose the optimal time for planting tomatoes.
Keep seed in one of these solutions for 15 minutes. This procedure will disinfect the seeds. Start sowing in early May, when the open soil warms up well. 
So, proceed to the procedure of planting seeds "Banana red" in open ground:
- Dig shallow holes (approximately 1-1.5 cm) at a distance of 30-50 cm from one another.
- Fill each well with water or a solution of potassium permanganate. Preferably, the fluid is warm.
- Spread 4-5 seeds into each well in a circle.
- And, finally, cover with a 1.5-centimeter layer of soil and pour warm water.
- Place a glass jar or a half plastic bottle over each seed well. Along the beds arrange low arc. Cover all banks from the top with a film of polyethylene. Above the set of arcs also stretch a strong film, pressing it tightly to the ground from all sides.
Video: sowing tomato seeds in open ground
Maintenance and care
To grow a rich crop of tomatoes, it is enough to remember a few basic rules of care for this hybrid. Caring for seedlings involves irrigation at the root. Be careful not to wet the leaves.
We recommend reading about whether it is possible to grow tomatoes without watering, and also how to properly and how often water the tomatoes in the open field and greenhouse.
In addition, water the tomatoes in the morning or evening so that the sun does not burn the leaves. The hybrid is resistant to temporary absence of watering. The frequency of irrigation depends on how quickly the land dries on the site. Avoid stagnant moisture at the roots.
As for fertilizers, try to make them every 2 weeks. Use complex feedings. Mulch the crop and weed before each irrigation. The site must be periodically and thoroughly cleaned from weeds. 
The plant does not grow large, but because of the high yield it is recommended to form a bush in 2-3 stems. As the bushes grow, they should definitely be tied to a reliable support. Masking and pinching plants is carried out over the 4th brush.
Important! Do not overtighten the stem when tying. Otherwise, you still do not wait for fruiting.
Disease and pest prevention
"Banana" tomato is practically not exposed to pests and fungi. For example, a variety has increased resistance to late blight. However, it is moderately resistant to fusarium, and there is practically no immunity to cladosporia. Therefore, it is recommended to worry about the protection of bushes in advance. 
The soil on a tomato bed must be treated with fungicides - modern chemicals will save agrarians from unforeseen situations. A serious disease for tomatoes is cladosporia. It is necessary to take timely preventive measures so that the bush does not die from this disease.
Learn how to deal with the diseases and pests of tomatoes.
The main protective measures are preplant seed treatment and protective spraying of the tomato plot with fungicides. An excellent disinfectant that helps in the fight against the majority of ailments and parasites in the garden, is Bordeaux mixture (1% solution).
The application rate of universal means - no more than 2 liters per 10 square meters. m. Prophylactic treatment carried out in the period of fruit set. In addition, start spraying at the first signs of disease. Handle bushes with an interval of 10-15 days.
Video: how to grow tomatoes without pests and diseases The "red banana" can be attacked by a parasite such as aleurodid, or whitefly. As a result of its attack, the bush suffers tremendous harm. To combat the whitefly effective drugs "Commander" and "Spark". Select only one of these funds. For application rates see factory package.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting "Banana Red" is carried out as the berries ripen. To remove tomatoes from the shrub should be along with the stalk - so you guarantee the vegetables a longer period of storage.
Important! Harvesting should be stopped as soon as the outdoor temperature is at + 5 ° C or the danger of cold rain occurs. By this time, try to collect all the tomatoes, and tops - to pull out.
In order to obtain a rich harvest, pick also semi-ripe tomatoes. For several days they will dope in the sun. Store the harvest in wooden boxes. Put the tomatoes in rows. Then move the boxes to a cool place (basement or cellar). 
Due to the dense structure of tomatoes of this variety, storage is excellent, the berries do not crack. The shelf life of tomatoes is about 2 months, but with proper conditions, fruits can be stored for 3 months. Vegetables can be stored in cool vegetable stores for up to 150 days.
Landowners who managed to grow a hybrid, which we considered today, remain delighted with this tomato and gladly advise its friends to vegetable growers. And although Banana Red tomatoes are not suitable for making juice, in preparing tasty and beautiful pickles, they are just perfect.
And it is not difficult to cultivate this tomato, since it is unpretentious to external conditions and is resistant to the defeat of diseases and insect parasites.
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