Tomato Crimson Crush GRAFTED plants

The Rose Crush Tomato is a recent variety of the Rose de Berne type, semi-early, exceptionally resistant to blight. It produces large round fruits with pink skin, each weighing 200 to 250 grams, appreciated for their slightly sweet pink flesh. The vigorous plants, with indeterminate growth, can reach up to 2m (7ft) in good conditions. With their bushy habit, they are suitable for both outdoor and balcony container cultivation. The Rose Crush can be enjoyed raw in summer salads or cooked in dishes. Young grafted plants should be planted from April to June, depending on the climate, after the last frost. Harvest from July to October.

The grafting technique consists of giving a desired variety (here 'Rose Crush') the root system of another specially selected variety, called a rootstock. This rootstock has excellent resistance to soil parasites and diseases, which provides the plant with extra vigour: it is then more resistant to difficult external conditions (such as cold climates) and will yield significantly higher than a non-grafted plant. The fruiting of grafted plants starts earlier and lower on the main stem. Thanks to the use of the 'Protector' rootstock, our grafted tomato plants also produce fewer leaves, for easier ripening and harvesting.

The tomato is native to South America and Central America. Several varieties were already cultivated by the Incas long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. We are still amazed by the genetic diversity of this Solanaceae. The term 'tomato' comes from the Inca Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colours, except perhaps blue, of all shapes and sizes.

The tomato is one of many foods that came to us from the New World, like beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took significantly longer for it to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was thought to be toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another Solanaceae. It only became a regular on our tables from the beginning of the 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, cultivated as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small inconspicuous yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits. It is a heat-demanding plant and requires rich soil.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant colour to the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional advantages. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. And the longer the tomato is cooked, the more lycopene becomes available. It is also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

Harvest: 'Rose Crush' is a semi-early variety, it can produce fruit from late June-July to October depending on the planting date and climatic and cultivation conditions (under cover or outdoors). There is no foolproof way to determine when a tomato has reached full ripeness a priori. Harvesting should be done when, at a minimum, it is fully coloured as announced and when its texture, while still firm, shows slight softening. For better storage, you should pick the fruit with its peduncle.

Storage: tomatoes should be stored at an optimal temperature of 10-15°C (50-59°F). They will keep well for a few days in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. However, refrigeration alters the taste qualities of the fruits. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love confit tomatoes because it is so simple and delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your tomato halves face up on the grill pan of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes and consume immediately or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: it is recommended to cultivate several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of complete crop loss due to climate or specific pathologies. To counteract the phenomenon of 'blossom end rot' - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium on your plants.

Attention: When transplanting grafted plants, do not bury the graft point!