Tomato Surya F1 - Vilmorin seeds

The Surya Tomato produces elongated Roma-type tomatoes, averaging 110 g, that are bright red and very fleshy. Thanks to their excellent taste, they can be enjoyed simply in salads with a splash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a few basil leaves.
Surya is also a tomato variety that is very suitable for making juice, purees, or preserves. This very early variety is highly resistant to splitting. Its dense foliage protects its fruiting from sunburn. This is a valuable advantage during particularly hot summers or in southern regions. Plan your sowing from February to May for a harvest from July to October.

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 always amazed by the wide variety of this nightshade plant. The term 'tomato' comes from the Incas' Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colors, except perhaps blue, in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties have a determinate growth and stop growing when they reach the bush stage, so they do not need to be staked or trellised.

The tomato is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took much longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was believed to be toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another nightshade plant. It only became a regular part of our tables in the early 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is cultivated as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruit.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant color to the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional benefits. 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, pro-vitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are well known. For gardeners, tomatoes are among the essential vegetables of summer. They just have to decide how they want to use them to guide them among all the existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, consumption directly on site, cooked, etc.? They will also consider when they want to harvest them. The answer will of course depend on the average summer sunlight in the region where their garden is located. Rest assured, the choice is vast and there is a tomato for every situation! And even though tomatoes need a lot of sun and heat, they don't necessarily require a lot of space. That's why you shouldn't hesitate to grow them in containers on your balcony, where you can choose varieties with small fruits. Be careful, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: Depending on the variety, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvesting. There is no foolproof trick to determine in advance when a tomato has reached full ripeness. Harvesting should be done when, at the very least, it is completely colored as announced and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its stem.

Storage: Tomatoes do not keep as long when they have a high water content. They can be stored for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love to confit them because it's so simple and delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your tomato halves face up on the baking tray of your oven. Salt, pepper, and sugar them, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes and consume them immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: It is recommended to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to climatic conditions or specific pathologies. To prevent the phenomenon of 'blossom end rot' - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium on your plants. When transplanting, do not hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest. Winning combinations in the garden are often the same on the plate. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.