Tomato Supersweet 100 F1 in GRAFTED plants

The 'Supersweet 100' Tomato is an American variety of Cherry type, known for its generosity. It produces an abundance of clusters of about twenty coral red individuals, spherical in shape and 2 to 3 cm (1in) in diameter. Their beautiful shape and very sweet flavor make them the ideal choice for parents who want to introduce their young children to taste, and the queen of appetizers among friends. The plants reach 2 to 2.5 m (7 to 8ft) and require good staking to prevent the plants from bending under the weight of their own fruits. The plug plants are planted from April to June after the last frost, when the plants have reached about fifteen cm. The 'Supersweet 100' Tomato is harvested from July to October.

The technique of grafting consists of giving a desired variety (in this case 'Supersweet 100') the root system of another specially selected variety, called a rootstock. This rootstock has excellent resistance to soil parasites and diseases, which brings extra vigor to the plant: it is then more resistant to difficult external conditions (such as cold climates) and will yield significantly more 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, making ripening and harvesting easier.

NB: this variety is marked F1 for "F1 hybrid", as it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrids are interesting for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will therefore not be possible to collect the seeds for later sowing.

The Tomato originates from South America and Central America. Several varieties were already cultivated by the Incas long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. The term "Tomate" comes from the Inca word "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit that comes from it. It is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. The Tomato took significantly longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but it was considered toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular part of our tables in the early 20th century.

The Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in cymes that will turn into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in the ground but can also be planted in containers on a balcony, with a preference for varieties with compact growth.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, it is rich in water and contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It is also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

In the kitchen, Tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in many ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, or in sauces... They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary the pleasures!

Harvesting: Harvest times vary depending on the earliness: early varieties are harvested from 55 to 70 days after planting, mid-season varieties from 70 to 85 days, and late varieties beyond 85 days. The fruits should be picked when they have reached their final color and when their texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better preservation, make sure to pick the fruit with its calyx. Be careful, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Storage: The optimal storage temperature for tomatoes is between 10 and 15°C (50 and 59°F). Refrigeration is possible but alters the taste qualities of the fruits. For longer storage, tomatoes can be preserved, dried, frozen, canned, or cooked into jam. To preserve them, cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your half tomatoes face up on the baking sheet of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes, store them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

The gardener's tip: To reduce watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also limits weed growth.