Tomato Grafted Cobra F1 Tomato plants

The Grafted Cobra F1 Tomato is a productive mid-season variety with indeterminate growth and resistance to splitting. It is well-suited for greenhouse cultivation. This variety produces round red fruits weighing approximately 160 g. The flesh is of excellent quality and lends itself well to various culinary uses. The Tomato is a plant that is grown as an annual, requiring heat and a fertile soil. The plants grafted as plug plants of the Cobra F1 Tomato are planted from April to June, after the last frost, for a harvest from July to October. Grafting allows for a faster and more abundant harvest.

The grafting technique consists of giving a desired variety (here 'Cobra') the root system of another specially selected variety, called the rootstock. This rootstock has excellent resistance to soil parasites and diseases, which provides the plant with extra vigor: 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.

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. The term "Tomate" comes from the Inca word "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. 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 considerably longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but it was considered toxic due to its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular guest on our tables in the early 20th century.

The Tomato is a herbaceous perennial plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes lignified over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits. The Tomato can be grown in open ground but can also be grown in containers on a balcony, preferably using varieties with compact growth.

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

In terms of cuisine, Tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in various 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 cultivate several varieties in your garden to vary your enjoyment!

Harvesting: Harvest periods 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. Harvest the Tomato when it has reached its final color and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better conservation, make sure to harvest the fruit with its peduncle. 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 rack 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.

Gardener's tip: To limit 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.