Tomato Fantasio F1

The Fantasio Tomato is a very reliable F1 hybrid variety, which stands out in the vegetable garden for its disease resistance (including the dreaded mildew) as well as its flavour and fragrance. It is productive with large, round, slightly flattened red fruits. They weigh between 150 and 250 grams and are very tasty. The firm, juicy and highly fragrant flesh make them perfect for summer salads.

Fantasio F1 Tomato is available as plug plants which can be planted from April to June, after the last frost, for a harvest from August to October.

The tomato is native to South America and Central America. Several varieties were grown by the Incas long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. We are still amazed by the incredible variety of this solanaceous 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 colours, except perhaps blue, and all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are plants with indeterminate growth and can live for two years. More recent varieties have a determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so there is no need to stake or support them.

The tomato is one of many foods that came to us from the New World, like beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chilli peppers. It took a long time for it to reach our taste buds. And for good reason! It was long cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities and thought to be toxic because it resembled the fruit of the Mandrake, another solanaceous plant. 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 here. It turns woody over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits.

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

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are well established. For gardeners, the tomato is one of the essential vegetables of summer. They just need to consider how they want to use it to guide them among all the existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, eating straight from the plant, cooked, etc.? They must also consider when they want to harvest it. The answer will of course depend on the average summer sunshine where their garden is located. The choice is vast and there is a tomato for every situation! While tomatoes do need a lot of sun and heat, they don't necessarily need a lot of space. You can grow them in pots on your balcony, where you can choose varieties with small fruits. Be careful, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be eaten.

Harvesting: depending on the variety, it can take 50 to 100 days between the transplanting date and the harvest. There is no foolproof way to determine a tomato's ripeness. The tomatoes should be harvested when completely coloured and when their texture, is still firm but shows a slight softening. For better storage, make sure to pick the fruit with its stalk.

Storage: tomatoes do not keep as long, as their water content is high. They can be kept for a few days in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. To keep them longer, you can preserve them as tomato confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love to confit them because it's simple and so delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your halved 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 and consume them immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover them with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: it is a good idea to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of complete crop loss due to climatic factors or specific diseases. To counter the phenomenon of 'blossom end rot' - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a calcium-rich comfrey solution on your plants. When transplanting,  bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest. The winning combinations in the garden are often the same on the plate. Remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.