Tomato Bali F1 Plants

The Bali F1 Tomato is a semi-early hybrid, easy to grow, relatively disease-resistant, and versatile in its use. This tomato produces clusters of 3 to 5 light red, round, slightly ribbed, and firm fruits. Each medium-sized fruit weighs between 80 and 120 g and is of uniform size. The plant's growth stops after it has produced 4 or 5 clusters of fruits. The juicy and firm flesh of this tomato is well-suited for preparing summer salads. However, it is preferable to blanch the fruits before cooking to remove their relatively thick skin. Whether planted in open ground or under cover, plant your seedlings from April to May-June and harvest from July to October.

NB: This variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because 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 also being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid plants are interesting both for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to subsequent generations. Therefore, it will not be possible to save the seeds for later sowing.

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 solanaceous plant. The term 'tomato' comes from the Inca word Tomatl, which refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colors, except perhaps blue, and of all shapes and sizes.

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 for the tomato 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 solanaceous plant. It only became a regular part of our diets in the early 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates but is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes lignified over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in cymes, which then turn into fruits.

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.

Harvesting: 'Maestria' is an early variety and can bear fruit from June to October, depending on the planting date and the climatic and growing conditions (under cover or in the open air). There is no foolproof way to determine when a tomato has reached its full ripeness. The fruit should be picked when it is fully colored as announced and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows slight softening. For better preservation, it is advisable to pick the fruit with its calyx.

Storage: Tomatoes should be stored at an optimal temperature of 10-15°C (50-59°F). They can be kept for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. However, refrigeration alters the taste qualities of the fruit. 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'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. 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 grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to climatic factors or specific diseases. 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.

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