Solanum lycopersicum 'Dona'

The 'Dona' Tomato is a Vilmorin creation that produces beautiful, uniformly sized, very fleshy and large fruits. It is a highly rewarding tomato, even for beginner gardeners, as it is easy to cultivate. While offering an interesting yield, it is highly resistant to splitting and the main tomato diseases. Its large size allows it to be used in salads as well as in stuffed dishes, tarts, etc.
It is wise to train or stake this indeterminate variety from the moment it is transplanted into the ground. You can sow it from February to May and harvest it 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 still amazed by the variety of this solanaceous plant. The term 'tomato' comes from the Incas' word Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colours, 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 trained.

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 a long time for it to reach our taste buds. And for good reason! It was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was thought 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 at the beginning of the 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous 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 that cluster together and transform into fruits.

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

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are well established. For gardeners, tomatoes are among the essential vegetables of summer. They just need to consider how they want to use them when choosing from all the existing varieties. Will they be used in salads, sauces, consumed directly on-site, or cooked? They should 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 while tomatoes do require a lot of sun and heat, they don't necessarily need a lot of space. That's why you shouldn't hesitate to grow them in pots on your balcony, where you can prioritize varieties with small fruits. Be careful, though, as 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 way to determine in advance when a tomato has fully ripened. It should be picked when, at the very least, it has completely taken on the color it was announced to have, and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better preservation, be sure to pick the fruit with its stem.

Storage: Tomatoes do not stay fresh for long if they have a high water content. They can be kept for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or left out in the open air. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confits, 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 halved tomatoes face up on a baking sheet. 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 a climatic event or a particular pathology.
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, don't hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system and ensure 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.