Tomato Lemon Boy F1 Yellow

The 'Lemon Boy' Tomato is an American variety that produces large fruits - weighing 160 to 200g - with a bright yellow skin. This beefsteak-type tomato has a sweet flavour without acidity, which can be enhanced in gratins or beautiful colourful salads. This vigorous plant is resistant to diseases and can reach a height of 1.20 to 200cm (48 to 79in), so it is important to stake it quickly after transplanting it into the ground, as its growth is rapid. It performs well in regions with short summers, and can be sown from February to April and harvested from July to October.

NB: This variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from carefully selected parent cross-breeding to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavourful and/or early while also being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or mistakenly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are interesting for their homogeneity and resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to subsequent generations, so it will not be possible to save the seeds for future 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 wide variety of this solanaceous plant. The term "tomato" comes from the Inca word "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colours (red, of course, but also green, yellow, and even some very rare blue varieties), in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are plants with indeterminate growth and can live for two years. More recent varieties have determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so they do not need staking or trellising.

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 thought to be toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another solanaceous plant. It only became a regular guest on our tables at the beginning of the 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates but is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant colour 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, 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 to guide them among the many existing varieties. Will they be used for salads, sauces, consumed directly on-site, or cooked? They also need to consider when they want to harvest them. The answer will, of course, depend on the average summer sunshine 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 do not necessarily need a lot of space. Therefore, there is no reason not to grow them in containers on a balcony, where varieties with small fruits can be preferred. However, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvest: Depending on the varieties, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvest. There is no foolproof trick to determine in advance when a tomato has reached full ripeness. Harvesting should be done when, at the very least, it is completely colored as it was announced and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better conservation, you should pick the fruit with its peduncle.

Conservation: Tomatoes do not keep as long when they have a high water content. They can be stored for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love to confit them because it's simple and so flavourful: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place the tomato halves 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 with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: It is recommended to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of complete loss of harvest due to climatic conditions or specific diseases. To counter 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, do not hesitate to 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. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.