Solanum BETACEUM

Solanum BETACEUM - Tamarillo, Tree tomato, Cyphomandra BETACEA.

Nightshade (Solanum) is a large genus of plants in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), including herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, vines, and small trees. Members of the genus are distributed across almost the entire world, being especially diverse in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. This genus includes both ornamental and food crops, including potato, eggplant, and tomato.

Plants of the genus vary greatly in appearance, but usually have alternate leaves, five-lobed flowers, and berries or berry-like fruits. Leaves can be simple, lobed, or dissected; flowers are most often white, pinkish, lilac, or violet, with prominent yellow anthers. Fruits in different species differ significantly in size, coloration, flavor, and nutritional value.

Tamarillo is a fast-growing evergreen or semi-deciduous fruit tree from South America, also known as the tree tomato. In cultivation, it is grown in subtropical and warm temperate regions, particularly in New Zealand, South America, and other countries with mild climates. In container cultivation, the plant is usually shaped as a small tree or large shrub.

The trunk and branches of tamarillo are relatively brittle, and the root system is shallow, so the plant tolerates strong wind poorly and requires a sheltered location. The leaves are large, cordate, softly pubescent, with a noticeable scent when bruised. The flowers are small, white, pinkish, or lavender, gathered in racemes or panicles. The fruits are oval, ovoid, or plum-shaped, red, orange, yellow, or purple, with a firm skin, juicy sweet-and-sour pulp, and numerous small seeds.

In cultivation, tamarillo is prized as a fast-growing fruit and ornamental plant for conservatories, winter gardens, warm glazed loggias, and large containers. Given good lighting, warmth, nutrient-rich soil, and regular pruning, the plant can begin fruiting early. Under indoor conditions, yield depends on light, temperature, root volume, pollination, and proper canopy formation.

Tamarillo seeds are small, flat, rounded, light brown or yellowish-brown, externally similar to pepper or tomato seeds.

Before sowing, seeds can be soaked for 6-12 hours in warm water or a weak biofungicide solution with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. A loose, sterile seedling substrate based on sifted leaf mold, a small amount of peat, washed sand, and perlite is used. Seeds are laid out on the surface and covered with a thin layer of sifted substrate of about 3-5 mm (0.1-0.2 in).

The sowing is gently moistened with a spray bottle, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a greenhouse. Germination is carried out under bright diffused light and a temperature of 22-25 °C (72-77 °F), without direct overheating under the sun. The substrate is kept slightly moist but not wet, sowings are ventilated daily, and condensation is wiped away.

The first sprouts usually appear in 10-21 days, the minimum period is about a week, and the maximum possible can exceed 30 days. After sprouts emerge, the cover is gradually opened slightly, and seedlings are kept in bright diffused light, warmth, and moderate watering. Pricking out is performed after 2-4 true leaves develop, when plants are easy to handle with a small root ball of substrate. In the first weeks seedlings grow moderately, then with good light, warmth, and nutrition they quickly gain height.

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Tamarillo requires a very bright location with direct morning or evening sun. Indoors, south-, southeast-, and southwest-facing windows, a winter garden, or a warm bright loggia are best. Under insufficient light, the plant elongates, leaves become large but loose, and flowering and fruiting weaken. In summer, the plant can be taken outdoors, but only to a place protected from strong wind and drafts.

During active growth, a temperature of 20-28 °C (68-82 °F) is maintained. Warmth, good lighting, and consistent feeding are desirable for flowering and fruiting. In winter, the plant is kept as bright as possible, at a temperature not lower than 12-15 °C (54-59 °F), preferably around 15-18 °C (59-64 °F). Prolonged chilling, cold soggy soil, and frosts are dangerous for a container plant.

Watering is regular, but without waterlogging. During the warm season, the root ball is kept moderately moist, with light drying of the top layer between waterings. Excess water from the drip tray must be drained after 15-20 minutes. In winter, as temperature and light decrease, watering is curtailed. Complete drying out is undesirable, as large leaves quickly lose turgor, but constant dampness causes root problems.

The soil used is loose, nutritious, and well-drained: leaf mold or sod soil, humus component, a little peat, coarse sand, perlite, and a small amount of charcoal. A drainage layer is mandatory at the bottom. Stable pots with drainage holes are selected, gradually increased as the root system grows.

Young plants are repotted in spring as they fill their pots, while mature tub specimens are repotted less frequently, with partial replacement of the topsoil layer. Fertilizer is applied during the active growth period once every 2-3 weeks with a weak solution of complex fertilizer for fruit or foliage plants. In preparation for flowering and fruiting, a moderate balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium without overfeeding nitrogen is beneficial.

Pruning is necessary to control height and shape the canopy. The plant can be pinched and pruned in early spring, stimulating lateral branching. Fruits form on young growth, so old spent branches are gradually removed. From seed, a straighter tree with a tall trunk usually develops, whereas cuttings yield a lower, more bushy plant.