Rapunzel Tomatoes: Variety Description, Photos, Reviews

The name of this tomato variety wasn't chosen by chance, as Rapunzel is a girl with long hair, and the plant resembles this braid when fruiting. Below, we'll learn more about the productivity of Rapunzel tomatoes: a description of the variety, reviews, the diseases they're most susceptible to, and the best places and methods for growing them.

Basic description of the variety

A description of the Rapunzel tomato variety should begin with the fact that these tomatoes are fairly tall plants, with a single bush reaching 180 to 240 centimeters in height, and they are not standard. This variety is considered a hybrid, but no hybrid plants of the same name are available on the market. This variety is considered early-ripening, as the fruits ripen quite early, as evidenced by reviews and videos from gardeners who have already grown this variety of tomato in their gardens.

It can take seventy to eighty days from planting to fruiting. These tomatoes are best grown in special containers on a balcony or windowsill; ensuring they receive ample light is crucial. It's important to remember that the bushes are quite tall, so growing them on a balcony may not be possible for all gardeners.

If growing on a balcony isn't an option, you can simply use a greenhouse at your dacha. This variety adapts well to greenhouse conditions, so the Rapunzel tomato will produce a magnificent harvest with proper care. Another advantage is that Rapunzel tomatoes are highly resistant to almost all diseases, making them ideal for growing indoors or in a greenhouse.

Yield of the variety

The variety description indicates that the Rapunzel tomato has excellent yield characteristics. The plant is renowned not only for its increased disease resistance but also for its very large yield. This variety boasts numerous advantages, including a cherry-like appearance and a delicate, sweet flavor. Equally important is its high yield, as a single cluster can produce over twenty small fruits. The plant also boasts excellent resistance to the most dangerous and common tomato diseases.

But there are reviews and videos that this tomato has some disadvantages, the main one being its inaccessibility, because tomato seeds This plant is extremely difficult to obtain, and gardeners often search for the answer to the question of where to buy seeds for this tomato variety. Seedlings are rarely available commercially, so if you manage to grow this variety in your garden, it's worth stocking up on seeds to avoid running around the store searching for the same variety next year. Another minor drawback is the excessively tall bushes. These plants are recommended for planting indoors or in greenhouses, and not all gardeners can grow tomatoes, as the bushes can reach up to two and a half meters in height.

Some features of the variety

This variety has a key feature: tomatoes love sunlight, so you'll need to constantly provide the required amount of light to ensure a good harvest, especially when growing tomatoes indoors or in a greenhouse. Looking at the variety's description, you'll understand that Rapunzel thrives in acidic or slightly acidic soil.

When growing, you'll need to maintain proper spacing between seeds, as the bushes grow quite large. Leave at least fifty centimeters between bushes. Planting seedlings in the ground should be done in the spring, but only after all danger of nighttime frost has passed.

The depth of each hole is equally important, as the plant's tall growth rate may cause the roots to overgrow if planted too close to the surface. Each hole should be at least ten centimeters deep; deeper holes are even better. Beginner gardeners should be aware that although this plant grows tall, its root system develops slowly and weakly, requiring constant feeding with beneficial minerals and fertilizers.

Fertilization This is done at least once every two weeks. Additionally, the bushes require timely staking to prevent them from breaking as they grow and falling to the ground under the weight of the tomatoes. The bush is trained to one or at most two stems, and watering can be done as the soil dries out.

If you need to plant other plants near these tomatoes, consider carrots, marigolds, asparagus, lemon balm, basil, or thyme—these are the best companions for the Rapunzel variety. Some gardeners say this variety is difficult to grow from seed, but it's much easier to propagate from cuttings. For this reason, it's quite possible that this variety will no longer be available commercially.

Diseases and pests

This variety is virtually immune to diseases and pests, although many breeders strongly recommend additional treatment with Bordeaux mixture. The foliage can be treated with an onion and garlic infusion, to which a small amount of soap is added. Regularly clearing excess vegetation from the beds is also recommended to prevent pests and the spread of tomato diseases.

Gardeners' reviews of the Rapunzel variety

Elena, Moscow

I once tried these tomatoes from my neighbor, who often grew new varieties. I really liked the pleasant flavor of the fruits, their small size, and softness. I decided to beg some seeds for myself; after planting, the tomatoes took quite a while to germinate, and they also needed a lot of light and warmth. I grew several plants on the balcony, as I didn't have a greenhouse at the time. During the growing process, I encountered problems with insufficient light, requiring constant supplemental lighting. It also turned out that these tomatoes don't like excess moisture, so I watered them rarely, only when the soil surface was completely dry.

Eighty days later, I was able to harvest my first crop. My balcony is large, so the two-meter-tall bushes had plenty of room; I tied them up a bit. The tomatoes grew small, with a very pleasant, slightly sweet flavor. I used these tomatoes for canning and simply for salads. Last year, I couldn't find this variety for sale, so I had to grow seedlings from collected seeds. I didn't do any maintenance or fertilize them, so the yield wasn't very high.

Alexander the Terrible

I've been gardening for many years, and tomatoes are my favorite vegetable. We prefer small, jarred tomatoes. I decided to choose a variety that would produce a large harvest and wouldn't require much care. The Rapunzel tomato was a perfect solution for me, but I'd never seen this variety for sale before, so I decided to try planting it in my garden because it had received very good reviews.

I planted the tomatoes in a greenhouse, caring for them according to all standards, periodically treating the bushes for pests and diseases, and watering the soil around the plants a couple of times a week. Almost three months later, I got my first harvest: I harvested almost six kilograms of tomatoes from a single bush. The tomatoes were small in size, yet very firm and delicious. My wife used them for preserves, but we also had plenty for eating in salads and dishes.

Nina, Rostov

Wonderful tomatoes. I grew them for several months on the balcony from seeds. The seedlings required a lot of additional lighting, as they began to wither without it, so I had to install lighting on the loggia. The bushes grew over two meters, which is not suitable for my balcony, so I had to figure out how to arrange the stems to prevent them from breaking. The yield was high even without feeding; I simply watered the plants constantly and kept the weeds out. This variety is incredibly difficult to find now, so every year I collect as many seeds as possible to plant tomatoes in a greenhouse at my dacha.

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Nikolay, Stavropol

I'd heard about a new tomato variety called "Rapunzel," and since I love trying new varieties, I was eager to find this plant for sale. It turned out to be extremely difficult to find, as I'd been searching for seeds for almost two years. Having acquired a packet of seeds, I immediately planted them as seedlings, and transplanted the larger seedlings into the ground in a greenhouse. This is where the difficulties began: the tomatoes weren't getting enough light, so I had to figure out how to provide lighting in the greenhouse. I also had to frequently ventilate the room, as excess moisture was detrimental to the plants. Nevertheless, after three months, I had an excellent harvest of small, ripe tomatoes, so many that I had enough for both canning and making salads. I recommend trying to grow this variety in your garden for an excellent harvest and delicious fruits.