Description and characteristics of the Boronia tomato, cultivation and care

The hybrid tomato Boronia was obtained by crossing two varieties – Paul Robeson and New Big Dwarf. Related tomatoes have excellent characteristics and are popular. Gardeners especially appreciate their taste.

Boronia is considered an exotic tomato, although seeds are easy to find and often available in specialty stores. Let's find out what qualities this hybrid inherits from its parent plants and what makes it unique.

Description of the variety

Boronia is a determinate, standard tomato with a mid-season ripening season. The bushes are stocky, strong, and sturdy, growing to a compact height of approximately 70 cm. The leaves are broad, potato-like, dark green, and slightly wrinkled. Occasionally, reviews describe the hybrid slightly differently. For example, when grown under agrotextile, the bush can reach 100 or even 120 cm.

The originator recommends growing the hybrid outdoors. Numerous reviews from gardeners indicate that the Boronia tomato also produces excellent results in greenhouses. It can be grown in temperate and southern climates. The hybrid is highly resistant to adverse weather conditions and most diseases.

Characteristics of tomatoes

The fruits are oval, flattened, or flat-round, sometimes slightly ribbed, but usually uniform (200 to 300 grams). The flavor is excellent, refreshing, sweet with a subtle acidity. The aroma is strong, fruity, and tomato-like. The seed chambers can be numerous, but they are small, and the kernels are enclosed in a green shell.

The fruit is burgundy-brown, dark pink, or brownish-purple in color. The flesh is pink and veinless. The skin is dense, thin, and smooth, and does not crack. A dry spot may form on the tip of the tomato, but this does not affect its quality. It's not uncommon for the fruit to become soft first and only then begin to change color.

Use and yield

A single cluster produces 5-6 large tomatoes. The first inflorescence emerges after the 6th or 7th leaf, with subsequent clusters growing every two leaves. With proper cultivation practices, you can harvest up to 8 kilograms of tomatoes per square meter. During cold summers, this yield may decrease slightly.

Boronia is suitable for fresh consumption, but it's also used in cooking, freezing, pickling, and canning. This tomato can be preserved for the winter only as a dressing for other vegetables, sliced, and in salads. The juice is rich and thick.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

If you find original, high-quality seeds of this hybrid, all you'll have to do is enjoy growing it. Let's move on to the positive characteristics:

• high taste and commercial quality of tomatoes, unusual color;
• excellent immunity to short-term temperature changes and diseases;
• possibility of growing in open and closed ground;
• ripe fruits do not crack, are stored well for up to 10-12 days, and are easily transported;
• unripe tomatoes can be left to ripen;
• high yield even in unfavorable years.

The hybrid has few drawbacks, the most significant being its susceptibility to late blight. However, the disease only affects the weakest bushes. Large fruits cannot be fully sealed. Another drawback is that the Boronia tomato is particularly susceptible to the Colorado potato beetle and caterpillars.

It's also worth noting that it's impossible to harvest seed yourself. Although some gardeners occasionally manage to grow tomatoes with all the original characteristics from harvested seeds.

Growing and care

Seedlings are sown 60 and 65 days before the intended planting in their permanent location. Seedlings are pricked out when they have two true leaves. No more than five seedlings are planted per square meter.

To ensure a good harvest of large, beautiful tomatoes, experienced gardeners recommend partially removing side shoots. The Boronia hybrid is recommended to be grown with 3, 4, or 5 stems, with the remaining stems trimmed off. Lower leaves are gradually removed, and the crown can remain unpruned.

Ensure strong and stable supports are in place even before planting. The bush grows very rapidly, and the fruit quickly gains weight, so staking should be done promptly. The beds should be mulched with hay or freshly cut grass, the soil should be loosened periodically, and weeds should be kept under control.

Watering, fertilizing, and preventative spraying are carried out as usual for tomatoes. Various mineral complexes and organic matter can be used as fertilizer.

Prevention of diseases and pests

We've already covered all the potential risks. Let's look at ways to prevent these illnesses.

Phytophthora

The disease begins to affect tomato plants in mid-summer, with sudden cold snaps and increased humidity. If the temperature drops unexpectedly and it rains for more than two days, it's time to act. To prevent the fungus from affecting tomato plants, treat the plants with special chemical and biological agents.

But the best option is to follow agricultural practices: sowing green manure, rotating crops, monitoring soil moisture and structure, removing weeds, cutting off lower leaves, and disinfecting planting material, garden tools, and soil.

In both open and protected soil, plants are sprayed with a mixture of copper sulfate and washing powder (one tablespoon per 10 liters of water). Another option is half a liter of yogurt (without lumps) or kefir, 2 liters of water, and 5 drops of iodine.

Caterpillars

The cutworm dislikes the scent of tansy, wormwood, marigold, and calendula. The best way to prevent the appearance of fruit-eating caterpillars is to plant these plants between rows. In extreme cases, insecticide spraying is recommended.

Colorado beetle

There's a very clever way to combat this insidious pest. This method doesn't involve killing the Colorado beetle; it relies on distracting it. The beetle is very fond of fragrant tobacco, much more than tomatoes or even potatoes. Plant as many tobacco bushes as possible outside your garden, preferably by growing them from seedlings twice a season.

When it comes to using specialized fertilizers, a fairly effective solution is 2 ml of Prestige and 3 ml of Previcur Energy per 10 liters of water. Apply the solution immediately when planting tomatoes, pouring 200 ml of the mixture into each hole. The next application is carried out two weeks later. The same recipe applies, but you can add 20 ml of liquid organic fertilizer.

In any case, it is sometimes necessary to inspect tomato leaves for the presence of Colorado potato beetle eggs; they are collected by hand and destroyed.

If all the proper growing practices are followed, this hybrid rarely suffers from any ailments. Anyone who hasn't yet tried growing this tomato in their garden should definitely get one. The Boronia tomato deserves everyone's attention!

Reviews

Irina. I've been growing Boronia for three years now. It's a wonderful variety, very tasty and productive. The first year, some of the fruits cracked at the base, and I was almost ready to give up on them. But the following season, I accidentally ordered more and haven't regretted it. I haven't had any more such incidents. Children and adults alike love the beautiful, sweet, unusually colored tomatoes, and the juices are simply amazing.

Catherine. I recommend this hybrid to everyone. I've grown it in the Krasnodar and Leningrad regions, both indoors and outdoors. Boronia produces good yields everywhere and is disease-free. My garden is small, so I have to plant crops from the same family close together. To prevent pests, I simply plant a variety of strongly aromatic plants. The variety looks attractive in various winter salads and is also delicious when sliced ​​fresh.