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The term Kumako tomatoes could sound strange to you, but that is why I am here to help you out. Perhaps, you are very familiar with this variety of tomatoes but you have been looking for how to grow them, I have also got you covered. You will find everything you need to know about Kumato Tomatoes in this article.
You can grow Kumato Tomatoes by planting them in the ground, inside the container, or inside a nursery bag, bucket, or pot.
Keep reading to find out more on how to grow tasty Kumato tomatoes.
What are Kumato Tomatoes?
For those that do not know what kumato tomatoes are and also for those who are aware of what it is but you are yet to get the general overview, Kumato tomatoes are classified to be a trading name for some patented tomato hybrid that is owned by Syngenta.
The Kumato tomatoes have a variety of colors varying from golden green to dark brown. Usually, Kumato tomatoes look like they are not ripe and they also have somewhat of a bitter taste but they are sweeter as compared to the normal red tomatoes because of their “Brix level” i.e. fructose content.
They are a family of tomatoes that has an intense and authentic flavor thanks to their clear and uniquely defined sensation taste. Furthermore, Kumato tomatoes are firm when you consider their texture and they are very juicy and that makes them excellent to use when you want to prepare recipes that are tomato-based or when you want to prepare delicious salads.
The good thing about Kumato tomatoes is that they can be eaten at all levels of ripeness. How do you grow Kumato Tomatoes?
Considering that this particular plant is a hybrid that is owned by Syngenta, the seeds are not readily available even when you want to grow them, at least, the original seeds are only available to a few commercial growers who have met certain criteria for growing the plant and who have also agreed to follow the laid down guidelines concerning its cultivation methods.
This is because the company has emphatically stated that they do not plan to release the seeds to the general public. You can, however, save some seeds from the Kumato tomato you buy probably from a grocery store and plant the seeds.
However, because Kumato tomato is a hybrid variety, you cannot guarantee that the seeds will give you tomatoes that have Kumato characteristics.
You can grow your Kumato tomatoes by following some of the methods below:
- Planting on the ground
- Inside a container
- Inside a nursery bag, bucket, or pot
Planting in the ground
This is probably the best method to use to grow your Kumato tomatoes because planting directly in the ground is highly productive thanks to its higher level of productivity giving yield to larger fruits.
Another advantage of growing your Kumato tomatoes in the ground is that you won’t have the problem of watering them as much as other growing methods. You should try this out if the space in your garden is big enough for the Kumato tomatoes.
Inside a container
If you do not have a larger space on the bare ground, you can plant your kumato tomatoes in a big container. However, you will have to water the plant often because the soil inside the container will get dry easily.
Inside a nursery bag, bucket, or pot
You can also plant your Kumato tomatoes inside a nursey bag, bucket, or pot. You know what nursery bags are for right? They are used to grow plants at the initial stages to allow them to effectively grow before they are transplanted but you must water them regularly.
Furthermore, you will also need to transplant the tomatoes after 6 to 8 weeks of planting to a more conducive environment because the soil will no longer have enough nutrients to help the tomatoes grow effectively.
Whenever you want to transfer the Kumato tomatoes to another place, ensure that you transplant a larger part of the plant and that you carefully remove the plants ensuring that there are soils around the roots.
After you finish transplanting, ensure that the roots are deeply covered in soil. You can then use a stake or cage to support the Kumato tomatoes sticks so that they will not lie on bare ground.
Major criteria to take note of when growing Kumato Tomatoes
Tomatoes are largely demanded by almost everyone, Kumato tomatoes inclusive. Thanks to the fact that they can be harvested within 100 days that you plant them and the good thing about Kumato tomatoes is that the variety can be eaten at any level of ripeness, so you don’t have to wait until they are fully riped before you eat them.
While Kumato tomatoes are easy to plant, they are quite technical to maintain. You must really be an interested individual before you can grow Kumato tomatoes. To grow these tomatoes perfectly, the following criteria are very important:
- The soil must contain nutrients in high amounts and also organic matter in a very high amount. You can add fertilizers that can support vegetables if the soil lacks organic matter.
- You must ensure that the pH of the soil is mild acidic i.e. between 6.0 and 6.8 if you want to get a great yield.
- Grow your Kumato tomatoes usually where direct sunlight can be received between 6 and 8 hours a day. In case you planted the Kumato tomatoes in a very hot environment, ensure that they are in an area where they can get shade in the afternoon. If you cannot get shade for them. they can still thrive, but you must ensure that you should water the Kumato tomatoes often and you can also mulch the soil.
- Ensure that you plant the Kumato seeds between 18 and 36 inches from one another so that they will have enough space when you are watering them and that they will not vigorously compete for resources like water, nutrients, and light. If you are planting them in a hot environment, the seeds should be planted between 9 and 18 inches from one another so that they can shade one another when they reach maturity for their fruits to be protected from direct sunburn.
- Kumato tomatoes quickly germinate between 5 and 10 days and you should mulch to control weeds as well as erosion after two weeks that you have planted them.
You will realize that it is quite easy to grow Kumato tomatoes, but you must know all the techniques involved.
Even though you are not guaranteed to get a yield of plants that will have Kumato characteristics if you get the seeds from the Kumato tomatoes you buy from the store, you should still try it, people have planted it and they enjoy the excellent taste of their Kumato tomatoes that contain great nutritional contents such as vitamins A, B and C, magnesium, and potassium.
You will also not want to miss out on the tomatoes that are low in calories and have no saturated fats or cholesterol.