Tres cantos tomatoes: characteristics and care to grow them

You may not know it but in the market we can not only find a small variety of tomatoes, in fact, there are many. Some of the least known, by name, are Tres Cantos tomatoes. Have you ever read and seen this variety in the fruit shop?

Next, we want to talk to you about what Tres Cantos tomatoes are like, their characteristics and the care that you should provide to plant them in the garden and enjoy some fruits from the garden to the table. Shall we start?

What are Tres Cantos tomatoes like?

The first thing you need to know about Tres Cantos tomatoes is that We are talking about one of the largest varieties of tomatoes that exist today. In fact, it is easy for each of the tomatoes to weigh between 200 and 300 grams (although some can weigh up to 500 grams). They are used above all to make salads or to make stuffed tomatoes.

As its name indicates, the Tres Cantos tomato originates from Spain, specifically from Tres Cantos, in Madrid. It is characterized by being a large, rounded tomato that starts out green and, when ripe, turns an intense red color. That is why other names by which it is known is the “round tomato” or the “red tomato”.

As for the plant, it is of medium size. Reaches 150-170 centimeters in height and it is quite productive, with which, with the necessary care, it will be able to give you a good production.

Care of Tres Cantos tomatoes

If after reading the above, and even trying Tres Cantos tomatoes, you have decided to grow them in your garden, How about we give you the keys to take care of it and obtain a good harvest? Here we tell you all the keys that you should keep in mind.

When to plant Tres Cantos tomatoes

Like many other tomatoes, the Tres Cantos variety should be planted in mid-March, just when spring begins and the good weather arrives.

Depending on the climate you have, you can delay it or advance it (for example, if you live in a temperate climate zone and as of March there is no frost anymore, you could plant them so that the production starts earlier). Even, in the Mediterranean climate, it could be grown all year round. Of course, to do so it is necessary to keep the earth always warm so that the roots do not deteriorate.

location and temperature

The best way to grow the Tres Cantos tomato is to place it in an area of ​​the garden, either in a pot or in the ground, where it has at least 8 hours of sunlight, several of them direct, because that way it will develop much better and obtain part of the needs it needs.

Professionals recommend that it be grown with a south or southeast orientation, since it is the one that will provide the most light.

Regarding temperatures, you should know that the ideal temperature for Tres Cantos tomatoes is between 18 and 20 degrees. Obviously, it can withstand higher temperatures as long as irrigation is increased (so that the plant does not dry out or lack nutrients to grow the tomatoes).

For its part, in terms of low temperatures, it is best that they do not drop below 12ºC since then the production of the tomatoes would be put at risk.

Substratum

You must make sure that the soil you use for the tomato is very fertile and with a lot of drainage. A good mix of this could be universal substrate with earthworm humus and also perlite or expanded clay. Make sure it is a very fresh and permeable soil.

Keep in mind that many plant the seeds beforehand in seedbeds so that, once they germinate and are strong enough, they are transplanted to their final site (from that moment on is when the time to obtain the harvest begins).

Irrigation

Tres Cantos tomatoes need a lot of water, but without the generation of flooding or the humidity being very high because that, In addition to being negative for the roots, it could cause fungus to appear.

When it comes to watering, it is best to do it first thing in the morning, or late in the afternoon. In this way you prevent the water from heating up by the sun or that it can burn the plant.

Of course, you must make sure not to wet the entire plant because that could also harm its health (and the appearance of pests and diseases). For this reason, when a time has come (usually when the plant is already about 30 centimeters) that you will have to tutor it so that the branches can support the weight of the fruits without these touching the ground (they will rot).

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One of the most important points when growing Tres Cantos tomatoes is the fertilizer. It is important that you give it a fertilizer rich in NPK and Magnesium, as well as Nitrogen and Potassium.

Since it begins to grow, you must apply fertilizer frequently to be able to carry out a good production.

Sometimes what you can do is, before planting it, put a base of organic matter on the ground (manure, for example). And then bet on the fertilizer next to the irrigation water.

Plagues and diseases

We cannot tell you that Tres Cantos tomatoes are resistant, because the truth is that they are greatly affected by pests and diseases. Perhaps more the second than the first.

Among the diseases that you should take into account are powdery mildew, apical necrosis and mildew, which are the ones that affect you the most.

With regard to pests, the most common are the whitefly.

When to pick tomatoes

Once you plant the tomatoes, when they look bigger and reddish, it will be time to cut them from the bush and harvest them. To give you an idea, It is usually collected three months after being planted after its transplant (in case you have put it in a seedbed).

As you can see, Tres Cantos tomatoes, if you provide them with the most special care (such as watering, fertilizing and fighting pests and diseases), will not give you too many problems and in return you will have very tasty tomatoes. Although, if you’re wondering, they are less sweet and juicy than other tomatoes. Have you tried them? What did you think?