Litchi Tomato / Morelle De Balbis - Solanum Sisymbriifolium - Tasty & Perennial
Quantity: 10 Seeds
The Litchi Tomato, aka Solanum Sisymbriifolium, is a fruit producing plant in the solanaceae (nightshade) family. It's a relatively unknown plant here in North America, but is more common in South America. One might wonder why anyone would grow such a sharp plant in the garden, but after tasting how delicious the fruits are, the answer becomes obvious; they're absolutely amazing! The fruits taste remarkably like cherries, but with a hint of tomato; they're very sweet, juicy, and pleasantly tart too. These are some of the best tasting fruits in the solanaceae genus. It's easy to know when the fruits are ripe because the calyx peels away from the fruit, and it comes off the plant with minimal force. These plants are perennial down to zone 6a, but will produce well as an annual in other regions too.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
Growing Instructions
For the highest yields, It’s best to start Litchi Tomato seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost; we start them here on the farm in mid March. It's good to sow them in a sterile growing medium; most available seed starting soils should do the job nicely; we use sunshine mix (peat moss and perlite). The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds 1/8 inch below the soil surface. Store in a warm area until tiny sprouts emerge from the soil. A heat mat greatly aids in this step, but is not necessary. Seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate, but may take less time too. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 8°C or higher; for us, this is around early May, but they are quite resilient, so can be planted out early without sacrificing yields later on in the season.