FUKUI, Jul. 20 – A cherry tomato bears 4,000 fruits at a time, astonishing visitors at a horticulture laboratory, Engei Labo no Oka, in Mihama Town, Fukushima Prefecture.
It’s a parthenocarpic breed hydroponically grown in a greenhouse at a temperature of around 25 centigrade. Its main branches reach a frame of 2 meters high and are attached to the frame by strings. Horizontally, it spreads 5 meters in all directions. It’s not just a plant but a tomato “tree.” According to the laboratory, this tomato is expected to bear 20,000 fruits in total by October this year.
Engei Labo no Oka started to grow cherry tomato “trees” that bear several thousand fruits at a time in 2019 to make its visitors happier. This year, it planted two seedlings in mid-February and saw them start producing fruits in late May. “I hope people feel the true energy from the vigorous plants,” said Hiroshi Sakamoto, a tomato grower at the laboratory.
This super-big cherry tomato plant bears approximately 4,000 fruits at a time.