Thanks to its special cultivation method, the RAF tomato is a truly unusual variety. Find out everything you need to know about the 'RAF' tomato variety in this article.
Tomato variety 'RAF': profile
| Fruit | Beefsteak tomato, deep red |
| Flavour | spicy, fruity |
| Maturity | late |
| Growth | Bush tomato, up to 1 m |
| Location | Greenhouse, outdoor (rain protection), tub |
| Special feature | determined variety |
Origin and History
The 'RAF', an abbreviation for "Resiste à Fusarium", was created by the French company Clause in Valence in 1961. Its name refers to the resistance to root rot caused by Fusarium fungi. It is said to be the result of a cross between a 'Marmande tomato' and various resistant American varieties. In 1967 the 'RAF' was registered as a variety and thus began its triumphant advance in commercial greenhouses in Spain. Up until the 1990s the 'RAF' was grown in Alicante, Murcia and Almeria for the supermarkets of Europe. Even the still green or only half-ripe tomatoes were touted as aromatic delicacies and “s alted tomatoes”. It is said to get its aromatic taste from the s alty soil in the cultivation area or from the water with s alty water. Eventually 'RAF' was superseded by higher yielding and disease resistant hybrid varieties and is now cultivated in the home gardens of tomato lovers.
Features and Taste
The 'RAF' is a small bush tomato, as it does not reach much more than a meter in height. The large, flat-topped and often strongly ribbed fruits can weigh up to 300 grams and turn deep red when ripe. As a late-ripening variety, it can only be harvested from the end of August. The taste of the 'RAF' is spicy and fruity, similar to the Marmande varieties. The 'RAF' is a seed resistant variety, which means that it can be propagated again from its own seeds.
RAF tomato: outdoor and container cultivation
The 'RAF' is suitable for cultivation in a greenhouse, but also outdoors and in containers. However, the robust and disease-tolerant plants are happy to have rain protection outdoors. Because even they are not immune to late blight in tomatoes. The short-growing variety can be planted outdoors and in containers from mid-May. With a special soil, such as our Plantura organic tomato soil, you create optimal conditions for the young plant for a productive season. The nutrients it contains provide the 'RAF' with everything it needs for the first few weeks.
Caring for the RAF tomato
After planting, the tomatoes should be properly watered and mulched, whether in a greenhouse, outdoors or in a pot. A mulch layer reduces evaporation and thus saves a lot of water. The small RAF tomato should be grown with a maximum of two shoots due to its large fruits. For this purpose, all side shoots are stingy except for one of the deep ones. Tomato pinching must be repeated every few weeks.
From June, like all other tomato varieties, the 'RAF' will be happy about the first fertilization. We recommend an organic liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer, especially for fertilizing balcony tomatoes. It can be applied together with the irrigation water about once a week. The high potassium content supports fruit ripening and the quality of the tomatoes. Tomato plants of the 'RAF' variety should not be watered with s alt water. The high s alt content can not only damage the roots, but also prevent water absorption, which leads to wilting of the plants over time. The 'RAF' also develops its good taste with the help of balanced, even fertilization and irrigation as well as plenty of heat and sunlight.
Harvest and use ‘RAF’ tomato
The RAF tomato is suitable for eating raw, but also for cooking and preserving for the cold season. Unripe, the 'RAF' should only be eaten cooked! The contained toxic alkaloid solanine, which occurs naturally in aubergines, green tomatoes and also in the green parts of potatoes, can cause stomach cramps. With increasing ripeness, it is broken down and half-ripe, no longer green fruits can thus be enjoyed without hesitation. However, the 'RAF' simply tastes best with a little olive oil and sea s alt.
Fertilizing tomatoes can be confusing with the variety of fertilizers available. And howoften and how much should actually be fertilized? We answer all questions about fertilizing tomatoes in our special article.