The recovery, conservation, dissemination and enhancement of local horticultural varieties are some of the actions carried out by the Marimurtra Botanical Garden. In this direction, during the last few weeks, several traditional local horticultural varieties of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants have been collected, which you can find in the garden area of the Garden. The traditional varieties have been selected over many years and are adapted to the local climate and soil, which is why they are more resistant to pests. The main difference between these vegetables and the hybrids from multinationals is that the latter are associated with greater productivity, but, at the same time, are more sensitive to pests.
The local vegetables were sown in February in the greenhouse; in April they were planted in the garden and have already been harvested. With these local vegetable plantations, Marimurtra collaborates in the recovery and dissemination of part of the plant, cultural and historical heritage.
In addition to dissemination, another of the Garden’s purposes is the conservation of local species, which is why the seeds are conserved with two objectives: to preserve them and also to offer them through the international catalog of botanical gardens, Índex Seminum. The fact that the seeds of varieties that have been harvested in the Garden itself are planted in Marimurtra means that the best adapted ones are selected. The seeds are kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of 16 degrees, waiting to be sown again next February.
Local tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) of the following varieties have been planted:
Tomato ‘Cicerol’, Caldes de Montbuí
Tomato ‘Cor de bou’, Palafolls
Tomato ‘de Penjar’, Marimurtra
Tomato ‘Malacara’, Marimurtra
Tomato ‘Montserrat’, Palafolls
Tomato ‘Palosanto’, Llinars del Vallès, Argentona
Tomato ‘Pometa’, Marimurtra
Tomato ‘Rosa ple de l’Etern’, Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana
The other vegetable that has been planted is the pepper (Capsicum annuum), with the local varieties of:
Pebrotina pepper
Pebrotina pepper
Pebrotina ‘Morro de Vedell Groc de l’Etern’ pepper
Pebrotina ‘Morro de Vedell Vermell de l’Etern’ pepper
Pebrotina ‘Nyora’ pepper
Pebrotina ‘Peronet’ pepper
Pebrotina ‘Quatre Cantells’ pepper
Pebrotina ‘Tres Caires de Reus’
Other local varieties have also recently been collected in the Garden, such as the aubergine (Solanum melongena) from Menorca and the courgette (Cucurbita pepo) ‘Corredor’.
On the other hand, 15 varieties of Menorca tomatoes have been planted, which are in the process of being catalogued by the botanical curator of Marimurtra, Pere Fraga i Arguimbau, of the following old varieties:
Tomàquet ‘de Ferro’ de Biel Marquès
Tomàquet ‘Algaiarens’
Tomàquet ‘Ensalada des Migjorn’
Tomàquet ‘de Ferro Gros’
Tomàquet ‘de Ferro’
Tomàquet ‘de Pera de Llevant’
Tomàquet ‘De Penjar de Sant Lluís’
Tomàquet ‘De Mèrvil’, Algenderet Nou, Son Vivó
Tomàquet ‘Ensalada primerenc’
Tomàtiga de Menorca’ cfr
Tomàquet ‘de Mèrvil’ Raúl Gonyalons (Algendaret Nou)
Tomàtiga ‘Tomàtiga’ Joan de Binicanó
Tomàtiga ‘Tomàtiga’
Tomàtiga ‘Tomàtiga’
Tomàquet ‘De Penjar Antic’
Tomàquet ‘De Mèrvil’ Son Vivó
The Marimurtra garden also has other horticultural varieties planted from abroad such as the Peruvian tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium), which stands out for the small size of the fruit and the vigor of the bush and its good adaptability to our garden.
And several varieties from abroad have been collected that have some special characteristic:
corn (Zea mays): ‘Purple’
chili pepper (Capsicum annuum): ‘Cayena’, ‘Jalapeño’, ‘Ají amarillo’,
chili pepper (Capsicum chinense): ‘Bhut Jolokia’, ‘Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Yellow’,
chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens): ‘de la República’, ‘Piri’.
chili pepper (Capsicum annuum): ‘Cayena’
corn (Zea mays): ‘Purple’
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The Marimurtra garden also has other horticultural varieties planted from abroad such as the Peruvian tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium), which stands out for the small size of the fruit and the vigor of the bush and its good adaptability to our garden.
And several varieties from abroad have been collected that have some special characteristic:
corn (Zea mays): ‘Purple’
chili pepper (Capsicum annuum): ‘Cayena’, ‘Jalapeño’, ‘Ají amarillo’,
chili pepper (Capsicum chinense): ‘Bhut Jolokia’, ‘Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Yellow’,
chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens): ‘de la República’, ‘Piri’.
chili pepper (Capsicum annuum): ‘Cayena’
corn (Zea mays): ‘Purple’
bitxo (Capsicum annuum): ‘Cayena’
blat de moro (Zea mays): ‘Morat’
Most of the varieties of seeds and seedlings come from the Cooperativa les Refardes i l’Associació de Llavors Orientals.