Tiger tomatoes owe their name to their striped appearance. We will introduce you to the most beautiful tiger tomato varieties and tell you what you should know about growing and caring for this special variety.
Tiger tomatoes belong to the bottle tomatoes because they are elongated and have a point at the bottom. The long leaves look pointed, are sharply jagged and droop slightly. Tiger tomatoes are characterized by these characteristics, together with their differently colored stripes. We present some tomato varieties and explain the most important things about cultivation and harvest.
The best tiger tomato varieties
So far, five varieties of tiger tomatoes are known, which are increasingly finding their place in gardens. All tabby tomatoes taste mild, are slightly sweet and refreshing with a slight acidity. In the case of green and yellow varieties, the fruitiness of the taste typically predominates.
All of the varieties presented here are seedfast and can therefore be sown again from the seeds.
Red and pink tiger tomato varieties
The two varieties 'Artisan Pink Tiger' and 'Maglia Rosa' are representatives of the red and pink tiger tomatoes respectively. 'Artisan Pink Tiger' shows a true play of colors from pink to red with dark orange stripes. It reaches a length of up to ten centimeters and tastes sweet and sour and juicy. The 'Maglia Rosa' is a sister of the 'Artisan Blush Tiger' and 'Green Tiger', a breeding by Fred Hempel. It's a miniature bottle tomato, about two to three inches long, with bright red stripes on its pink skin. It is very suitable as a snack tomato for fresh consumption.
Yellow Tiger Tomato Varieties
So far there is only one tiger variety among the yellow tomato varieties. 'Artisan Blush Tiger' develops typically long, golden-yellow-orange-striped fruits mid-early from mid-July, which are particularly convincing with their fruity-sweet taste.
Green Tiger Tomato Varieties
The green tiger tomatoes are a rather new breed and are slowly but surely establishing themselves among hobby gardeners thanks to theirgreat taste. The 'Green Tiger' is a beautifully elongated, green and golden yellow striped cherry tomato with a very smooth skin. It tastes fruity, sweet and freshly sour, while remaining crisp even when very ripe. The plants rarely reach more than 120 centimeters in height. 'Lucky Tiger' is, so to speak, the dwarf form of the 'Green Tiger', a bush tomato that is a maximum of 80 centimeters high. It forms fruits about six centimeters long, which are green-striped and turn slightly reddish when ripe. They taste very sweet and aromatic and are therefore ideal snack tomatoes.
Planting and caring for tiger tomatoes
Tiger tomatoes can be planted outdoors, but to prevent the fruit from bursting so quickly, they should be placed under a rain canopy. They also do well in large pots with sufficient substrate or in a greenhouse. When planting from the beginning to mid-May, a special tomato soil, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil, supports the root formation and growth of the tabby tomatoes. The nutrients it contains give the plants a good start and take care of them until the first fertilizer is released.
When planting, insert a stake or other support into the ground to tie the tiger tomatoes. They usually only reach a height of 160 centimeters, but they need a little extra support, especially if there are several shoots. The pretty striped tomatoes also grow on the side shoots, the so-called stingy shoots. In this case, tomato pruning is easy, because you can easily leave three deep-seated shoots on the tiger varieties and remove all other side shoots.
When fertilizing tiger tomatoes, you should use a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertiliser. In this way, your tomatoes are sustainably, long-term and gently supplied with all the important nutrients.
Tip: You can also easily grow tomatoes from seed. This is particularly easy with a cultivation set such as the Plantura vegetable cultivation set. In addition to tomato seeds, it also contains seeds for four other aromatic vegetables and everything else you need for sowing.
Harvesting and using tiger tomatoes
Tiger tomatoes taste great when they are ripe, but also just before they are fully ripe. When the flesh softens slightly under your fingers and the fruit is colored, it's time to harvest.Tiger tomatoes can produce a plethora of fruit that can either be eaten fresh or processed. They develop their mild aroma in soups and sauces, but also enrich any salad with their color and delicious taste.
The pretty striped Tigerella tomato is neither related nor related by marriage to the tiger tomatoes. You can find out everything about this tomato beauty in our variety profile.