The high-yielding tomato variety turns blue to black in the sun and has a very special look. We show how to plant and care for the indigo kumquat tomato in the garden.
The beautiful date-shaped tomato 'Indigo Kumquat' is a rarity and convinces with its extremely fruity taste. In this profile you will learn everything about this unique variety, its properties and cultivation.
Indigo Kumquat: Profile
| Fruit | Cherry tomato; golden yellow with bluish black shoulders |
| Flavour | fruity, mild, sweet |
| Maturity | medium early |
| Growth | Stick tomato, up to 150 cm |
| Location | Greenhouse, sheltered field, pot |
Origin and history of the tomato
The date-shaped cherry tomato 'Indigo Kumquat' comes from the American P&R Seeds Company based in Corvallis, Oregon. The purple coated 'Indigo Kumquat' was developed by Dr. Peter Mes and Dr. Jim Myers, the breeder of the 'Indigo Rose', selected. Like many blue and black tomato varieties, it only came onto the market a short time ago and adds a golden-yellow variant to the range of varieties.
Description and taste of the 'Indigo Kumquat' tomato variety
The plants of the 'Indigo Kumquat' variety have filigree foliage with a dark purple tinge. The delicate plant reaches a height of about 150 centimeters. 'Indigo Kumquat' forms date to teardrop-shaped cherry tomatoes on trusses that turn bluish-purple in sunlight. The stronger the sunlight hits the fruit, the darker the violet color becomes. When ripe, the fruit turns golden yellow, the purple shoulders darkening to a bluish black. The medium-early 'Indigo Kumquat' ripens from the end of July and produces a good yield. The taste of this pretty cherry tomato is extremely fruity with notes of exotic fruits and a mild sweetness. The Indigo Kumquat tomato is basically a seed variety, although it is sometimes sold as a hybrid variety, 'Indigo Kumquat F1'.In order to be able to obtain tomato seeds yourself, you should be careful not to buy a hybrid variant.
Planting and caring for indigo kumquat: This is important to note
The Indigo Kumquat is very suitable as a balcony mate for keeping in a pot, but it also thrives wonderfully in a greenhouse. Their fruits are not quite bursting. It should therefore always be protected from the rain. From mid-May you can place the dainty young plants of the Indigo Kumquat in a planter with a capacity of at least five liters. At best, fill the pot with a special substrate, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil. The nutrients it contains are adapted to the needs of tomatoes and other types of vegetables and provide them with the ideal supply after planting. The 'Indigo Kumquat' can be planted deeper into the ground, so more roots form along the stem - but about two thirds of the young plant should still be sticking out of the ground. After planting, the substrate is lightly pressed and watered well.
The indigo kumquat tomato should be supported and tied with a stick to protect it from wind and buckling. The cherry tomato can be grown well with three or four shoots. To do this, leave low-lying shoots on the plant and remove any overlying ones. The extra shoots will soon flower and will need their own staff. Alternatively, place four sticks in all directions at the edge of the pot and wrap them with a ribbon or rope. The shoots lean against the border and do not have to be attached individually. The cutting of the tomato must be repeated weekly.
From June the first small fruits are already growing on the 'Indigo Kumquat' and the plant is starving for nutrients. A plant-based liquid fertiliser, such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable fertiliser, acts quickly and with little loss directly on the roots. It is added to the irrigation water about once a week and applied when watering. In the case of pot tomatoes in particular, fertilizing is made easier because nothing has to be worked in. The liquid fertilizer can also be used in the event of an acute nutrient deficiency, as it is absorbed quickly and efficiently.
Harvesting and Using Indigo Kumquat Tomatoes
The many fruits of the indigo kumquat tomato taste delicious fresh and still warm from the sun, straight from the plant, but are also used in salads and as a snack for lunch. Drying the elongated ones is also particularly recommendedCherry tomato, because this preserves the fruity taste and can be enjoyed until the next tomato season.
Many companies produce hybrid varieties or prohibit propagation of their varieties. This is completely different with the 'Sunviva' tomato variety, which has been equipped with the open source license. You can find out what that means and how to cultivate the pretty stick tomato in your own garden in our variety portrait.