Tiger tomatoes: varieties, cultivation & harvest

The tiger tomatoes owe their name to their striped exterior. We will introduce you to the most beautiful tiger tomato varieties and reveal what you should know about cultivating and caring for this special variety.

Tiger tomatoes are bottle tomatoes because they are elongated and have a point at the bottom. The long leaves are pointed, jagged and drooping a little. These characteristics, together with their different colored stripes, distinguish tiger tomatoes. We introduce some tomato varieties and explain the most important things about cultivation and harvesting.

The best varieties of tiger tomatoes

So far, five varieties of tiger tomatoes are known and are increasingly finding their place in gardens. All tabby tomatoes have a mild taste, are slightly sweet and refreshing with a slight acidity. In the case of green and yellow varieties, the fruitiness typically predominates in the taste.

All of the varieties presented here are resistant to seeds and can therefore be re-sown 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 real play of colors from pink to red with dark orange stripes. It reaches a length of up to ten centimeters and has a balanced sweet, sour and juicy taste. The ‘Maglia Rosa’ is a sister of the ‘Artisan Blush Tiger‘And‘ Green Tiger ’, a breed by Fred Hempel. It is a mini bottle tomato about five to seven centimeters long and has bright red stripes on its pink skin. It is very suitable as a snack tomato for fresh consumption.

Yellow tiger tomato varieties

Under the yellow tomato varieties there is only one type of tiger found so far. ‘Artisan Blush Tiger’ forms typically elongated golden-yellow-orange-striped fruits in the middle of July, which are particularly convincing with their fruity-sweet taste.

Green tiger tomato varieties

The green tiger tomatoes are a rather newer breed and are slowly but surely establishing themselves with hobby gardeners thanks to their great taste. The ‘Green Tiger’ is a beautifully green-golden-yellow-striped, elongated cherry tomato with a very smooth skin. It tastes fruity, sweet and freshly sour, and it stays crunchy even when it is 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 no more than 80 centimeters high. It forms fruits about six centimeters long that are striped green and turn slightly reddish when ripe. They taste very sweet and aromatic and are therefore ideal snack tomatoes.

Plant and care for tiger tomatoes

Tiger tomatoes can be planted outdoors, but so that the fruits do not burst open so quickly, they should be placed under a rain canopy. They also feel good in large pots with sufficient substrate or in the greenhouse. A special tomato soil, such as our Plantura, supports the planting from early to mid-May Organic tomato and vegetable soil, the root formation and growth of tabby tomatoes. The nutrients it contains give the plants a good start and supply them until the first fertilizer is released.

When planting, you should stick a stick or other support into the ground to tie the tiger tomatoes. Although they usually only reach 160 centimeters in height, they need a little extra support, especially if there are several shoots. The nicely striped tomatoes are also produced on the side shoots, the so-called stingy shoots. That Tomato skimming is easy in this case, because you can easily leave three deep-set shoots in the tiger varieties and remove all other side shoots.

When fertilizing tiger tomatoes, you should use a primarily organic long-term fertilizer like ours Plantura organic tomato fertilizer To fall back on. In this way, your tomatoes are sustainably, long-term and gently supplied with all the important nutrients.

Tip: You can also grow tomatoes from seeds without any problems. This is particularly easy with a mounting kit like this Plantura vegetable growing kit. In addition to tomato seeds, it also contains seeds for four other aromatic vegetables, as well as everything else you need for sowing.

Harvest and use tiger tomatoes

Tiger tomatoes taste great when they are ripe, but also shortly before they are fully ripe. When the flesh has worn off slightly under the fingers and the fruit is colored, it is time to harvest. Tiger tomatoes can produce tons of fruits that can either be eaten fresh or processed. They develop their mild aroma in soups and sauces, but also enrich every salad with their color and delicious taste.

The nicely striped stake tomato is neither related to nor by marriage to the tiger tomatoes Tigerella. You can find out everything about this tomato beauty in our variety profile.