Tomato 'Tigerella'

Tomato 'Tigerella' is a standard, indeterminate variety, an English heirloom variety that is highly productive and extremely attractive. It has a unique, rich, tangy flavour and the stripes give it outstanding eye appeal.

An early variety, Tigerella crops can be harvested up to three weeks earlier than Moneymaker, the bountiful trusses on this award winning tomato ensure large crops. When mature they are the size of a billiard ball. They produce a 110 to 170 grams (4 to 6 oz.) fruit with a rich, tangy flavour.
Completely greenback free, they mature in 85 to 100 days. One of the large seed houses described Tigerella as “The finest supermarket size tomato we’ve grown”.

Intended for greenhouse growing, Tigerella can also be cropped outdoors. Provide support, tie in regularly, pinch out side shoots and pinch out the growing tip after 5 to 6 trusses have set. When grown outdoors remove growing tip in late summer to hasten ripening. The remarkably attractive, red-orange striped, medium sized fruit of Tigerella provides a decorative alternative to standard varieties.

Tomato 'Tigerella' is not only a good tomato for eating, it is also fun to watch it mature. Starting off just green like any other tomato, as the days get longer and warmer the transformation begins. Early in the season they are yellow-green with green stripes. As they mature the magic begins, they turn red with yellow-orange stripes - hence their name. If you have children you would like to introduce to vegetable gardening, this would be an ideal tomato to grow in a children’s garden.

• Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit
  Tomato 'Tigerella' has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Timing:
As they cannot tolerate any degree of frost the timing for sowing and planting outside is key to successfully growing tomatoes. Where the seeds are sown under cover or indoors, aim to sow the seeds so that they reach the stage to be transplanted outside three weeks after the last frost date. Tomato plants take roughly seven weeks from sowing to reach the transplanting stage. For example, if your last frost date is early May, the seeds should be planted in early April to allow transplanting at the end of May.

Position:
Tomatoes require a full sun position. Two or three weeks before planting, dig the soil over and incorporate as much organic matter as possible. The best soil used for containers is half potting compost and half a soil-based type loam: this gives some weight to the soil.

Sowing:
Plant about 3mm (1/8in) deep, in small pots using seed starting compost. Water lightly and keep consistently moist until germination occurs. Tomato seeds usually germinate within 5 to 10 days when kept in the optimum temperature range of 21 to 27°C (70 to 80°F). As soon as they emerge, place them in a location that receives a lot of light and a cooler temperature (60 to 70°F); a south-facing window should work.

Transplanting:
When the plants develop their first true leaves, and before they become root bound, they should be transplanted into larger into 20cm (4in) pots.
Young plants are very tender and susceptible to frost damage, as well as sunburn. I protect my young plants by placing a large plastic milk jug, with the bottom removed, to form a miniature greenhouse.
Depending on the components of your compost, you may need to begin fertilising. If you do fertilise, do it very, very sparingly with a weak dilution.
Transplant into their final positions when they are about 15cm (6in) high. Two to three weeks prior to this, the plants should be hardened off.

Planting:
Just before transplanting the tomato plants to their final position drive a strong stake into the ground 5cm (2in) from the planting position. The stake should be at least 30cm (1ft) deep in the ground and 1.2m (4ft) above ground level - the further into the ground the better the support. As the plant grows, tie in the main stem to the support stake - check previous ties to ensure that they do not cut into the stem as the plant grows.

Dig a hole 45cm (18in) apart in the bed to the same depth as the pot and water if conditions are at all dry. Ease the plant out of the pot, keeping the root ball as undisturbed as far as possible. Place it in the hole and fill around the plant with soil. The soil should be a little higher than it was in the pot. Loosely tie the plant's stem to the support stake using soft garden twine –allow some slack for future growth.

Cultivation:
A constant supply of moisture is essential, dry periods significantly increase the risk of the fruit splitting. Feed with a liquid tomato fertiliser (high in potash) starting when the first fruits start to form, and every two or three weeks up to the end of August. In September, feed with a general fertiliser (higher in nitrogen) in order to help the plant support it's foliage.
Over watering may help to produce larger fruit, but flavour may be reduced. Additionally, splitting and cracking can result from uneven and excessive watering.

Pruning:
When the first fruits begin to form, pinch out the side shoots between the main stem. Also remove lower leaves which show any signs of yellowing to avoid infection.

Harvesting:
Pick as soon as the fruits are ripe, this also encourages the production of more fruit. Harvest all the fruit as soon as frost threatens and ripen on a window sill.