Garden Organic for Schools - growing instructions for Tomato 'Tiger Tom'

Heritage Seed Library - Tomato 'Tiger Tom'

Variety Information

Martin Crees, Sussex, donated this variety to HSL in 1980 after sending for seeds from John Woolf, Devon in 1979. Suttons had also previously sold this variety commercially. The medium-sized fruit are both attractive and delicious. Can be grown indoors, but produces more fruit outside.

Growing Instructions

Tomatoes Lycopersicon esculentum

Sowing indoors

Tomatoes are sensitive to cold, so they must be started off indoors and planted out only when all danger of frost is over. This is usually at the end of May, although later in more northern parts of the country.

Grow indoors on a warm windowsill or in a greenhouse. Sow for growing on in a glasshouse in late February or early March, and for growing outdoors in late March. Sow seed shallowly in pots with some warmth, and prick out seedlings into individual pots, growing on (and potting on if necessary) until ready to be transplanted to final positions.

Transplanting

Transplant after the last frost, or a bit earlier if protected by cloches or fleece, 35-45 cm apart.

Looking after your tomatoes as they grow

‘Tiger Tom’ tomatoes should be trained as a cordon. Cordon varieties need to be supported on a strong cane, or up a string and can easily grow up to 1.5m. Side shoots of cordoned tomatoes need to be removed regularly, and the growing tip can also be removed once four to five trusses have set fruit, to encourage them to ripen. Your tomatoes will need to be kept well watered, especially once the fruit has formed. If you are growing your tomatoes in pots or grow bags, they will also need feeding, start to use a comfrey liquid feed or a commercially available organic tomato feed, as soon as the first flowers have set fruit.

Harvesting

Pick the fruits as they ripen and are fully coloured. At the end of the growing season pick all the fruits and store the green ones, individually wrapped in paper, on trays or in boxes. To encourage ripening, place the tomatoes in a closed paper bag or box with a ripe apple or banana.

Glossary

Prick out: Transplant seedlings

Cloche: A low portable construction made of glass or rigid plastic panes on a wire frame.

Cordon: Plant is limited to a central stem and grown up a tall support such as a cane or string.

Tomato 'Tiger Tom' seedlings

Tomato 'Tiger Tom'

This document was produced with support from the Food for Life Partnership



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