BUSH OR CORDON?
Tigerella is a cordon variety (indeterminate) of tomato and therefore grows best if it is pruned. Only suitable for growing under cover unless you live in a warm part of the UK and can provide it with a protected position.
APPEARANCE AND TASTE OF TIGERELLA TOMATO
The most striking quality of Tigerella is its appearance. The skin is mainly red but has clearly visible orange streaks through it. The tomatoes are normally just slightly smaller than a billiard ball, so they take two or three mouthfuls to eat. When grown under cover they produce a crop two to three weeks earlier than average and the amount of tomatoes produced is slightly above average.
Flavour is not high on the list as far as this variety is concerned. It’s better than many supermarket bought tomatoes but not by much. It’s neither sweet nor acidic, somewhere between the two. The texture seems to vary significantly depending on the growing conditions. Some find them firm enough to slice others find them too soft, it seems to depend very much on the growing conditions. On balance, this is a tomato to grow for the novelty value of the multi-coloured skin but not for its other qualities. Having said that, they do look impressive in a salad!
Tigerella Tomato
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WHEN TO SOW TIGERELLA SEED
The key dates for sowing and planting out Tigerella tomato seeds are given below.
The dates displayed below are correct for the UK average. If you want them to be even more accurate and adjusted for your area of the UK click here. It only takes a minute and the adjustment affects every date in this site and lasts for six months.
We do not recommend sowing seed of this variety directly in the ground.- Sow seeds in pots indoors
Second week of March - Pot up young plants
Second week of April - Harden off young plants
First week of May - Plant out young plants
Third week of May
WHEN TO HARVEST TIGERELLA TOMATOES
This variety is a cordon type tomato and if they are pruned in that way you can expect to be picking your first tomatoes in the first week of August
If you need any more information on growing this variety, click here to go to our main tomato page.
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF TIGERELLA
F1 OR OPEN POLLINATED?: Open pollinated and will grow true from saved seed. Click here for clear instructions and even clearer pictures on how to save seeds from Tigerella tomatoes.
GROWTH TYPE: Cordon, best pruned
WHERE TO GROW: Under cover
USE: Salads, sandwiches
SKIN COLOUR / TEXTURE: Red streaked orange, thick skin
FLESH COLOUR: Red
TASTE AND TEXTURE: Slightly bland taste with an even balance of sweetness and acidity.
STORAGE: Below average
TOMATO SIZE: Medium
REGULARITY OF CROPPING: Regularly produces a good yield
AWARDS: None
SPECIAL FEATURES: Unusual skin colour
Other varieties which may also be of interest include:
| BLACK RUSSIAN | CRIMSON CRUSH |
| AMISH PASTE | AILSA CRAIG |
COMMENTS / QUESTIONS LEFT BY OUR READERS
Sometimes our readers ask specific questions which are not covered in the main article above. Our
Outdoor Tomatoes comment / question and answer page
lists their comments, questions and answers. At the end of that page there is also a form for you to submit any new question or comment you have.
When and How to Sow Tomato Seed
Ongoing Care
Pruning Tomatoes
Pest and Disease
Tomato Nutrient Defficiency
Save Tomato Seeds
Tomato Variety Review
Tomato Question and Answer
TIGERELLA TOMATOES
By David Marks
Tigerella has been a favourite for many amateur gardeners for a very long time. The signature stripes on the skin are the key reason for this but it is also an easy variety to grow under cover.
Not the best tasting tomato but neither is it the worst. It does vary significantly depending on on how and where it is grown. But it is an open pollinated variety and saving seed is easy and cheap so it’s worth growing one of this variety each year.