SEEDS (10pcs/bag)
Common Name: Tomato 'Indigo Rose'
Scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum
Family: Solanaceae
Plant history & use:
Blue tomatoes are produced for their high content of the antioxidant anthocyanin - a substance that gives many fruits & berries their blue/purple hue and also to some extent helps to protect the plant from insect attacks and diseases. Anthocyanins are found in all tomato varieties, but usually not in the fruits but instead in the leaves and stems.
This dark purple tomato has a slight plum-like flavor. The fruits are ripe when they have turned from a blue-purple to purple-brown hue. Parts of the tomato that have not been exposed to sunlight can, just like regular tomatoes, turn from green to red when ripening off the plant.
Unripe green tomatoes can be pickled or fried together with olive oil and lemon.
Cultivation:
Thrives in warm conditions, both indoors and outdoors. Greenhouse cultivation is a perfect fit. Grows best in well-drained and nutrient-rich soil.
'Indigo Rose' is a very tall tomato, it grows up to 2 meters. Stem support and branch binding is beneficial. The side shoots that emerge from the the crevice between the main stem and the leaf stem are pinched off to favor flowering = more tomatoes! This variety gives harvest for longer periods than short-grown tomato varieties.
Tomatoes function well in co-cultivations, add garlic, cress and tagetes as undergrowth to keep aphids away.
Sowing:
Pre-cultivated indoors or sown directly outdoors when the risk of frost is over. Cover only with a thin layer of soil. Keep the seed moist. Usually rapid germination, 5-15 days.
Characteristics:
Lifespan: Annual
Location: Sun
Height: 150-200 cm
Germination Time: 5-15 days
USDA Zone: 10-12