If you’re after something a bit different on the veg patch, this one really stands out with its striking, dark-toned fruit. Glossy tomatoes develop a deep purple to almost black skin where exposed to sunlight, gradually softening to a dusky, reddish-brown as they ripen and the flavour fully develops.
Tomato 'Indigo Rose' produces medium-sized fruits with a rich, slightly plum-like taste, best picked once the colour dulls and the base softens slightly.
This is an indeterminate cultivated variety, so it keeps growing and cropping over a long season, producing trusses of fruit on tall, cordon-style plants. It performs best in a greenhouse in the UK, though it can also do well outdoors in a warm, sunny spot with support. High in natural pigments and antioxidants, it offers both visual interest, health benefits, and added resilience in bright conditions.
How to care for tomato Indigo Rose:
Support plants as they grow by tying the main stem to canes or string, and regularly pinch out side-shoots to focus energy into fruiting. Keep soil consistently moist and feed weekly with a high-potash fertiliser once flowers appear.
Towards the end of the season, to help ripen any remaining fruit, lift the plants off supports and lay them flat in a sunny, sheltered spot, ideally under a cloche to retain warmth.
This tomato is an indeterminate cultivar and blooms consistently, sets fruit, and ripens throughout the season. Fruit will be ready to harvest July to October.
Sowing instructions:
Sow from March to May in pots or trays on the surface of barely moist seed compost, and cover with a sprinkling of finely sieved compost. Place in a propagator at 18-20°C (65-68°F) until germination, which usually takes up to 10 days.
Transplant the seedlings into small pots or cells and grow on until they are about 10cm (4in) high, then after all risk of frost has passed, they can be planted outdoors, 90cm (3ft) apart. Alternatively pot them into a growbag or container and keep in the greenhouse.
