Mr Stripey tomato produces different kinds of tomatoes. These tomatoes are yellow and orange instead of red but taste better than most other varieties.
One plant can produce a large enough yield to last you the entire season. You will find some of our experts’ tips on growing this in your vegetable garden.
What Is Mr Stripey Tomato?
Mr Stripey tomato is a type of heirloom tomato that produces ripe fruits that are yellow or orange instead of red. It is known as solanum Lycopersicum and is often confused with a beefsteak tomato. However, the stripey tomatoes have small leaves and varied stripes.
Mr Stripey Tomato Care
This tomato plant needs bright and direct sunlight all day to grow. Don’t neglect to water the plant as soon as the top soil dries. Water right there and then. The ideal soil for a tomato is slightly acidic, loamy, and made from an equal quantity of peat, perlite, and compost.
Provide your plant with a warm temperature and 80 to 90 percent humidity. Fertilize regularly, but after diluting it first. Keep on pruning old, wilted, and diseased stems and leaves.
– Light Requirements
This tomato variety needs the full bright sun the most day. This is important for it to grow its fruit and then for the fruit to ripen. When planting tomatoes in a vegetable garden, choose their location wisely. Choose a spot that receives good sunlight that is not blocked by a larger tree or wall.
People often have no option but to grow their stripey tomato seeds and plants indoors. In that case, you need a place within the house that is kept directly illuminated for most days. A window in the house facing the southern direction is perfect for tomatoes.
In the absence of proper light, fewer and smaller tomatoes will be produced. Artificial grow lights work effectively in the case of vegetables as well. Install a couple of LED or fluorescent lights above where the tomatoes are grown. Grow lights should be kept on for at least 12 to 14 hours daily to be effective.
– Water Requirements
Constant watering is a must to grow tomatoes of the best quality. During the fruiting season in the spring and summer, you will have to water two times a week. In the winter, you can give your plant a little relief because the soil dries slowly.
It is best to check the soil daily. This way, as soon as the topsoil dries, you can water it immediately. Inserting a wooden popsicle stick two inches into the soil is the simplest method of checking it. If you own a moisture meter, it would tell you the most accurate estimate.
Tomatoes need one to two inches of water every time. So, you will need to water it deeply with a gallon of water. Overwatering is not an issue with garden soil, but you must be careful of tomatoes planted in containers. Constantly check to see whether the container’s drainage is being compromised.
– Soil Requirements
Tomatoes like their soil to be loamy and rich in essential nutrients. Although they will grow in all sorts of soil, the quality and quantity of tomatoes produced depend greatly on the type of soil that you use.
In our opinion, the best tomato soil comprises one-third moss, one-third compost, and an equal quantity of perlite. Perlite is round balls of rock that are a must-add ingredient for providing drainage. Without perlite, the soil will clump into a solid mass and cause waterlogging.
If you cannot get perlite anywhere, then vermiculite is an equally effective substitute. The ideal pH of the soil is between 5.8 to 6.0. To decrease pH, you can add some sulfur. You can add a bit of lime to the soil to increase pH.
– Temperature Requirements
Tomato seeds need 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit temperature to germinate. A growing or fully grown plant needs 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.
That is why they are considered a summertime plant. People with tomatoes grown in containers can bring their plants indoors during winters. Otherwise, you will have to cover your plant with plastic or burlap bags to survive winters.
– Humidity Requirements
During daytime humidity, around 80 to 90 percent is needed. This is because it is usually hotter and drier during the day. At night only 65 to 75 percent humidity is required.
You can use a hygrometer to determine if your plant lacks humidity. Misting your tomato plant very lightly every third day helps improve humidity a bit. A better solution is to place a container full of water near the plant. The water evaporates throughout the day, adding water vapors to the air around the plant.
– Fertilizing Requirements
Fertilization is crucial when it comes to growing any tomato plant. It starts right from the time of seed germination. Grow your heirloom tomato seeds in an organically rich potting medium like moss or compost. Give the new plants a feed of diluted compost or worm casting tea a few weeks after germination.
When transplanting the new plantlets into proper soil, again fertilize the soil. Dig a hole in the soil to put the plants in and add compost or worm castings to it. You can also mix a slow-release fertilizer with the soil while preparing it. It comes in pellet form that should be crushed to a powder before use.
After transplantation, you need to give your plant some time to establish its roots. After four to five weeks, you can start a bimonthly feeding schedule that lasts till fall. Any good quality chemical fertilizer can be used.
We suggest you go for a fertilizer with an NPK value of 10:10:10 for tomato plants. It has all the essential nutrients in a very well-balanced ratio. It would be best if you never neglected to dilute liquid fertilizer before use. Otherwise, your plant might have to deal with overfertilizing or chemical burns.
Harvesting
When your heirloom tomato plants have finally ripened, it is time to pick them off and use them. Harvesting isn’t as simple as just plucking the fruit off the stem. Learn how to harvest tomatoes properly and then store them properly for the future in the upcoming section.
– How To Harvest
Tomatoes get ripened pretty quickly. You should check yours for ripeness every two days, so they don’t get overripe.
There are some classic tell-tale signs that you if a tomato has ripened. First of all, it will be firm to the touch. Its color turns a deep yellow or orange and feels heavier than an unripe one. Tomatoes begin ripening from the bottom, so check that out to determine which ones are still maturing.
Before picking, check if any tomatoes are diseased or rotten. Look for corrugated or discolored skin and disease spots on the fruit’s surface. The skin of a healthy tomato is always smooth and shiny.
Finally, it’s time to pick the fruit off the plant. Hold the ripe tomato in one hand and its stem in the other hand. Gently twist the fruit to separate it from the plant. Ideally, your fruit should snap just above the flower-like leaf present on top of it.
However, if it doesn’t come off easily by twisting, don’t pull or tug at it. Instead, use pruners or gardening scissors to cut the stalk just above the tomato fruit.
– How To Store
After harvesting your ripe tomatoes, the next big step is to store them properly. This is just as important because you don’t want your yield rotting away due to ill care.
The easiest method is to refrigerate tomatoes. These will last approximately two to three weeks. Unfortunately, refrigerated tomatoes lose their fresh flavor and texture the longer they are stored. Store them properly in a zip-locked container to slow down this process.
If you plan to eat your tomatoes soon enough, just put them on a plate. Put the plate on top of your kitchen counter. They will last this way for one whole week. Keep them out of sight of direct sunlight, though.
A better approach for long-term tomato storage would be to freeze them. Put all of your yields in a freezer-safe bag or container first. Frozen tomatoes will last you as long as six whole months. When you take them out, let them sit at room temperature for half an hour so that they defrost.
Blending the tomatoes in a puree and then freezing it is another alternative. A puree will not only last longer, but it would also come in handy during cooking. Lastly, you can scan the tomatoes for three to four months. Tomatoes can be canned both whole and after slicing tomatoes.
Problems
There are only a few problems you will have to face with tomatoes. Find out how to prevent blossom end rot and eliminate the occasional pests.
– Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot is a very common issue with tomatoes. It is often mistaken for a fungal infection. In reality, it occurs due to calcium deficiency in the soil when the fruit is developing. It can also occur as a result of uneven watering habits.
The symptoms of this disease can be seen in ripe and developing tomatoes. Symptoms begin from the blossom end of the tomatoes. This area turns moist, mushy, and underwater. The skin over it loses its smoothness and turns corrugated.
Seriously, the symptoms are so obvious they will be hard to miss. The affected end is often secondarily attacked by fungus. Consequently, it turns black and rotten. The good news is that this disease will not spread from one plant to the next.
Once your tomatoes develop blossom end roots, they cannot be salvaged. That is why it helps to be prepared as a preventative measure. First, strictly maintain the pH of the soil to around 6.0.
This is the optimum pH at which calcium uptake in the plant occurs. Add crushed eggshells to the soil to improve its calcium levels before flowering.
Additionally, keep in mind to strictly avoid over-fertilizing by following the guidelines properly. Too much fertilizer stops the absorption of calcium by the plant’s roots.
– Pests
No vegetable gardener can live without having to deal with pests. The pests that commonly attack a tomato crop are snails, slugs, and caterpillars. They will climb up your plant, leaving a slimy trail behind. Then they will start eating your leaves and fruits, destroying them.
Try trapping these pests first before resorting to harsh insecticides. You can put yellow sticky paper near the plant for caterpillars, whiteflies, etc. They will get stuck to it, and you can dispose of them. For snails and slugs, try scattering ground eggshells or coffee beans on the soil to make them disappear.
Another way to trap larger snails and slugs is the beer can method. Pour a small amount of beer into a can. Partially cover the can with foil. These pests will find their way into the can but won’t be able to come out. You can then dispose of them in nature yourself.
FAQ
Is Mr Stripey Tomato a determinate or indeterminate variety?
Mr Stripey Tomato is an indeterminate variety, meaning it continues to grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season until frost.
How long does it take Mr Stripey Tomato to ripen?
Mr Stripey Tomatoes typically take around 80-85 days to ripen from the time of planting.
How big do Mr Stripey Tomatoes get?
Mr Stripey Tomatoes can grow to a size of about 1 pound or more, depending on growing conditions and cultivation practices.
Conclusion
Let us quickly recap this vegetable guide before signing off. Here’s what we covered in this article:
- Mr stripey is an extraordinary heirloom variety of tomatoes that turns yellow instead of red.
- This plant needs full sun for most of the day.
- Watering regularly is equally imperative. Cover the soil with a two-inch thick mulch for additional moisture retention.
- Lack of calcium uptake by the plant will cause blossom end rot in the tomatoes.
- You may store them in the refrigerator, as they will last within two to three weeks.
This tomato variety produces one of the tastiest tomatoes. It is also one of those rare low-maintenance tomato types. Try growing Mr stripey yourself, and then thank us later.
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