Indigo Rose tomato: cultivating a black tomato

‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes are certainly an unusual sight. But growing them can be exhilarating! Here is everything you need to know about cultivating and harvesting this wonderful black tomato variety.

Recently, tomato breeders have turned their attention to black and blue tomato varieties. Here, we present one of the very first: the ‘Indigo Rose’. This tomato was a trailblazer that introduced brand new colours to the tomato world.

‘Indigo Rose’ tomato: profile

Origin and history of the ‘Indigo Rose’

‘Indigo Rose’ was first bred by Professor Jim Myers as part of a breeding program at Oregon State University in the US. By 2012, it was on the market as one of the first “antho tomatoes” (antho abbreviated from anthocyanins, which are pigments that turn tomatoes purple-black in sunlight).

Taste and characteristics of ‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes

With dark purple leaves and a dark purple stem, the young ‘Indigo Rose’ does not shy away. The tomato plant reaches 180cm tall, and produces round fruit, each about the size of a small salad tomato or large cherry tomato. Each tomato is around 40g and hangs on panicles – in fact, up to 12 tomatoes can occupy a single branch! With enough sun, the fruits will be dark all over. However, in most cases, the side of the tomato facing away from the sun will reveal ‘Indigo Rose’s’ true colour: a soft pink-red.

‘Indigo Rose’ ripens in late summer, with first harvest starting from mid-August. The fruits are very mild. They are quite tender, with a sourness that replaces any sweetness. ‘Indigo Rose’ is a heirloom variety, so you should be able to collect the seeds from the fruit and propagate your plant with ease.

Cultivating and caring for ‘Indigo Rose’

‘Indigo Rose’ is best suited to a greenhouse, or a plant pot that is set next to a warm wall with rain protection. The sunnier it is, the darker your ‘Indigo Rose’ fruit will become. If you are using a pot, plant ‘Indigo Rose’ in mid-May using specialised potting soil. Our Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost is a great choice. It contains all the nutrients a young tomato plant needs to start the summer.

Don’t forget to support your young plant! This variety grows best with 2 or 3 shoots; any remaining side shoots should be removed. If you are unsure how to remove side shoots from a tomato plant, have a read of our article on pinching out tomatoes.

Once ‘Indigo Rose’ starts growing, it will need plenty of nutrients. From June, potted ‘Indigo Rose’ will perform best if it is fertilised. A liquid fertiliser, such as Plantura Liquid Tomato Food, is ideal. Simply add the fertiliser to your watering can and water the plant weekly.

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Harvesting ‘Indigo Rose’

Once the shady side of your ‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes are red, the fruits are ripe and ready for harvest. Alternatively, use your finger to test if the fruits feel soft and give a little when pressed. Ripe tomatoes also tend to be shiny.

The black tomatoes can be eaten raw, but they are better suited to processing.

Tip: Soups and sauces will become very dark and slightly purple if you cook ‘Indigo Rose’ tomatoes with the skin left on.

Do you cultivate tomatoes in plant pots on the balcony? Here are some best practices for cultivating tomatoes on the balcony.