We have certainly grown a fair amount of tomato plants in our garden over the years – but without hesitation or reservation, for pure taste, the Tiger Blush Artisan tomato is hands down the best tasting tomato to ever come out of our little growing plot!
We certainly realize that is a highly opinionated statement. Especially when you consider there are hundreds of other tomato varieties that are incredibly delicious.
For instance, it goes without saying that we would be lost without growing our San Marzanos. With their rich, deep flavor, and meaty interior flesh, they are wondrous for creating delicious salsa and sauces. The San Marzano also happens to be our favorite tomato to grow for canning.
There are also many others as well that are near the top of the list. Like the delicious Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, and Black Krim varieties. As big, juicy beefsteak tomatoes, they all make the perfect hamburger topper for sure.
But with all of that said, Tiger Blush still tops the list as the sweetest, most delicious tomato we grow. And with that in mind, today we’ll take a look at this incredible tomato, and just how easy it is to grow.
The Tiger Blush Artisan Tomato
So what makes the Tiger Blush Artisan tomato so amazing? Well, it certainly starts with a flavor profile that is simply unrivaled. It can best be described as a sweet, near tropical explosion to your taste buds.
The oblong fruits are packed with pure sugary sweetness. Many visitors to our garden swear that it somehow has to be related to a peach. It’s actually a fairly accurate description of just how sweet the flavor of a ripe Tiger Blush tomato is.
It truly is amazingly sweet. The beautiful yellow outer skin will have slight pinkish to orange stripes appear as it ripens. And as soon as you bite into its meaty yet juicy flesh, you are hit with a sweetness that seems as if someone has sprinkled sugar on top.
Its size makes this tomato quite unique as well. The fruits are cylindrical shaped and usually average around two inches in length. Although it doesn’t fall into the category of a large, full size tomato, it is certainly larger than a cherry or plum tomato variety.
Fast Production – Big Yields
The advantages of growing the Tiger Blush do not stop with its amazing flavor. At just 60 days from seed to fruit, it also happens to be one of the earliest producing tomatoes around. Even better, as an indeterminate tomato, it keeps on producing right up until the end of the growing season.
You might expect a tomato plant that infuses so much sugary-sweet goodness into its fruit to be a little lower in production levels – but that simply isn’t the case with the Tiger Blush.
In fact, it is almost ridiculous how the plant seems to produce a near endless supply of delicious fruits. On average, we pick well over a bushel of tomatoes from a single plant. With that said, there have been a few years where that total easily topped two bushels!
Planting – Growing The Tiger Blush Tomato
Perhaps one of the best attributes of the Tiger Blush is that can thrive nearly anywhere. It grows extremely well in a traditional garden setting. It happens to be the perfect size for raised beds too. But it’s also compact enough to grow in pots, containers, or even 5 gallon buckets.
In fact, we grow a few Tiger Blush plants in our bucket planters near the house every year. It is wonderful for quick and easy access for salads and fresh eating. The Tiger Blush will grow a bit smaller in a container setting, but the yields will still be extremely high.
It can be hard to find plants in stores, but you can find and grow seeds. The plant actually grows fast enough to seed outdoors if you don’t want to start seeds indoors. It can go by several names, Tiger Blush Artisan and Artisan Blush are the most common. (see seed link below for more)
SEED LINK : Park Seeds Artisan Blush Tomato Seeds
How To Plant Tiger Blush Tomatoes
Much as with nearly any tomato variety, Tiger Blush thrives with good soil, proper watering, and plenty of sunlight.
For maximum health and production, plant in a location that receives at least six to eight hours of full sun each day. When planting, add in plenty of compost to help with both drainage and nutrients.
We add in worm castings, coffee grounds and egg shells to each of our planting holes as well. The castings and coffee grounds help supply a steady slow supply of nutrients, and the egg shells help prevent end rot with added calcium. (See: How To Plant Tomatoes For Success)
Although it can be left to sprawl on the ground, providing support with a stake, cage or trellis is a good idea. As the plant matures, it quickly becomes overloaded with fruit. Without support, it simply cannot take the weight, and branches can easily crack or break off.
Maintaining Your Plants
A regular supply of water will certainly increase Tiger Blush production levels. As with most vegetable plants, your Tiger Blush tomatoes should be receiving at least 1 inch of rainfall or water per week. For container plants, daily watering will most likely be necessary.
Keeping your plants hydrated will not only help with continued production, but for keeping the skins from cracking as well. Tiger Blush is actually one of the best tomatoes we have ever grown for skin-crack resistance, but providing enough water only makes it more resistant.
We fertilize our Tiger Blush plants after they have become established in the soil, usually a few weeks after being planted outdoors. Compost tea, worm casting tea, or a high quality liquid organic fertilizer are all great options.
Fertilize every 14 to 21 days for the first few months, and then back off to allow the plant to concentrate on production. Too much fertilizing can cause the plant to put all of its energy into growing bigger and more foliage, and not in tomato production.
Harvesting
Finally, pick your Tiger Blush tomatoes on a regular basis! As an indeterminate variety, the Tiger Blush will continue to produce flowers and fruit all season long. However, if the plant becomes too full of fruit, it will begin to slow production of new blooms.
With the Tiger Blush, it is really simple – the more you pick – the more tomatoes you will get! And if you happen to get too many, you can always turn them into one of the most delicious tomato soups you will ever make! Trust me when I say the flavor of that soup is truly divine!
Here is to trying the Tiger Blush tomato this year, and opening up your taste buds to some serious sugary-sweet flavor that will have you planting this delicious tomato year after year. Happy Tomato Growing – Jim & Mary.
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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