Green Zebra is a
tomato
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
with characteristic dark green and yellow stripes.
Newer variations blush reddish instead of yellow when ripe. It is more tart (described as 'spicy' and 'zingy')
than a regular tomato, and it is an early cultivar. Compared to other tomato varieties, it can produce somewhat mealy fruits depending on growing conditions.
Green Zebra was bred by Tom Wagner of Everett, Washington, and introduced in his Tater-Mater Seed Catalog in 1983.
He first came up with the idea in the 1950s. Usually, green tomatoes are considered unripe and discarded or
fried. However, Wagner was intrigued by the idea of a green tomato that was ready to eat.
There is some controversy as to whether Green Zebra should be considered an
heirloom tomato
An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom cultivar of tomato. They are classified as family heirlooms, commercial heirlooms, mystery heirlooms, or created heirlooms. They usually have a ...
. Some people don't consider it an heirloom quite yet,
while others consider it either an heirloom, "modern heirloom" or "created heirloom."
Classification
Common varieties include Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Big Zebra, and Red Zebra.
Planting information
The Green Zebra tomato does not often obtain a disease; however, if the tomato has a disease the Green Zebra will not turn yellow, the plant will stay green until it wilts. The Green Zebra has a higher defense rate against diseases compared to other tomatoes.
To grow this tomato one must plant seed 1–2 weeks after the temperature remains constant around 15-35 degrees Celsius. The soil should be well drained and the seed must remain 3mm deep within the ground under full sunlight. Plant the seed 30cm to 90cm apart and let harvest for 65–80 days. This plant is semi-annual and it is best to harvest in midsummer. One should transplant when plant is 15cm high.
Determining ripeness
Because the original color of this tomato is green it can be difficult to tell when it is ripe. There are three main ways to decipher when Green Zebra tomatoes are ready to eat. First, one can grasp the tomato gently to feel for firmness. Secondly, one can tell by looking at when the Zebra's light green stripes turn to yellow. Thirdly, one can look at when the bottom of the yellow stripes begin to turn a blush color. Each of these stages represents a different ripening stage, so one must decide which stage of ripeness one prefers. Additionally, for a sweeter tomato leave it on the vine for a longer period of time. However, leaving it on the vine for too long can cause it to become mealy.
See also
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List of tomato cultivars
*
References
Heirloom tomato cultivars
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