fbpx

Green Zebra tomato

The Green Zebra Tomato is a medium-sized tomato with a pale green-yellow peel and dark green stripes. The Green Zebra is known for its vibrant peel and tangy, sweet-tart taste. These dependable tomato plants produce masses of medium-sized round, globe-shaped tomatoes on long indeterminate vines. Green Zebra tomatoes’ color, taste, and reliability make them a favorite of home gardeners and gourmet chefs.

Tomato cage around plant

The Green Zebra tomato

The Green Zebra Tomato was introduced by tomato breeder Tom Wagner of Tater-Mater Seeds in 1983. Mr. Wagner used heirloom tomato cultivars to breed a new variety with a green peel, vertical stripes, and crack-resistant skin. The Green Zebra Tomato is open-pollinated, and although not yet old enough to be an heirloom tomato, it is termed “Heirloom by Descent”. The Green Zebra Tomato is now one of the most famous striped tomatoes and has inspired many other new striped tomato cultivars.

“The early varieties out of breeding work with the striped gene….Green Zebra, Elberta Girl, Banana Legs (Banana Fingers) Schimmeig Stoo, Schimmeig Creg, Green Nails, Brown Derby (striped version) Green Bell Pepper, and a few others started quite a “diaspora” especially with my issuance of my TATER MATER SEED catalogs starting with the 1983 premiere”

STRIPED tomato varieties bred by:(Tom Wagner), Tomatoville Forum, by Tom Wagner (Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator), (2013)

Green Zebra tomatoes are known for their characteristic green peel with dark green stripes running from the stem down to the blossom end. This cultivar is also known for its complex taste, which combines a rich, creamy sweetness and a refreshing sharp/tart bite. Green Zebra tomatoes are medium-sized globe-shaped tomatoes (1.5-2.5″ wide), with each fruit weighing 3-4 ounces (a quarter pound). Ripe tomatoes don’t crack as easily as some other varieties.

“After hundreds of crosses, about a quarter of the resulting fruits were crack resistant, and he was getting a few yellow and green tomatoes in the mix. The stripes were added later from a plant he found while visiting an experimental garden in Ames, Iowa. While refining the stripes, he discovered that a darker green stripe with a regular pattern accompanied a more interesting tangy flavor, which now defines the “Green Zebra.” The tomato is now offered by many different seed companies.”

Something of a legend: An interview with Tom Wagner, by Jessamyn Tuttle, Grow Northwest (2012)

Green Zebra tomato plants are indeterminate with long vines typical of the variety’s heirloom tomato parentage. Vines routinely grow to be 4-6 feet long (or longer). Green Zebra plants produce best when given a support structure such as a vertical tomato stake and/or an outer support cage. While the fruits are not overly heavy, the vines are large and require support to keep the tomatoes off the ground.

Ripe green zebra tomato

Green Zebra tomato taste profile

Green Zebra tomatoes are famous for their unique flavor profile combining a rich, creamy sweetness with a fresh, tangy bite. The taste of this tomato is crisp and zingy – almost spicy. Yet it is not overly acidic (as might be expected from a green tomato.

While this tomato is a new variety (1983), it retains the old-fashioned tomato aroma and enhances it with a subtle astringent freshness. The Green Zebra is, therefore, a favorite of chefs and tomato lovers alike. You can pair it with other top-tasting varieties like Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Sungold (another modern introduction), and Black Krim for a colorful fresh salad.

“The most complex, and often superbly delicious, varieties are those that retain their green coloring when fully ripe.”

Epic Tomatoes: How to Select and Grow the Best Varieties of All Time, by Craig LeHoullier
Planting a tomato seedling

How to plant Green Zebra tomatoes

Growing Green Zebra Tomatoes is quite similar to growing other types of indeterminate tomatoes with long vines.

Green Zebra tomatoes can be grown at home from seed or can be purchased as potted seedling plants from a plant nursery. If growing from seed, order your Green Zebra tomato seeds in the winter (or early spring) and plant them indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Tomato seeds are generally sown indoors in February-April, depending on the climate. Tomato plants are very sensitive to cold. Don’t put them outdoors until the threat of frost has passed. Green Zebra plants can be damaged at temperatures below 43°F (6°C), and will certainly be killed by frost. It’s best to wait until nighttime temperature lows are above 50°F (10°C).

1. Plant tomato seeds

Fill the seedling tray up with potting soil so the mix goes into all the cells. Then water the whole tray to help the potting mix settle. Add a little more soil if necessary. The seed starting soil mix should be about a half inch from the top of each cell.

Using a seed dibber or your fingertip, carefully sow the seeds about a ¼ inch deep in the seed starting mix. Most gardeners put 2-3 seeds in each cell, but if you don’t have many seeds, just place one per cell. Once the seeds are in the soil, brush a little bit of potting mix over them. Give the seedling tray one more gentle watering and allow all the excess water to drain out of the seedling tray. Pour out any water that has been collected in the bottom pan tray.

2. Add heat & light

Place the seedling tray on a flat stable indoor surface on top of the seedling heating mat. Tomato seeds germinate best at soil temperatures in the range of 75°-90°F (24°-32°C). In this soil temperature range, the seeds should germinate in about six days.

The seedlings will also need supplemental light to thrive when grown indoors. Position a plant light over the seedling tray. If possible, add a pulley system to raise the LED lights so you can keep them about 4″ above the seedlings as they grow (or whatever distance your specific lighting system recommends). Most gardeners leave the plant lights on for 16 hours during the day and then turn them off for 8 hours overnight. Most plant lights have an automated timer built-in.

3. Water & thin seedlings

Water the seedling tray regularly using a very gentle watering can or even a spray bottle full of clean water. Once the seedlings have emerged and are an inch or two tall, you can start bottom watering the seedlings by filling up the bottom pan tray with a bit of water and allowing it to passively wick up through the potting mix to reach the roots of the seedling plants.

Choose the strongest seedling in each cell and remove the others. If you seeded 2-3 seeds per cell, most cells will have two seedlings in them. Wait until the seedlings have their first pair of serrated “true” leaves prior to deciding which one is the strongest. Look for the seedling with the thickest, straightest stem. This is the one to keep. Using clean floral snips, trim the other (weaker) seedling off at its base, as close to the soil line as possible. Take care not to damage the seedling you’re keeping.

4. Pot seedlings up in larger containers

Once the seedlings become about 3x taller than the seedling tray and have about three pairs of proper serrated “true” leaves, it’s time to think about transplanting them into larger containers. You can use a seedling tray with larger cells or plant each seedling into its own individual 4″ wide pot. Most tomato seedlings have to be up-potted at least once prior to going outdoors, as it’s still too cold in most climates for the tomato plants to go outside.

Green zebra tomato plant seedling

Planting the seedlings outdoors

Place Green Zebra in a sunny spot where their leaves get direct sunlight for at least 6-8 hours per day. Ensure they are close to a water source so they will be watered frequently (a drip irrigation system is excellent for watering tomato plants).

Green Zebra tomato plants are indeterminate, meaning their vines keep growing longer and longer throughout the season. These vines require support with a tall structure like a heavy-duty tomato cage. While the tomatoes are often about the size of a golf ball (not too heavy), the vines branch vigorously and need support to keep the fruits off the ground as the plant grows larger.

Green Zebra plants may require added nutrients when planted in containers or nutrient-deficient soil. Start by top-dressing soil with some homemade compost, and for an extra nutrient boost, try an organic tomato fertilizer.

Trimming off bottom leaves before planting

Harvesting ripe Green Zebra tomatoes

Green Zebra Tomatoes can be harvested at a variety of different ripeness levels. Some love the zesty tart crunch of underripe or barely ripe tomatoes, while others prefer to let them sweeten up on the vine.

Green Zebra plants generally take about 75 days to ripen after the seedling is transplanted into the outdoor garden. Expect to wait anywhere from 72-80 days after planting the seedlings before the first tomatoes are ready to pick.

Green zebra tomato plant with tomatoes and plant tag

How to tell if Green Zebra tomatoes are ripe

Ripe Green Zebra Tomatoes tend to have a green-yellow background color with darker green stripes (see photo below). You can also eat them when they are still all green. Another way to tell if they are ripe is by giving a tomato a gentle squeeze to see if it has a little bit of “give” yet.

Green Zebra Tomatoes tend to be sweetest when they are left to get a bit yellow on the vine, but many gardeners love to harvest them when they are slightly underripe and totally green for a zesty tart tomato. Experiment with a range of ripeness levels and see what you prefer!

Ripe green zebra tomato in the raised bed garden

Are Green Zebra tomatoes heirloom tomatoes?

Green Zebra tomatoes are not strictly heirloom tomatoes solely because they are a relatively recent introduction. The Green Zebra Tomato was introduced by Tom Wagner in 1983 and is, therefore, a new variety. Some tomato growers consider only open-pollinated varieties from the 1940s or earlier to be “heirloom tomatoes”. Others insist that tomatoes must have been passed down for two generations before they can become heirlooms.

The Green Zebra tomato is often referred to as being an “Heirloom by Descent” (see quote below), a “Created Heirloom“, or a “Modern Heirloom”. This is because while it is a recent introduction, it is an open-pollinated variety that “breeds true”. It was bred from heirloom tomatoes and is its own stable cultivar. Several prominent seed companies that focus on heirloom varieties carry the Green Zebra tomato.

Q. Do you have a better word than “Heirloom” for your creations?

A. Yeah! I am for the first time ever, proposing the term, “Heirloom by Descent” to alleviate the mincing of words. Many rather heated arguments are generated trying to define heirloom. I want to trademark the new phrase. Help me if you know how. Go Google it!”

Heirloom By Descent, by Tom Wagner, Tater-Mater Blog, 2008
Seedling

How tall do Green Zebra tomato plants get?

Green Zebra plants can get quite tall – about 6 feet – over the growing season. The indeterminate vines continue to grow longer and longer until killed by frost or removed with pruners. Vines are generally 4-6 feet tall when staked vertically but can grow up to 10 feet or taller if a support structure is provided and growing conditions are good. Be sure to use a tomato cage or a tomato stake to support your plant.

Seedling plant - zebra

Green Zebra tomato recipes

Here are some recipes that are well-suited to Green Zebra Tomatoes:

Pair Green Zebra Tomatoes with a standard red variety like Early Girl to brighten up any summertime recipe!

Mary Jane Duford
Mary Jane Duford

Mary Jane Duford is a quintessential Canadian gardener. An engineer by trade, she tends to an ever-expanding collection of plants. In her world, laughter blooms as freely as her flowers, and every plant is raised with a dash of Canadian grit.

Mary Jane is a certified Master Gardener and also holds a Permaculture Design Certificate. She's also a proud mom of three, teaching her little sprouts the crucial difference between a garden friend and foe.

When she's not playing in the dirt, Mary Jane revels in her love for Taylor Swift, Gilmore Girls, ice hockey, and the surprisingly soothing sounds of bluegrass covers of classic hip-hop songs. She invites you to join her garden party, a place where you can share in the joy of growing and where every day is a new opportunity to find the perfect spot for yet another plant.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *