Solanum lycopersicum
Green Zebra Tomato: created in 1983 by Tom Wagner, an independent American breeder, from four heirloom varieties. In forty years, it has become a classic on chefs' tables—not because of its age, but because of what it brings: lively acidity and a striped green color unlike anything else on a plate.
Characteristics:
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Green when ripe: its flesh stays green when the fruit is ripe, with a skin striped in light and dark green.
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Lively flavor: distinctly tart and refreshing, more vibrant than red varieties.
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Medium size: regular, productive fruits weighing 60 to 100 g.
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Open-pollinated variety: non-hybrid, so you can resow your own seeds.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun and warmth.
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Soil: rich in organic matter, moist, loose, and well drained. Adding well-rotted compost is beneficial.
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Method: sow from February to April under cover, at a minimum of 20 °C—below this temperature, the seeds will not germinate. Cover with 5 mm of soil. Transplant into pots at the two true-leaf stage. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant into the open ground after the last frosts, once the soil has warmed, spacing plants 60 cm apart. Bury the stem up to the first leaves: tomatoes produce roots along the buried section, resulting in a more vigorous plant.
- This is an indeterminate variety: install a sturdy stake at planting time.
Care advice:
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Always water at the base, never over the foliage, preferably in the morning: water on the leaves creates an entry point for blight. Apply a thick mulch.
- Water regularly and evenly to prevent the fruits from splitting.
- Remove suckers to direct the plant's sap toward the fruits.
- Use a three- to four-year crop rotation.
Harvesting advice:
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This is the tricky part of this variety: because it stays green, color says nothing about ripeness. Look for two signs—the fruit yields slightly under your finger, and a yellow-amber halo appears beneath the stripes. If harvested too early, it is firm and disappointing.
- Store at room temperature, never in the refrigerator.
Beneficial companions:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its flowers are pollinated by vibration: only bumblebees can fully exploit them. Welcoming bumblebees directly improves your harvest.
- It is a good example of what traditional seed selection can produce outside industrial supply chains. See our rare and unusual seeds.
Uses:
- Raw in salads, where its acidity and color contrast with red tomatoes. It is also excellent in green salsa, pickled, or pan-fried in slices.
Saving your own seeds:
Take the pulp from a fully ripe fruit and let it ferment for two to three days in a little water—this step breaks down the gelatinous coating that inhibits germination—then rinse: the healthy seeds will sink to the bottom. Dry them flat. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Green when ripe, tangy, and spectacular on the plate.
