Repotting guide

When & how to repot Tigerella Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Tigerella')

Also called Tigerella tomato, Mr Stripey tomato.

More about tigerella tomato

About Tigerella Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Tigerella' · also called Tigerella tomato, Mr Stripey tomato · edible

Tigerella is an early, cordon (indeterminate) tomato bearing golf-ball-sized red fruit striped with orange-gold, ripening in roughly 55-75 days. It is tangy, heavy-cropping and reliable in cooler UK summers. Grow in full sun under glass or outdoors after frost, side-shoot regularly, and feed once the first truss sets.

Mature size: 1.5-2 m tall when grown as a single cordon; spread 40-50 cm.

Watch for — Few fruit set: Caused by too much nitrogen, poor pollination or temperatures over ~30°C. Switch to high-potash feed at flowering and tap or shake plants to aid pollination.

How to tell tigerella tomato needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For tigerella tomato, watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot tigerella tomato on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot tigerella tomato

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Tigerella Tomatois grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Indeterminate (cordon) vine that grows tall and needs supporting on a cane or string; pinch out side-shoots and stop the leader once 5-7 trusses have set..

What size pot to step tigerella tomato up to

Pot tigerella tomato on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot tigerella tomato

Pot tigerella tomato on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting tigerella tomato

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check tigerella tomato regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh rich, free-draining loam or quality tomato/multipurpose compost at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water tigerella tomato in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for tigerella tomato

Tigerella Tomato wants rich, free-draining loam or quality tomato/multipurpose compost. Wants fertile, moisture-retentive soil at pH 6.0-6.8. In containers use a 20-30 L pot or growbag with two plants max; add organic matter or balanced base feed before planting out. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting tigerella tomato — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot tigerella tomato?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for tigerella tomato. Tigerella Tomato is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into rich, free-draining loam or quality tomato/multipurpose compost so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does tigerella tomato need?

When is the best time of year to repot tigerella tomato?

Can you put tigerella tomato straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing tigerella tomato should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise tigerella tomato after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting tigerella tomato. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.