Numerous brands continue to crop up every now and then. But have you ever come across any flower, herb, fruit or vegetable that is even younger than you? My friends and family members were shocked and surprised when I showed them one, which was less than half their current age. Last week, we told you about the Indigo Cherry Drops, which were nowhere to be found at the turn of the century. Professor Jim Myers and his team at the Oregon State University in the US developed it in the last decade, along with three more innovations with the anthocyanin addition. The newly-developed, purple-coloured creations, other than the Indigo Cherry Drops, included Midnight Roma, Indigo Kiwi and Indigo Pear Drops. These creations followed the launch of the Indigo Rose variety back in 2011-12, which took tomato cultivation to a new height. This new breed of tomatoes is rich in anthocyanin, which is considered to be a healthy pigment rich in antioxidants.

So, let’s begin where we left off last week. We discussed how the seedlings are grown by propagation or by sowing seeds, the relevant sowing pre-requisites and the subsequent germination. When the seedlings grow in temporary containers like a seedling tray or cup, and produces four to five true leaves, then it is the ideal time to shift it to its permanent location to grow. At this time, the plant’s height is usually four to six inches. The plant should ideally be shifted in a container of at least 12 inches width and height for better growth, but decent results can also be achieved in an eight-inch size pot.

In any case, the best flowering and fruiting of the plant is ensured by placing the sapling as deep as possible in the pot at the time of shifting it to its permanent position. The technique, while going for depth placement when transplanting, is to remove the leaves and branches on the sapling, apart from the few bigger leaves at the top. A handful of crushed egg shells, used tea leaves and dry banana peels are added to the pot during transplantation to boost the plant growth at this important phase of its lifecycle.

A new breed of tomato can be easily grown at home and will give your food a purple-coloured sweetness

The plant, at its maximum, achieves a height ranging from three feet to around six feet tall, depending on local climate, space and feed being provided to the plant, sunlight and watering schedule. Regardless of its height, the plant produce is so vigorous that you’ll need to install a support system like bamboo sticks. Otherwise, the plant or branches may succumb and collapse due to the weight of the fruit, especially in windy or rainy conditions. The plant should be exposed to at least six hours of direct sunlight. Strict watering schedule should be followed. Overwatering, a common issue during rainy season, can lead to split tomato produce, so it is advisable to limit the watering at that time.

Before the flowering stage, the plant should be provided with fertilisers rich in nitrogen, so that it may produce more foliage, branches and leaves. Once the plant enters the flowering stage, the nitrogen-rich fertiliser should be replaced with potassium-rich fertilisers, which will support the plant in the subsequent flowering and fruiting stages.

The plant can be attacked by a number of critters such as aphids, hornworms, cutworms and spider-mites. However, the mealy bugs and leaf miners are the most common inhabitants among pests that may attack the plant. To fend off any of such pest attacks, the Indigo Cherry Drops plant should be sprayed fortnightly with any of the organic pesticides.

The Indigo Cherry Drops usually grow in bunches. Gradually, the fruit starts to change colour from green to dark purple. When it changes completely to purple, it is time to make the harvest. After the harvest, keep the produce aside on the kitchen table for a few days. In this time, it will further ripen and enhance the taste.

It was a painstaking task to wait for our produce to be ready, while praying all the time that it did not fall prey to pests, rain or rough climate. When it was first ready, our family had it raw to discover its taste and feel. This was, however, only after we had taken photographs and made videos to show off our produce on social media. Later, we started adding it in halves to our salad bowl, providing some royal indigo colour to the already-colourful and healthy diet.

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, February 18th, 2024