Tomato Alicante

Solanum lycopersicum 'Alicante' Heritage Spanish-origin tomato, greenhouse and outdoor cropping

The Spanish-origin heritage tomato that has been a British greenhouse and outdoor favourite for over half a century — quietly delivering reliable, heavy crops of beautifully-coloured medium-sized fruits in conditions where less robust varieties falter. Alicante is the dependable choice for British gardeners: it crops well in cool summers, sets fruit reliably even in less-than-ideal conditions, ripens evenly with minimal cracking, and has the kind of proper tomato flavour that makes home-grown fruits genuinely worth the effort.

The fruits are classic medium-sized salad tomatoes, typically 75–100g each, with smooth round-to-slightly-flattened shape and a beautifully glossy bright red skin when fully ripe. The flesh is firm, the seed cavities small relative to the flesh, and the flavour is full and balanced — properly sweet but with the acid backbone that prevents the cloying flatness of some modern over-bred tomatoes. The skin is thin enough to eat without peeling, the fruits resist splitting in heavy rain, and the cropping is heavy and continuous from July through to first frosts.

Alicante is an indeterminate (cordon) tomato, meaning it grows continuously upward on a single stem rather than reaching a fixed height. With proper training and pinching out of side-shoots, plants can reach 2 metres or more, producing flower trusses every 20–30cm of stem and continuing to set fruit throughout the season. This habit makes Alicante particularly suitable for greenhouse cultivation, where the height can be fully exploited, though it crops just as reliably outdoors when grown against a sunny wall or in a sheltered open position in southern England.

Alicante is open-pollinated heritage. Seed saved from your best fruits will grow true to type the following year, making this an excellent variety for gardeners interested in seed-saving and long-term horticultural independence.

A note on growing

Sow indoors from late February to early April. Tomatoes need consistent warmth to germinate and grow well — aim for 18–22°C during germination and a minimum of 15°C while seedlings are growing on. Sow seed at 0.5cm depth in seed compost; germination takes 7–14 days. Prick out seedlings into individual 9cm pots once they have two true leaves, then pot on to 12cm pots before final planting.

Plant out from mid-May (greenhouse) or early June (outdoors) once all frost risk has passed and night temperatures stay reliably above 10°C. Plant in fertile, well-drained soil enriched with well-rotted manure, or in 30cm pots/grow-bags filled with quality compost. Allow 45–60cm between plants.

As an indeterminate variety, Alicante needs three ongoing tasks for optimal cropping. First, training — tie the main stem to a 1.8m bamboo cane or to overhead wires as it grows. Second, side-shoot removal — every leaf node produces a small shoot in the angle between the leaf and main stem; these must be pinched out promptly to keep all the plant's energy directed at the main stem and fruit trusses. Third, stop the plant — in late August (outdoor) or mid-September (greenhouse), pinch out the growing tip above the highest truss with a chance of ripening, so the plant's remaining energy goes into ripening existing fruit rather than producing more flowers.

Water consistently and deeply. Inconsistent watering produces splitting and blossom-end rot. Feed weekly with high-potash tomato food from the appearance of the first flower truss onwards.

Harvest from July through to October by twisting fruits gently from the truss when fully coloured. Pick under-ripe at first autumn frost and ripen indoors.

Where it shines

In the kitchen, Alicante is the universal salad and cooking tomato. Slice raw with mozzarella and basil for caprese. Halve and grill alongside breakfast bacon. Chop into salads. Use as the base for fresh tomato sauces, where the firm flesh holds its texture better than softer varieties. Make tomato chutney, tomato soup, tomato passata for winter store. Slow-roast halved fruits with garlic and olive oil for an intensified flavour that lifts pasta dishes, risottos, and bruschetta. Dehydrate halved fruits for "sun-dried" tomatoes. The balanced sweet-acid flavour profile suits every traditional Mediterranean and British tomato preparation.

In the garden, Alicante is the practical first-choice tomato for new growers and the dependable workhorse for experienced ones. Two or three plants provide a household with substantial tomato supply through three months. Pair with Tomato Moneymaker (heritage British) and Tomato Gardeners Delight (cherry) for a three-variety tomato range covering different fruit sizes and uses.

Plant alongside

Tomatoes benefit from companion plants that deter aphids and whitefly. Plant alongside French Marigold 'Spanish Brocade' whose strong scent deters whitefly. Basil is the traditional Italian companion that improves both flavour and pollinator attraction. Calendula 'Neon' attracts beneficial predators. Avoid planting near brassicas or potatoes (which share blight risk).