Family Owned Since 1979
Cultivating Gardeners

BLACK

BLACK

Product Description:

85 days. A Russian heirloom that is one of the sweetest tomatoes we have evaluated in its size class. The opalescent rose fruit have darkened shoulders, are 3–4 inches wide, thin skinned, and quite soft. Indeterminate and very vigorous. Seed from a seed saver in the former Soviet Union.
  • Key Features:

ORGANIC SEED

TRANSPLANT

$4.95

$4.95

  • Key Features:

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
50%
(2)
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(0)
25%
(1)
25%
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J
Jen C.
Starting from transplants

This will be the second year I've done blacks from transplants. I didn't have much luck starting from seeds, but wanted these tomatoes. The flavor is out of this world. My husband wasn't a tomato fan( he was used to the supermarket plastic flavorless ones) last year I saw him taking a salt shaker to the garden with him. Definitely will keep ordering these!

M
Marsha
No growth

I have started tomatoes from seed for at least 15 years. I planted different varieties. These did not want to flourish. They grew but all the lower leaves kept dying. All of the other varieties have done really well. They all were on heated mats and grow lights etc. kind of discouraged. I don't think I would recommend.

So sorry to hear Black didn't work out for you. At Territorial our products are backed by our full guarantee. We want you, our customers, to be 100% satisfied with the seed, plants and supplies that you purchase from us. If anything you buy from Territorial proves to be unsatisfactory, we will either replace the item or refund the purchase price, whichever you prefer.

M
Marin C.
Never got past the start :(

I went head over heels into gardening in 2021. I started these from seed with heat mats, grow lights, good fertilizer, all the TLC! But they never, ever grew past an inch or so. While all the other tomatoes around then grew leaps and bounds these just never did. I was new to gardening and BRAND NEW to starting from seed so it could definitely be some kind of user error. I still have seeds left so I'm gonna try once more this year and hope for a better season as they look stunning in the photos! 3 stars since my review isn't quite "fair". (I'm in Zone 8b fyi)

J
Janet R.
Great taste very prolific

I grew Black transplant in my greenhouse in 2020 and have ordered it again for 2021. It was a slow starter but a great finisher! It started developing scab on the stems and I didn't know how it was going to affect the fruit. When the fruit ripened it had a fantastic taste, very sweet tomato taste. It produced for a long time. It grew too tall but I'm sure it had something to do with the greenhouse environment and I was a bit scared to cut it back but this year I will keep it a manageable size.

Soil Temp for Germ 70-90°F
Seed Depth 1/4"
Days to Emergence 6-14
Soil Temp for Transp 55°F
Plant Spacing See below
Row Spacing 3-4'
Fertilizer Needs High
Minimum Germination 80%
Seeds per Gram ≈ 280-320
Seed Life 3 years



Lycopersicon lycopersicum The first ripe, juicy tomato of summer is a delicious milestone of the season for gardeners. Each year we test and evaluate more than 250 tomato varieties to bring you the most flavorful, best performing selections, for every desired use. An array of nutrients and antioxidants including the especially potent lycopene, found in its highest concentration in tomatoes, supports healthy eyesight, cardiovascular health, cancer-fighting capacity, and more.

Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplant.

Culture
Determinate tomatoes: grow compactly, sprawling laterally, usually do not require staking, and fruit ripens over a short period of time
Indeterminate tomatoes: grow on long vines, generally require pruning to 1 or 2 leaders that need to be trellised
• Fertile, well-drained raised beds covered with plastic mulch promote early growth and better yields
• Tomatoes are high feeders and will benefit from regular fertilization with Age Old Bloom
• To prevent blossom end rot use a high calcium amendment
• Overwatering can cause fruit to crack

Direct Sowing
• Not recommended

Transplanting
• Sow seeds in trays 6-8 weeks before anticipated transplant date; up-pot into 3-4 inch pots when the first set of true leaves appears
• Strong light and cooler temperatures (60-70°F) prevent plants from getting leggy
• Fertilize with Age Old Grow every 10-14 days
• When transplanting work in compost, 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete fertilizer, and handful of bone meal
• Determinates can be spaced 18-24 inches apart, indeterminates 24-36 inches apart
• Tomatoes can be buried up to the top 2 sets of leaves
• Use Kozy-Coats or Victorian Bell Cloches to protect young plants

Insects & Diseases
Common insects: Flea beetles and tomato hornworms
Insect control: Pyrethrin or row cover for flea beetles, and Monterey B.t. for tomato hornworms
Common diseases: Early and late blight
Disease prevention: A strict 3-4 year rotation, remove vines at the end of the year, fungicide

Harvest & Storage
• Harvest when fully ripe, do not refrigerate for best flavor
• Green fruit should be ripened in a cool, dark area; make sure fruit are not touching

KEY TO TOMATO DISEASE RESISTANCE AND TOLERANCE
• HR indicates high resistance.
• IR indicates intermediate resistance.
• Aal | Alternaria Stem Canker
• AB | Early (Alternaria) Blight
• B | Bacterial Wilt
• F* | Fusarium Wilt
• FOR | Fusarium Crown and Root Rot
• L | Gray Leaf Spot
• LB* | Late Blight
• LM* | Leaf Mold
• N | Roundworm | Nematode
• PL | Corky Root Rot
• PST | Bacterial Speck
• RK | Root-Knot
• TMV | Tobacco Mosaic Virus
• ToANV* | Tomato Apex Necrotic Virus
• ToMV* | Tomato Mosaic Virus
• TSWV | Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
• TYLCV | Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
• V* | Verticillium Wilt
* Numbers and letters indicate specific disease race.

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