Black Krim Tomato

By growing the Black Krim tomato in your garden, you are sure to come out the neighborhood winner as sometime growing tomatoes seems to cause an outbreak of friendly competition between neighbors to see who can grow the best tasting produce.

The Black Krim tomato gets its name not only from its coloring but its origin from the Black Sea on the Isle of Krim. The rare purple-black color and slight salty flavor make this fruit a stand out in any garden. The dark colored, beefsteak tomatoes are a great choice for anyone not wanting to add salt to their veggies before eating.

Soil

Its best to start your Black Krim seeds indoors in pots 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost. Cover them ¼ inch deep. For maximum germination, keep the soil between 75 and 90 degrees.

Planting

Harden off your seedlings before transplanting them outdoors. Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart in the garden bed. Set the plants a little deeper than they were situated in their pots to encourage additional roots to form along the buried stems.

Care

Tomatoes need water and fertilizer on a regular basis. Keep the roots mulched to conserve moisture and deter weeds.

Cultivating

Indeterminate type tomatoes such as Black Krim tomato keep climbing and producing throughout the season and will require stakes or cages for their bountiful production. Young tomato plants are often damaged by sun, frost, or even birds. Make sure you provide them with adequate protection.

Harvesting

Harvest your Black Krim when they are ripe or nearly ripened. They can continue to ripen indoors.

Saving Seeds

Tomato seeds are quite hardy as any gardener who has added tomato scraps to a compost pile can tell you, they will sprout unaided. However, to get the best results in saving your heirloom Black Krim tomato seed, follow these steps: First, pick from your healthiest, most disease-free specimens. Cut the fruits in half and squeeze them over a clean glass jar. Add some water to the resulting substance and stir gently.

Next, let the container sit for a couple of days or until the mixture ferments. Add more water and re-stir. The good seeds will sink to the bottom while the less than desirable ones will float at the top. Carefully pour off the water and repeat, rinsing until only the best seeds remain.

Place the chosen seeds in a strainer and rinse once more under running water. Now the seeds are ready to spread onto a cookie sheet to dry. Label your dried seeds and store them in a cool, dark place. One ripe Black Krim tomato will yield about 50 to 100 good seeds on average.

Diseases

To avoid soil borne diseases, do not plant tomato plants where tomatoes or their relatives such as potato and eggplant have grown the previous 2 years. If that strategy is not possible, grow disease-resistant varieties if you suspect your soil harbors plant disease like Verticillium or Fusarium wilt.

The heirloom Black Krim tomato is also suitable for container gardening. They are the ideal selection for salads, slicing for sandwiches, and cooking. The indeterminate plant is ready for harvest in 75 days.

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