Black Prince...love vs. hate
 

I have grown this one two of the last three years. I have to tell you...I love the flavor of BP. I wanted to love this! However, all four plants (in 3 yrs) have become diseased early in the season. Has anybody else had this experience???:dizzy:

First time this year and it was susceptible to early diseases compared to other varieties.

Had to cull 3 out of 5 plants and top the remaining two; they were loaded with tomatoes on the first three clusters.

Growing it again for fall tomatoes, this time with more/earlier measures to combat everything.

If it falters again, Tarpeian Rock for BP. So yes, love the flavor and the productivity, hate index TBD.

I frequently have disease problems with other black tomatoes and it is mainly Gray Mold; but they still get all the other diseases of tomatoes also. I start early using the bleach spray on black tomatoes and make sure to keep them pruned to allow very good air flow and no leaves near the ground. They also need spraying with a good copper fungicide. If you do these things and it doesn't rain too much most of the black tomatoes will be very successful. If you are in the never prune camp or the totally organic camp you may be in for a rough time with black tomatoes if you live in an area where gray mold is a problem.

Bill

I have never had a tomato from Black Prince in here Atlanta - it goes down too fast. I don't plant it anymore.

My experience with Black Prince is:

1. I tasted at a tomato festival, and it was the best thing ever!

2. I squirreled away seeds from the tomatoes samples at the tomato festival (thinking, "what if these are a very special line of Black Prince?")

3. The next spring I raved about Black Prince and gave seedlings to anyone who would take them.

4. They were very below average compared to mine and everyone elses black tomatoes.

5. I grew them a second year, and they were below average that year too.

6. They are not popular around here, which would not be the case if they were really great.

My conclusions:

1. Black Prince has a very high "upside". Under the right conditions they can be spectacular.

2. Most of us mere mortals have a very difficult time growing Black Prince in a way that realizes it's "upside"

grew like a "prince" for me here. Likely likes a more northern garden as far as disease is concerned because it was healthy til frost. It was loaded with beautiful but mealy, bland blah... flavoured tomatoes. a disappointment to me, hid them in sauce and won't grow it again. there are many far better tasting blacks imo.
KarenO

I'm surprised. We grew it here last year at my mom's yard in less than ideal conditions, and the taste was delicious. Nothing bad to say and I'll try it again in another year, in a better (sunnier) location.

same hear in texas bland mealy .no grow for me

>>> I frequently have disease problems with other black tomatoes and it is mainly Gray Mold;

I was going to post about a similar experience this season. About 5 plants, 3 varieties, all blacks started losing whole leaves that turned dark grey and completely dried up, some black spots on the stems. Thought it was early blight (no pics for now) but rest of the plant healthy. Sprayed them with copper yesterday, first time this year. I'll keep a close watch.

Ed, I had the same experience a few years ago when I grew it, it was one of the worst I grew that year for susceptibility to fungal problems (gray mold). It also didn't wow me with its flavor, so it has been invited back since. Gray mold, the stuff on the stems and undersides of leaves (the extension folks in Santa Barbara say it is powdery mildew), seems to be ever present threat in our locale.

I am disappointed reading others opinion of Black Prince. This year is so depressing. In my 70 years I think it has been close to 50 that I have grown my own plants and usually start several hundred plants. But this year we are temporarily living in another city because my husband's tonsil cancer of 8 years ago has come back to his lungs. I went to one greenhouse looking for heirlooms and came across Black Prince. Guess I need to venture out more. My gardening this year will be a few grow bags that I can take back to Wyoming in a few months. I passed on Cherokee Purple because it is a little late maturing but I will go back and grab one.

Actually there are many strains of Black Prince these days. But it was one original Chornyi Prince (aka Black Prince in English) in USSR with oblate-round fruits 200-300g of excellent flavor and deasease tolerance. That's why some of you like and don't like your Black Prince;)
Next year I'm gonna grow Black Princes from the most Russian sed vendors to compare them and find real Black Prince. Most of gardeners here say that original one now is from Sibirskiy Sad.

[QUOTE=barbamWY;770632]I am disappointed reading others opinion of Black Prince. This year is so depressing. In my 70 years I think it has been close to 50 that I have not grown my own plants and usually start several hundred plants. But this year we are temporarily living in another city because my husband's tonsil cancer of 8 years ago has come back to his lungs. I went to one greenhouse looking for heirlooms and came across Black Prince. Guess I need to venture out more. My gardening this year will be a few grow bags that I can take back to Wyoming in a few months. I passed on Cherokee Purple because it is a little late maturing but I will go back and grab one.[/QUOTE]
Just want to say I'm sorry about your husband's health problems and send best wishes for successful treatment. That's great that you've figured out a way to have a gardening season despite your displacement! Maybe Black Prince will do well in your climate.

[QUOTE=Andrey_BY;770633]Actually there are many strains of Black Prince these days. But it was one original Chornyi Prince (aka Black Prince in English) in USSR with oblate-round fruits 200-300g of excellent flavor and deasease tolerance. That's why some of you like and don't like your Black Prince;)
Next year I'm gonna grow Black Princes from the most Russian sed vendors to compare them and find real Black Prince. Most of gardeners here say that original one now is from Sibirskiy Sad.[/QUOTE]

Very interesting. There are also many bad "Cherokee Purple" strains around too. Sounds like a similar situation.

The closest to a fail safe black tomato for me is Spudakee. Even in bad years it produces some good fruits and the flavor is good usually. All the other black varieties I grow can be hit and miss as to gray mold and taste and texture. I have found with years of growing them that there are a few things that really affect the flavor and fungus problems. If you get a lot of rain and high humidity then expect more gray mold and mealy tomatoes with little flavor. Dry hot weather is a real benefit to the flavor and keeping gray mold at bay. Regular spraying with copper fungicide is a must no matter what. Do not just wait and see what happens with gray mold, treat it immediately and often until it recedes or stops spreading. Don't think it is over just because it goes away for a while it will return at every opportunity and that is why regular use of a copper fungicide is needed. Daconil doesn't even slow it down in my experience. If the mold is bad I will use a diluted bleach spray to kill it back and get the problem under control. If it gets so bad that stem lesions appear then it probably can't be controlled and will eventually kill the plant.

Bill