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
|