February 5, 2015 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 360
|
Pink Berkley Tie Dye did well for me last year too. Very consistent blemish free fruit, and alot of them. I also tried Large Barred Boar last year and didnt get nearly as much production although the fruits it did produce were larger. Taste was great on both.
|
February 5, 2015 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
|
That also has me thinking about bumping my trial of Carbon Copy to my 2016 trial of cherries and growing Black and Brown Boar in my 2015 black trial. I grew BBB last year in a 5 gallon pail, which it quickly outgrew and I removed the plant. But the fruits I did get (and saved seed from) where delicious and the plant was quite productive up to outgrowing the pot.
|
February 5, 2015 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Posts: 664
|
Just FYI
That Carbon Copy will produce at least 10 times what Black and Brown Boar will produce and the flavor is highly comparable to BBB. ron |
February 5, 2015 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
|
Ok, you convinced me to stick with Carbon Copy Ron! I think it will be good to see how the small fruited ones compared to the other blacks I'm going to grow. Obviously flavor rules, then production, but I do prefer cherries and smaller slicers to the big beefsteaks if all else is equal.
|
February 5, 2015 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Noblesville, IN
Posts: 112
|
I am growing Carbon, Indian Stripe PL, BKX PL, Black and Brown Boar, Paul Robeson, and Cherokee Purple to find out what does best for me. I grew Cherokee Purple for the first time last year which fizzled out on me but were delish...but it was a cold summer. The rest are all new so we will see.
|
February 5, 2015 | #21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Near Reno, NV
Posts: 1,621
|
I just love the black tomato taste and don't care what size they are! I would second Black and Brown Boar, although the crack a bit for me here. The last couple of seasons everything cracked when we kept getting thunderstorms through here every afternoon. The humidity would go from the normal 5-7% in the morning to 100% when the storm came through, and then repeat. ARRRRGGGHHH.
|
February 5, 2015 | #22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
|
Cherokee Purple is the heaviest black producer for me in Atlanta. It pumps and keeps pumping - huge vine that produces through October - 5 months of good production.
|
February 5, 2015 | #23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Vernon, BC
Posts: 720
|
These are all great answers, it sounds like I can't go wrong with either the carbon or the boar! Thanks PA_Julia for the Paul Robeson recommendation, looks interesting...
I have never heard of Blue Ridge Black so I'll have to look it up. |
February 6, 2015 | #24 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A
Posts: 2,208
|
Quote:
Your welcome!! Paul Robeson hasn't won numerous tomatofest tastings for nothing!
__________________
Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013 |
|
February 6, 2015 | #25 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Posts: 707
|
Going back about 8 years or so, I was growing every "black" tomato I could find. All the big names and many hard to find varieties. Some were quite successful, others...not so much. At that time I was growing hundreds of different tomatoes. Some were very inconsistent. In a row of ten or twelve of the same tomato, only one or two produced great tasting tomatoes, the remainder were just average. Some had problems with cracking but otherwise were great tasting. (We had some pretty wet weather at the time).
Long story short, many of the highly recommended varieties fell by the wayside, not to be invited back again. A few did well the first few years but eventually were eliminated as I began to reduce the size of my gardens.Those that remained year after year to become some of my favorites were: Bear Creek Dana's Dusky Rose Amazon Chocolate Last year saw the return of Cherokee Purple, which I had eliminated a few years ago because of inconsistent taste, and it was fantastic last year. The standout best "black" was a German Johnson -Benton Strain cross. that produced a potato leafed variety that was simply Delicious! While Carolyn recommended that I call it an unknown cross, I'm almost certain it was crossed with Bear Creek, which is a Pink Brandywine/ Cherokee Purple cross itself. For the coming season, I'm calling it "Barlow's Best Black". Will see how it does and if it remains true and if the taste is as good as it was last year. In the few years before, both German Johnson-Benton Strain a Pink R.L. and German Johnson-Benton Strain a grafted P.L. plant were the best tasting of all my tomatoes. The Black German Johnson -Benton Strain P.L. out did them both! Enjoy! Camo |
February 6, 2015 | #26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: North GA
Posts: 530
|
Camo,
I grew Bear Creek for the first time last year after receiving it in a swap. It was as good as you said. Thanks for the recommendation! Bill |
February 6, 2015 | #27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 165
|
Cherokee Purple put out over 30 tomatoes for me last year here in Maryland, The taste was great.
One thing to remember since you're in NC. Just about every farmers market I've been to down there has them, and on the cheap too. -Jimmy |
February 6, 2015 | #28 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
|
I'm growing BWR tomatoes as seedlings now. It's my first time to grow any color of tomato that isn't pink, yellow, or red. Here's my list:
Black Cherry Black Plum Black Krim Japanese Black Trifele Russian Cossack I chose those five varieties because I have read so much about them here at Tomatoville. The Russian Cossack, I'm growing just to see what color they grow up to be in my part of the world. Last edited by AlittleSalt; February 6, 2015 at 12:00 PM. Reason: missing word |
February 6, 2015 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Vernon, BC
Posts: 720
|
@Misfit, your totally correct about C. Purple! I grew it my 2nd tomato season and loved it and plan to grow it in my 3rd season but I also want to add more black/purples to the mix but the available options are staggering! \
I still do want to form my own opinion but with recommendations like above I can accelerate the process of finding varieties that will make me happy. I also enjoy hearing stories like camochef and believe that posts like his make Tomatoville priceless!! |
February 6, 2015 | #30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Posts: 3,099
|
Camochef I have heard you rave about bear creek so much I really want to try it. Do you have seeds to trade?
|
|
|