Tomato – Black Beauty

Description

Heirloom variety. Medium good sized fruits with a complex flavour, sweet but smoky vibes. Indeterminate. Fabulous colour with fruits ripening to black and dark red on the underside, the more exposed to sun the darker the pigment. Wonderful colour to add to any salad looks beautiful on the plate.

Sow seed Feb – March indoors in modules, seed trays or small pots and cover with a light covering of compost and keep moist. Grow with warmth provided by a heat mat or germinate inside house. Germination takes 14-21 days approx. 18-25 degrees. Once germinated, if you’re sowing groups of seeds together they will need pricking out into individual modules or small posts and then move to a position with plenty of light.

• Transplant when seedlings are large enough (two sets of leaves) into 3 inch pots, bury the seedling up to its first leaves, water in and leave and grow on. Keep the compost moist but not wet.
• Final planting spacing approx. 45-60cm should be approx. 8 weeks from sowing. Plant into final position once plant reaches approx 4 inches, either direct into soil/compost, in large pots or grow bags.
• Care – If planting outside plant from June onwards and harden off by moving plants to a cold frame for a couple of weeks then move to a sunny sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Stake plants for extra support and tie in as plants grow.  I grow my tomatoes in a greenhouse so plant these out in late April May if you are doing the same