Photo by IRNA DIST (CC BY 2.0).

Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum

Common Name: Tomato 'Black Cherry'

Family: Solanaceae

Origin:

Black Cherry is a modern heirloom tomato bred in the warm, humid climate of Florida USA by Vince Sapp.

Culinary Uses:

The rich, sweet and smoky flavour of Black Cherry tomatoes make these ideal for eating fresh, either whole as a snack, or chopped in half and added to salads.  You can also grill or roast them to further bring out their flavour.  If you have a bumper crop of Black Cherry tomatoes they can be used by themselves or blended with other varieties to make unique black tomato sauces, salsas and chutneys. 

Growing Tips:

Choose a growing site in full sun for best fruit production, this variety will also produce well in very light shade.  Dig organic fertiliser, well rotted manures or compost through the soil prior to planting to give tomato plants a rapid start to life.  Leggy Black Cherry tomato seedlings can be planted deeply into the ground, they will produce roots along any section of buried stem resulting in a stronger and more stable tomato plant with an excellent root system.  Black Cherry is an indeterminate heirloom tomato variety, meaning that it'll grow as a vine and will require staking or caging to support the weight of the growing plant and the large clusters of tomatoes.  Water tomatoes evenly and regularly, especially as they are fruiting to prevent splitting, cracking and rotting.  Avoid wetting the leaves to prevent fungal issues, you can removal several of the lower leaves to prevent splash-back from the ground when watering.  If fruit set is poor you may need to hand pollinate your tomatoes, the best way of doing this is by using an electric toothbrush as the vibrations will encourage the tomato flowers to release their pollen.  Native blue banded bees are excellent pollinators of tomatoes and can be attracted to the garden by planting perennial salvias close to your tomato patch, the blue banded bees will love the long lasting salvia flower spikes.  Black Cherry tomatoes grows well in warm, humid climates.

When To Sow:

In temperate areas of Australia sow Black Cherry tomato seeds in September or November for best results.  In subtropical areas of Australia sow Black Cherry tomato seeds from March to September, avoid sowing during Winter though if you receive damaging frosts where you live.  In tropical regions of Australia the best time to sow Black Cherry tomato seeds is during the dry season from May to July.

How To Sow:

Sow Black Cherry tomato seeds 6mm deep spacing vines 60cm apart to allow plenty of room for growth.

Germination Time:

Black Cherry tomato seeds take between 7 and 13 days to germinate once sown

Time To Harvest:

Cherry tomatoes such as Black Cherry produce earlier than larger fruited varieties.  Expect to harvest your first clusters of Black Cherry tomatoes 10 to 12 weeks after sowing the seeds, depending on growing conditions.