No. 009 · heirloom
Black Krim
Black Krim is an indeterminate heirloom beefsteak with deep brown-red fruit. It ripens in about 80 days.
Flavor
Described in catalogs and by growers as bold and smoky, with a mingling of sweet and acidic notes and a hint of saltiness, often ranked among the best tasting of the dark tomatoes. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured fact for your garden.
Origin
An heirloom said to originate from the Crimean Peninsula on the northern coast of the Black Sea, one of the better known dark or black tomatoes in cultivation.
What it does well
- Rich complex flavor
- High yielding for an heirloom
- Earlier than many other heirlooms
Where it frustrates
- Green to brown shoulders that some find unattractive
- Soft skin prone to cracking common to dark heirlooms
- Indeterminate vines need staking
Growing it
- Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- A moderate grow, no special tricks but worth steady attention.
- Will set in cooler conditions, though warmth still helps it along.
- Prone to cracking and splitting after wet spells.
- One of our picks for the cold, short-season gardens of New England.
Disease resistance
An heirloom, sold without formal disease-resistance codes.
Why no hardiness zone?
Tomatoes are warm-season annuals, so variety choice comes down to days to maturity and your local frost dates.
Like Black Krim, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
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Where to buy seed
Related reading
Common questions
- Is Black Krim determinate or indeterminate?
- Black Krim is an indeterminate variety. Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
- How long does Black Krim take to ripen?
- Black Krim ripens in about 80 days from transplant. Mid-season timing, ripening around 70 to 80 days from transplant.
- Is Black Krim an heirloom or a hybrid?
- Black Krim is an heirloom, an open-pollinated variety with a documented history, so seed saved from it comes back true to type.
- What can I grow instead of Black Krim?
- A close swap is Cherokee Purple, but dustier rose and milder shoulders.
Sources
- Black Krim Organic Tomato Seed · Johnny's Selected Seeds
- Black Krim Tomato (Heirloom, 69 Days) · Pinetree Garden Seeds
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