100 heirloom tomatoes for the American garden

BLACK FROM TULA Part of the fun and excitement of growing heirloom tomatoes is to experience the fantastic range of colors and tastes. First-time growers of black-type tomatoes are often astounded by the unique color. Some, unfortunately, are so put off by the unconventional appearance that they never get to truly enjoy the wonderful flavor. There are those who claim that black tomatoes have a salty or even smoky flavor, but I've found them to be absolutely rich and sweet. When ripe, Black from Tula has prominent green shoulders and a dusky rose-black coloring. (When grown in the North, the black types don't develop the true blackish color that they do in the South.) The chocolate flesh is contrasted nicely wiht the deep green gel capsules that encase the seeds. The photograph also shows a distinctive spiral pattern of concentric cracking. Black from Tule has a very heavy foliage cover of regular leaves, and is somewhat susceptible to early blight. The yield is moderate. It performs better for me than all the other black types except Noir de Crimee. TYPE: family ORIGIN: Ukraine MATURITY: midseason COLOR/SHAPE: smoky, dark reddish black with green shoulders; oblate SIZE/ARRANGEMENT: about 10 to 12 ounces each, growing singly or in clusters of two or three YIELD: moderate PLANT/FOLIAGE: indeterminate habit with heavy cover of regular-leaf foliage TASTE: rich and sweet SEEDS: available commercially Excerpted from 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, copyright (c) 1999 by Smith & Hawken. Reprinted by permission of Workman Publishing. Excerpted from Smith and Hawken: 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden by Carolyn J. Male All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.