Tomato 'Black Krim'
Lycopersicon lycopersicum
Family: | Solanaceae (so-lan-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Lycopersicon (ly-koh-PER-see-kon) (Info) |
Species: | lycopersicum (ly-koh-PER-see-kum) (Info) |
Cultivar: | Black Krim |
Height:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
Spacing:
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Ferment seeds before storing
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
Growing Habit:
Indeterminate
Fruit Shape:
Beefsteak
Fruit Size:
Medium (under one pound)
Large (over one pound)
Days to Maturity:
Mid (69-80 days)
Fruit Colors:
Red
Brown
Seed Type:
Open-pollinated
Usage:
Fresh, salad
Fresh, slicing
Disease Resistance:
Fusarium Wilt (F)
Root Nematodes (N)
Leaf Type:
Regular Leaf
Foliage Color:
Bloom Characteristics:
Water Requirements:
Where to Grow:
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Dothan, Alabama
Thomasville, Alabama
Maricopa, Arizona
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Springdale, Arkansas
Bellflower, California
Berkeley, California
Brea, California
Corte Madera, California
Escondido, California
Klamath River, California
Lakewood, California
Lodi, California
Los Angeles, California
Perris, California
Placentia, California
Pomona, California
Quartz Hill, California
Sacramento, California(2 reports)
San Luis Obispo, California
Santee, California
Stockton, California
Temple City, California
Ukiah, California
West Hills, California
Whittier, California
Yreka, California
Dunnellon, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Largo, Florida
Miami, Florida
Wimauma, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia(2 reports)
Bonaire, Georgia
Calhoun, Georgia
Lewiston, Idaho
Evergreen Park, Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
Fort Wayne, Indiana(2 reports)
Iowa City, Iowa
Baldwin City, Kansas
Barbourville, Kentucky
Benton, Kentucky
Bethelridge, Kentucky
Ft Mitchell, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Jeanerette, Louisiana
Pikesville, Maryland
Allston, Massachusetts
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Bay City, Michigan
Traverse City, Michigan
Moberly, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Louis, Missouri
Omaha, Nebraska
Long Branch, New Jersey
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Three Bridges, New Jersey
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Brooklyn, New York
Leetonia, Ohio
Olmsted Falls, Ohio
Troy, Ohio
Vinton, Ohio
Edmond, Oklahoma
Bend, Oregon
Eagle Point, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
Providence, Rhode Island
Cross, South Carolina
Jonesville, South Carolina
North Sioux City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Leoma, Tennessee
Tellico Plains, Tennessee
Austin, Texas(3 reports)
Cedar Creek, Texas
Elgin, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas(2 reports)
Garland, Texas
Houston, Texas
Ingram, Texas
Liberty Hill, Texas
Lockhart, Texas
Orange, Texas
Port Isabel, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Providence, Utah
Middlebury, Vermont
Alexandria, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Bremerton, Washington
Cashmere, Washington(2 reports)
Spokane, Washington
University Place, Washington
Charles Town, West Virginia
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Rock Springs, Wyoming
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Sep 4, 2019, KevinMiller from Winnipeg, MB (Zone 3a) wrote: A friend gave me Black Krim seeds from 4 different tomatoes in 2016. I've planted many of the seeds indoors for the past 4 years, grown seedlings under a GrowLight, and transplanted one or two seedlings in my garden in early June each year. |
Positive | On Jun 11, 2018, jetlag4 from McBride, British Columbia, One of the earliest beefsteak tomatoes in my area (3b). Wonderful flavour. It did equally well outside on my deck as it did in the greenhouse. Because of our short season I didn't get more than 10 fruit per plant, but they were one of the largest of the beefsteak varieties that I grew. |
Neutral | On Jul 19, 2017, lssfishhunter from Jonesville, SC (Zone 7b) wrote: This is the most productive dark tomato that I have grown to date. However, some plants seem to put on more fruit than others and this takes my rating from a positive to a neutral. |
Positive | On Jul 22, 2016, Hdjenny62 from South Milwaukee, WI wrote: Have been growing black Krim for several years. I live in the Milwaukee Wi area in the suburbs near lake Michigan where Temps range from 60s in spring to 90s in late summer. Black Krim are my favorites. The flavor is very good even all by themselves. I eat like I would an apple. Great on sandwiches and in salads. Even made tomatoes sauce. My one plant always is the first to produce fruit out of all my other tomatoes varieties. I get around 60 off one plant. This year I've picked 6 already with around 30 getting ripe and there's around 20 more small ones and blooms beginning. I water this plant often. It takes more water than others. Through trial and error, I've found a good soaking with same amount of water around the same time each day prevents splitting of tomatoes. I don't like using c... read more |
Positive | On Jan 4, 2016, 5333Taylor from Austin, TX wrote: Planted five Black Krim in my garden in Central Texas in Spring 2014. The plants produced an average of 30 tomatoes per plant. A minor disappointment was the skin cracking on many tomatoes. |
Neutral | On Jul 8, 2015, fredb51 from Goleta, CA wrote: Lots of fruit, many had a mealy texture and most had little flavor. When I let it ripen until the shoulders were yellow prone to rot spots. Drip irrigation only, no sprinklers. |
Positive | On Jun 14, 2015, lottaTomatoes from Stockton, CA wrote: I planted a Black Krim last year that I found at some nursery. It was |
Positive | On Jan 24, 2015, LoriAnn1 from Victoria, Best tasting tomato I've ever grown. Slightly smokey, very sweet, rich tomato flavour. Started indoors in late March, put out in mid May, harvesting large fruits in late July until mid September. Not an abundant crop, but fruits were all about 1 lb, so must be caged. In our northern location, matured to dark red with mahogany and green shoulders, very meaty and average amounts of seeds. Not a good keeper, but excellent slicer. |
Neutral | On Sep 8, 2014, ocean_314 from Ukiah, CA wrote: One of the best but very low production with small tomatoes that did not come n until very late in the season. |
Positive | On Aug 21, 2014, CalgaryGardener from Calgary, AB (Zone 3a) wrote: this is a must grow in my tomato garden. i find it the best tasting of the blacks. i no longer grow black from tula as it doesn't have the taste i am looking for. |
Negative | On Aug 18, 2014, sssusieq from San Antonio, TX wrote: A Facebook friend here in San Antonio, TX grew Black Krim for the first time and said it tasted like dirt. She tried several and they all had the same disagreeable flavor. She was so disappointed that she pulled up the healthy plant! Could this have come from an issue with too little/much water or too little/much of a mineral? Was it just that she had never grown a black tomato before and wasn't prepared for the intense, smoky taste that I see in several comments here? |
Positive | On Apr 1, 2014, garden350 from ALLSTON, MA wrote: Black Krim is the first black tomato I've grown or tasted. It is best tasting tomato I've ever grown. It has a real tomato taste very good with a little salt. I consider them gourmet and would only eat them by themselves and not buried in a sandwich. I call it a 'tasting' tomato. Compared with my other tomatoes the neighbors always ask for this. I made a mistake of spraying with an organic mix of olive oil, water and too much detergent 1 Tbsp. I sprayed it because of 15 aphids-not worth it. The leaves curled the next day, the other tomatoes were fine. Do not spray it with anything. |
Positive | On Jan 24, 2014, JULIETABER from Fort Worth, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: I had one top out at over 12 ounces and several other were in the half pound range. This sweet tomato makes very good pizza sauce, save your other varieties for the salad. |
Positive | On Aug 15, 2013, johnrsharp from Hillsboro, OR (Zone 8b) wrote: Hillsboro Oregon near Portland, and Galesburg Illinois a few years ago |
Positive | On Aug 6, 2013, idealpeggy from Lexington, KY (Zone 6b) wrote: Giving it a Positive even though the whole vine died after producing about a dozen tomatoes because-1) This was my first producer-I grew it from seed, 2) it tastes marvelous!, 3) it is beautiful-green at the top, and burgundy at the bottom, 4) wonderful texture-velvetty smooth-slices beautifully. |
Positive | On Aug 4, 2013, CaliforniaGuy from Lakewood, CA wrote: Hasn't put out a ton of fruit, but the vine has stayed healthy/attractive and isn't half dead or going wild like a lot of other varieties in my yard. I prefer this to cherokee purple, which it seems to be compared to a lot. Very good tasting fruit. Update: this plant lived and produced longer than the other plants in the yard last year. It seems to like a little less sun and heat than some of the other varieties I grow. |
Neutral | On May 20, 2013, mhherr from Pomona, CA wrote: I'd like to be able to report a "positive" experience, but I'm not sure yet. My garden is raised beds with Netafim subterranean drip with odd-day watering -- everything is lush and doing nicely with full sun exposure. |
Positive | On May 12, 2013, techpro6 from Yreka, CA wrote: Grows great in the volcanic soil of this town. Late planting helps it keep away from the frosty mornings and snow of spring at our house, part way up the mountain side. Cracks easily but still gives a large yield. Wonderful flavor and plenty of seeds from the cracked tomatoes. It will be on my list for years to come. BEWARE the deer love to munch on these beautiful plants... |
Positive | On May 12, 2013, techpro6 from Yreka, CA wrote: Grows great in the volcanic soil of this town. Late planting helps it keep away from the frosty mornings and snow of spring at our house, part way up the mountain side. Cracks easily but still gives a large yield. Wonderful flavor and plenty of seeds from the cracked tomatoes. It will be on my list for years to come. BEWARE the deer love to munch on these beautiful plants... |
Neutral | On Mar 6, 2013, BruinTechie from Bellflower, CA wrote: Not a great self-watering container plant. The stalks seemed more brittle than other varieties I've seen which is important if you need to move the containers around a lot. Some sort of barrier is needed to prevent roots from getting into the reservoir since this variety is highly prone to cracking. Not great for cooking. |
Positive | On Feb 8, 2013, sly2kusa from Placentia, CA wrote: This is hands down the best heirloom Tomato on the planet (and I have grown many other 'black' tomatoes including Cherokee Purples, Black from Tula, Black Sea Man's and others). I still have plants from May of last year that are still going strong, and with the warm snap that came through during January - more fruit with just a spike of some epsom salts and bone meal. I'd recommend this as a great add to anyone's veggie garden. You will not be disappointed! |
Positive | On Jan 27, 2013, lilrandy from Baldwin, LA wrote: This is possibly my favorite heirloom tomato. Aside from it being a great tasting tomato, production is above par every year. Krims have a spot reserved in my garden every season. |
Positive | On Aug 5, 2012, donnyczech from Sioux Falls, SD (Zone 4b) wrote: Black Krim is a great tomato and is growing well in my garden in drought stricken South Dakota. No problem with the blight this year probably because of the heat. In July we had less than 1/2 inch of rain for the entire month, so I water a lot. I had to keep my eye of the fruit because when it is ripe, it needs to be picked right away because it can split easily. The fruit is beautiful, green on the top and the rest is a dark black red. The taste is fantastic and I enjoy eating Black Krim right after I pick it. I will definitely grow it again. |
Positive | On Jul 31, 2012, Calalily from Deep South Coastal, TX (Zone 10a) wrote: One of the best tasting tomatoes I've ever grown. Not as productive as modern hybrids, but delicious. |
Positive | On Apr 22, 2012, dda1974 from Bonaire, GA (Zone 8a) wrote: I have a small backyard container garden and I make sure I grow these every year. They taste AWESOME. I usually plant them at the end of April and I have learned that they tend to struggle a little in the heat of the summer (August especially) but they perk up in late September and for the past few years I've had fresh tomatoes well into November. (central Georgia zone 8b) |
Positive | On Apr 21, 2012, giroffle wrote: Hello...I am growing Black Krim and Bla ck Russian and they are very near planting out...what size pots should I choose for their final planting place...I believe they grow to 4-5 ft but would I need the same size pot...could someone please advise...thank you so much....I have no information on this on the seed packets...BTW |
Positive | On Sep 20, 2011, SoCagardner from Escondido, CA wrote: Black Krim tomatoes are real winners. They have a strong, sweet, smoky flavor that I love. Production far exceeded any other tomato variety in my garden this year. Also, along with Stupice were easily my first to produce ripe tomatoes. Tomatoes are small to medium in size and consistently perfect in shape. The plants are large and do require staking. In the spring, I had some problems with wilt, but the plant survived it and then thrived. No problems with blossom end rot or sun scald. My two favorite tomato plants from this summer were Black Krim and Brandywine Sudduth. |
Positive | On Jun 9, 2011, LORIndiana from Fort Wayne, IN (Zone 5b) wrote: Agree with most other positive reviews. This is a winner, my second favorite black (after Black Russian). Has a full-bodied flavor, I feel like I am eating wine. That is the best way I know to illustrate the richness of the flavor. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2010, tomatofrog from Echuca, Purple pink in my estimation. Some people say it is brownish red. |
Neutral | On Jul 10, 2010, b54red from Dothan, AL wrote: Great disease resistance and production. The tomatoes are wonderful with a very rich taste. One of the best tasting blacks I have grown. Continues to set fruit in very hot and humid weather which is a big plus down here. |
Positive | On Jun 7, 2010, mandogal from Largo, FL wrote: This is my first time growing Black Krim. I use an Earthbox. The plant is large and lush and is producing many tomatoes. The tomatoes are large and splitting. The Earthbox is watered daily but the reservoir is dry every night. The fruits are delicious. My other heirlooms have had the fruit worm damage but the Black Krim does not seem to be effected. Any suggestions about how to prevent cracks? |
Positive | On Feb 19, 2010, dlbailey from Central Valley, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: Yes, you can actually grow in a decent purple/black tomato in the Central Valley. This one did very well for me. What a flavor. My favorite tasting tomato of all time. This is a real winner! |
Neutral | On Sep 18, 2009, DonShirer from Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a) wrote: I grew 5 Black Krim plants this year, and all but one succumbed to blight, so I am reporting on a rather small statistical sample! (The one that lasted was in an HEB, but I don't think that made any difference.) The taste is better than average, but not as good as Cherokee Purple. Yield was average. Birds or squirrels loved them too and I had to put up netting to protect them. I'll hope for better luck next year. |
Positive | On Aug 16, 2009, dave52 from Calgary, Great plant, When I grew them in the ground or in plastic pots I always had cracking, now I use large Italian clay or terracotta pots with a small bag of pea gravel over the drain hole and I don't get cracking any more, I think its because the roots do not have to stand in water that they don't crack. any way its a great tasting plant with beautiful tomatoes. Almost forgot I use a nice light potting soil, You do have to water twice a day but like I said For me I don't get cracks. |
Positive | On Sep 22, 2008, tuttamatta from Portland, OR wrote: It is for sure a winner in my garden, I love the flavor, out of 30 varieties I grew the only one I liked better is Black from Tula, but not by far. |
Positive | On Jun 17, 2008, SLO_Garden from San Luis Obispo, CA wrote: Black Krim is one of my favorites. It is very prolific and has a wonderful rich, earthy flavor. It produces early and continues all season into fall. BK is best eaten fresh, as it is somewhat soft and doesn't can well. A "must grow" tomato for me. |
Positive | On Sep 7, 2007, majaz from Middlebury, VT (Zone 4b) wrote: This was my first year with Black Krim. I was looking for Black from Tula which I grew several years ago and found this one. The taste I think is great and the plant produced quite a lot and pretty early. It does look pretty weird with the green and dusky pink and you have to pick it before it looks ripe. Gets very soft quickly, and does tend to get cracks. |
Positive | On Apr 17, 2007, Greenthumbe from Scripps Ranch, (San Diego), CA (Zone 9b) wrote: This seemed like an awsome and fun tomato variety to put into my "global" garden. I have my sprouts under the grow lamp. Already, I can tell the deep green and purple foliage. How does one pervent the cracking of fruit (before mine start) that seemes to be a problem with other growers in this variety? |
Neutral | On Mar 3, 2007, berrygirl from Braselton, GA (Zone 8a) wrote: Slightly flattened 4-5" globes with dark greenish-black shoulders, turns almost black with enough heat and sun. |
Positive | On Jan 28, 2006, Suze_ from (Zone 7b) wrote: Black Krim generally makes my grow list about every other year. Good flavor, typical of some of the better darks. It does tend to crack occasionally in my garden, even when I am careful with the watering. |
Positive | On Nov 26, 2005, blameitonkarma from Lancaster, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: The Black Krim was by far my favorite this year. Delicious taste and lots of fruit. The tomatoes split like crazy though, but maybe I was more inconsistent with my watering than I thought I was. |
Positive | On Aug 9, 2005, hurono from Troy, OH wrote: The negative has been the squirrels like to take a bite or two out of the BK's. We wanted to take those bites! The taste is excellent not exactly smokey, as ofdten described but defionitely more than most red tomatoes. The flavor may not be as intense this year because of the erratic rain. Size was very good as several approaching a pound. Not that many fruit but most have been blemish free. |
Positive | On Aug 18, 2004, makshi from Noblesville, IN (Zone 5a) wrote: These are very good mild tomato. They weigh approx. 6oz., dark red and blackish color. I at first thought I didn't like the flavor but have decided that I do like it. The plant has held up very well. The only thing I found about this tomato is that it gets cracks on the stem end that don't go all the way through and have not hurt the flavor at all. |
Neutral | On Jul 28, 2004, Big_Red from Bethelridge, KY (Zone 6a) wrote: Sweet taste, a good producer. Soft flesh, not a good canner. |
Positive | On May 31, 2004, melody from Benton, KY (Zone 7a) wrote: Unique fruits from the Crimean Sea area of Russia. (Krim is Russian for Crimea) |