Black from Tula

[peppereater]

I was first drawn to this heirloom by the name, and the fact that it was a black variety, in my first year of growing from seed. Tula was the home of the Toltecs, a Central American civilization. I was a little disappointed that this variety came form Russia, because I've always been intrigued by Central America, and the fact that the first intentional cultivation of tomatoes occurred there. Hmmm, I thought, Russian origin is pretty cool, too. I got my seed from Totally Tomatoes. This was the first time I'd seen a great list of heirlooms.
I grew Siberia for it's early fruit. Black from Tula was actually my earliest that year, followed by Brandywine, then Siberia. I had catastrophic damage from insects that year, and lost my whole tomato crop, as well as all other veggies, due to grasshoppers. The BFT were an early treat for the still unknown black and red bugs, fruits were destroyed before they could ripen fully, and the grasshoppers obliterated everything eventually.
That year, I also grew Kellogg's Breakfast, but in what I now realize was poor soil. KB produced poor, 3 to 4 oz. fruits, no flavor.
Last year my Kellogg's were the most productive plants I had, bearing many 1 lb beefsteak type toms, excellent slicers but not so great that I grew them this year.
In my longwinded way, what I'm saying is that tomatoes are so variable, from one soil to the next, one season to the next, one type can be great or a total sleeper. I just got Caroline's book, and was pleased to see that she rated KB and Black from Tula highly, as she is not a big fan of many of these sorts. B from T is on my list for next year. As Carolyne says, it's often darker when grown in the south...mine were very dark, if not black then chocolate, and a taste that I've not had before or since. I wish I had seed this year to grow them again, as I'm getting better results year by year.

[feldon30]

Carolyn has said she wishes she could write and publish another book to add some more details and some updated variety info.

Cherokee Purple and Black from Tula are still very popular. Black Krim and Noir de Crimee (never mind that it's a French translation of "Black Krim", when grown side by side, Noir seems to noticeably outshine it in flavor) have come onto the scene as well.

When Kellogg's Breakfast is good it's great, when it's not, you hear about it from forum members.

[Suze]

Originally Posted by peppereater

In my longwinded way, what I'm saying is that tomatoes are so variable, from one soil to the next, one season to the next, one type can be great or a total sleeper.

Yep, I tend to agree -- although I have found a few that almost always produce/perform fairly well for me year after year. Cherokee Purple is one of those, so is Black from Tula. Jaune Flammee is another winner in my garden. Cherokee Green has become a new 'must have' for me (great taste both last fall and this spring). This list could be a bit longer...but you get the idea.

Seed for Black from Tula is commercially available from a variety of sources, but I'd be happy to send you some if you want. I think it's a little late for you to start for this year, though?? Unless you can do a fall crop there.

As for Carolyn's comment that dark/'black' types can get darker in the south, I agree. Here's some BfT shots I took recently (click to enlarge):

[Suze]

Originally Posted by feldon27

When Kellogg's Breakfast is good it's great, when it's not, you hear about it from forum members.

So true. :wink:

[Mantis]

Kellogs breakfast was wonderful for me the year before last and woeful last year. As mentioned, different soil, different year. This year it is going in the greenhouse to see what its potential really is. I love their taste and so do my wife and daughters.
Have Black from Tula on my list for this year having grown Black Krim and loved it.

[peppereater]

suze...now that's a BLT. Skip the seeds, just send me one of those! lol.
I'll hit you up for seeds anyway!

[Andrey_BY]

See my posting below

[Andrey_BY]

Originally Posted by peppereater

I was first drawn to this heirloom by the name, and the fact that it was a black variety, in my first year of growing from seed. Tula was the home of the Toltecs, a Central American civilization. I was a little disappointed that this variety came form Russia, because I've always been intrigued by Central America, and the fact that the first intentional cultivation of tomatoes occurred there. Hmmm, I thought, Russian origin is pretty cool, too.

Tula's oblast (region) is the next to the South from Moscow. This is rather old Russian town with population near 545000 people. Tula is famous for its samovars, guns and traditional Russian spice-cakes (Tulsky pryanik).





Town is located in Zone4 and most of people can grow tomatoes only in greenhouses (except early varieties).

I know that many black tomatoes came from Russia, but don't know how it could happen. Actually we were not so good in seed saving and breeding before World War II. Just some Breeding Instritutes and Stations and tomatoes were not so popular within amateur gardeners either in Tsar's Russia or USSR before approx. 1950. We had more traditions to grow cabbage, potatoes, onions and even lemon trees indoors than tomatoes. And only in 1950s people started thinking about their own tomato yeild at the kitchen-garden, because there was a big boost of breeding programmes of mostly cold tolerant varieties for all parts of USSR.
So the most true origin they could had is from the Southern part of Russia (Krasnodar, Rostov, Astrakhan) regions and Krim with much milder climate. And don't forget that in 60s Krim was presented to Ukraine by Khrushchev, but inside Soviet Union and Russia is an official legatee of USSR with all profits and debts. Now there is a big problem there with most of Russion-speaking population who want Krim be back to Russia.

[Earl]

If you like the blacks give Carbon a try. Great taste, not a huge plant, and produces until frost.