Carbon, Organic Tomato Seeds

Carbon Organic Tomato Seed

Award-winning black tomato delivers famously complex flavor
Purplish-brown fruits reveal deep brick-red interiors
Flattened ten-to-twelve-ounce beefsteaks balance sweet, tangy, and smoky
Certified organic seed

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Solanum lycopersicum

Days to maturity

80 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

50 Seeds

About Carbon, Organic Tomato Seed, Tomato Seed

Carbon is a celebrated dark heirloom tomato with purplish-brown skin, deep brick-red flesh, and an exceptionally rich, sweet flavor with tangy, smoky notes. Flattened, round fruits typically weigh 10–12 ounces and are excellent for slicing, salads, sauces, and salsa. Vigorous indeterminate vines produce steadily from midsummer into fall. This certified organic seed variety won the 2005 Heirloom Garden Show's Best Tasting Tomato Award.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/16"

Days to Germination

5–10 days

In-row plant spacing

24-36"

Row Spacing

32-48"

Plant profile

Maturity

Summer, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

84 inches

Growth Habits

Indeterminate

Type

SLICER TOMATOES

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

9,507

Color

Black, Brown, Red

Seed Type

Heirloom, Organic

Growing Season

Warm-Season Crop

Before Planting

Prepare for Tomato by selecting a full-sun, warm site with fertile, well-drained soil and good air circulation. Incorporate compost and adjust nutrients and pH according to a soil test, avoiding excessive nitrogen. Wait until frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed; harden transplants and install supports before planting when the crop requires them.

Planting

Start tomato seed indoors 6–8 weeks before the last expected spring frost, maintaining about 70–80°F until germination. After emergence, provide strong light and slightly cooler conditions to produce sturdy seedlings. Harden plants gradually and transplant after frost danger has passed and soil is at least 60°F. Set nongrafted transplants deeply; keep graft unions above the soil.

Watering

Provide 1–1½ inches of water weekly, keeping moisture consistent during flowering and fruit development. Water deeply at soil level to reduce fruit splitting, blossom-end rot, and foliage disease.

Fertilizer

Side-dress with a balanced vegetable fertilizer after plants establish and again when fruit begins forming. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which promotes foliage at the expense of flowers and fruit.

Harvesting

Harvest tomatoes when fruit reaches its expected size and full variety color and feels firm with a slight give. Twist gently or cut the stem to avoid damaging vines. Pick regularly to encourage continued production.

Tips

Install cages or stakes before plants become large, and mulch after the soil warms. Avoid aggressive pruning on determinate varieties. Protect blossoms from temperature extremes, which can reduce fruit set.

Pests & Diseases

Early and late blights, Septoria leaf spot, bacterial spot or canker, Fusarium and Verticillium wilts, and viruses affect tomatoes. Choose resistant varieties, rotate nightshades, mulch against soil splash, and stake plants. Remove incurably wilted or mosaic plants; discard fruit with expanding lesions rather than composting it.

Watch for hornworms, aphids, flea beetles, cutworms, and whiteflies. Inspect leaf undersides, handpick large caterpillars, use collars around young plants, and encourage beneficial insects before applying a labeled treatment.