Tomato ‘Black Truffle’: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow 'Black Truffle' tomatoes under cover?
Sow your 'Black Truffle' tomato in pots with drainage holes or a clean tray, using fine seed compost. Choose a warm, bright, frost-free place. Allow several weeks of growth before the intended planting date, following packet instructions and local conditions. The space available for young plants should also guide your sowing date. Moisten the compost before placing the seeds.
Distribute seeds with a little space and cover them with about half a centimetre of compost. Water gently to avoid moving them. Maintain steady warmth around 20 °C and light moisture without standing water. If using a lid, ventilate it and remove it when seedlings appear. Give young tomatoes plenty of light then so they develop sturdy stems.
Once the first true leaves develop, move tray-sown seedlings into individual pots. Gently hold a leaf rather than the stem and keep roots moist during handling. Space containers apart as foliage grows and pot on if roots fill the pot. Gradually accustom plants to outdoor conditions before planting, bringing them inside when nights are cold.
How do you plant 'Black Truffle' tomatoes?
How to care for this plant
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Remove side shoots
If you train an indeterminate tomato on one or two stems, look for small shoots between a leaf and the main stem. Remove only those you do not want to keep, preferably while small, without removing flower trusses. Leave determinate bush tomatoes to branch naturally. If you do not know your variety's growth habit or prefer to let it grow freely, do not prune routinely. Between reminders, check new shoots when harvesting.
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Install plant supports
If your tomato variety needs support, fit a sturdy stake or string when planting. Tie the stem loosely and check ties as it grows. Bush varieties may not need staking.
How do you harvest 'Black Truffle' tomatoes?
