Cherry tomato 42 Days Black is a large cherry tomato variety, also known as cocktail tomatoes. These tomatoes are about the size of a ping pong ball. The average weight of these tomatoes is between 10 and 45 grams each, and the diameter is between 2 and 4 cm. This tomato ripens from green to a very dark mahogany red-brown. This looks very similar to black, but it isn´t black. This tomato is called 42 Days Black because the first tomatoes can be harvested about 42 days after planting, and “black” refers to the very dark colour of the tomatoes when ripe.
They taste deliciously sweet with just a hint of acidity. But the sweetness predominates. The flavour lingers deliciously. It has wonderfully firm flesh. It is a delicious tomato variety with a distinctive appearance. It can be harvested very early. Use these tomatoes in pasta sauces, salads, soups, ketchup, on bread and straight from the plant as a delicious and healthy snack. Ensure sufficient sun and warmth and support the plant well for the best results. Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamin C and lycopene. This is best absorbed by the body when the tomatoes are heated. Non hardy annual. Height: 100 - 150 cm.
Indoor sowing: February - April
Germination: 6 - 14 days
Germination temp: 20 - 25 °C
Sowing depth: 2 - 3 mm
Transplanting: when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall
Transplanting in garden: in May, after the last night frosts
Plant spacing: 45 - 50 cm
Planting position: sunny - sheltered (greenhouse)
Days till harvest: 60 - 90
Sow indoors from February on in trays filled with moist pottingsoil. Sow shallow and press the seeds gently in the soil, don't cover them with soil, because tomatoes are light germinators. Put the trays away somewhere warm at 20 - 25 °C and cover them with clingfilm or a lid. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Keep moist, but not to wet to prevent rotting of the seeds. Remove the clingfilm or lid when the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings to seperate pots approx. 10 days after emerging. Put them away a bit cooler at approx. 18 - 20 °C.
Harden the tomatoes of, from the middle of May, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrosts. Put the pots at a temperature of 15 - 18 °C for a week and reduce the amount of water for this week. Put the plants outdoors after this week on a sunny and sheltered plot with well draining soil or put them in a greenhouse. Make sure that there is no longer any nightfrost.
Tomatoes need some maintenance to ensure a good harvest. Give the plants a sturdy support with some sturdy and large bamboo sticks. Remove all suckers that will form in the axils of your plants. Remove all the leaves below the lowest hanging fruits by the end of July till the beginning of August. Remove all the leaves of all plants together with the tops of all plants from the end of August till the beginning of September to ensure the ripening of most of the green tomatoes. Harvest the tomatoes by cutting them with scissors. Tomatoes can't be kept for a long period. Don't keep your harvested tomatoes in the fridge. So use them a soon as possible after harvesting. Tomatoes used in sauces can be kept frozen to store.
