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Black Prince Tomato is an indeterminate slicing variety that earned its reputation the hard way, winning best-tasting tomato awards in 2014, 2015, and 2017. This heirloom open-pollinated cultivar produces medium-sized, mahogany-brown fruits with deep, dark flesh and a notably smoky, sweet, low-acid character that surprised and delighted the tomato world when it emerged. Reaching 36-96 inches tall depending on growing conditions, it matures in 70-79 days from transplant and thrives in full sun with moderate water and well-balanced soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Whether grown in garden beds, raised beds, or containers, Black Prince delivers the kind of complex flavor that makes fresh eating and slicing irresistible.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
96in H x ?in W
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High
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This variety's real draw is its exceptional smoky, sweet flavor with notably low acidity, a combination that catapulted it to award-winning status and drew market growers in droves when it first gained attention. The mahogany-brown skin and dark flesh create visual drama on the plate while delivering juicy, tender fruits that rival Roma tomatoes in size yet surpass them in complexity. Black Prince handles heat well and resists a broad spectrum of serious tomato diseases including Fusarium Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Late Blight, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus, making it remarkably reliable across diverse growing regions. Its indeterminate growth habit means continuous production throughout the season, and the fruits dry beautifully or transform into extraordinary paste.
Black Prince excels in fresh eating and slicing applications where its complex smoky-sweet flavor shines on its own, though it equally transforms into exceptional tomato paste and dried tomato products that concentrate its distinctive character even further. Home cooks use it for simple preparations like tomato salads where minimal seasoning allows the fruit's natural depth to dominate, and its low acidity makes it suitable for fresh sauces and salsas without requiring extended cooking. The medium size and firm flesh also perform well in canning, though its superior flavor is often wasted in heavily spiced preparations.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 5-6 weeks before your transplant date in a seed mix kept at 75-85°F with moderate moisture. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, lightly covering them, and use either 20-row flats with 20 seeds per row or 200-cell trays with one seed per cell. Germination typically occurs in 5-7 days. At the first true leaf stage, pot up seedlings into 50-cell trays or 4-inch pots depending on your planned transplant timing. Grow on at a constant 60-70°F temperature under complete fertilizer until hardening off, avoiding the trap of starting too early, which produces leggy, root-bound transplants prone to stunting and delayed early production.
Harden off transplants by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before transplanting. Plant outdoors after your last frost date, spacing plants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows in full sun locations. Avoid planting root-bound or already-flowering transplants, as these cause production delays.
Pick fruits when fully colored (mahogany-brown) and slightly soft to gentle pressure, typically 70-79 days after transplanting. Black Prince fruits can be harvested at various ripeness levels depending on your use: fully ripe for peak flavor in fresh eating, slightly less ripe for slicing applications, and at mature but green stages if end-season frost approaches. Handle carefully to avoid blemishes that compromise storage potential.
As an indeterminate variety that can reach 36-96 inches, pruning becomes necessary once vines outgrow manageable size for easy harvesting. Consider pruning once plants reach the upper limit of your support structure, particularly if you prioritize harvest accessibility over maximum production. Some growers use short extensions on trellises rather than pruning to capture the continuous production this indeterminate habit provides, so your approach depends on garden space and personal preferences.
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“Black Prince emerged from Russian breeding programs and entered Western gardening consciousness as an heirloom variety, eventually becoming recognized as an exceptional culinary tomato. The catalyst for its widespread adoption came through competitive taste testing and passionate advocacy from seed savers and tomato enthusiasts who recognized its distinctive smoky-sweet profile as something genuinely different from the standard American slicing tomato. Its journey from a regional Russian favorite to award-winning status across multiple years (2014, 2015, 2017) reflects a shift in gardening priorities toward flavor complexity and heritage varieties that challenge conventional tomato expectations.”