- Open-pollinated
- Slicer
- 75 days to maturity (from transplant)
- Determinate
- Brown
Black Sea Man
Open-pollinated slicer from Russia. Determinate potato-leaf plant with mahogany-brown, green-shouldered slicers in a bush-sized package. Ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 8, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Fruit type
- Slicer 4–10 oz (110–280 g) · Flattened globe
- Leaf type
- Potato leaf
- Days to harvest
- 75 days from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) Medium height
- Spacing
- 24 × 35 in (60 × 90 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Polytunnel · Open ground
- Container growing
- Not suited to pots
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Brown
- Black
- Interior
-
- Red (estimated)
Plant size and habit
Medium height · Determinate
3–4 ft (90–120 cm) (estimated) · Potato leaf
Black Sea Man is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Flavor
“Determinate potato-leaf plant with mahogany-brown, green-shouldered slicers in a bush-sized package.”
Growing calendar
75 days from transplant Midseason
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Slicing
- Fresh & salads
- Novelty color
- High yield
Origin
A Russian open-pollinated variety, probably the same tomato as Chernomor: the Russian name translates to Black Sea Man. Seed Savers Exchange members have listed it as both regular-leaf and potato-leaf, and Tatiana's TOMATOBase notes that the true Black Sea Man should be potato-leaf. Fruit size also varies between growers, from around 4 oz to well over 10 oz, so expect some variation between seed sources.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
We're adding trusted seed sources for this variety.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Black Sea Man plant?
A Black Sea Man plant grows 3–4 ft (90–120 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (60 cm) apart in rows 35 in (90 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–14 days (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Black Sea Man take to mature?
Black Sea Man is ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Does Black Sea Man need staking?
Black Sea Man is a determinate plant that stops growing at a set height and ripens most of its crop in one concentrated window; a cage is usually enough support. Expect a plant of 3–4 ft (90–120 cm).
Can Black Sea Man be grown in a container?
Black Sea Man is better suited to open ground or a greenhouse bed than a container.
Is Black Sea Man resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Black Sea Man.
