The award-winning Carbon tomato is a large, smooth, beautiful fruit that’s one of the most gorgeous purple types around. They are renowned for a complex flavor that sets them apart from your average tomato. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Carbon tomato to better understand what all the fuss is about.
Characteristics of the Carbon Tomato
First, let’s explore some of the unique characteristics of the Carbon Tomato. These heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate, heavy feeders and have a high tolerance for drought and high heat conditions.
Ripening Season
The Carbon is a mid-season tomato that takes 80 to 95 days to mature.
Tomato qualities
The Carbon tomato is a large, firm, meaty tomato. Its flesh is deep red with light to dark purple shoulders. It has a vibrant, sweet, smokey flavor. These fruits are marketed as “crack resistant,” but according to several growers, they tend to split.
Tomato size
These tomatoes range in weight from 8 to 14 ounces and measure two to four inches across. The plants can grow between five to seven feet tall.
Planting Zones
Carbon tomatoes can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 11. The ideal temperature ranges from 75 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. These tomatoes are not frost-hardy.
Size and Spacing
You want to plant Carbon tomatoes 24 to 36 inches apart and use either heavy-duty stakes or large cages. When transplanting from indoors, plant deeply, leaving only the top one to two sets of leaves showing (pinch off the rest). Also, remember to moisten your soil before planting.
Pollination
Carbon tomatoes, like all heirlooms, are open-pollinated, which means they use natural pollinators such as bumblebees, bees, birds, and the wind.
Plant Care
The following sections will provide highlights about tomato care. For a complete guide on optimal tomato plant care, from planting to harvesting and storage, please check out our article on How To Grow Tomatoes: The Complete Guide For the Best Tomatoes.
Carbon tomatoes require no special care, are easy to grow, and you’ll need to follow the basic best practices for growing tomatoes.
Sunlight
These tomatoes require full sun, between 6 to 10 hours a day. However, be sure to protect your plants from sunscald. You can learn more about protecting your tomatoes from sunscald in this sunscald guide.
Soil
All tomatoes varieties thrive in acidic soil with a 6.0 to 6.8 pH. Your soil should be well-draining and loose, amended with decomposed manure and compost about 24 to 36 inches deep. You can also add a few ground or crushed eggshells to your soil. This also helps in preventing blossom end rot. If your soil happens to be clay, you can condition it by tilling it with sand. This handy guide can learn more about planting tomatoes in clay soil.
It’s also a good idea to test your soil’s pH to find out what nutrients are already present and which need boosting. You can learn more about conducting soil tests in this soil testing guide.
Water
To water your tomato plants, spread about a two to three-inch layer of mulch around them. Be sure not to let the mulch touch the base of your plant. You should have three inches of space between the plant base and your circle of mulch. Water your plant regularly at the base of the plant. Never water directly onto the foliage. Most varieties require at least an inch of water per week.
Fertilizer
Tomatoes require specific nutrients (such as calcium) to produce their best crops of fruit. To learn how to determine what your tomatoes need and when they need it, consult our ultimate tomato fertilizer guide.
Pruning/Pinching
Pruning and pinching are a tomato care technique that can help your tomato put forth its best yield. But you need to know when to do this and what tomatoes need it. To help you with this, visit our pruning tomatoes guide.
Disease
Like many heirloom varieties, Carbon has a high resistance to many common tomato diseases. However, you still need to be on guard against a few by using preventative measures. To learn how to detect, treat, and take steps to prevent diseases, read our tomato diseases guide.
Pests
Certain pests such as snails, birds, cutworms, grasshoppers, hornworms, and other insects can wreak havoc upon your tomatoes. For information to help you spot, eliminate, and deter 15 different pests, visit our guide on common tomato pests.
When to Harvest Carbon Tomatoes
You can harvest your tomatoes about 80 to 95 days after you’ve sown your seeds indoors.
Common Uses For Carbon Tomatoes
Carbon is one of the most flavorful tomato varieties globally, with a savory, smoky flavor that growers can’t stop raving about. In fact, this tomato won the 2005 “Heirloom Garden Show” for best-tasting tomato! And it’s also won various awards around the country for its unique flavor, texture, and overall quality.
What Does This Tomato Taste Like?
Carbons are known for their smokey and sweet flavor, with minimal acid.
Cooking
These tomatoes are ideal for all recipes using tomatoes. Many folks use them for salsas and tomato sauces because of their taste, texture, and color qualities.
Eating raw
Carbon tomatoes are a great addition to sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Eaten raw, they are positively delicious with a bit of salt.
Canning/ Freezing/ Drying
With your extra tomatoes, you may want to preserve them. These handy guides will show you how to freeze, can, and dry your tomatoes.
Recipe Ideas
Southwest-Style Cobb Salad With Smoky Chipotle Dressing
Smoky Grilled Samon With Avocado and Tomato Salad
Health Benefits of Carbon Tomatoes
Tomato has tons of fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins K and C. They are also known to be some of the best natural sources of lycopene, a potent antioxidant researchers believe can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Where to Buy Carbon Tomato Plants or Seeds
You can purchase Carbon tomato seeds online at various retailers like Amazon. As for the plants, you should check with your local nurseries, as they are a popular variety.
Where to Buy Carbon Tomatoes
Carbon tomato fruits will be a bit tougher to find in stores. Your best bet is to contact your local farmers market or check with nurseries. Sometimes local growers will leave word if they are growing certain varieties.
A Final Word on the Carbon Tomato
The deliciously sweet Carbon tomato is an incredibly plump, meaty, juicy tomato with a sweet, smokey flavor that growers from coast to coast have fallen in love with. Best of all, they are relatively easy to grow and maintain. If you’re looking for a purple heirloom variety for your next planting, give these fantastic tomatoes a try, you won’t regret it.
Have you grown Carbon tomatoes and have a tip to share? Leave it in the comments section below! Excited for more tomato content? Then visit our tomato page for growing tips, comprehensive guides, and tasty recipes!