Black plastic is not the best thing for tomatoes. Researchers have found that red is better for tomatoes.

I'm not sure what happened to your tomatoes. Usually leggy tomatoes are from lack of light. Have you had a lot of cloudy days this summer?

I know I always had plants grown in my greenhouse that had sturdy stems. About 3 years ago my tomato plants grew spindly stems that had to be planted deeply outside. They thickened once planted outside so I knew it must have been something with the greenhouse.

My greenhouse has a fiberglass covering. I purchased a stiff broom and used lestoil and scrubbed down the roof and got rolls of black gunk off of it. The next year my tomatoes grew well, so I figured it was lack of light that effected my tomatoes.

I don't know if it's that is what effected your tomatoes but it sounds like it may be if others in your area have the same trouble

Thanks. I think you are right.

The black plastic is to stretch the growing season, and to act as a solar still. I only get to my garden every 2-3 weeks. It is at a mountain cabin in the Laurel Highlands. Plastic deals with the fact I'm not there to water for weeks at a time. Plus it's waaaay cheaper from industrial suppliers than plastic mulch from garden suppliers.