heard of them but havent grown them. SEAMAN is my mothers maiden name.

I don't know anything about Sustainable Seeds, but the variety is also available (as Black Sea Man, 3 words), from Marianna's Heirloom Seeds, which is definitely a recommended vendor:
http://www.mariseeds.com/seedcatalog/blacks.html

When I look it up as 3 words, it's also sold by Seed Savers Exchange and Heirloom Seeds (I've bought from both) and TomatoFest, which I've never purchased from but I believe is supposed to be a good vendor ... plus some others I either don't know enough about or wouldn't recommend.

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On another forum, I learned that Google has a seed search. I couldn't find it on Google's site, so I just bookmarked the link and clear the search field each time. (Yes, despite the length, it does work to cut and paste this.)
From somewhere in Ohio, probably more or less central Ohio.
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=google-coop-np&cof=FORID:13%3BAH:left%3BCX:Vegetable%2520varieties%2520for%2520gardeners%3BL:http://www.google.com/coop/intl/en/images/custom_search_sm.gif%3BLH:65%3BLP:1%3BVLC:%23551a8b%3BGFNT:%23666666%3BDIV:%23cccccc%3B&cx=003472780514561857771:_eyckfdgfmi&adkw=AELymgXKKcoj8ExjLwA_2QQUrTOC56hT5csg6nztOXomwH8QqjOuDih_7udDMbvIgLtF5VsgbKHSInqxR4nHxAwQ_0whzhEXXL9uATYXLPKd8h_o-a-yOzkd46y21DaRePcq3852tVK6X7nnQOMrOZPm4Cm5kLSxSQ&boostcse=0amp;q=Royal+Chico+Tomatoes&start=10&sa=N

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terrybull, we may be kin! "Gramma Seaman" is one of my mother's ancestors (far enough back that I'm not sure how many generations; likely my 2- or 3-greats grandmother).

Linked some of the previous discussions about this variety below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Seaman discussions

I had no idea this variety was a determinate. Now I'm excited as I plan to grow all container plants next year.

From the link below you can see that Tania lists several seed sources for this variety, She doesn't list all seed sources for a variety, that I know.

Back in the mid 90's SSE used to receive many varieties from Marie Danilenko, in Moscow, and I was asked to trial many of them by SSE.

There are really three so called blacks that are det and PL, the two I trialed are Black Sea Man and Southern Nights, another det PL black and the third one is Blaufruct, or Blue fruit, which has long been known.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Blue_Fruit

While some say det and some say indet for the above variety mine was det. But, I thought it was a lousy variety and a disease magnet to boot. ( smile)

I admit that I'm not a fan of most so called black varieties so I didn't think that Black Sea Man or Southern Nights were all that great.

I've grown a lot of so called blacks which I call pink/blacks or red/blacks, depending on the epidermis color, but about the only ones I like are Indian Stripe, Cherokee Purple, Black from Tula and the cherries Black Cherry and Kazachka and maybe a few more whose names escape me right now.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Tania's info

Black sea man is not actually a black variety - the name is said to derive from the area it was cultivated in. With the said, I do enjoy the taste of these fruit. Mine are regular leaf determinates. Indeterminate production works much better for me but I am sticking with this one. I did find m black krim ground next to the bsm grew much stronger and taste is equally rich. The bsm also cracks a lot.

Actually none of the so called black varieties are black. LOL

And yes, many of them originatged in the Crimea and near the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea.

I usually divide them into pink/blacks that have a clear epidermis, such as Cherokee Purplee Indian Stripe, etc., and red/blacks that have a yellow epidermis such as Black Krim and friends.

And since the fad of the dark ones has gone way beyond my expectations what's happened in the last decade or so is that, well, I'll put it this way.....where there is demand the varieties will follow if you get my drift.

I like the new fad of green when ripes b'c they're one of my favorite groups of tomatoes along with the hearts. But the same thing has happened and is happening with the green when ripes in terms of varieties appearing where there is demand.

Summary: not all so called blacks are unique and same for the green when ripes.

Carolyn

I bought some seed through Amazon. I planted 4 seeds and all of them came up. After transplanting to the garden the deer trampled 3 of them. The one that they didn't trample is starting to take off now, about 18 inches tall and very healthy. It probably won't start producing until this heat wave breaks. I have highs in the upper ninety's and lows close to 80.

In terms of flavor, I thought it was a bit blah. I like Black Krim and Weisnicht's Ukrainian better. But Black Sea Man is bit earlier. It looks just like the catalog picture, which is why I got it in the first place. I thought this picture is kinda funny :)