The information on this page applies to seedlings sold by LEAF Nursery during our 2021 Spring Seedling Sale.
Lycopersicon esculentum. Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beefsteak in style, indeterminate growing plants, purple-black with green "shoulders" across the top. They are also notable for having a dense, juicy texture, with small seed locules irregularly scattered throughout the flesh. The comparatively dark interior color is enhanced by the tendency of the seeds to be surrounded by green gel. Organic Cherokee Purple was gifted to heirloom tomato enthusiast Craig LeHoullier by J. D. Green of Tennessee. Mr. Green stated that he received them from a neighbor who said the tomato variety was 100 years old and was according to the neighbor grown by the Cherokee Indians.
Seed Type
| Organic | Heirloom | Non-GMO | Hybrid | Open-pollinated | Untreated |
Additional Information
| Container Friendly | Trellis Needed | Easy to Grow | Pollinator Friendly |
Planting Season
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Growing Conditions
| Light | Temperature | Soil | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Sun | 65-75 F | Rich, well-drained soil, pH 6.5 | Regularly; avoid overwatering and wetting foliage |
Planting Tips
| Plant Spacing | Plant Size | Days to Maturity |
|---|---|---|
| 38-48" | up to 9' in height | 80 |
- Additional instructions: Cage or stake indeterminate tomato plants to support expected growth. Cage or stake plants to support expected growth. Indeterminate varieties can grow 6 feet tall or more. Roots will form on buried portions of the stems of tomato plants, so vigorous, compact transplants can be planted about 2 inches (5 cm) deeper than they are in the pot. For taller, lanky plants with few leaves, pinch off the lower leaves and set the plants into the soil horizontally with just a few sets of top leaves showing above the ground.[3] [4]
- Harvesting instructions: Pick the tomatoes once they are large, and have a robust purple hue amongst their crimson background. Their shoulders usually remain green, but may get lighter in color when ripe. The tomatoes will be beginning to soften and they will release easily from the stems. [3] [6]
Common Diseases and Pests
- Pests: Aphids, armyworms, buffalo treehopper, cutworms, flea beetles, hornworms, leaffooted bug, leafminers, loopers, lygus bugs, nematodes, potato tuberworm, snails/slugs, stink bugs, thrips, tomato fruitworm, tomato pinworm, tomato russet mite, vegetable weevil, whiteflies, wireworms
- Disease: Black mold, curly top virus, damping off, early blight, fusarium wilt, late blight, phytophthora root rot, powdery mildew, tobacco mosaic virus, tomato spotted wilt virus, verticillium wilt, white mold
Useful Resources
- https://sustainableseedco.com/products/organic-cherokee-purple-tomato?variant=3171376267304 (seed source)
- http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/vegetables/vegetable-planting-chart/
- http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/vegetables/tomatoes/
- https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8159.pdf
- http://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/tomato/index.html
- https://diygardens.org/2020/04/19/guide-to-growing-cherokee-purple-tomatoes/
If you bought this seedling and have any questions or feedback, let us know in the comment section below.