plant and grow ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes!

The large globe-shaped fruits are almost as meaty as a ‘Beefsteak’ and have similarly small seed cavities, making for an exceptionally rich culinary experience. Plus, the stout vines grow rapidly!

Heirloom tomatoes come from seeds that have been passed down for centuries. While ‘Cherokee Purple’ plants enjoy similar conditions to your favorite garden hybrids, they have a few unique requirements you’ll want to meet to maximize your yields. Let’s dig into everything you need to know about growing this flavorful tomato!
History and Cultivation
While the ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomato carries the name of the Cherokee tribal people and stories claim that they originated with that tribe, there has never been conclusive proof of their tribal origins – only a story passed along to the man who spearheaded their popularity.

Heirloom tomato specialist Craig LeHoullier received a packet of seeds of this almost-black tomato in the mail. The sender stated the seeds had originally come from a tribal member. While the tribal origin was never proven, LeHoullier chose to keep the name to honor the statement made by its originator.

The rich flavor revealed in test trials proved that this tomato was worthy of further development. In 1993, the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange was the first seed company to offer it as a limited edition seed packet. Ironically, the owner of SESE was quoted saying the tomato “tasted fine, but was kind of ugly – people may not like it.” But the plant took the gardening world by storm.

Its uniquely brown, green, burgundy, and rose tones have captivated gardeners for decades since, warranting tremendous seed-saving efforts to maintain the heirloom flavor. It’s extremely popular and, regardless of its origins, its flavor makes it worth growing year after year!

In recent years, Craig LeHoullier has expressed regret for naming the tomato after the tribe without confirming its origination. In 2022, he and other seed growers discussed the seed naming process at the Organic Seed Alliance’s annual seed conference, as many seeds carry tribal names whether or not they actually originated with those tribal groups.

Is ‘Cherokee Purple’ An Heirloom Tomato?
This plant is an heirloom, meaning its seeds have been saved and passed down through generations. After many years of regular open-pollination in cultivation, ‘Cherokee Purple’ seeds stay true to type when grown. This means collecting seeds from the fruits and replanting them next year will yield the same delicious fruits. The genetics of this variety have remained strong through hundreds of years of cultivation and sale.

This rich, old-time tomato flavor and eye-catching ribbed shape set it apart from other heirlooms. The extra-large-sized fruits are almost as big as a ‘Beefsteak,’ ranging from 3-5 inches in diameter.

What is ‘Cherokee Purple’ Tomato Best For?
Known for their rich, classic tomato flavor and dark color, ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes are ideal for fresh eating. The treasured, award-winning tomato has a balance of sweetness and slight smokiness.

The vine-ripened fruits have dusky rose-blushed skin with green, purple, or brown streaking on the interior. The seed cavities are small and don’t have the watery texture of other heirlooms, making them perfect for a sandwich or burger without the risk of soggy bread. They are delicious in salads, caprese, and fresh salsas or sliced with a sprinkling of salt on top.

Are ‘Cherokee Purple’ Tomatoes Hard to Grow?
‘Cherokee Purple’ is ideal for beginner tomato growers because the stout vines are easy to maintain and thrive without much fuss. If the plant has full sunlight and plenty of warm weather (over 60°F), these tomatoes will ripen to their dark, luscious color in less than three months! This old-fashioned heirloom is adapted to intensely hot summers of the Southeast and tolerates humidity fairly well.

Propagation
You can grow this treasured tomato from seed or a pre-purchased seedling. The most critical factor in a tomato’s early growth is light. Avoid leggy tomato starts by ensuring 6-8 hours of sunlight daily.

Seed
‘Cherokee Purple’ tomato seeds are widely available and easy to plant. It’s best to start them indoors because spring weather is unpredictable in the garden.

About 5-6 weeks before transplanting, prepare 6-packs, cell trays, or 4-inch pots. Fill them with a quality, well-drained seed starter mix. Avoid compacting the soil too firmly.

Sow 1-2 seeds ¼” deep in each cell and lightly cover. Seeds should only be sown at a depth twice their largest dimension. Since tomato seeds are relatively flat and round, they wind up very close to the soil surface. Don’t bury them too deeply.

Thoroughly water in the seeds and keep them consistently moist but never soggy. Use a fan-nozzle hose or wide watering can to distribute the water across the surface without dislodging the seeds.

Use a soil thermometer probe to ensure the mix stays 75-85°F. For the best germination, add a seed heating mat beneath the trays.

‘Cherokee Purple’ germinates within 5-10 days. Grow the seedlings at a continuous 60-75°F ambient temperature. When plants have their first set of true leaves, thin to one seedling per cell. Fertilize with a diluted fish emulsion to encourage rapid establishment.

Supplemental Lighting
If you don’t have a south-facing window or greenhouse, you will probably need to grow lights to ensure vigorous, healthy plants. Suspend your grow lights close to the trays initially, or lift the trays until they are 6-8” below the light.

As the tomatoes grow, slowly bring the light away from them. If they look spindly or like they are “reaching” upwards (long spaces of stem between new leaves), the light is too far away.

Don’t Start Too Soon!
Be careful not to start your tomatoes too soon. Rootbound, leggy, or flowering transplants have difficulty adjusting in the garden. You may miss out on early production if the plants undergo a shock period.

‘Cherokee Purple’ grows surprisingly fast, and you don’t want a bunch of overgrown seedlings waiting by the windowsill for the weather to warm. If you plan to plant 1-2 weeks after your last frost date, sow the seeds no sooner than three weeks before the last frost date. For most temperate gardeners, this window is around February or March in the south and April or May in the north.

Seedling Starts
If starting seeds indoors sounds like too much trouble, you can usually find ‘Cherokee Purple’ plants at most nurseries or garden stores. Purchasing tomato starts saves you the trouble of germination and indoor growing, but you still must harden off the plants (explained below) to prevent transplant shock.

When choosing a tomato start, pay careful attention to:

Leaf Color: The foliage should be vibrant green and free of yellowing or brown spots.
Signs of Disease: If the plant has any halo spots, wilting, or shriveled dead leaves, leave it at the garden store!
Root Binding: Remove the seedling from its pot and check to ensure the roots are not tangled or spiraling around the container.
Height: A happy tomato seedling should have a height proportionate to its container. Leggy, spindly stems indicate that the young plant didn’t have enough light.
Flowers or Fruit: Contrary to popular belief, you want to avoid buying a tomato seedling that is already flowering or fruiting. This is a sign of stress and may stunt early growth after transplanting.
Pests: Check the undersides of leaves to be sure there are no aphids or hornworms that might get imported into your garden.

Purchase your seedlings as close to your last frost date as possible. Generally, late-season tomato seedlings are rootbound, leggy, and sickly from being in a pot for too long.

Planting
Once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45°F, you can safely plant tomatoes in the garden. This is usually 1-3 weeks after your last spring frost date.

If your region tends to have unpredictable springs, it’s best to cover tomato seedlings with row fabric or a cold frame to protect them during the initial few weeks of establishment.
How to Grow
As one of the easiest-to-grow heirlooms, ‘Cherokee Purple’ is a resilient plant that won’t fuss. As long as you provide a sturdy trellis, warm temperatures, and consistent water, you’ll be delighted by how abundantly these tomatoes yield.
Maintenance

Pruning is not essential, but it is beneficial. Fortunately, these heirlooms don’t send out as many suckers (side shoots) as hybrid varieties. Still, the vines benefit from weekly pruning to signal them to channel their energy into more fruit production.

Suckers are aptly named because they “suck” the energy away from the pain plant. In other words, they are the tomato’s attempt to produce more vines than fruit.

Use sharp, sanitized pruners to remove suckers at the “elbows” where each stem connects with the central vine. Depending on your trellis system, you may want to prune each plant so it only has one or two “leader” vines and remove the rest.

When the tips of vines are young, they are pliable enough to maneuver them where you want them to go easily. Use twine or plastic tomato trellis clips to weave them upward.

If you trellis your plants a little bit every week, they easily become “trained” to grow up the trellis. However, if you wait until the stems are rigid and big, it can be challenging to trellis them without snapping or bending the vines.