Love the Cherokee Purples! Absolutely my favorite to date and
I’ve been growing heirloom and OP varieties for 4 years now. I have had
the chance to try close to 40 varieties and CP is still the tops.
Here’s some of my handy work (hope the pics show up). Feel free to add
to your site for examples.

Wow, those look delicious! I see you sprinkled an herb on some
tomato slices…basil maybe? I’ve tried doing that before to take the
place of salt. I still didn’t like it as well as salt, but will try it
again later this summer. Maybe I’m using the wrong herb.

Someone in Texas sent me the seeds of Cherokee Purple because
it is her
father’s favourite. I sowed them in my greenhouse and every one
germinated, probably more than 40. I have never seen the seeds for sale
here in England so I was very interested to read about your experiences
and look at the photos. My plants are all doing well but I won’t plant
them outside till the first week of June, last year we had a heavy
frost at the end of May. Best wishes,
Betty, Birmingham, England

How do I get some seed or plants for the Cherokee purple
tomatoes.

I bought my seed from Seed
Savers Exchange. [When you click on link, it
might not work first time. Refresh your browser if you see an error and
their page should load up.] I paid $2.50 in 2005 for a
packet. I’ve been
using the same packet now for four years! (2005, 2006, 2007, and now
2008) The seed germinated again this year even
though they are aleady several years old.

This is my first try with the Cherokee Purple tomato’s. I
bought it at the advice of a local nursery. I find it to be a very
hardy plant that produced many suckers of which were easily turned into
other plants by puting them in potting soil in a styrofoam cup with a
drainag hole in the bottom. The mother plant has produced BIG tomatoes
and lots of them- is still going strong. They are great tasting too,
wonderful BLT’s. The largest weighed in at just under 22 oz with an
even larger one still green. They will definetly be with me for my fall
planting from suckers and will keep seed for next year. one plant has
given me 14 beautiful plants from suckers. Highly recommended to all
gardeners.

I didn’t know you could take suckers from a tomato plant and
grow clones. I wonder how big the suckers were that you planted in the
styrofoam cups. I mean, how long were they when you took the suckers
from the parent?

I didn’t know you could take suckers from a tomato plant and
grow clones. I wonder how big the suckers were that you planted in the
styrofoam cups. I mean, how long were they when you took the suckers
from the parent?

Yes, the suckers from the Cherokee purple are some of the
easiest to propogate I have ever done. Just pinch off and place in good
potting soil in either styrofoam cups or the small peat pots, and keep
moist. Because they are such a vigorus grower, roots will sprout in
just a couple of days and would be ready for transplant in about 1 1/2
weeks. I broke off a branch by accident about 8 inches tall and put the
end in potting soil in a styrfoam cup and was amazed at how fast it
took root and it is now in the garden again. I also find the roots are
very tough making it an all round healthy plant. I’m at work with two
of them ready for lunch- co workers have tried them last week and are
wanting some of my lunch, I will share as they are large tomatoes. I’ll
try to send a picture of these beauties!!

To Earl, The suckers are about 3 inches at pinch off, put into
soil about 1/2 their length and water well. I’m going to start 3 more
this evening for a friend. We plant early spring here about mid march
and again before the fourth of July for a fall crop of which we have
harvested up to Dec 15th. I am glad to have found this magnificent
tomato, out preforms even the BHN 444 (Southern Star) I live near
Augusta Ga. Hot, humid and heavenly- love it!!!

Moe, I really like your idea of planting the suckers. Thanks
for your tips. You have given me an idea. You know how as a tomato
plant ages, the bottom branches can dry up and fall off? The disease
usually works its way up from the bottom of the plant to the top of the
plant. When this disease process kicks in, the plant’s tomato producing
productivity declines dramatically.

Well, my idea is if/when this happens in my garden toward the end of
summer, I will take a healthy looking sucker from the tops of the
diseased tomato plants and put them in pots, as you did. Maybe a new
root structure will do the plant some good and give it new life. I am
wondering if I can convert a diseased or dying tomato plant into a
healthy plant that will produce a second season of tomatoes. Here in
Arkansas, as in Georgia, it’s hot and humid. I usually get tomatoes up
until November. I’ll try to remember this cloning idea later this
summer, maybe the last week of July.

I would love to see any pictures of your tomatoes or plants. I
plan to share more about my plants and tomatoes as the summer
progresses. Happy growing!

Here’s a suggestion about propagating tomatoes from
suckers.  Place each sucker in its own disposable 12 oz. clear
plastic drinking water bottle.  Refill the bottle with tap
water.  Set the bottles of water with the suckers in them in
full sun.  Be sure to check the water level every day or
two.  The neck of the bottle acts as a perfect
holder.  In two weeks or less, the suckers develop roots that
are much longer and more vigorous than if you had transplanted them
directly into soil.

This works with every indeterminate variety of tomato plant I
have tried.  I have not yet attempted it with a determinate
variety.  I use suckers at least four inches in length for my
garden here in Kentucky.

The kids and grandkids think all those roots growing in bottles of
water (prior to transplanting into soil, of course) are pretty
neat.  Happy gardening!

this is our first year with this puple tomato and we are waiting
patiently for the first one to ripen ,, has any one used a garden box
with this perticular plant  I have had success with
others  thought I might try starting a sucker in it any
advice

Good morning!!! I’m spanish boy, I produce some cherokee’s purple
tomatoes, I think is the best i taste. But the plants are not very
productives.

Sorry for my english…

Yesterday, Aug. 4, I picked my first Cherokee Purple (aka
Black).  I’ve never tasted a better tomato. Low acidy, rich,
complex flavor. I practically swooned.  Shared a slice with my
farmer neighbor who was unaware of the variety. He said later
it was the best tasting tomato he’s ever experienced.  While
the Cherokee may not be the prettiest in the garden, they proves once
again that beauty is only skin deep.

I live in the Asheville area and grew Cherokee purples this year. This
must be the perfect climate because I have had tons of large beautiful
tomatoes! After many tomato pies,BLT’s, salads and slices I am over
them. They continue to prolifically produce. My question is has anyone
tried making tomato sauce or drying them or preserving them in any
manor? HELP!

Hi Earl,
Trying something different this year as I have raised one cherokee this
year but I left it in the pot to grow and so I added Root blast to it
and placed the pot on top of my shed roof and it is doing better and is
making progress with a few tomatoes and very impressed so far for a
plant that did not do well and I was giving up on it but glad I waited
to see. I find that the Cherokee will droop and you need to give them
water every day in the pot and on there on that roof with that hit on
the shingles, I can not complain so far. Will send some pics later but
they are still green on this 1st of Sept in 2008.

Hi Mark…  Good to hear from  you.
Interesting that you put a plant on top of a shed.  It gets
too hot down here in Arkansas for such a trick… it would be like
putting a plant on a stove top and cooking it.  I guess in CT,
you can get away with that.

Good luck with the green ones and I look forward to seeing your pics.

Hi from Toronto
I ‘m interested in all the rave reviews the cherokee purple is getting
on this site. I’ve grown some plants for the first time this
year.  The fruit that I’ve tasted in the last week is bland
and watery. We have had record rainfall in Toronto this year. Is that
the problem? Thanks

What variety of tomato are you growing?  From my experience,
the
variety of tomato chosen is the biggest determining factor for flavor.
Examples of tomatoes that were bland to me include
the
Celebrity and Marglobe.  Those are a couple varieties sold at
local stores, probably because they are easy to grow and disease
resistant.  I will never waste my time growing those again,
since
I grow tomatoes specifically for the flavor, which I cannot seem to
find at the grocery stores.

Hi from Toronto
Sorry I didn’t make myself clear last night.
The bland watery tomatoes are cherokee purple. The starter plants were
bought from a Newtonville, Ontario organic plant grower. I am surprised
at all the rave reviews here for this species. After my
experience this year I wont grow it again.
I’ve spoken to some experienced gardeners in the Toronto area who say
that a very wet summer produces bland tasting tomatoes. Any comments?
Thanks.

Oh, you did grow Cherokee Purples.  I’m surprised you think
they are bland.

To
make sure you really have Cherokee Purples:  Do your tomatoes
resemble the appearance of those tomatoes shown on this page?
Do
you see green shoulders on the tops of the tomatoes?  What
size
fruit are you getting?

Do you see splitting of the fruit?  My tomatoes split after
too much water.

You
say that you have had a very wet summer.  With rain comes
clouds.
I guess if it has been cloudy many days, the plants didn’t
get
enough good sunlight.  I’m wondering how much sunlight your
garden
gets.  Most of my plants get direct sunlight for about 9 hours
each day in the middle of summer:  11 AM ~ 8 PM,
with some
morning shade from trees.  Photo synthesis is required to
produce
the desirable ratio of sugars to acid that gives a tomato it’s complex
flavor.

Hi from Toronto

Thanks for your comments. My cherokees are exactly like those shown
here. The unripened green crown, the flecks of unripe pulp in
the slices near the top of the tomatoe  and the dust pink
colour of the bottom two thirds of the fruit.
My tomatoes range from 3 inches to 5 inches in diameter. They are split
on top – all of them. The old time gardeners here are not complaining
of lack of sunshine this year but they blame the monsoonlike weather we
have had here in Southern Ontario.  All records for rainfall
have been broken. How much rainfall is there in areas where tasty fruit
is produced? Does Arkansas have much summer rain? Do you water your
plants at all or do you leave it up to mother nature to handle that?
Thanks.

You might have it figured out.  It could be that too much
water is taking the sweetness out of your tomatoes.  Here in
Arkansas, it’s usually pretty dry in the summer.  I had a few
weeks in a row this summer with no rain, plus is was very hot ( highs
around 90F ~ 104F, 32 C ~ 40 C).  I did supplement the garden
with
water using city water through a hose.  If I didn’t, all my
plants
would be dead.  Now I have a Cherokee Purple plant that is 6
feet
tall and the harshest part of summer is over.  I’m
hoping for
a bunch of new tomatoes to grow now that it’s cooling off.
Perhaps the limited moisture and the heat helps make tomatoes
sweeter… to give them more flavor.  When it’s hot, the
tomatoes
grow very slowly.  Perhaps your tomatoes grew too fast and
didn’t
get sweet enough.  It could be a combination of moisture and
temperature.

This is my 4th year of harvesting the Cherokee purple.  I’m
from Or., we get a mix of rain & sun.  This is the
best tomato we have ever tasted.  I have gotten some as big as
1 1/2 lb. & as small as just a little bigger than a
cheery.  You can’t let them ripen on the vine if you want them
firm.  However if you want to make salsa or sauce, let
them.  It makes a great sauce.  I grow them in raised
planters about 2 ft. high, 6 ft. long, 3 ft wide.  I also use
chicken manure & lime.  The lime keeps the black
bottom away & the chicken manure makes them big.  The
plant gets about 2/ 1/2ft. tall & spreads over the sides of the
planter & out into the yard about 2 ft.  Last year I
picked over 200 lb. off this one bush.  I have no
pics.

We shared with neighbors, family & people at church.
Our dog picked his own off the plant, wish I had pics. of
that.  I guess you need a camera for that.  They were
comming out of our ears, so to speak.

I too didn’t know you could use a sucker to make a starter.  I
think I’ll try that next year.  I’m glad I didn’t quit after
the first year when we got the black bottom.  The soil I get,
doesn’t have the best nutrients in it.  That’s when I decided
to use chicken manure & lime for the following years.
We don’t have a long time to grow here.  Mid, to late, Sept.
it is all over.  But I can plant in mid May.

Does anyone know how to prepare a seed for planting?  I’m not
sure if you need to dry them first or not,& if so
how.  Thanks for providing a place to talk & read
about these toms.

My husband was given a Cherokee purple plant this year.  We
planted it in a patio pot and it has looked good and healthy all
summer.  The tomatoes grew, got ripe…then suddenly started
getting a band around the center.  Upon closer inspection it
was being devoured by a brownish-gray bug about the size of a
thumbnail.  Tonight I carefully took all the tomatoes and
foliage off the plant and put them in a bag as they were all covered
with these bugs.  Any thoughts on what they were?  I
have looked up photos of stink bugs and they don’t really look like
them.  Thanks.

Some friends of mine planted “cherokee purple” tomatoes this year…21
plants to be exact.  I had never heard of them
before.  They canned and canned and ate and ate and had so
many they asked me if I needed tomatoes…well of course I said, bring
them over!  They brought over about 4 bushel.  They
were the best tasting tomatoes I have ever had!  I canned over
100 pints of salsa and spaghetti sauce and am still canning!
They make the most beautiful dark, rich looking sauce ever.
That is why I am on the web right now….looking for some seeds for
next year so I can plant my own!

[The following
message with picture was received as an email.]

Hey Earl,

I grew this in my garden this year. It is one of those Cherokee Purple
tomatoes.

Ying Yang Tomato

Have a great Thanksgiving!

I am looking to purchase cherokee starter tomatoe plants. Is there a company I
can try?  I am afraid to try by seed.
Thank you

Hi—I’ve been growing Cherokee Purple tomatoes for over ten years. I’ve given
seeds to many friends and now some of the starters have shown up at the county
co-ops. The first mention of Cherokee Purple tomatoes is from Tennessee before
1840. The plants were grown by the Cherokee Indians in the valley of the
Tennessee River in East Tennessee. Enjoy!

[The following
message with picture was received as an email.]

Hey Earl – we were looking at your pictures of the Cherokee
Purple tomatos and thought you would like to see our pictures from last season.
Three years ago I bought three Cherokee Purple plants at Earth Fare in
Asheville.  We liked them so much that year that we saved the seeds from just
one tomato.  That single tomato produced 89 plants the following year – and the
rest, as they say, is history.  Here is a picture of my husband in his tomato
patch.


Some of these plants reached over 12′ tall.  I canned and canned and
finally bought a dehydrator and dried some.  Amazing.  We are in Murphy, NC.

I need ripe cherokee purple tomatoes May 5th, 2009 for a tomatoe tasting. Do you
where I can get them, South America?

I have lived in mexico for four years and been visiting yearly for 9 years.  I
have NEVER had a tasty tomato until yesterday. I bought some purple Cherokees at
an organic market in Oaxaca Mexico. I went back today and bought all the mexican
woman had. it is March 28, 2009. I have saved the seeds.  the woman said she
will have more next week. Again these are the first good tasting tomato I have
ever had in Mexico in nine years.  I will likely have to take into account rain
every day but only late afternoon or night May to Oct and no rain Oct to May.
May is the hotest month of the year so likely these will do best planted in
Sept. then again this Mexican woman has them NOW?