2009 Growing Notes
This site documents the growth of the Cherokee Purple tomato plant and the quality of its fruit. The Cherokee Purple tomato is considered by many to be the best tasting tomato.
What is a Cherokee Purple tomato?
Unique dusty rose color. Flavor rivals Brandywine, extremely
sweet. Productive plants produce large crops of 12 oz. fruits.
Indeterminate, 80 days from transplant.
(Description from Seed Savers Exchange.)
Update for Jul-07-2009
Finally, some of the tomatoes are ripening. The video below shows some tomatoes being picked fresh off the vine.
I brought the tomatoes to the kitchen and decided to slice up one Cherokee Purple and one Trophy and compare them, both in the way they look and taste.
My wife declined to be in the video but I let her do a taste test, too. She liked both tomatoes but said the Cherokee Purple is her favorite tomato. She noted that the Cherokee Purple was “almost like candy” in its sweetness and the Trophy was more acidic.
It was lunch time, so I warmed up some grilled chicken leftovers and made a grilled chicken salad using the fresh tomatoes. Wow… that’s one of the rewards of being a gardener. The video below shows the preparation of a grilled chicken salad with fresh tomatoes from the garden.
Update for Jul-01-2009
It was an unusually hot June here in Arkansas. Some of the tomato plants have suffered but not all is lost yet. The plants are holding onto full-sized, yet still green tomatoes. Hurry up already and turn red… or purple!
Update for Jun-10-2009
Went out to the garden today and saw many blossoms among green fruit. The blossoms get me excited, too, because I know once they are pollinated, a tomato will begin growing behind it. This season is looking promising, with potential for many tomatoes to be harvested.
Update for Jun-8-2009
Many thanks for the comments from website visitors. Your comments are always welcome here.
Today I went to the garden with the kids and recorded a little bit of video of a Cherokee Purple tomato plant loaded with green fruit.
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Update for May-15-2009
Here are some Cherokee Purple tomato plants growing as of May-15-2009 in Arkansas, USA.
A thief has already been on the property taking fruit away from me! I suspect a racoon came out of the woods and pulled one of my green tomatoes off a plant, just before it was to turn red.
Luckily, the plants look very healthy this year and should have no problem making much more fruit and I should be snacking on some prized tomatoes soon enough.
This year, my Cherokee Purple tomato plants came from Seed Savers Exchange. The baby plants arrived, safely packed into cardboard boxes. As soon as I received the packages of live cargo, I transplanted them to my garden beds. In previous years, I started my plants from seed. I think my consumption of Cherokee Purples will come earlier this year since I have taken a shortcut. Now if I can keep the wild thieves away long enough for a tomato to ripen!
There are many more photos and notes from the 2008 growing season.
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Hi there! I’m in the Cruso community of Canton, near Waynesville, NC, and just bought three Cherokee Purple plants while out running errands at lunch (hadn’t planned on buying tomato plants, but was very delighted to see the Purples available!) My husband and I set out some Cherokee plants last year that were grown from seed by a friend, and we had beautiful, luscious tomatoes for what seemed like forever! What a nice website and thank you for all the tips and photos that everyone has posted about the Cherokee Purple!
Happy Growing, everyone!
I just planted a cherokee purple yesterday. When the fruit starts to devlop dose it need to be slung.
Cherokee Tomatoes! Hopefully I’ll grow them this big in Fort Mill! Suzanne
Hi, I ordered seed for Cherokee Purple tomatoes from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed. I had a 100 percent LOSS of these seedlings. In fact, everything I’ve bought from Baker Creek except for the okra has died. I got lucky and found someone who had Cherokee Purple plants and bought one. I’ll probably buy seed from Seed Saver’s Exchange, but I’m not buying anything else from Baker Creek! I’d love to hear from anyone who can advise me on fertilizing this plant and saving seed. My email is tenn_wolfman1978@yahoo.com . Thanks
I have a couple of Cherokee purple tomatoes vines. They’re about 3 feet tall now, looking really healthy but the flowers are really small and I finally saw one little tomato about 1/4in- Do they seem to grow slower than other types of tomatoes?
-It’s my first time growing them.. I can’t wait to see the purple tomatoes on my vines!!! When will that be??
@Willie Smith
@Sal
To all, When you have large plants with few blossoms, chances are that they are receiving too much nitrogen, also, put some crushed crab shells lightly into the soil around the plants, and fish parts or a small fish buried will also help, spray the plants with a mix of Epson salts and water(2 Tbsp/gallon)this will force more blooms. I planted mine with this formula March 14th and have started harvesting this week. Keep the stink bugs off!! This works with all tomatoes.
year before last my mom gave me 2 plants she started from seed. last year by suprise i found seedlings in one of the buckets i used. at the end of last season i purposely put some of the later season tomatoes in the buckets. this early spring there they were and after seperation i had about 75 seedlings. im growing about 30 of them now and shared and lost the others.with my limited space im amazed at what ive ended up with. they are great in flavor. good growing to all!
That is really cool. I’ve wondered what would happen if I buried an entire tomato and kept it covered over the winter. And you are confirming that this is an easy way to get a bunch of seedlings. Thanks for sharing that.
@Willie Smith
Now I don’t find that this comment is relevant at all to the post. If he would have told BC that they had bogus seeds they would have reimbursed him and sent him extra for all of the effort. I have seeds from this company and have NO PROBLEMS getting them to germinate.
I wonder where you live, our plants are still small and leaf curled from all the rain we have had. Your plants look great and healthy, like the ones I grew last year. I live in northern Illinois (arm pit of the earth), and can’t wait to retire and go back home to Oklahoma where they are already picking tomatoes and corn. I was wondering do you use lawn clippings around the base of your plants?
Hi Dave, my garden is in Arkansas. It got up to 98 F today… way too hot. My garden is in suspended animation at this point, waiting for cooler temps. The Cherokee Purple tomato plants are the healthiest of the varieties I am growing, so I guess they can tolerate the heat better. The plants are loaded down with big, but green, tomatoes. When I am in the garden I feel like yelling at the plants, “Let them turn red already!” The longer they sit outside in near 100 degree days, the more likely they are to get sunburned. Also, I’m nervous that some animals will come out of the woods and steal them, as they sometimes do. The thieves may be raccoons or squirrels. Not sure who’s taking them. But as soon as these babies turn red I’m grabbing them and running for the house! I’ll try to take a picture tomorrow to show how they are looking in the heat.
I’m not sure what you mean by the “leaf curled” from rain. I guess I haven’t had that problem before. My problem is we don’t get enough rain in the hottest part of summer. Thanks for writing in. Best of luck to you.
The Cherokee purple tomato is the only one we plant in our garden.The taste is a combination of sweet,but not to sweet.The color kind of put me off when I first saw one of them.After eating one I was convinced it had the best taste and was a good conversation piece.I’ve also been told that the Cherokee indian’s grew thist tomato.Try it and see for yourself what a great taste they have.
I’m in San Antonio and this is the first year I’ve grown Cherokee Purple. Wonderful! My one plant gave me about 10-12 tomatoes — not an overabundance but I grew it in a pot off the patio. I saved some of the seeds, rinsed them off, let them air dry, and have them stored in a small closed container. Can I plant these next spring and hope to get something? Never tried this before — fairly novice gardener.
@Gayle
Yes, saving your own seed is a great way to be sure you are ready to plant again next year, or years from now. The seeds from many tomatoes can survive storage for years and still be viable.
Seed Savers Exchage, where I got my seeds and plants, offers these tips on saving your tomato seeds:
If there are other varieties of tomatoes growing near your Cherokee Purple, you could have cross pollination, which means your seed might be a brand new hybrid or new tomato variety never grown by anyone else. That could be exciting in its own right, to see what you get. But if you want to be sure you are growing a Cherokee Purple from your seed, it’s good to space your Cherokee Purple plants far apart from other varieties.
Thanks, Earl, for the information. I’m excited about planting them next spring! My Cherokee Purple was planted next to a Sweet 100 and near a BHN 968 Sweet Cherry. This could be interesting…
Hi, started mine from seed this year for the first time. Here in WA state our growing season is special, but I have high hopes as the tomatoes are happy under cover in a hoop house. Haven’t gotten any fruits yet, but all are blooming like mad. I built an irrigation system out of pvc pipe with little holes drilled in it, each stream aimed at the base of a plant. They love it! Their leaves don’t get wet and I don’t waste water! Plus it was right in my price range (cheap)
Thanks for the website!
I would love to see your setup with the hoop house and irrigation system. Sounds good. Good luck with those tomatoes!
Hi, Growing in Coeur d’Alene, ID=Gods Country—I have 5 other tomato plants, 5 ft tall and beautiful–full. One goliath hybread full-first year for this. And then there is the Cherokee Purple I bought about 4 inched tall from someone that said they were the best. It’s about 3 ft tall and NO tomatoes on it at all. At this point I can’t remember blossoms?? This is my first year for Heirloom plants. Next year I’m trying the burried fish and the Epson salt spray. What did I do wrong ?? I like the thought of an entire tomato burried for the winter and then seedlings. YEA. I’m going to try this. Thanks–CDA
Hello fellow growers, Here in Boulder, CO we’ve had a lot of rain this spring and this summer been hot with afternoon shower at least once a week. None of the tomatoes have been doing great this year, I’m in a new garden and the soil needs some work. The CP’s are 2-3 ft tall with several green fruits golfball size or smaller I picked a half dozen of that size, green ones, last week that had blossom end rot. I’ve tilled part of the weed dominated lawn and planted buckwheat, to be followed with hairy vetch / winter oats for next year’s tomato crop.
[ Earl's note: Fabian sent the following picture with note by email...thanks! ]
Here is a Cherokee Purple started in doors from seed on 4/16 from a year old Baker’s H. It’s in full sun in very sandy soil, with topdressed compost. I pulled the plastic mulch yesterday as it began to rain.
Great site keep growing,
Fabian Weber
Boulder CO USDA zone 5
Hi Fabian, My experience has been that the first tomato or two of the season usually have blossom end rot and then the rest of the tomatoes don’t. This year, my CP’s are much more resistant to blossom end rot than my brandywine tomatoes. In fact, my CP’s have been more productive than any of the other varieties I planted this year. My 2nd place winner for tomato output by weight would be the cherry Roma tomatoes.
I like your idea to grow green manure (buckwheat, hairy vetch, winter oats) in preparation for next year’s tomatoes. I also have some buckwheat seed ready to plant but have not grown it ever before. I may plant some in a month or two here in Arkansas. I love buckwheat pancakes and may try keeping the seeds. Do you do anything with your buckwheat, hairy vetch, and winter oats or just plow it into the soil?
Looks like you have some sunflowers growing next to your tomatoes. Garden looks neat and tidy… great job!
@Carol Z
Carol, are your plants caged? If so, 3 feet tall might not be mature enough to start producing fruit. Maybe you didn’t do anything wrong… your plants just might not be old enough yet. My plants are now over 6 feet tall and still hanging on to green fruit.
This is my first year growing tomatoes. I have one CP. How can you tell when they are ripe?! The first one to ripen (I considered that it was ripe) turned red like a regular tomato on parts of it but then was rotten on the bottom within days. I picked a few that had some green on top. We had one and we were surprised at the sweet taste. BTW, we are in Carroll County, Maryland.
@Dennis
It’s OK for the tops to be green, but the rest of the tomato should be red. I also look at the hats and if they are drying up and turning brown, then it’s about time to pick them. If they are not red enough when you pick them, they will continue to darken inside if you don’t eat them immediately. See my video above added Jul-07-2009 titled “Picking Tomatoes…”
@Earl
Thanks! I’ll do that when I get home!
I am a small commercial vegetabel grower in Central Fla. I raised 30 plants this spring. They did very well until the heat and humidty came. Everyone I gave these to just raved about them. I want to plant a 1/2 acre this fall and wondered if you had a growers guide for them?
@Steve Hall
Steve, glad to see that you are growing this awesome tomato in large quantities. Sorry, I do not know of a grower’s guide specifically for this tomato.
for years I have touted the pink series of tomatos as the best tomatos in the world. I fell in love with the Husky pink about ten years ago, then in the last few years, it has been the Pink Girl. Well, I for the last couple years have heard about a tomato called “Cherokee Purple” a few years ago, only a handfull of growers were growing this variety. Well,. this year the place in KC where I get my plants were out of the pink and I saw the Purple’s. So I bought three plants.
Well, they must be good, as every critter that might eat or try to eat a tomato plant has had a try at it. I picked off twenty green Tomato horn worms in just three days sitting and looking. The plants are very healthy and growing vigerously especially for here in eastern kansas. We have had the most mild July ever I believe, but August is making up for it. I hope the heat helps rippen some more, we are just dieing to eat some more. OH to the one guy crying for them to get red and ripen, you better take a look at them, when they look blackish, they are ready, Red does not play a big part in the indication of ripeness.
I finally did have two ripen the other day, and let me just say here and now, THis Is the absolutely the most fabulous, full flavored, delicious, eating tomato This world has ever seen. And so here and now I appologize to all the guys the last ten years I have argued about the pinks being the best, I was wrong. So if you start to think tomato plants next year, Do yourself a favor and find some plants of seeds and give this Cherokee Purple try, you will not be disappointed.
Kevin
Hi bro. I live in San Diego and love growing Cherokees as well. I had a great crop last year and this year is looking good too. I grew them from seedlings and now it’s a pretty nice sized plant.
Regards,
Mike
I am a big time Cherokee Purple guy. I love the flavor and enjoy growing them from seeds. They love the California sun out here in San Diego.
I’m glad to see some of you are still enjoying this summer fruit. I believe my tomato plants are done for the year. My garden here in Arkansas is mostly pumping out okra and butternut squash instead. Seeing Mike’s pictures makes me wish I still had some tomatoes!
@Earl
Earl, This is the first time I,ve grown the buckwheat and I considered saving seeds, but was more concerned with getting the new tomato digs in order. Buckwheat is a fast grower it started flowering in about 4-5 weeks after hand broadcasting and a quick light rototilling. In the morning, 9-10am, my 500sq ft of buckwheat would have a polinator every 6″. My intent was just to smother out thistles and bindweed. I tried tilling in the buckwheat with my fairly decent rear tine tiller, but the 20″ buckwheat stalks started winding up on the tine shaft. I switched to the mower and then tilled as there were still some thistles and bindweed. This worked better. I let the flowers go as long as I could to keep the bees around and well feed, but I read that my winter cover crop, the hairy vetch needs time to estabish before frost, 6 weeks from memory. In with the vetch I planted winter rye which is supposed to be very frost tolerant and gives the vetch something to climb up. The vetch is supposed to fix a lot of nitrogen. This late in the year all I could find was expired inoculant for it the guy at the seed store took pitty on me and gave it to me for free, so oh well I just put it on heavy and we’ll se what happens.
I planted 2′x5′ area with buckwheat in my old pea bed, to attract bees to the my main garden area after I saw how well it works. I recommend buckwheat for this purpose. Websites have warned about letting it go to seed because it can become a weed, but it seems like a fragile plant, ie easy to hand control, my wife’s cousin who is an organic farmer, in MN, said the same and that it doesn’t self sow very well anyway.
…here are some shots of the buckwheat. The hairy vetch / winter rye was just planted last week.
I’ll keep you posted on how the experiment works.
Fabian
Zone 5 Boulder, CO
@Fabian W
Those buckwheat plants are beautiful. They almost look ornamental. I love the idea that their blossoms attract pollinators. Those critters are handy to have to help other plants, like tomatoes, produce fruit. Thanks for the update!
the skin on the purples looks tough. i always peel tomatoes because of that. as i have never eaten a purple can anyone tell me if the skins are ones i would peel? i’m just a little different i suppose as i don’t know anyone else who peels their tomatoes. thanks and i like reading and seeing the pictures. susan
I live year round in Oaxaca mexico. I saved seed from a Cherokee Purple dried on a paper towel in March. Planted some of them and some from a U S seed company. The ground soil here is so poor I started them in purchased batonico soil,in small pots and transplanted to large Urns. Only five plants in all but they have done very well. The weight of the fruit has damaged some plants while I was away. I am now supporting them better and may have to put some chicken wire around one a chipmonk like critter or a bird is eating. The flavor is just as I had hoped. It is hard to raise a large crop in urns. I do water daily as even in the rainy season the urn does not get enough water. It never rains from Oct to May and becomes desert like. I am eager to see what happens when my season is repeated Oct on. It never freezes here and seldom gets below fifty any night of the year. So far no need to sparys of any kind.
It’s interesting that we each have our location’s advantages and disadvantages. You struggle for water and soil nutrients but make up for it with a gain in hours of sunlight and warm temperatures. Happy gardening!