Photo: "Tomato 'Cherokee Purple'" by Dave Whitinger
· CC BY-SA 3.0
Tomato · Heirloom
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Indeterminate · Solanaceae
Dark purple-brown heirloom with persistent green shoulders. Complex sweet flavor. Prone to cracking. Anecdotally more disease-tolerant than other heirlooms but no formal coded resistance.
At a Glance
Days to Maturity
78–85 days
Sun
8+ hours
full sun
Spacing
30–42 "
Seed Start
8–10 weeks
before transplant
Container
Not Ideal
15+ gallon pot
Height
5–8 ft
Zone Planting Guide
Growing Guide
Germination
Germination Time
6–14 days
Optimal Temp
80°F
Seed Depth
0.25"
Transplanting
Min Soil Temp
60°F
Harden Off
10 days
Watering
Weekly Water
1.5–2 "
Needs
Consistent
Method
Drip
Soil
pH Range
6.2–6.8
Support
Stake
Resilience
Heat: Low
Cold: Low
Drought: Low
Common Problems
blossom-end-rot
Cause: 10-16 oz fruit
Prevention: Consistent watering, gypsum
early-blight
Cause: Fungal
Prevention: Fungicide program
Nutrition
Feeding Intensity
Heavy feeder
Calcium
Critical — supplement recommended
Recommended Recipes
Root drench, Silica foliar, Worm castings topdress, Compost tea, Copper fungicide
Harvest
Dark purple-brown with persistent green shoulders. Shoulders stay dark — normal.
Expected Yield
8–15 lbs/plant
Storage
3 days — Room temp.
Companion Planting
Good Companions
Genovese basil
Repels aphids
French marigold
Repels nematodes
Avoid Planting Near
Herb fennel
Allelopathic
Sources
seed_catalog
Baker Creek; Seed Savers
More Tomatos
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes Planting Dates by Zone
Planting dates for Cherokee Purple Tomatoes vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.
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