How to Grow Cherokee Purple
Solanum lycopersicum
Cherokee Purple tomatoes are prized heirlooms known for their deep purple skin and rich, complex flavor profile. Gardeners cultivate them for their unique taste and historical significance, though they require attentive care due to lower disease resistance compared to modern hybrids.
📷 Wikimedia CommonsStarting Cherokee Purple: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Cherokee Purple is not usually started indoors.
Do not start indoors; plant seedlings directly outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures are warm enough for tomatoes.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.8 before planting. As a warm-season crop, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date or direct sow outdoors after the ground warms completely. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep; they typically germinate within 7 to 14 days under consistent warmth.
Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart in full sun. Provide sturdy cages or trellises early, as these vines can reach heights of one to ten feet. Maintain high moisture levels consistently to prevent cracking, and apply mulch around the base to retain water while feeding regularly with balanced fertilizer.
Watch for tomato hornworms, aphids, whiteflies, and flea beetles; use insecticidal soap or hand-pick pests. Prevent late blight, early blight, fusarium wilt, and blossom end rot by ensuring good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering. Harvest ripe fruit approximately 72 days after transplanting when the skin yields slightly to pressure.
When to Plant Cherokee Purple
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | September – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | September |
| Zone 3 | April | — | September – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | — | September – October |
| Zone 5 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March | — | August – October |
| Zone 7 | February – March | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 11 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 12 | January | — | April – June |
| Zone 13 | January | — | April – June |
Companion Plants for Cherokee Purple
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor
Help break up soil for tomato roots, don't compete for nutrients
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Provides living mulch, doesn't compete heavily for nutrients
Deters nematodes and repels hornworms and other tomato pests
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, repel whiteflies
Repels many insects and may enhance tomato growth and flavor
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on tomato pests
✗ Keep away from
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomatoes and causes wilting
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Both attract corn earworm/tomato fruitworm, increasing pest pressure
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
