How to Grow Chocolate Stripes
Solanum lycopersicum 'Chocolate Stripes'
Chocolate Stripes tomatoes offer a unique deep purple skin with green stripes that turn into rich chocolate-brown flesh when ripe. Gardeners prize this heirloom variety for its complex flavor profile and striking appearance in the garden.
📷 Wikipedia: TomatoStarting Chocolate Stripes: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Chocolate Stripes is not usually started indoors.
Direct sow seeds outdoors only after the last spring frost when soil temperatures are consistently warm enough for this frost-sensitive plant.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.2 and 6.8 to support healthy root development. As a warm-season crop sensitive to cold, start seeds indoors only after danger of frost has passed or wait until late spring when soil is warm. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep; they typically germinate within 8 to 14 days.
Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart in full sun. Install sturdy cages or trellises early, as these indeterminate vines can reach heights of one to ten feet. Maintain consistent moisture by watering regularly and applying mulch around the base to retain water and suppress weeds.
Watch for tomato hornworms, aphids, spider mites, and thrips; use insecticidal soap or hand-pick pests early. Prevent late blight, early blight, and fusarium wilt through good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering. Harvest fruit 85 to 95 days after planting when the skin turns deep brown.
When to Plant Chocolate Stripes
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May | — | October – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | — | October – 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 | — | August – October |
| Zone 8 | February | — | July – September |
| Zone 9 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January | — | June – August |
| Zone 11 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 12 | January | — | May – July |
| Zone 13 | January | — | May – July |
Companion Plants for Chocolate Stripes
✓ Good companions
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor and growth
Help break up soil for tomato roots and don't compete for nutrients
Repel aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Benefits from tomato shade and doesn't compete for deep nutrients
Deter nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects
Act as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Repels insects and may enhance tomato growth and flavor
Attracts beneficial insects and may improve tomato flavor
✗ Keep away from
Produces juglone which is toxic to tomatoes and causes wilt
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth
Both attract corn earworms and compete for similar nutrients
Inhibits growth of tomatoes through allelopathic compounds
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
