Cherokee Purple Tomato:
Plant Height, Size, and Growing Tips
The Cherokee Purple tomato is an heirloom beefsteak with dusky rose-purple skin, green shoulders, and deep red-purple flesh. Gardeners love it for its rich, sweet, slightly smoky flavor, and it's one of the best-tasting tomatoes you can grow.
★ SaveIts purple cousin, Indigo Rose, is a very different tomato. Its skin turns deep purple-black wherever the sun hits it, while the flesh inside stays red, and it was bred right here in Oregon, at Oregon State University. Below you'll find what to expect from each one, and how to plant, grow, and care for both.
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Cherokee Purple vs. Indigo Rose at a Glance
★ Save| Cherokee Purple | Indigo Rose | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Heirloom beefsteak | Open-pollinated, bred at Oregon State University |
| Growth habit | Indeterminate | Indeterminate |
| Plant height | 6 to 8 feet | 5 to 6 feet |
| Fruit size | 8 to 12 ounces, some up to a pound | Small, about 1 to 2 ounces |
| Days to harvest | About 80 days from transplanting | About 75 to 80 days from transplanting |
| Color | Dusky rose-purple with green shoulders | Purple-black where the sun hits, red underneath |
| Flavor | Rich, sweet, and slightly smoky | Mild and tangy |
| Best for | Slicing, sandwiches, and salads | Salads and snacking |
Both are open-pollinated, so you can save seeds from your best tomatoes, and they'll grow true to type next year.
About the Cherokee Purple Tomato
★ SaveCherokee Purple is an indeterminate tomato. The vines keep growing and setting fruit all summer until frost, and they usually reach 6 to 8 feet tall, so give them a tall cage or a sturdy stake.
The fruit is a slightly flattened beefsteak, usually 8 to 12 ounces, with some reaching a pound. Expect your first ripe tomatoes about 80 days after transplanting. Like other indeterminate tomatoes, it ripens a few at a time over a long season, while determinate tomatoes ripen most of their crop at once, which is handy for canning.
As the story goes, the Cherokee Purple tomato came from a family in Tennessee who said their seeds were first given to them by the Cherokee people more than 100 years ago. In 1990, they mailed seeds to a tomato collector, who named it Cherokee Purple and shared it with seed companies. Today it's easy to find.
Indigo Rose: A Purple Tomato From Oregon
★ SaveIndigo Rose was the first truly purple tomato. It came from a breeding program at Oregon State University that set out to grow tomatoes with high levels of antioxidants. According to the university, it was the first improved tomato variety in the world with anthocyanins, the same antioxidants that color blueberries, in its fruit.
The purple shows up where the sun hits. Fruit hidden under leaves stays red. Seeds are sold by many mail-order seed companies, including Oregon's own Territorial Seed Company.
When Is a Cherokee Purple Tomato Ripe?
★ Save- Cherokee Purple: a ripe tomato turns dusky rose-purple, and it gives slightly when you squeeze it gently. The shoulders around the stem often stay green, so don't wait for them to change color, or the tomato will be overripe.
- Indigo Rose: the purple-black color shows up early, so it isn't a sign of ripeness. Look at the side that was shaded from the sun. When it turns from green to red, and the tomato feels slightly soft, it's ready to pick.
Have green tomatoes left at the end of the season? See how to ripen green tomatoes indoors.
How to Plant a Cherokee Purple Tomato
★ Save- Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, or buy seedlings at the garden center a week or two before planting time. See growing vegetables from seed.
- Wait for warm nights. Plant once nights stay above 50 degrees, and keep covers handy for a late cold snap. Our zone finder shows your last frost date.
- Pick a sunny spot. Tomatoes need full sun.
- Enrich the soil. Work in compost. Tomatoes like rich, well-drained, airy soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5.
- Give them room. Leave at least 3 feet in each direction for these big vines.
- Set the cage now. Put the cage or stake in at planting time. Waiting until the plant is bigger can damage the branches.
Watering and Feeding Heirloom Tomatoes
Water about an inch a week, and another half inch in very hot, dry weather. When the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface, it's time to water. Water at the base, not over the leaves.
Feed regularly. Use a liquid fertilizer according to the directions on the container, or see the chart below for three ways to feed heirloom tomatoes. Our fertilizing tomatoes page has more.
★ SaveCages and Trellises
★ Save- Cage at planting. A tall, sturdy cage holds up these heavy 6- to 8-foot vines.
- Protect young plants. Wrap new cages in row cover to keep insects off. By the time you remove it, the plants are big enough to handle some feeding.
- Or build a trellis. Stretch two layers of concrete reinforcing wire between sturdy posts, about 5 feet tall. Keeping vines off the ground gives better air flow and fewer soil-borne diseases like early blight.
Pests and Diseases
Like most heirlooms, Cherokee Purple has no special disease resistance, so good care is your best protection.
- Give each plant room for air to move.
- Water at the base instead of over the leaves, and mulch the soil.
- Remove yellow or spotted lower leaves as soon as you see them. See why tomato leaves turn yellow.
- Watch for tiny insects like thrips and aphids. They can spread viruses that cause mottled, yellow-green mosaic patterns and curled, crinkled leaves. There is no cure for plant viruses, so treat insect problems right away. Healthy, well-fed plants resist disease best.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Slice the tomatoes in half and spread them on screens, cut side up.
- Cover with tented cheesecloth to keep insects away.
- Dry in the sun in hot, dry weather. They take several days, and you may want to bring them in on cool nights.
In cooler or damp climates, a food dehydrator or a low oven works better. See preserving garden vegetables for more ways to save your harvest.
Cherokee Purple Tomato Questions and Answers
How tall does a Cherokee Purple tomato plant grow?
Usually 6 to 8 feet. Give each plant a tall cage or a sturdy stake at planting time.
Is Cherokee Purple determinate or indeterminate?
Indeterminate. The vines keep growing and ripen a few tomatoes at a time from midsummer until frost.
How big do Cherokee Purple tomatoes get?
Most are 8 to 12 ounces, and some reach a full pound. They're slightly flattened beefsteaks, often with ribbed shoulders.
When should I plant Cherokee Purple tomatoes?
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, and set plants out once nights stay above 50 degrees. The first ripe tomatoes come about 80 days after transplanting.
Can I save seeds from a Cherokee Purple tomato?
Yes. It's an open-pollinated heirloom, so seeds from your best tomatoes will grow the same tomato next year.
Does Cherokee Purple handle dry weather?
It handles mild dry spells well, but even watering gives the best tomatoes and helps prevent cracking.
More Tomato Growing Guides
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