What you're growing
The purple runs all the way through.
Cherokee Purple originated in Tennessee and has been passed down through generations of seed savers. It is an indeterminate slicer producing fruit in the 10–16 oz range, though larger fruits are common in good growing conditions. The flavor profile — dense, sweet, rich, with a hint of smoke — is what earns this variety its reputation. Slice it and the dark mahogany-red color extends throughout the flesh.
The Fruit
Dense, dark, complex
Skin color
Dusky purple-pink, green shoulders
Flesh color
Deep mahogany-red throughout
Typical size
10–16 oz, globe to oblate
Flavor
Sweet, rich, complex, hint of smoke
Texture
Dense, meaty, low moisture
On ripening: Cherokee Purple does not turn bright red. A fully ripe fruit will have dusky pink-purple skin with persistent green shoulders and will yield slightly to gentle thumb pressure. Do not wait for the green shoulders to go away — they are a characteristic of this variety.
The Plant
Tall, indeterminate, productive
Type
Indeterminate
Height
5–8 feet at full season
Support
Heavy staking or strong cage required
Pruning
Suckers freely — prune for large fruit
Production
Steady through season until frost
Patience required: Cherokee Purple is a late-maturing variety. Plants are slow to set fruit compared to modern hybrids. Give them the full season and they deliver — don't judge them in July.
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When and how to start
Start indoors — tomatoes need a head start.
Cherokee Purple is always started indoors and transplanted out after your last frost. It needs a long season to reach full production — most growers in northern climates start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before their last frost date to ensure enough warm-season days before fall arrives.
Starting Indoors
The only viable method for tomatoes
Start date
6–8 weeks before last frost
Sow depth
¼ inch
Soil temp
70–85°F for best germination
Germination
5–10 days at optimal temp
Pot up when
First true leaves appear
Heat mat tip: a seedling heat mat under your trays speeds germination significantly. Once seedlings emerge, move to your brightest window or directly under grow lights — leggy seedlings from insufficient light are one of the most common starting mistakes.
Transplanting Out
After last frost, once soil is warm
Transplant date
After last frost, soil 60°F+
Spacing
24–36 inches in row
Planting depth
Bury stem up to lowest leaves
Harden off
7–10 days before transplanting
Support
Install stake or cage at planting
Deep planting works: tomatoes root along buried stem. A tall, leggy transplant can be planted deeply — lay it in a trench if needed — and the extra root mass results in a stronger plant.
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Through the season
Water consistently. Prune if you want big fruit.
Cherokee Purple produces large, heavy fruit on vigorous vines. The most important things you can do all season are consistent watering (inconsistency causes blossom end rot and cracking) and staking before the plant needs it — not after.
1
Stake or cage immediately at planting
Install your support structure the same day you transplant. Cherokee Purple reaches 5 to 8 feet and produces heavy fruit. A stake driven into an established root zone later in the season causes root damage. Heavy-duty cages (not the flimsy wire rings) or 6-foot wooden stakes are the minimum.
Lightweight tomato cages will not support this variety at full size
2
Remove suckers for larger fruit (optional)
Suckers are the shoots that emerge in the V-shaped crotch between the main stem and a branch. Removing them directs energy into fewer, larger fruits and keeps the plant more manageable. You can train to a single stem (maximum fruit size, most labor) or allow 2 to 3 main stems. Leaving all suckers in place means more fruit but each one smaller.
Snap small suckers off by hand — they snap cleanly before they lignify
3
Water deeply and consistently
Uneven watering — wet, then dry, then wet again — is the primary cause of blossom end rot and fruit cracking in large-fruited heirlooms. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than shallowly every day. Mulch heavily around the base to buffer soil moisture between waterings.
Blossom end rot is a calcium uptake issue caused by inconsistent watering, not a soil deficiency
4
Fertilize moderately through the season
A balanced fertilizer at transplanting, then a switch to lower-nitrogen, higher-phosphorus fertilizer once flowers appear, is the standard approach. Too much nitrogen late in the season produces lush foliage at the expense of fruit. Compost-amended soil with minimal supplemental feeding often produces excellent results.
5
Top the plant in late summer (optional)
About 4 weeks before your expected first frost, pinch out the growing tip of each main stem. This stops the plant from setting new flowers that won't have time to mature and redirects energy into ripening the fruit already on the vine. Known as "topping" — common practice in short-season climates.
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What you're waiting for
Pick at dusky pink, not bright red.
Cherokee Purple never turns the vivid red of a supermarket tomato. Harvest cues are about skin tone shifting from matte purple-pink, green shoulders softening slightly, and the fruit yielding gently to thumb pressure at the blossom end. A ripe Cherokee Purple smells like a tomato should.
Harvest right
- Pick when skin is dusky pink-purple and gives slightly at the blossom end — don't wait for bright color
- Green shoulders are normal and permanent on this variety; they will not go away when ripe
- Fully ripe fruit pulls from the vine easily with a slight twist — if it resists, give it another day
- Ripen on the counter at room temperature, never in the refrigerator — cold destroys the flavor
- Peak flavor is 1 to 2 days after picking at room temperature
Save seed
- Select the best-flavored fruit from the most vigorous plant for seed saving
- Let the chosen fruit ripen fully on the vine — past what you'd want to eat
- Scoop seeds and gel into a jar with water; ferment 2–3 days at room temperature until mold forms on top
- Rinse seeds, dry on a non-stick surface (ceramic plate, wax paper) for 1–2 weeks
- Store in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place — viable for 4 to 6 years
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From our field
Notes on this lot.
Lot 2026-CP-031 was grown in the south tomato beds at our farm in Nampa, Idaho.
Grower note • Lot 2026-CP-031
This lot was selected from our strongest-performing Cherokee Purple plants over two consecutive seasons. We trained to two main stems and pulled suckers weekly through late July. Fruit set was excellent this year — most plants carried 6 to 10 fruits to full maturity before the September slowdown. We selected seed from the largest, most flavorful fruits harvested in August, fermented and cleaned in the traditional method, and dried for three weeks before packaging. Germination tested at 91%.