The Black Cherry tomato variety is classified as indeterminate. This popular designation dictates the plant’s overall size, support requirements, and harvest schedule. This classification means the plant will not stop growing at a predetermined height and instead requires season-long management to thrive.
Defining Determinate and Indeterminate Growth
Tomato plants are divided into two primary categories based on their growth pattern: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties are often referred to as “bush” tomatoes because they grow to a fixed height, typically between three and four feet. These plants stop growing once the terminal bud, or the shoot at the top of the main stem, produces a flower cluster. This growth habit means that the plant sets the majority of its fruit within a short timeframe, leading to a concentrated harvest period.
Indeterminate tomatoes, in contrast, exhibit a vine-like growth habit, meaning they continue to grow, flower, and set fruit throughout the entire growing season. The main stem’s growing tip remains vegetative, constantly producing new foliage and flower clusters until the plant is killed by frost or disease. This continuous growth necessitates a robust support system and results in a steady supply of tomatoes over several months rather than a single large flush.
The Specific Growth Habit of Black Cherry Tomatoes
The Black Cherry tomato is a highly vigorous plant that is indeterminate. This means the plant will keep climbing and expanding, frequently reaching heights of six to eight feet or more in a single season. The plant’s genetic programming ensures it produces new leaves, lateral shoots, and flower trusses continuously from the moment it begins to fruit.
This continuous production means the Black Cherry plant offers a sustained yield, providing small, dark fruits from mid-summer until the first hard frost. Since the plant is constantly diverting energy into new growth and fruit development, it requires a consistent supply of nutrients and support throughout its lifespan.
Managing and Supporting Indeterminate Tomato Plants
The sprawling, vine-like nature of indeterminate varieties, like the Black Cherry, makes a strong support system a necessity rather than an option. Without proper structure, the heavy vines can collapse, leading to fruit rot and disease from contact with the soil. Tall, heavy-duty wire cages, wooden stakes, or a trellis system are all effective methods for training the main stem vertically.
The plant’s continuous growth also requires judicious pruning to manage its size and maintain plant health. Indeterminate tomatoes produce “suckers,” which are new shoots that emerge in the joint (axil) between a leaf stem and the main stalk. If these suckers are left to grow, they will develop into secondary main stems, creating a dense, tangled plant with poor air circulation.
Pruning suckers helps channel the plant’s energy into the main stem and existing fruit production, which improves overall fruit size and quality. Removing the lower leaves near the soil line is also a recommended practice to improve air flow and prevent soil-borne fungal spores from splashing onto the foliage.
Due to their season-long production cycle, Black Cherry tomatoes are considered heavy feeders and require consistent fertilization. Indeterminate varieties benefit from regular, diluted applications of a balanced fertilizer every two to four weeks to sustain their continuous growth and fruiting.
Key Flavor and Variety Characteristics
The Black Cherry variety is known for its striking appearance and complex flavor profile. The fruits are typically small, globe-shaped cherry tomatoes, measuring about one inch in diameter. They develop a unique, deep mahogany-purple to nearly black color upon maturity, often with a slight green blush remaining near the stem. The flavor of this heirloom variety is a balanced blend of sweetness and richness, possessing a complexity that distinguishes it from standard red cherry tomatoes. Black Cherry tomatoes typically mature in a mid-season window, with a time to harvest of approximately 65 to 75 days after the seedling has been transplanted into the garden.