The Cherokee Purple is a celebrated heirloom tomato variety, prized for its dusky rose-purple color and complex, rich flavor. This large beefsteak tomato originated in the Tennessee River Valley and is a favorite for slicing and fresh eating. Successfully growing this plant requires understanding its fundamental growth pattern, which dictates its ultimate size and the timing of its harvest. Knowing a tomato’s growth habit is essential for garden planning, determining necessary space, and preparing appropriate support structures.
Defining Determinate and Indeterminate Growth Habits
All cultivated tomato varieties are classified into one of two growth habits: determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomato plants, often called “bush” types, grow to a fixed height, typically reaching three to four feet tall. The plant finishes its main growth phase when flowers form at the terminal growing point, effectively capping its size. Determinate varieties set the majority of their fruit simultaneously, leading to a concentrated harvest period that usually lasts only a few weeks.
The concentrated fruit production cycle of determinate plants is often desired by gardeners who wish to process a large batch of tomatoes for canning or sauces. Because of their compact, self-limiting nature, these plants require minimal support, usually a small cage or short stake. This growth habit makes them excellent candidates for container gardening or smaller garden spaces.
Indeterminate tomato plants, by contrast, are vining varieties that continue to grow and extend their main stem throughout the season. They do not have a fixed height limit and will grow until the first hard frost kills the plant. This continuous growth means they produce flowers and set fruit repeatedly along the lengthening vine.
This non-stop production results in a steady, prolonged harvest that begins in mid-summer and continues late into the autumn. Indeterminate plants can easily reach heights of six to eight feet, which necessitates extensive and robust vertical support systems.
Cherokee Purple’s Indeterminate Classification
The Cherokee Purple tomato is classified as an indeterminate variety. This classification signals that the plant will exhibit vining growth, continually lengthening its stem and producing foliage, flowers, and fruit until the cold weather arrives. A single Cherokee Purple plant can become substantial, often growing to seven or more feet tall under favorable conditions.
The indeterminate nature of this heirloom means gardeners should expect a continuous yield rather than a single, large harvest. Fruit production is spread out over many weeks, providing fresh tomatoes from mid-summer until the end of the growing season. This prolonged harvest cycle requires the plant to maintain growth for three to four months, demanding consistent resources and management.
Since the plant does not stop growing when it sets fruit, the Cherokee Purple requires a long growing season to reach its full potential. The plant’s energy is continually channeled into both vegetative growth and fruit development, requiring a steady supply of nutrients for sustained production.
Cultivating and Managing Indeterminate Tomato Plants
Successfully growing the Cherokee Purple requires specific strategies tailored to its vigorous growth habit. The most immediate necessity is a sturdy, tall support system installed at the time of transplanting, as waiting until the plant is large risks damaging the roots. Support options include heavy-duty metal cages, wooden stakes seven to eight feet tall, or trellising systems like the Florida weave.
These plants require strong vertical support because their vines become heavy with foliage and developing fruit. Flimsy wire cages typically sold at garden centers are insufficient for a vigorous variety like the Cherokee Purple and may collapse under the plant’s weight. The plant must be tied securely to the stake or trellis every twelve to eighteen inches as it grows to keep the vine upright.
Pruning, specifically the removal of suckers, is a common management practice for indeterminate tomatoes. Suckers are small shoots that emerge from the junction where a leaf stem meets the main stem. Removing these suckers directs the plant’s energy toward developing the existing fruit and main stem, rather than creating multiple, dense vines that compete for light and air circulation.
While some pruning is helpful for managing density, excessive pruning can be detrimental, especially for a large-fruited variety like the Cherokee Purple. The foliage is needed to provide shade for the developing fruit, protecting them from sunscald. Gardeners must balance vine management with ensuring enough leaf cover remains to shield the ripening fruit.
Due to the extended production cycle, indeterminate plants require more consistent feeding than determinate varieties. A slow-release granular fertilizer applied at planting should be supplemented with side dressings of a balanced fertilizer every four to six weeks throughout the growing season. Consistent soil moisture is necessary, as uneven watering can lead to physiological disorders like blossom end rot or fruit cracking.
Adequate spacing is necessary to accommodate the large size of the mature vines, requiring eighteen to thirty-six inches between plants. Proper spacing and airflow are important for minimizing the risk of fungal diseases that thrive in dense, moist foliage.