The Cherokee Purple tomato is a highly regarded heirloom variety, celebrated by home gardeners for its distinctly rich flavor and unusual color. Its popularity stems from its complex, earthy sweetness and smoky notes, which many consider superior to common red tomatoes. The tomato is often linked to the Tennessee area, where it is believed to have been grown by the Cherokee Native Americans before the 20th century. Its deep, dusky-pink to purple-brown skin, often with dark green shoulders, gives it a unique visual appeal that matches its excellent taste profile.
Typical Weight and Dimensions
The Cherokee Purple is a large beefsteak-type tomato, producing substantial fruit suitable for slicing. Individual tomatoes typically weigh between 8 to 12 ounces. Under ideal growing conditions, the fruit can sometimes reach up to 16 ounces.
The tomatoes are often slightly flattened and may exhibit irregular ribbing, contributing to their heirloom appearance rather than the smooth surface of commercial varieties. A mature fruit generally measures up to five inches across its diameter. Its considerable size and thick, meaty flesh make it a preferred choice for sandwiches and fresh eating.
Understanding the Growth Habit
The Cherokee Purple is an indeterminate variety, meaning it has a continuous growth pattern throughout the entire season. Unlike determinate varieties, indeterminate vines continue to lengthen, flower, and produce new fruit clusters until the first hard frost.
This vigorous vining habit requires substantial space and support. The plant routinely reaches heights of 6 to 8 feet when properly supported, and can exceed 10 feet in optimal growing seasons. Without strong caging or a robust trellis system installed early, the heavy fruit load will cause the vines to collapse, leading to damaged fruit and poor air circulation.
Cultural Practices for Maximum Yield
To achieve the largest possible fruit size, a gardener must manage the plant’s energy resources. The plant thrives in deep, fertile, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH (6.0 to 6.8). As a heavy feeder, it requires consistent nutrient delivery, particularly a balanced organic fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium.
Once the plant sets fruit, reduce high-nitrogen fertilizers, which promote leafy growth over fruit development. Consistent, deep watering is required, with plants needing approximately 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Inconsistent moisture levels cause blossom end rot, as the plant cannot adequately transport calcium to the developing fruit.
Pruning is the most direct method to encourage massive fruit size, redirecting energy toward fewer, higher-quality tomatoes. This involves the regular removal of suckers, the small side shoots appearing between a leaf stem and the main stalk. Pruning concentrates the plant’s energy into the main stem and the remaining fruit. Gardeners often limit the plant to two or three main stems and may remove flowers from a truss to ensure only the strongest fruits develop to their maximum size.