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Guaranteed to Grow
Supports Family Farms
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Cherokee Purple Tomato

Quick Facts:

  • One of the most popular heirloom tomatoes
  • Easy-to-grow plants yield abundantly
  • Deep purple tomatoes; Bursting with flavor
  • Full, complex flavor with a sweet aftertaste
  • 80 days from transplant

View full description

Quantity: Packet (50 Seeds)

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We ship to all areas of North America including the United States, its territories and outlying islands, and Canada. International orders may incur an additional charge to cover the handling of customs paperwork. Returns are accepted within 30 days of receipt. Full warranty information can be found here.

Cherokee Purple Heirloom Slicing Tomato

More about Cherokee Purple

Solanum lycopersicum

Cherokee Purple is an heirloom tomato rumored to have originated from the Cherokee tribe. Many gardeners would identify Cherokee Purple as the gateway heirloom leading them into their heirloom gardening addiction and it's easy to understand why.  These beautiful, uniquely colored, bursting-with-flavor tomatoes bring to attention the striking lack of diversity and absence of flavor that is our current selection of grocery store tomatoes.  With their deeply rich, sweet, and subtly smoky flavor, Cherokee Purple tomatoes are renowned by chefs and tomato connoisseurs alike.

Introduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1990, this now famous heirloom burst onto the scene with very little info in the way o... More

Less

Solanum lycopersicum

Cherokee Purple is an heirloom tomato rumored to have originated from the Cherokee tribe. Many gardeners would identify Cherokee Purple as the gateway heirloom leading them into their heirloom gardening addiction and it's easy to understand why.  These beautiful, uniquely colored, bursting-with-flavor tomatoes bring to attention the striking lack of diversity and absence of flavor that is our current selection of grocery store tomatoes.  With their deeply rich, sweet, and subtly smoky flavor, Cherokee Purple tomatoes are renowned by chefs and tomato connoisseurs alike.

Introduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1990, this now famous heirloom burst onto the scene with very little info in the way of historical provenance.  The seeds had been collected by John D. Green of Sevierville, Tennessee, who had received them from a woman who, in turn, had received them from a neighbor.  They had reportedly been grown by the neighbor's family for more than 100 years and the seeds were originally from Cherokee Indians. 

Cherokee Purple's easy-to-grow, vigorous plants produce an abundance of deep purple tomatoes weighing up to one pound each.  Their juicy interiors are filled with an exceptional flavor that is full and complex with a sweet aftertaste.  Our strain was received courtesy of the USDA National Genetic Resources Program.  Indeterminate.  80 days from transplant.  50 seeds per packet.

Solanum lycopersicum

Cherokee Purple is an heirloom tomato rumored to have originated from the Cherokee tribe. Many gardeners would identify Cherokee Purple as the gateway heirloom leading them into their heirloom gardening addiction and it's easy to understand why.  These beautiful, uniquely colored, bursting-with-flavor tomatoes bring to attention the striking lack of diversity and absence of flavor that is our current selection of grocery store tomatoes.  With their deep... read more

read less

Solanum lycopersicum

Cherokee Purple is an heirloom tomato rumored to have originated from the Cherokee tribe. Many gardeners would identify Cherokee Purple as the gateway heirloom leading them into their heirloom gardening addiction and it's easy to understand why.  These beautiful, uniquely colored, bursting-with-flavor tomatoes bring to attention the striking lack of diversity and absence of flavor that is our current selection of grocery store tomatoes.  With their deeply rich, sweet, and subtly smoky flavor, Cherokee Purple tomatoes are renowned by chefs and tomato connoisseurs alike.

Introduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1990, this now famous heirloom burst onto the scene with very little info in the way of historical provenance.  The seeds had been collected by John D. Green of Sevierville, Tennessee, who had received them from a woman who, in turn, had received them from a neighbor.  They had reportedly been grown by the neighbor's family for more than 100 years and the seeds were originally from Cherokee Indians. 

Cherokee Purple's easy-to-grow, vigorous plants produce an abundance of deep purple tomatoes weighing up to one pound each.  Their juicy interiors are filled with an exceptional flavor that is full and complex with a sweet aftertaste.  Our strain was received courtesy of the USDA National Genetic Resources Program.  Indeterminate.  80 days from transplant.  50 seeds per packet.

Bucket of heirloom beans
Bucket of heirloom beans

How to Grow Tomatoes

Tomatoes perform best in well-drained soil that contains plenty of organic matter and adequate phosphorous and calcium.  Ensure that the planting site receives at least 6 hours of daily sunlight.  Tomatoes require about two inches of water per week, otherwise fruit may become prone to developing blossom end rot.  Mulching plants with poly, paper, or natural materials will ensure consistent moisture throughout the root zone, especially during dry periods. 

For earliest harvest, start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost.  Sow seeds 1/4" deep in well-moistened, sterile seed-starting mix.  The ideal temperature for tomato seed germination is 80 degrees.  For best results, place a growers heat mat beneath trays until germination has occurred.  Under ideal conditions, germination should occur in 7-10 days.  Water only as needed, as watering cools the soil and encourages fungal growth.

After danger of frost has passed, set transplants 30-36" apart in rows 48-60" apart.  To encourage strong roots, pinch off all but the top three leaves and bury the bottom two-thirds of the plant.  Ensure that plants receive 2" of water per week.  Avoid over-application of nitrogen as this can cause vegetative growth at the expense of fruit set.  Caging or staking plants is recommended.  While plants can be left to roam, providing support to plants will minimize soil-borne diseases.

Insect Pests

Biological controls such as Bacillus thuringiensis can be effective in controlling climbing cutworms and tomato hornworms.  Flea beetles, and other hard-shelled insects can be controlled with a simple homemade insecticidal soap solution.

Diseases & Other Problems

Contact your local university extension office to learn which tomato diseases are most prevalent in your area.  To prevent common tomato diseases like Septoria leaf spot, anthracnose, tomato wilt and blight, avoid watering plants at night or on cool, cloudy days.  Watering from below the canopy, mulching, and ensuring ample space between plants can also slow the spread of disease.  Finally, removing plant litter in the fall along with proper crop rotation and tillage will further limit the spread of disease.  Blossom end rot is a common issue caused by calcium deficiency and/or insufficient water intake.  Excess nitrogen and/or insufficient phosphorous can cause tomato plants to become bushy and produce few blossoms. 

For best flavor and texture, allow tomatoes to remain on the vine as long as possible.  If any fall before they have ripened, place them in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper and set in a cool, dark place, stem side up, until fully ripened.  Tomatoes should not be refrigerated as it inhibits flavor-enhancing enzyme activity and contributes to an unpleasant, mealy texture.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Tomatoes are inbreeding plants with self-fertilization usually occurring before flowers have opened.  Therefore, measures to control cross pollination are usually not necessary.  Reports of out-crossing in tomatoes range from 0 to 5 percent, with substantially higher rates seen in potato-leaved cultivars.  Varieties with larger tomatoes are more prone to out-crossing because their large flowers are more open and the stigma may extend beyond the flower.  For this same reason, seeds should never be saved from double fruit of any variety.  Examine the stigma length of a particular variety to determine whether flowers will need to be bagged to prevent out-crossing.  If needed, inexpensive organza bags, like those used for wedding favors, can be placed over blossoms until nascent fruit appear. Bags should then be removed and the fruit tagged.

HARVESTING SEED:

To harvest seeds, cut fully ripened tomatoes in half and squeeze seeds and pulp into a container.  Cover with mesh and let sit until a layer of white fungus covers the surface (about 3-5 days.)  Fill container with cold water, stirring until seeds settle on the bottom.  Pour off water and pulp.  Repeat until seeds are clean.  Dry on a coffee filter.

SEED LONGETIVITY:

Tomato seeds will remain viable for up to 10 years when stored under ideal conditions.

Silvery Fir Tree Tomato

Customer Reviews

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K
Kim Lund
great seeds

I always know that I can get wonderful fresh seeds from Thresh. I have grown this companies seeds for a couple of years now and love them. The Malar bags are wonderful for storing your saved seeds back in so you have them all together in a safe package. Love the quality and quantity of seeds you purchase.

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