Tomatoes require a long growing season, and are best started indoors 6 weeks before the anticipated transplanting date (after the final frost of the spring). Tomato plants prefer well-drained, fertile soil, high in organic matter. Fertile clays and loams produce the highest yields, but lighter soils that drain and warm quickly can produce earlier harvests. Tomato is a heavy feeder and should be fertilized with an organic blend rich in phosphorus and potassium, and containing moderate nitrogen.

Unlike most plants, tomatoes do better if planted deeper than they were grown in containers. Set them in the ground so that the soil level is just below the lowest leaves. Roots will form along the buried stem, establishing a stronger root system.

Common Problems

The Cherokee Purple tomato is a variety of tomato that is sensitive to variable growing conditions, which can result in several common problems. One such problem is blossom end rot, which manifests as a black sunken spot on the bottom of ripening fruits. This is caused by insufficient calcium uptake and is amplified by inconsistent watering and hot, dry weather. However, tomato vines grow quickly and an otherwise healthy plant can usually recover without intervention. It‘s not uncommon to see blossom end rot on the first early fruits disappear on newer developing fruit. Remove affected fruit so energy isn‘t spent on ripening a damaged tomato.

Blossom drop and poor fruit set is another issue that can affect Cherokee Purple tomatoes. This occurs when flowers form but fall off before developing fruit. The culprit is likely the weather, inconsistent watering, or a combination of both. Cherokee Purples are tolerant of short periods of drought, but they won‘t produce if allowed to dry out in hot, sunny weather. Fluctuating temperatures also result in poor fruit set, so it‘s best to wait until nighttime temperatures stay steadily above 55 degrees before planting your tomatoes in the garden.

Pale green or yellowing leaves on a Cherokee Purple tomato plant can be indicative of a lack of nutrients or poor nutrient uptake. Test your soil before planting to learn what might be missing. Additionally, bottom leaves will yellow and fall off during the growth cycle – this is normal. If yellow leaves appear in the tops of your plants however, revisit your watering schedule to see if too much or too little water could be the cause

Pruning

It‘s important to prune your Cherokee Purple tomato plants both early and late in the season. Early pruning is done by pinching out suckers—leafy new growth at the junction of two existing vines. This tomato can be trained into a slightly more compact form by removing suckers for the first several weeks after transplanting. The fruits will need shade from the leaf cover as they ripen, so you’ll want to avoid too much suckering since this can lead to scalding on the fruits.

Pruning late in the season is done with a heading back pruning cut on the vines. As cool weather sets in, this practice stops the plant from producing more flowers and fruit and directs energy to ripening fruits already on the vine.

You can remove non-productive vines and damaged stems and leaves throughout the season, provided you leave enough shade for the fruits. Use clean tools and make sharp, decisive cuts to avoid stripping and peeling the stems.