Tomato 'Cherokee Chocolate'

Solanum lycopersicum

How to grow Tomato 'Cherokee Chocolate'

  • Full Sun

  • Medium

Cherokee Chocolate likes a position of full sun and remember to water moderately. Cherokee Chocolate is generally regarded as a tender plant, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside. Cherokee Chocolate needs a loamy soil with a ph of 5.0 to 6.0 (moderately acidic soil to weakly acidic soil).

Growing Cherokee Chocolate from seed

Start seeds indoors six weeks before last frost date.

Sow 0.78 inches (2.0 cm) deep with a guideline distance of 2.60 feet (80.0 cm). For optimal germination, soil temperature should be a minimum of 12°C / 54°F.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing Cherokee Chocolate about 42 days before your last frost date.

Transplanting Cherokee Chocolate

Transplant out when around 15cm (6 inches) high.

Plant to the first set of true leaves to promote strong root growth.

Cherokee Chocolate is tender, so ensure you wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before considering planting outside.

Harvesting Cherokee Chocolate

This variety tends to mature and be ready for harvest in mid summer.

Tomato Cherokee Chocolate Etymology

Not to be confused with ‘Cherokee Purple’ – this is in fact a different plant that arose out of the Cherokee Purple, but which had a stable skin colour mutation.

Cherokee Chocolate folklore & trivia

in 1995 Craig LeHoullier stabilized this heirloom tomato from a Cherokee Purple seedling. A single plant mutation occurred which resulted from a clear to yellow skin colour.