The Cherokee tomato was developed back in the 19th century in the USA. It is considered one of the most delicious black-fruited tomatoes in the world. It has tender flesh with a sweet taste and smoky aroma.
Characteristic
The variety does not make high demands on growing conditions. Its height reaches approximately 180 cm. The formation of a bush with 2–3 stems is considered optimal. Up to 8 clusters of fruits are usually formed on the bush. This is a mid-early variety. The time until the first fruits ripen is 110–115 days.
The fruits are semicircular, large, brownish-purple in color.The weight of one Cherokee purple tomato reaches 300–400 g. But most weigh from 200 to 300 g. Inside there is a steak fruit, dense, but very juicy with a large number of chambers for seeds. The taste of the pulp improves as the vegetable ripens completely. They also have an excellent aroma.
Cherokee tomatoes are used for cutting into salads and making sandwiches. In addition, they are suitable for making sauces and ketchups.
Cherokee purple heart
One of the varieties of exotic tomatoes is Cherokee Purple Heart. In central Russia and in the northern regions it is recommended to plant it in a greenhouse. Only in the south does it grow successfully in open beds.
The height of the bushes largely depends on the growing conditions and ranges from 1.2 to 2 meters. The fruits are purple. They have excellent taste and aroma. The variety has an average fruit ripening period. There are up to ten tomatoes on one bunch. They surprise with their peculiar “heart-shaped” appearance, with a point downwards. Purple Cherokee is very meaty with a good delicate taste and pleasant aroma.
The weight of one fruit is from 150 to 300 g. One bush can produce up to 4 kg of ripe tomatoes in the presence of an irrigation regime and timely fertilizing.
The main positive property of tomato is its resistance to diseases. But if preventive measures are not followed, the bushes can be affected by whitefly or spider mites. Whiteflies are very difficult to get rid of, since this species of moth is immune to many chemicals.
When growing this variety of tomatoes in a greenhouse, the bushes can be affected by blackleg and fusarium. The occurrence of fungal diseases is promoted by high humidity inside the greenhouse.
Tying up bushes
The height of these bushes is quite high, so they require tying to supports. The stems may not be able to withstand the load of the filling fruits and fall to the ground or break off.
Properly tied tomatoes can withstand the effects of adverse weather conditions. In addition, this promotes free penetration of sunlight to the plant and access to air.
Bushes can be tied to free-standing supports, horizontal trellises, mesh fences or pyramid-shaped caps. For Cherokee tomatoes, staking to a mesh fence is preferable. It is stretched next to the tomato rows, and then the stems are attached to the mesh using twine or special clothespins.
Preventive measures against pests and diseases
To protect tomatoes from diseases and pest invasions, it is recommended to adhere to the following requirements:
- observe crop rotation;
- do not plant them next to other nightshades, in particular potatoes;
- promptly remove diseased bushes or plants affected by pests;
- After harvesting, the tops should be removed from the beds.
Reviews
According to reviews, Cherokee varieties are the optimal tomatoes for growing throughout the country.
Yaroslava Ivanovna, 58 years old: “I’ve been planting these tomatoes in my garden for 15 years. He has never let me down. Fruiting occurs within 1.5–2 months, so my family is provided with tomatoes until the fall.”
Svetlana Nikolaevna, 44 years old: “Cherokee is ahead of many other varieties and hybrids of tomatoes in terms of taste. They are undemanding to cultivation conditions. The only difficulty is the mandatory tying. It is necessary to garter frequently as the stems grow.”
Fedor, 34 years old: “I recently took up gardening, but I already have my favorite varieties of tomatoes. One of them is Cherokee tomatoes. They are suitable for fresh use. Quite resistant to growing conditions and diseases.”
