Tomato Seedlings, Cherokee Purple
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Solanum lycopersicum
VARIETY:
"Cherokee Purple". Unusual variety with full flavor. Famously rich flavor and texture make this a colorful favorite among heirloom enthusiasts. Medium-large, flattened globe, 8-12 oz. fruits. Color is dusky pink with dark shoulders. Multilocular interior ranges from purple to brown to green. Relatively short vines. Indeterminate.
CULTURE:
Transplant into a medium-rich garden or field soil 12-24" apart for determinate varieties, 24-36" apart for indeterminate, unstaked varieties, and 14-20" for staking. Plant 3-8" inches deep, covering the root ball well and up to the cotyledons (first leaves). If using grafted plants, take care to ensure the graft union is not touching soil. Water seedlings with a high-phosphate fertilizer solution. For earliest crops, set plants out around the last frost date under floating row covers, which will protect from frost to about 28°F (-2°C). If possible, avoid setting out unprotected plants until night temperatures are over 45°F (7°C). Frost will cause severe damage. Abundant soil phosphorus is important for early high yields. Too much nitrogen causes rampant growth and soft fruits susceptible to rot.
