Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake), also known as Solanum lycopersicum, is a classic heirloom, open-pollinated tomato plant native to Tennessee. This variety grows 36" wide and 48" tall caged or staked in the garden, offering many 12-ounce fruits. These juicy, dark pink tomatoes boast a flavor similar to Brandywine, popular for slicing since the 1800s. This plant is indeterminate, maturing in 75-90 days from transplant. This tomato is an obvious addition to the vegetable garden, flourishing in full sun with regular water and warm weather. For a cherry tomato, grow Pink Charmer.
Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake) Selling Tips
Sell Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake) to customers looking for a classic tomato for the vegetable garden and culinary use. This variety offers large heirloom beefstake tomatoes on an indeterminate plant that flourishes in warm weather and full sun. The plant produces 10-12-ounce fruits well-suited for slicing, sandwiches, and salads. Grow tomatoes alongside peppers, zucchini, and onions in the garden. Germinating tomato plants from seed can be tricky, so customers love finding a wide variety of plants available at the local nursery.
Coach Your Customer
1. Plant outside once nighttime temperatures are consistently 60 degrees. Space plants 24-36" apart in well-drained soil in full sun.
2. Till soil 8-10" deep and cover with dark mulch about a week before planting to warm the soil. Mulch will also help maintain moisture throughout the growing season.
3. Water regularly, one or two inches of rainwater or irrigation per week. Supplement rainwater by watering at the base of the plant in dry weather. Water thoroughly once or twice a week to give the roots plenty of consistent water and help prevent cracking on fruits.
4. Cage tomato plants or tie them loosely to a stake. Trim side shoots and prune plants to encourage fruit-bearing branches to flourish. Remove the bottom 6-10" of leaves once the plant has reached 12" tall or more to prevent disease and keep fruit from touching the ground.
5. Harvest tomatoes throughout the season once they are ripe. Just before frost, pick all the almost-ripe fruits and ripen them on a newspaper at room temperature. Store tomatoes temporarily at 50-60 degrees. Don't refrigerate them. For long-term storage, freeze or can any variety.
General Growing Tips For Your Seedling Tray
For best results with Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake), plant one seedling per 1801 cell or 4-inch container. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-6.2, EC less than 1.0 mS/cm, temperatures of 60-70 daytime and 50-60 nighttime, light levels of 4,000-5,000 fc, and medium feed (150-200 ppm N). This plant doesn't require pinching, and we don't recommend using PGRs on vegetables. You may see aphids and whiteflies. Root rot can develop in overly wet conditions.
Flowering
This plant is grown for culinary use.
Pinching
This plant doesn't require pinching.
Spacing
Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration to the soil level of each plant.
Height Control
We don't recommend using chemical growth regulators on vegetable plants.
Pests
Watch for aphids and whiteflies.
Coach Your Customer: Pests can attack tomato plants in the garden, most notably nematodes and tomato hornworms. Plant tomatoes in a different location every year, especially if nematodes have eaten the roots of your plants in the previous year. Marigolds often repel nematodes planted alongside tomatoes. Look out for tomato hornworms, large green caterpillars that eat the foliage. Remove them by hand to a bucket of soapy water. If the hornworm is covered in white spots, leave the worm and eggs on the plant. Those white spots are wasp eggs that parasitize the hornworm and benefit your garden.
Disease
Tomatoes aren't prone to disease but root rot can develop in overly wet conditions. Water at the base of each plant in the morning, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Provide good airflow in your greenhouse and space containers so air and sunlight can reach the base of each plant.
We recommend planting one seedling per 1801-cell or 4-inch container. Use well-drained soil and center the seedling in the container. Cell packs finish in 2-3 weeks.
Rooted Cuttings
Cuttings vary in size between different plant families. These rooted starter plants will arrive ready to be transplanted in to your final container. If they are to be used in a landscape application, you will need to establish them in a 4 inch pot or an 1801 before planting outside.
Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake), also known as Solanum lycopersicum, is a classic heirloom, open-pollinated tomato plant native to Tennessee. This variety grows 36" wide and 48" tall caged or staked in the garden, offering many 12-ounce fruits. These juicy, dark pink tomatoes boast a flavor similar to Brandywine, popular for slicing since the 1800s. This plant is indeterminate, maturing in 75-90 days from transplant. This tomato is an obvious addition to the vegetable garden, flourishing in full sun with regular water and warm weather. For a cherry tomato, grow Pink Charmer.
Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake) Selling Tips
Sell Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake) to customers looking for a classic tomato for the vegetable garden and culinary use. This variety offers large heirloom beefstake tomatoes on an indeterminate plant that flourishes in warm weather and full sun. The plant produces 10-12-ounce fruits well-suited for slicing, sandwiches, and salads. Grow tomatoes alongside peppers, zucchini, and onions in the garden. Germinating tomato plants from seed can be tricky, so customers love finding a wide variety of plants available at the local nursery.
Coach Your Customer
1. Plant outside once nighttime temperatures are consistently 60 degrees. Space plants 24-36" apart in well-drained soil in full sun.
2. Till soil 8-10" deep and cover with dark mulch about a week before planting to warm the soil. Mulch will also help maintain moisture throughout the growing season.
3. Water regularly, one or two inches of rainwater or irrigation per week. Supplement rainwater by watering at the base of the plant in dry weather. Water thoroughly once or twice a week to give the roots plenty of consistent water and help prevent cracking on fruits.
4. Cage tomato plants or tie them loosely to a stake. Trim side shoots and prune plants to encourage fruit-bearing branches to flourish. Remove the bottom 6-10" of leaves once the plant has reached 12" tall or more to prevent disease and keep fruit from touching the ground.
5. Harvest tomatoes throughout the season once they are ripe. Just before frost, pick all the almost-ripe fruits and ripen them on a newspaper at room temperature. Store tomatoes temporarily at 50-60 degrees. Don't refrigerate them. For long-term storage, freeze or can any variety.
General Growing Tips For Your Seedling Tray
For best results with Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake), plant one seedling per 1801 cell or 4-inch container. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-6.2, EC less than 1.0 mS/cm, temperatures of 60-70 daytime and 50-60 nighttime, light levels of 4,000-5,000 fc, and medium feed (150-200 ppm N). This plant doesn't require pinching, and we don't recommend using PGRs on vegetables. You may see aphids and whiteflies. Root rot can develop in overly wet conditions.
Flowering
This plant is grown for culinary use.
Pinching
This plant doesn't require pinching.
Spacing
Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration to the soil level of each plant.
Height Control
We don't recommend using chemical growth regulators on vegetable plants.
Pests
Watch for aphids and whiteflies.
Coach Your Customer: Pests can attack tomato plants in the garden, most notably nematodes and tomato hornworms. Plant tomatoes in a different location every year, especially if nematodes have eaten the roots of your plants in the previous year. Marigolds often repel nematodes planted alongside tomatoes. Look out for tomato hornworms, large green caterpillars that eat the foliage. Remove them by hand to a bucket of soapy water. If the hornworm is covered in white spots, leave the worm and eggs on the plant. Those white spots are wasp eggs that parasitize the hornworm and benefit your garden.
Disease
Tomatoes aren't prone to disease but root rot can develop in overly wet conditions. Water at the base of each plant in the morning, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Provide good airflow in your greenhouse and space containers so air and sunlight can reach the base of each plant.
We recommend planting one seedling per 1801-cell or 4-inch container. Use well-drained soil and center the seedling in the container. Cell packs finish in 2-3 weeks.
Rooted Cuttings
Cuttings vary in size between different plant families. These rooted starter plants will arrive ready to be transplanted in to your final container. If they are to be used in a landscape application, you will need to establish them in a 4 inch pot or an 1801 before planting outside.
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-vegetable-1657204687.jpg "Click to enlarge Tomato Cherokee Purple (beefstake) - Seedling Tray")
