How to Grow Cherokee Tomatoes

Choose a sunny garden space with well-drained soil.

Add compost or other organic matter to the planting area to improve the texture and nutrient content of the soil. This step is especially important for soils with heavy clay textures. To add the organic matter, apply 2 to 3 inches of it to the surface of the soil and mix it into a depth of 6 inches with a gardening fork or tiller.

Add a complete fertilizer to the soil, such as a 6-24-24 or an 8-8-8 ratio fertilizer. Apply about a half cup per plant or about 1 lb. per 100 square feet, and mix the fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Skip this step if you applied a very large amount of organic material or have very fertile soil.

Test the soil pH using a pH testing kit. Tomatoes prefer soils with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0.

Add lime to raise the pH of an overly acidic soil, or add sulfur to lower the pH of an alkaline soil. Lime and sulfur soil additives come in different concentrations, so follow their packaging instructions carefully. Make sure to add the correct amount of additive per square feet of garden space to raise the pH a specific amount.

Dig planting holes when the weather and soil temperature warm to above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes prefer daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Dig planting holes with about 3 feet of space in between them to accommodate the large size of the Cherokee tomato plants. Dig the holes deep enough so that all of the roots will fit in the holes with the plants sitting in soil up to just below their lowest set of leaves.

Set the starter plants in the holes, and cover their roots and the bases of their stems with soil.

Water the plants to help the soil settle in around their roots.

Put tomato stakes or tomato cages next to or around the young plants. Cherokee purple tomatoes can reach heights of up to 5 feet, so select stakes or cages that are around 5 feet tall.

Water the plants regularly. Tomatoes require 1 to 2 inches of water per week, depending on the size of the plants and temperatures outside. If it does not rain enough for the soil beneath the surface to stay moist, provide supplemental irrigation.

Fertilize the plants with a balanced fertilizer after the plants start to produce fruits. Continue to apply a complete fertilizer about once every four weeks afterwards. Apply 2 to 3 tbsp. of fertilizer per plant to the surface of the soil. Apply the fertilizer slightly away from the plants' stems to keep it from burning the foliage and stems.