Coastal Heirloom Tomato- the renegade Cherokee Purple

When I attended the free classes at my local nursery this spring- we were informed that the vast varieties of heirloom tomatoes they sold were persnickety in our fog belt- and were recommended to grow and produce more inland. When I mentioned the delicious Cherokee purple- the instructor stiffened slightly- and said- oh that one isn't a tomato, it's a weed! And it is kind of a funny color....

It could not have come to me with a better recommendation. It is a reddish tomato with purple green shoulders. Its firm deep pinky red flesh hosts a sweet, fragrant, slightly smoky taste. Incredibly delicious, it is great for sandwiches, salads and eating warm from the garden with a bit of salt. Moreover- it is a prolific producer of good seeds for easy germination the following year.

Last year I over-watered. I have an automated drip and soaker hose system that waters nearly everything- all I have to do is set it. Last year I set my raised bed garden for 10 minutes 3 times a week. Peas mildewed and I reaped copious amounts of leggy squash vine and tomato leaves, in addition to the tolerant beans, chard and herbs- but no fruit set. This year I scaled the watering back to 7 minutes 2 times a week and all is well in vegetable garden land. I have harvested half a dozen fingerling yellow crookneck squash from stocky plants in large pots, with a dozen more now ripening, and have a number of cherry and regular-sized heirloom tomatoes clustered on a half dozen plants- still green, but enlarging and ripening. The mustard, chard and beans are producing at breakneck speed and the herbs are even bushier.

Fortunately- also last year, I had established a compost heap- in another part of the back yard which did not receive such copious amounts of water. Therein grew my sole tomato producer. Actually it grew out one of the ventilation holes in my black plastic bin. Everything I can contribute from kitchen produce trim not suited to the stock pot, used tea bags, eggshells, superannuated fruits and vegetable, is mixed into the bin each morning, including apparently at least one heirloom Cherokee purple tomato of questionable age.

In the raised bed garden, I had planted a coddled and sulky Brandywine tomato plant purchased for approximately the same price as a small basket of a variety of heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joes. It grew long and leggy- produced a single small green tomato and eventually died. My renegade Cherokee produced nearly a dozen shapely, large and flavorful tomatoes.

At the end of the year I spread last year's compost heap over my garden bed. I have had a lot of fun investigating what comes up. In addition I have bought vegetables, trimmed and eaten the good stuff and planted the leftover cut bottoms of onions and spring onions, the cut tops of carrots, and sprouting potato eyes. I have thrown a scant handful of beans on the soil from my 9 bean soup mix, I have let mesclun (arugula, romaine, red giant mustard), basil and spinach, as well as the chives and onions, go to seed. I have tossed in sunflower seeds, strawberry plants, dill and parsley and waited to see what takes hold. It is a pretty unruly and intense square foot garden plan- but the results are delicious and nourishing. The compost heap amendment has generated 6 large and many small tomato plants of unknown heritage (at least until they mature) and two dwarf avocado trees, some pepper plants, and who knows what else.

Even though I lost about a dozen saved Cherokee seed starts earlier this year in a wind storm that knocked over my tray- I have new renegade volunteers cropping up in my garden and in the area where last year's plant grew. I can hardly wait for June July and August when my tomatoes will be ripe and ready to eat.