Chocolate Cherry
Chocolate Cherry is a heirloom tomato variety (Solanum lycopersicum 'Chocolate Cherry'). Harvest begins around day 65-75; seed germinates in 7-14 days. Set plants 24-36 inches apart. Grow in soil pH 6.2-6.8, zones 10-11, full sun (6+ hours). Plants reach 1-10 feet. It will crop in a container.
Sowing
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost date. Transplant outdoors when nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- High — consistent moisture needed
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil with compost
- Soil pH
- 6.2-6.8
- Spacing
- 24-36 inches
- Height
- 1-10 feet
- Season
- Year Round
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Deep mahogany brown with purple undertones
- Size
- 0.5-1 oz
- Shape
- Round cherry, perfectly spherical
- Flavour
- Complex, wine-like with smoky undertones and rich sweetness
In the kitchen
Fresh eating, salads, garnishes, specialty dishes, farmers market sales
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Aphids, whiteflies, tomato hornworm, spider mites
- Diseases
- Late blight, early blight, cracking in wet weather
- Resistance
- Limited disease resistance typical of heirloom varieties
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May | July – August | — | September – August |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | — | September |
| 3 | April | June – July | — | August – October |
| 4 | March – April | June | — | August – October |
| 5 | March | May – June | — | August – October |
| 6 | March | May – June | — | July – September |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| 8 | February | April – May | — | June – August |
| 9 | January | March – April | — | May – July |
| 10 | January | February – March | — | May – July |
| 11 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 12 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
| 13 | January | January – February | — | April – June |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 63
- Protein (g)
- 1.06
- Fat (g)
- 0.2
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 16
- Fibre (g)
- 2.1
- Sugars (g)
- 12.8
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 3
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 7
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.07
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 2.1
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.049
- Folate (µg)
- 4
- Calcium (mg)
- 13
- Iron (mg)
- 0.36
- Magnesium (mg)
- 11
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 21
- Potassium (mg)
- 222
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.07
- Selenium (µg)
- 0
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Chocolate Cherry?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other tomatoes with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Chocolate Cherry suits these too.
- Determinate Cherry 65 days
- Indigo Rose 65 days
- Super Sweet 100 65 days
- Heirloom Black Cherry 65 days
- Sweet Million 65 days
- Piccolo Grape Tomato 65 days