Chocolate Cherry Pole Cherry Tomato is an indeterminate climbing tomato that reaches harvest in just 70 days, delivering rich, dark cherry fruits on vigorous vines suited to zones 3 through 11. This variety demands full sun and moderate water, spacing plants 36 inches apart to give the sprawling vines room to climb. The name hints at its deep color and complex flavor, making it a standout choice for gardeners who want both productivity and visual drama on the trellis.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
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Dark, jewel-toned cherry tomatoes develop on plants that grow tall and full, rewarding regular trellising with abundant harvests. The relatively short 70-day maturity window means you'll be picking ripe fruit by midsummer even in cooler climates. As an indeterminate variety, it continues producing until frost, turning a single planting into months of pickings rather than one flush of fruit.
These cherry tomatoes are perfect for snacking straight off the vine, slicing into summer salads, or roasting whole to concentrate their deep flavors. Their bite-sized format and continuous production throughout the season also make them ideal for fresh garnishes and small-batch preservation projects.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting. Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep in seed-starting mix and maintain a soil temperature of 70 to 90°F for reliable germination (the minimum is 60°F, but warmer is more reliable). Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during this phase.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when both air temperature and soil temperature have warmed; ideally wait until 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date when daytime air temperature is at least 45°F or warmer. Space transplants 36 inches apart in both directions. Handle seedlings gently to avoid disturbing the root ball, and set them slightly deeper in the soil than they were growing in their pots to encourage a stronger root system.
Direct sowing outdoors is not recommended for most climates; this variety performs best when started indoors and transplanted. In mild climates only, you can direct sow 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, though indoor starting remains the recommended approach.
Cherry tomatoes are ready to pick when they develop their full deep color and yield slightly to gentle pressure in your palm. With this variety, expect harvest to begin around 70 days after transplanting and continue until frost kills the vines. Pick tomatoes every 2 to 3 days during peak season to encourage continued flowering and fruiting; leaving ripe fruit on the vine signals the plant that it has successfully reproduced, which can slow new flower production.
Because this is an indeterminate variety that grows tall and continuously throughout the season, regular pruning and training is beneficial. Remove suckers (shoots that emerge between the main stem and leaf branches) on the lower portion of the plant to focus energy into fruit production and improve air circulation. As the plant grows, gently tie the main stem to your trellis or support structure every 12 inches or so, training it vertically to maximize space and keep fruit off the ground.
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