Gum Drop Black Tomato is a striking indeterminate cherry tomato that brings deep burgundy-black fruits and captivating visual appeal to any garden. Growing 18 to 36 inches tall, this open-pollinated variety produces uniform, jewel-toned cherries ready to harvest in just 70 to 79 days from transplant. Hardy across zones 2 through 11 and thriving in full sun, it's a reliable performer whether you're gardening in raised beds, ground plots, or greenhouses. With impressive resistance to bacterial canker, fusarium wilt, late blight, powdery mildew, tobacco mosaic virus, and verticillium wilt, plus tolerance to blossom end rot, this variety was bred to handle real-world growing challenges.

Photo © True Leaf Market
18
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
36in H x ?in W
—
High
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The defining feature of Gum Drop Black Tomato is its extraordinary color, a deep burgundy-black hue that makes these cherries instant eye-catchers on the vine and on the plate. The fruits are remarkably uniform in shape and size, delivering consistent quality throughout the harvest. Its indeterminate growth habit means continuous production from mid-summer until frost, while strong disease resistances keep plants productive even in challenging conditions. This variety performs equally well whether you're trellising it vertically in a greenhouse or letting it sprawl in a sunny garden bed.
These small, dark cherries are outstanding eaten fresh off the vine, where their intense color and uniform size make them as beautiful on a salad as they are satisfying to snack on straight from the garden. The deep burgundy-black fruits also make a striking presentation in heirloom tomato platters and mixed cherry tomato dishes.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix kept at 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds typically germinate within 5 to 10 days. Once seedlings have their first true leaves, thin to individual pots and provide bright light under grow lights or on a sunny window sill.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off for 7 to 10 days once nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and all frost danger has passed. Space transplants 18 inches apart with rows 36 inches apart. Dig planting holes slightly deeper than the root ball and bury the stem up to the first true leaves; tomatoes will develop roots along the buried stem, creating a stronger plant.
Gum Drop Black Tomato cherries reach harvest readiness 70 to 79 days after transplanting, and the deep burgundy-black color is your primary visual cue for ripeness. Pick fruits when they've developed their full dark coloring and feel slightly soft to gentle pressure; they should release easily from the vine with a light twist. Once the vine begins producing, harvest regularly (every few days) to encourage continued flowering and fruiting throughout the season. You can also gently pull entire clusters of ripe fruits from the plant, which speeds up the process during peak harvest periods.
As an indeterminate variety, Gum Drop Black Tomato will grow continuously and benefit from some pruning to direct energy toward fruit production. Once plants are established, pinch off the bottom 6 to 8 inches of foliage to improve air circulation near the soil line, reducing disease risk. As the season progresses, selectively remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) and any diseased or yellowing foliage. About 4 to 6 weeks before your first anticipated frost, pinch off the growing tip and any flowers that won't have time to mature into harvestable fruit, allowing the plant to focus its remaining energy on ripening existing tomatoes.
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