Chocolate Cherry Tomato: A Sweet and Unique Addition to Your Garden

If you're looking for a tomato variety that stands out from the typical red globe, the Chocolate Cherry tomato is a delightful choice. This heirloom variety produces small, dark brown fruits with a complex flavor profile that surprises and delights gardeners and home cooks alike.

What Makes Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes Special

Chocolate Cherry tomatoes are prized for their distinctive appearance and taste. The deep mahogany-brown skin gives them their name, while the interior flesh is surprisingly sweet with subtle smoky and earthy undertones. These small fruits, typically about the size of a marble, pack an intense tomato flavor that's perfect for snacking straight off the vine or adding visual interest to salads and dishes.

Growing Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes

Like most cherry tomato varieties, Chocolate Cherry tomatoes thrive in warm, sunny locations with at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. They prefer well-draining soil rich in organic matter and consistent moisture throughout the growing season. These indeterminate plants grow tall and benefit from sturdy support structures like stakes or cages.

Plant seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your last spring frost, then transplant seedlings outdoors once soil temperatures reach at least 60°F. Space plants about 24 to 36 inches apart to allow for good air circulation, which helps prevent disease.

Harvesting and Enjoying Your Crop

Chocolate Cherry tomatoes typically begin producing fruit 60 to 80 days after transplanting. Harvest fruits when they're fully dark brown and slightly soft to the touch—they'll continue to ripen after picking if needed. A single plant can produce hundreds of small fruits throughout the season, making it an incredibly productive addition to any garden.

In Summary

The Chocolate Cherry Tomato seeds produce a small, indeterminate cherry tomato variety known for its distinctive dark, chocolate-brown appearance and sweet flavor. This heat-tolerant, trellis-supporting cultivar yields clusters of uniform, 1-inch round fruit with thin skin, thriving through heat and drought conditions. The fruits attract birds due to their bright color, making them a dual-purpose plant for gardening and wildlife. The plants feature vigorous vines that need regular pruning and support for optimal growth. These seeds are suitable for gardeners seeking high yields of flavorful tomatoes in warm climates or during the summer months.

• Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum
• Growth type: Indeterminate
• Tomato size: 1 inch (round)
• Depth to plant seeds: 1/8 inch
• Spacing between plants: 24 inches
• Spacing between rows: 36-48 inches
• Days to germinate: 7-14 days
• Germination soil temperature: 75°F-95°F
• Soil pH requirement: 6.0-6.5
• Sun needs: Full sun
• Frost hardy: No
• Planting season: Spring and summer
• Number of plants per square foot: approximately 0.5 (1 plant every 2 sq. ft.)
• Days to maturity: 75-80 days

Click here to view our full Tomato grow guide