Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

Post Reply
User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#1

Post: # 62855Unread post Shule
Thu Feb 10, 2022 2:18 am

Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Toomanymatoes
Reactions:
Posts: 315
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:26 pm
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#2

Post: # 62865Unread post Toomanymatoes
Thu Feb 10, 2022 8:27 am

I have limited experience, but grew both Cherokee Purple and JD's Special C-Tex last season. One plant each and seeds were from open pollinated commercial seed sources. I am in Zone 6a and grew them in 20G containers.

I preferred Cherokee Purple for taste (I like sweeter tomatoes). It also seemed to be a bit more productive, but at the same time produced slightly smaller tomatoes. Concentric cracking was about the same on both varieties, but probably had more to do with how I grew them. I do not recall splitting being much of a problem on either, but did have some.

User avatar
Paulf
Reactions:
Posts: 375
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 5:52 am
Location: Brownville, Nebraska

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#3

Post: # 62881Unread post Paulf
Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:45 am

Having grown all three on a fairly regular basis, Cherokee Purple is still my favorite. Those who say production is lower on CP may be right but for flavor it cannot be beat. Cherokee Chocolate, a cousin to CP is very close in all aspects. Both will be in this year's lineup and I have no problem getting both size or production from these excellent tasting tomatoes. JD's Special C-Tex is an elusive bugger for me. Rarely will this one produce much of anything. Perhaps JD doesn't like my soil, weather or me. For several years I have tried and gotten very little. When fruits are harvested they are OK but not spectacular.

rxkeith
Reactions:
Posts: 1193
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 5:57 pm
Location: keweenaw peninsula

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#4

Post: # 62884Unread post rxkeith
Thu Feb 10, 2022 12:20 pm

i had a real good year with jds special c-tex two years ago. productive, and larger tomatoes than i remember it having.
i grew cherokee chocolate last year, and was not wowed with the flavor. it was good, don't get me wrong, but not enough
to make my grow every year list. i would take jds over cherokee chocolate. i would need to grow cherokee purple again to
evaluate better. i haven't grown that one in awhile.



keith

User avatar
SpookyShoe
Reactions:
Posts: 2199
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:34 am
Location: Zone 9, Texas Gulf Coast near Houston

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#5

Post: # 62885Unread post SpookyShoe
Thu Feb 10, 2022 12:37 pm

I have grown both the JD's and the Cherokee Purple. Because I live in a suburban area with limited space for a vegetable garden I prefer the JD's because it is a more compact plant.
Donna, zone 9, El Lago, Texas

User avatar
worth1
Reactions:
Posts: 14276
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#6

Post: # 62892Unread post worth1
Thu Feb 10, 2022 1:54 pm

On a good year Cherokee purple is the winner.
Grow c tex once bad year no comment.
Never grown c chocolate.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#7

Post: # 62938Unread post Shule
Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:53 pm

Thanks, everyone! This is very helpful.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
JosephineRose
Reactions:
Posts: 153
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 4:05 pm
Location: California

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#8

Post: # 66167Unread post JosephineRose
Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:28 pm

I grew JD's in 2018 in an earthbox and it had middling production, lots of BER and "meh" tasting fruit. My notes said those first fruits were relatively early.

I had a crazy, messed up year this year and resowed super late, transplanting in June. Something possessed me to try it again, and this time I planted it in ground. I got an amazing multiflora that was prolific with giant fruits on giant trusses, but 90 days from transplant. The first group of fruits was not sweet, but the sweetness hit with the second truss. Overall it was large, prolific and heavy producing. My kitchen was filled! I pulled when disease set in after a rare rainstorm on Oct. 30.
Melissa
Zone: 10A
Climate: Warm Summer Mediterranean
Avg annual rainfall: 23.96"

User avatar
Whwoz
Reactions:
Posts: 2461
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:08 am
Location: Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#9

Post: # 66186Unread post Whwoz
Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:04 pm

Cherokee chocolate did well here in this La Nina season, need to see it in a hot year to fully assess. Have not grown C. Purple for a long time and it was in much poorer soil, need to regrow to be honest. C- Tex haven't grown, not sure if I have seed

User avatar
o0sunsi0o
Reactions:
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2023 10:20 am

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#10

Post: # 98528Unread post o0sunsi0o
Mon May 29, 2023 6:18 pm

JosephineRose wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:28 pm I grew JD's in 2018 in an earthbox and it had middling production, lots of BER and "meh" tasting fruit. My notes said those first fruits were relatively early.

I had a crazy, messed up year this year and resowed super late, transplanting in June. Something possessed me to try it again, and this time I planted it in ground. I got an amazing multiflora that was prolific with giant fruits on giant trusses, but 90 days from transplant. The first group of fruits was not sweet, but the sweetness hit with the second truss. Overall it was large, prolific and heavy producing. My kitchen was filled! I pulled when disease set in after a rare rainstorm on Oct. 30.
I still say ground grown tomatoes just taste better, I get to experiment a little on that assumption. My neighbor has a ground garden and I have growbags. I want to try the same varieties in her garden and compare taste to my growbag ones.

User avatar
PlainJane
Reactions:
Posts: 2665
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:12 pm
Location: N. FL Zone 9A

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#11

Post: # 98576Unread post PlainJane
Tue May 30, 2023 5:32 pm

I grew JDs last year and it did very poorly. What little fruit I got was cracked.
Cherokee Purple has good flavor but other black tomatoes like Daniel Burson do better in my conditions.
A surprise hit this year was Cherokee Carbon. Will be back again next year for sure.
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein

CrazyAboutOrchids
Reactions:
Posts: 116
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:31 am
Location: CT

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#12

Post: # 98605Unread post CrazyAboutOrchids
Wed May 31, 2023 7:16 am

PlainJane wrote: Tue May 30, 2023 5:32 pm I grew JDs last year and it did very poorly. What little fruit I got was cracked.
Cherokee Purple has good flavor but other black tomatoes like Daniel Burson do better in my conditions.
A surprise hit this year was Cherokee Carbon. Will be back again next year for sure.
I was so excited the year I grew JD's but it did poorly for me as well and I didn't try a second year as I often do with newbies. I've grown Cherokee Carbon in my CT garden a few times now and have been pleased. It didn't make the cut this year but is always on the list now as a possibility. Problem is I go reading on these two forums and get the bug to grow something new to me that I read about.
- Sandy zone 6A

Seven Bends
Reactions:
Posts: 511
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2020 3:25 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#13

Post: # 98609Unread post Seven Bends
Wed May 31, 2023 8:26 am

Another thumbs-up here for Cherokee Carbon. It's been great for me three years in a row -- healthy, prolific, delicious.

User avatar
Cranraspberry
Reactions:
Posts: 266
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2022 1:14 pm
Location: DC Area

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#14

Post: # 98731Unread post Cranraspberry
Fri Jun 02, 2023 6:06 am

Excited to read all the good feedback about Cherokee Carbon - we have one planted and it’s our only black, so fingers crossed for good results.
Small community garden plot in zone 7 (DC area)

User avatar
karstopography
Reactions:
Posts: 6750
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:15 am
Location: Southeast Texas

Re: Cherokee Purple vs. J.D.'s Special C-Tex vs. Cherokee Chocolate

#15

Post: # 98737Unread post karstopography
Fri Jun 02, 2023 6:50 am

I love Carbon.Seriously great tasting and mostly clean, uncomplicated looking fruit. I had Cherokee Carbon in a bad spot in the garden a couple years ago so can’t fairly evaluate that one. Cherokee Purple seldom made simple fruit, they tended to be fused blossoms, zippered, scarred and otherwise misshapen. I decided I liked more symmetrical and uncomplicated shaped tomatoes so I moved on to other dark tomatoes. I don’t regret that move.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

Post Reply

Return to “Open Pollinated/Tomatoes of Yesteryear”