Cherry Chocolate

Family: Solanaceae Nightshade

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Cherry Chocolate to a garden.

Sweetly fragrant as ripe cherries, Cherry Chocolate delivers a rich, cocoa-kissed sweetness with a glossy, thin-skinned bite.

At maturity, clusters of deep mahogany-red to chocolate-brown fruits form a tidy cascade of color, each one bursting with juicy flavor and a pleasantly firm, succulent texture. Ideal for fresh snacking, vibrant salads, and quick pan-roasted bursts of color, Cherry Chocolate also shines in sauces and relish for gardeners who love bold, dessert-like tomato character.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 60 DaysHabit: Indeterminate

Botanical illustration of Cherry Chocolate

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Cherry Chocolate Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Apr 13th	Jul 27th	Sep 25th – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	Jul 20th	Sep 18th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 8th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 8th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	Jul 14th	Sep 12th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	Jul 10th	Sep 8th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	Jul 8th	Sep 6th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	Jul 3rd	Sep 1st – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Jun 29th	Aug 28th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Jun 20th	Aug 19th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Jun 15th	Aug 14th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Jun 5th	Aug 4th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	May 27th	Jul 26th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	May 18th	Jul 17th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	May 1st	Jun 30th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Apr 6th	Jun 5th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	60
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Indeterminate
Support Needed	Stake
Planting Depth	Deep
Germination Temp (°F)	75
Min Soil Temp (°F)	60
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	10

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Cherry Chocolate tastes like a ripe cherry wearing a chocolate ribbon—sweet with a fast, juicy pop that doesn’t turn mealy. Thin skin means it sears and collapses beautifully in a hot pan, but it still holds enough structure for salads and spoonable relish.

Best Uses

snack-and-salt as-is for maximum glossy burst
quick pan-roast or blistering to concentrate sugars without splitting
cherry-tomato relish or quick chutney (sweet-tart, colorful)
high-gloss salad toss where they stay intact under vinaigrette

Flavor Profile

cocoa-kissed sweetness ripe-cherry brightness glossy thin-skin snap juicy, pleasantly firm bite

Kitchen Pairings

smoked mozzarella burrata fresh chèvre balsamic vinegar garlic olive oil

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease commonly affects Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) like Cherry Chocolate, and how can I manage it at home?

Look out for early blight and leaf spot (Alternaria), which show up as dark, target-like spots that spread from the lower leaves upward. Remove and discard affected leaves right away, avoid overhead watering, and water at the soil line to keep foliage dry. If the problem keeps spreading, use an appropriate labeled fungicide for tomatoes and repeat according to the label interval.

How often should I water Cherry Chocolate tomatoes during the main growing phase?

During active fruit set and bulking (roughly weeks 4–8), keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged—aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) of water per week total, adjusted for your heat and rainfall. Water deeply 1–2 times weekly rather than lightly daily, and ensure the soil dries slightly on top between waterings. Uneven moisture increases blossom-end rot in tomatoes, so try to maintain steady moisture from flowering onward.

How do I tell when Cherry Chocolate tomatoes are ready to harvest?

Harvest when fruits are fully sized and have a uniform dark brown to mahogany “chocolate” color with a slight give when gently squeezed. You should be able to detach the fruit easily from the vine with a light twist; if it resists, let it color a bit longer. At about 60 days to maturity, start checking daily once plants begin coloring.