City Gardening

Be a city gardener.

Gardening in a very urban environment is mostly trial and error for me. I’ve grown Cherokee Purple tomatoes for 3 summers now and have purchased from either Home Depot or Gethsemane Garden Center, in Andersonville. This year, I decided to experiment with growing them on my own.

Dark purple heirloom tomatoes with water droplets in a pale green bowl.

Cherokee Purple tomatoes

It is a versatile plant that can grow well in most regions of the U.S., with the best flavor being achieved by letting the fruit ripen on the vine. Cherokee Purple consistently wins taste tests at tomato festivals throughout the country and is a good producer for an heirloom variety. Below are steps on how to grow Cherokee Purple tomatoes.

Here are my step-by-step instructions from Feb. 5th to Feb. 22nd:

Purchase Seeds


I purchased from Eden Brothers and reused the packing material that came in my new Bartesian cocktail maker box.

Cherokee Purple tomato seed packet with planting instructions and a QR code.

Pack Peat Moss


Using peat moss saved from Summer 2022, pack it tightly and wet it thoroughly into each planting cell, ensuring to pat it down to limit air pockets and to allow the medium to become fully dampened.

Hand pressing seeds into soil in a planting tray beside a divided seed-starting tray.

Cover with Plastic


As I am experimenting in my apartment during 20 degree weather outside, I am using a heat mat and plastic cover.

Seed-starting trays filled with soil beneath a clear cover and magenta grow lights.

Keep it Warm


I kept the planting medium consistently damp and maintained a temperature range of 72-74 F by using plastic cover. This is important because tomato seeds require warmer temperatures to initiate germination, and maintaining the appropriate temperature and humidity levels will help facilitate the growth of both the seeds and the planting medium.

Clear plastic bag with printed safety warnings under magenta grow lighting.

Sprout Process


The seeds began to germinate within 7 days.

Young seedlings sprout in soil-filled starter trays beside a black watering tube.

Continue to Nourish


Since natural sunlight is unreliable during the winter, I have positioned LED grow lights over the tomato seedlings. This will encourage the seedlings to grow upwards without becoming lanky, which can happen when they stretch in search of sunlight.

Young seedlings growing in a soil-filled planter beside an irrigation tube.

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