Some links in this post, like the Epic 5″ cube pot and some others are affiliate links (but not all). This means if you click and buy, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps keep my garden dreams growing—thank you from the bottom of my heart! Let’s dig into this Tomato growing adventure together! 🐔
🌱 I’m Erin with Bloom & Peck, and I’m back with Part 3 of my Tomato Trials series from my Zone 7 KY homestead. It’s May 17, 2025, and I’m 24 days post-surgery, sticking to my 10lb limit and no-bending rule with my homemade planter gardening setup.
🍅 Today, I transplanted a Cherokee Purple heritage tomato into my DIY kitchen container garden, and I’m sharing the fun—amazing roots, plant pairing, and a giggle with my grandson’s rake. Let’s dive into some sustainable container gardening! 🐔
Transplanting Cherokee Purple with Root Magic
🍅 Today’s star is the Cherokee Purple, a mouthwatering heirloom tomato I adore on a fresh BLT with sourdough and dare I say, Homemade MAYO, OMG YUM—juicy perfection! I potted up this beauty to an Epic 5″ cube pot, and the root development was incredible when I pulled it out. The pot’s unique design lets roots air-prune at the bottom, encouraging stronger growth and preventing root binding—perfect for my container setup (Epic Gardening). Look at these lovely roots after I potted up my tomato seedling – that’s 9 days of growth!
📺 Following tomato planting tips from GrowVeg – I like learning from Ben, I took off the bottom leaves and planted it deep to boost root strength—a game-changer for my Zone 7 vegetable growing. I fluffed the container mix with my grandson’s child-sized rake (he loves helping me play in the garden—a perfect family gardening project – see farther down) and mixed in tomato fertilizer before watering it in
Setting Up the DIY Cattle Panel Trellis
🍅 These heritage tomatoes are beefsteak types, known for their heavy, delicious fruits (Burpee). To support their indeterminate vining growth habit, I wove the plant into my DIY garden trellis, crafted earlier in the series (here).
I love how easy it is to find cattle panels or sheep panels to make homemade tomato supports. The section I used is a leftover from my porch railing project—you can find these at feed stores or even Facebook Marketplace! If you can’t get out or don’t have a truck to haul: shipping those 16′ panels is expensive, what can ya do? I am glad that Epic Gardening carries various sizes and types of garden trellis to suit my trellis needs.
This DIY tomato trellis idea will make training easier as it climbs, giving those hefty tomatoes the support they need in the central south Kentucky region’s warm climate (Tomato Bible). Bonus, it is leaning against my porch so when the fruit ripes -I will just pluck it from the vine and take a bite, oh I mean take it into the kitchen to share. 🤭 I can already picture those deep purple fruits reaching up— small space gardening at its best!
Companion Planting for a Happy Tomato
To give my favorite tomato a boost, I added beneficial planting partners. On each side at the back of the container, I planted an Inca II Yellow Marigold (early-blooming with vibrant yellow hues, Harris Seeds) and a Disco Red Marigold Disco Series seeds mature as tidy 8-12″ ideal for planters, (True Leaf Market)
from my Marigold Companion planting blog. They’ll repel pests like tomato hornworms, a great trick for organic pest control. I grabbed these starts from my local nursery but I provided links to the seeds at the end of the post from proven providers, I am not currently affiliated with these companies.
I also added a basil plant to enhance flavor and growth (Homestead and Chill) and a lemon thyme plant from my local nursery, which deters aphids and whiteflies naturally (Fluxing Well). Thyme’s pest control magic will star in my next Companion Planting Series—stay tuned for more garden synergy tips!
Adaptive Gardening with a Laugh
I tackled this accessible gardening project from my short stool, using my grandson’s child-size rake, which I grabbed from the shed after his last visit.
I had to laugh at myself, since the last time Grandma showed him how to use it, we both got a bonk on the head from its handle 😂 It’s light, fits my 10lb limit, and made mixing fun despite my no-bending rule—a true DIY garden hack! I did have to upgrade to my 4-prong rake to mix in the tomato fertilizer well. The final setup looks tiny now, but I’m thrilled to watch it grow up that trellis!
Cherokee Purple FAQ
They can reach 4-6 feet, thriving in Zone 7’s warm summers with a trellis for support (Tomato Bible).
It’s a non-hybrid, open-pollinated variety with a unique, smoky-sweet flavor passed down through generations (Burpee).
Yes! My DIY container works with deep soil and a trellis to handle its vining habit (Tomato Bible).
Tomato hornworms and aphids are common, but my marigolds, basil, and thyme help naturally (Fluxing Well).
Cherokee Purple: Heirloom Magic in Zone 7
My Favorite beefsteak tomatoes shine in my Zone 7 kitchen garden with 6-8 hours of sun, growing 4-6 feet tall—perfect for my DIY garden trellis (Tomato Bible). Their heirloom status means a non-hybrid, open-pollinated variety with smoky-sweet flavor and deep purple skin (Burpee). Heirloom tomatoes like these are a homestead favorite for their rich taste and history.
Let’s Grow Together – Share Your Tips!
Dreaming of that Homegrown Tomato BLT—pure joy! 🍅 How are your tomatoes doing in your small space gardening setup? Share on Instagram, Facebook, or X @bloomandpeck—I’d love your tips!
Resources
Burpee
Tomato Bible
Fluxing Well
Homestead and Chill
Harris Seeds
GrowVeg 5 Tips to growing Amazing tomatoes
Epic Gardening
True Leaf Market