How to Grow Tomato
'Sungold' F1 from Seed
Long trusses of tangerine-orange cherry tomatoes, widely reckoned the sweetest you can grow. Crops early and keeps going until the frosts.
'Sungold' is widely reckoned the sweetest tomato you can grow. It carries long trusses of small tangerine-orange cherries with a flavour closer to tropical fruit than tomato, and it is the variety growers most often name as their single favourite.
It crops early and keeps producing right through to the frosts. Under glass it will run to well over two metres given the room, but it is also happy against a sunny wall outdoors in a decent summer.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Crop Type
Cherry tomato, cordon, F1 hybrid
Sowing Time
Feb to Apr, under cover
Harvest
July to October
Height
Over 2m under glass
Best Grown
Greenhouse or sunny wall
Difficulty
2 out of 5, easy
Understanding the Crop
'Sungold' is an F1 hybrid cherry tomato, Solanum lycopersicum. It is an indeterminate, cordon type that grows on a single main stem, setting trusses all the way up.
As an F1 hybrid, seed saved from your own fruit will not come true, so buy fresh seed each year.
Thin skins, even watering
The thin skins are part of why 'Sungold' tastes so good, and also why it splits if watering is erratic. Keep the compost evenly moist, especially as fruit ripens.
When & How to Sow
Sow under cover from February to April. Sow in March for outdoor plants, so they are not too large before the frosts pass.
Outdoors
For outdoor growing, choose the sunniest, most sheltered spot you have, ideally against a south-facing wall, and plant out only after the last frost.
Sow in warmth. Sow 5mm deep in seed compost at 18 to 25°C. Seedlings appear in one to two weeks.
Pot on deep. Move seedlings into 9cm pots once they have true leaves, burying the stem up to the seed leaves.
Plant out. Plant into greenhouse beds, large pots or growbags from May, or outdoors in June after hardening off, about 45cm apart with a tall support.
Growing On Tips
Remove sideshoots
Pinch out sideshoots to keep a single, productive cordon.
Tall support
Use a long cane or string. Plants can top two metres under glass.
Even watering
Consistent moisture stops thin skins from splitting.
Weekly feed
Feed with high-potash tomato feed once the first truss has set.
Stop when needed
Pinch out the top when it reaches the roof, or outdoors in late summer.
Pick often
Pick regularly as fruits turn deep orange to keep the plant cropping.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Split fruit | Erratic watering | Water evenly and pick ripe fruit promptly. |
| Black patch at fruit base | Blossom end rot | Keep watering consistent, particularly in containers. |
| Saved seed gives different plants | F1 hybrid | Buy fresh seed each year. |
| Brown blotches outdoors | Blight | Remove affected growth; grow under glass in wet summers. |
| Flowers drop without setting | Very hot or dry conditions | Ventilate, damp down and water regularly. |
When to Harvest
Under glass, the first fruits ripen from July, and plants crop until the frosts. Pick when the fruit is deep tangerine orange for the sweetest flavour.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow under cover | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Plant out | ||||||||||||
| 🍅 Harvest |
Crop Specifications
The sweetest tomato you can grow
Sow in spring, water evenly and keep picking. You will have trusses of tropical-sweet orange cherries from July until the frosts.
Shop Tomato Sungold F1 Seeds →