The gold I’m talking about would be Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, that is. Sun Gold is pretty much always our first tomato harvested. Last year we got our first one on June 14, but then the plants were in the ground sooner last year too. This year the first ones ripened on Friday, June 24.
first harvest of Sun Gold tomatoes (click on any image to enlarge)
That first harvest was modest, netting four tomatoes, but the plant is loaded with little green ones, and more are ripening. Sun Gold is a vigorous indeterminate tomato variety that usually keeps on growing and producing all summer long here. Thanks to favorable weather last fall, we harvested the last one on November 5th. I test new tomato varieties every year, but so far none have toppled Sun Gold from the list.
more Sun Gold tomatoes ripening
The Sun Gold vines reached the top of the cage about a week ago. Once that happens with an indeterminate tomato plant, as far as I am concerned you have two basic options: you can start pruning the vines, or you can let them go. I usually do some combination of the two, pruning a few vines whenever I think about it and then letting others just go for it. Usually, some of the vines wind up creeping into nearby cages. Once it gets to that stage, it’s every tomato for itself!
Super Sweet 100(L) and Sun Gold(R) tomatoes
This year I have Super Sweet 100 planted next to the Sun Gold, and it’s hard to know at this point if either one will overrun the other. With over 7 inches of rain in May, and 6 inches so far in June, all the tomato vines have been growing lushly.
clusters of Mountain Magic tomatoes
I can say that all of the early planted tomatoes here are doing well, and at the top of their cages already. We’re growing Mountain Magic for the first time, and it is off to a great start. The proof will be in the tasting though, which hopefully won’t be too much longer. It is a cluster type salad tomato with good blight resistance. Sapho is another cluster type I’ve grown for several years, and it will be interesting to see how Mountain Magic compares. That’s part of the fun of gardening to me, testing and tasting – especially the tasting part.
Happy growing to you all and if you are growing tomatoes, I hope they are doing well!
I wish I got tomatoes in June. I need to start one or two really early so I can get an early harvest. Tomatoes usually ripen here toward the end of July. I hope this year is earlier. I want tomatoes. When mine reach the tops of the cages, I have another rung to add. I don’t know how I’ll harvest them like that though. It’s way too tall.
So between this wonderful book called “Stronger Than Dirt” by Kimberly Schage and her husband that I recently read, you, and reports from various other bloggers about the fantastic taste of Sungold tomatoes…I will definitely be growing some for myself next season.
Sungolds already? So exciting! I’m a bit jealous – ours are doing great and there are tons of them already, but they are still green and I expect they’ll need a few more weeks of sun and rain.
I’ve never heard of Mountain Magic and will be interested to hear your verdict on them later on this summer!
I have 8 tomato plants – mostly heirlooms, mostly indeterminate plants, some cherry, some paste, and some slicers. Right now my eye is on ‘Mortgage Lifter,’ a gigantic heirloom tomato…the plant is already over 6′ tall and it’s not slowing down! Only a handful of fruits on it right now.
Enjoy those sunnies!
Your toms look delicious. I can’t wait for ours to come in.