Sungold Tomato: Care and Growing Guide

What is Sungold tomato?

Sungold is an F1 hybrid cherry tomato developed by Tokita Seed Company of Japan, producing clusters of small orange-gold fruit that ripen 57–60 days from transplant. It consistently ranks among the sweetest cherry tomatoes in US taste trials, with a Brix rating of 9–12 — roughly 25–50% higher sugar content than most red cherry types.

The distinctive flavor is not just sweet. Tasters describe a complex tropical note — mango, apricot, and citrus — that separates it from other cherry tomatoes. This flavor profile, combined with early production and high yield, has made Sungold one of the most searched and most grown cherry tomato varieties in the US since the early 1990s.

Sungold is indeterminate and requires support. Plants reach 6–8 feet tall in a full growing season. A single well-maintained Sungold plant can produce 200–300 individual cherry tomatoes over the course of a season in USDA Zones 4–9.

Sungold tomato compared to other cherry types

Sungold wins on flavor and earliness in most US taste comparisons. Its main disadvantage is crack susceptibility — the thin skin that contributes to its exceptional sweetness also tears after rain. Sun Sugar, developed by the same company, was bred specifically to address this weakness. Our Sun Sugar Tomato guide covers the comparison in detail if you want a more crack-resistant orange cherry option.

For comparing red cherry tomato types, see our Super Sweet 100 guide for that variety’s characteristics and US performance data.

How to grow Sungold tomatoes: site and soil

Sungold needs full sun (8 hours minimum) in well-drained soil with consistent moisture. It performs reliably in Zones 4–9 as an annual and can extend to Zone 10 with careful summer heat management.

Soil requirements:

• pH 6.0–6.8 (slightly acidic to neutral)
• Well-drained loam or sandy loam is ideal
• Add 2–3 inches of compost to clay or sandy soils at bed preparation
• Avoid areas where water pools after rain — wet roots invite root rot

Sungold tolerates heat well — it continues producing through temperatures up to 95°F, though fruit set may reduce above 90°F. In Zone 9–10, late afternoon shade reduces heat stress during peak summer.

When to plant Sungold tomatoes

Plant transplants outdoors after last frost date, when soil temperatures are consistently above 60°F. Sungold is not cold-tolerant and should not be rushed — transplants set out in cold soil stall and take weeks longer to establish than plants set out in warm soil.

Timing by zone:

• Zone 4: transplant mid-May to early June
• Zone 5: transplant early to mid-May
• Zone 6: transplant late April to early May
• Zone 7: transplant mid-April to late April
• Zone 8: transplant late March to mid-April
• Zone 9–10: transplant February–March (fall planting also works)

Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before outdoor transplant date. Sungold seeds are widely available from Burpee, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Park Seed, and most US specialty seed catalogs.

How to plant Sungold tomatoes

Sungold benefits from deep planting — set the transplant so the bottom third of the stem is buried. Tomatoes form roots all along a buried stem, which creates a stronger, more deeply rooted plant.

Planting steps:

1. Dig a hole 8–10 inches deep, or a trench if your stem is very long
2. Remove the lower leaves from the portion of stem that will be underground
3. Set the plant deep, leaving 4–6 inches of stem and leaves above ground
4. Backfill with native soil — no need to amend the planting hole
5. Water thoroughly at planting
6. Install the stake or cage immediately — doing it at planting avoids disturbing roots later

Space Sungold plants 24–30 inches apart. The variety’s vigorous indeterminate growth benefits from slightly more spacing than compact determinate types. See our how far apart to plant tomatoes guide for full spacing recommendations by variety type and climate.

Staking and supporting Sungold tomatoes

Sungold reaches 6–8 feet in most US growing zones. Standard cone cages sold at hardware stores top out at 3–4 feet — inadequate for this variety. Use one of these support options:

Single stake: Drive a 7–8-foot stake 6 inches from the plant. Tie the main stem every 10–12 inches as it grows. This is the most space-efficient approach and allows tight spacing in a raised bed.

Heavy-duty cage: Use a cage at least 5 feet tall with a 16–20-inch diameter. Concrete reinforcing mesh bent into a cylinder works well. The cage supports the plant without weekly tying.

Florida weave: For multiple Sungold plants in a row, the Florida weave (posts every 2 plants with twine woven back and forth) is efficient and supports the fruiting clusters reliably.

Pruning Sungold for best production

Prune Sungold to 1–2 main leaders by removing suckers — the side shoots that emerge in leaf axils. Single-leader pruning produces earlier fruit, better airflow, and easier harvest. In humid climates east of the Rockies, pruning is essential for disease management.

Sungold produces suckers aggressively. An unpruned plant in a single season can develop 8–10 main stems. While an unpruned plant does produce high total volume, the dense canopy creates conditions for early blight and Septoria leaf spot — the two most common problems in US tomato gardens.

Sucker removal technique:

1. Remove suckers when they are under 2 inches long — snap or pinch them off
2. For suckers you missed while small, cut cleanly with scissors or pruners
3. Remove suckers from below the first flower cluster completely
4. Above the first flower cluster, allow one sucker to develop as a second leader, or remove all for single-leader

For full pruning technique and timing by US growing zone, see our how to prune tomatoes guide.

Watering and fertilizing Sungold

Sungold needs consistent moisture — 1–2 inches of water per week — and regular fertilization throughout the growing season. Inconsistent watering is the primary cause of fruit cracking, which is Sungold’s main weakness.

The thin skin that makes Sungold so flavorful splits easily when the plant absorbs a large burst of water after a dry period. This happens most often after summer storms following a dry spell. The fix is not to stop watering — it is to keep soil moisture as consistent as possible so there are no large swings.

Watering tips:

• Drip irrigation or soaker hoses at soil level prevent the dry-wet cycles that cause cracking
• Mulch with 2–3 inches of straw or wood chips to retain soil moisture between rains
• Monitor soil moisture daily in containers — container-grown Sungold may need water every 12–24 hours in peak summer

Fertilizer schedule:

• At transplanting: slow-release balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) worked into planting hole soil
• At first flower cluster: switch to a lower-nitrogen product (5-10-5 or similar tomato fertilizer)
• Every 3–4 weeks through the season: liquid tomato fertilizer at half strength

Harvesting Sungold tomatoes

Harvest Sungold when fruit is a deep golden-orange color and gives slightly when squeezed. In humid climates, harvest every 1–2 days — leaving ripe fruit on the vine during wet weather dramatically increases cracking losses.

Sungold does not hold on the vine as well as other cherry tomatoes. Once fully ripe, it will crack within 24–48 hours if rain falls. Picking slightly early (when fruit is orange but before it fully deepens) and allowing to ripen on the counter is a better strategy during rainy periods than waiting for vine ripeness.

At peak ripeness, Sungold clusters detach easily from the plant — the entire cluster of 10–15 fruit can be picked at once. This makes harvest faster than picking individual fruit.

Common Sungold problems

Sungold is not particularly susceptible to any single pest over other cherry tomato types. Standard tomato pests — aphids, tomato hornworm, stink bugs — visit Sungold at the same rate as other varieties.

For companion planting around Sungold that attracts pollinators and deters common pests, see our tomato companion plants guide. For full season tomato care including fertilizer schedules, see our how to grow tomatoes guide.

Where to buy Sungold tomato seeds and plants

Sungold seeds are available from most major US seed catalogs — Burpee, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Park Seed, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (though Sungold itself is not heirloom), and Totally Tomatoes. As a Tokita-patented variety, there is only one true Sungold — seeds sold under slightly different names may be variations.

Transplants labeled “Sungold” appear at garden centers in April–May. Confirm they are the orange-fruiting Tokita type rather than a different cherry variety sold under a similar name.

For our overview of the most reliable indeterminate tomato varieties for US gardens, that guide compares Sungold alongside the full range of cherry, slicing, and heirloom types by performance, flavor, and disease resistance.