Sun Gold
Solanum lycopersicum
Exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomatoes leave everyone begging for more. Vigorous plants start yielding early and bear right through the season. Tendency to split precludes shipping, making these an exclusively fresh-market treat. The taste can't be beat. 15-20 gm. fruits. Indeterminate.
Harvest
57d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Sun Gold in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 tomato →Zone Map
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Sun Gold · Zones 10–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – April | June – July | — | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | — | August – October |
| Zone 5 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | April – June |
| Zone 1 | May – May | July – August | — | September – August |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | — | August – September |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | — | March – May |
Complete Growing Guide
Exceptionally sweet, bright tangerine-orange cherry tomatoes leave everyone begging for more. Vigorous plants start yielding early and bear right through the season. Tendency to split precludes shipping, making these an exclusively fresh-market treat. The taste can't be beat. 15-20 gm. fruits. Indeterminate. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Sun Gold is 57 days to maturity, annual, hybrid (f1), indeterminate growth habit. Disease resistance includes Fusarium Wilt, Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Notable features: Easy Choice.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 3 feet-6 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Sun Gold reaches harvest at 57 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 15-20 g at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
The fruits are smooth, shiny, glossy, and are classified as berries. The size, shape, and color will vary depending on the variety or cultivar. The color of the fruits may be red, yellow, orange, green, purple, or pink. The fruits may contain over 100 yellow to light brown seeds.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, Variegated. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible, Showy
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Edibility: The fruits or berries of the tomato are edible. They may be eaten raw, cooked, dried, or processed. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants. Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives the tomato its rich red color. Many plants will drop fruit when ripe or the fruit will come off easily. Tomatoes will continue to ripen once picked. Store them at room temperature.
Storage & Preservation
Sun Gold tomatoes store best at room temperature (68–72°F) away from direct sunlight, ideally in a single layer on a breathable surface rather than sealed containers. Whole fruits remain fresh for 5–7 days once picked. Because these are thin-skinned cherry tomatoes with high sugar content, they're better enjoyed fresh than preserved, though they can be frozen whole on a tray before bagging for winter cooking, or briefly oven-dried at low temperature (200°F) to concentrate their sweetness. Canning is possible using standard hot-water bath methods, though the delicate flavor is somewhat diminished by processing. A useful tip: harvest these slightly underripe if you plan to keep them more than a few days; their exceptional sweetness develops fully even off the vine, and this extends their usable window by several days before softening occurs.
History & Origin
Sun Gold is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: Peru
Advantages
- +Exceptionally sweet tropical flavor that surpasses most cherry tomato varieties
- +Early production at 57 days with continuous heavy yields through season
- +Vigorous indeterminate plants require minimal care and grow vigorously
- +Bright tangerine-orange color adds visual appeal to fresh harvests
Considerations
- -Fruits split and crack easily during heavy rains or inconsistent watering
- -Susceptible to late blight and early blight fungal diseases
- -Sweet fruit attracts birds and multiple pest species like whiteflies
- -Cannot be shipped commercially due to splitting tendency
Companion Plants
Basil planted 12–18 inches away is the companion I'd never drop from a Sun Gold bed — there's modest evidence it confuses thrips and aphids, but the more honest reason is you're already harvesting both at the same time and they grow at the same rate. Tagetes patula (French marigold, not the big African types) has solid research behind nematode suppression when planted densely and turned under at season's end. Nasturtium works as a sacrificial host, drawing aphid colonies onto itself and off your tomatoes. Keep fennel at least 10 feet away — it releases allelopathic compounds from its roots that stunt most neighboring vegetables, and tomatoes show that clearly. Brassicas are a bad fit too: they share whitefly pressure with tomatoes and compete for similar soil nutrients in tight beds.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and tomato hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural pest-repelling compounds
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control tomato pests
Carrots
Loosens soil around tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients due to different root depths
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling whiteflies
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases with natural sulfur compounds
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial predators while potentially improving tomato growth and flavor
Oregano
Repels various pests and provides ground cover that helps retain soil moisture
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes wilting and stunted growth in tomatoes
Fennel
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit tomato growth and development
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted too close
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Fusarium Wilt races 1 (High); Tobacco Mosaic Virus (High)
Common Pests
Aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, birds (attracted to sweet fruit)
Diseases
Late blight, early blight, cracking during heavy rains
Troubleshooting Sun Gold
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Fruit splitting or cracking after heavy rain, especially on ripe or near-ripe clusters
Likely Causes
- Irregular watering — long dry spell followed by sudden heavy moisture causes the flesh to expand faster than the skin
- Leaving ripe fruit on the vine too long during wet weather
What to Do
- 1.Mulch 3–4 inches deep with straw to buffer soil moisture swings
- 2.Pick Sun Gold clusters at first blush of orange — they'll finish ripening off the vine and crack far less
- 3.Install drip irrigation or soaker hose to keep soil moisture consistent rather than feast-or-famine
Large gray-green patches on foliage collapsing fast — within 48–72 hours — with water-soaked dark spots on fruit
Likely Causes
- Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) — spreads explosively in cool, wet weather; nights above 60°F with high humidity are the danger window
- Infected transplants or spores blown in from nearby potato or tomato plantings
What to Do
- 1.Remove and bag affected plants immediately — do not compost them
- 2.Apply a copper-based fungicide (copper octanoate or copper hydroxide) on remaining plants at first sign, repeating every 7 days if wet weather continues
- 3.NC State Extension notes that late blight timing varies year to year — scout every few days once nights stay humid and don't wait for the disease to spread between plants
Lower leaves developing brown bullseye-patterned spots with yellow halos, starting around day 45 after transplant
Likely Causes
- Early blight (Alternaria solani) — soil-borne fungus that splashes up onto foliage during rain or overhead irrigation
- Crowded plants blocking airflow at the base
What to Do
- 1.Strip affected lower leaves and trash them — don't compost
- 2.Lay 3–4 inches of straw mulch to stop soil splash
- 3.NC State Extension's IPM guidance recommends rotating nightshades out of the same bed for at least 3–4 years; for some tomato diseases that window stretches to 5–7 years
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Sun Gold tomato take to grow?▼
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Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.