Super Sweet 100
Solanum lycopersicum 'Super Sweet 100'
The ultimate cherry tomato for prolific harvests and incredible sweetness that kids and adults absolutely love. These vigorous indeterminate plants produce massive clusters of bright red, bite-sized tomatoes that are perfect for snacking straight from the vine. A reliable performer that keeps producing sweet, crack-resistant fruit all season long until first frost.
Harvest
65-70d
Days to harvest
Sun
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato
Zones
10–11
USDA hardiness
Height
1-10 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Super Sweet 100 in USDA Zone 7
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Super Sweet 100 · 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 | — | August – October |
| Zone 6 | March – March | May – June | — | July – September |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | — | July – September |
| Zone 8 | February – February | April – May | — | June – August |
| Zone 9 | January – January | March – April | — | May – July |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | — | May – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon. 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
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
Bloom 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
Store freshly harvested Super Sweet 100 tomatoes at room temperature for 3-5 days for best flavor, as refrigeration diminishes their sweetness. Once fully ripe, refrigerate for up to one week in the crisper drawer, bringing to room temperature before eating.
For preservation, these small tomatoes excel at whole canning using a water bath canner - their size makes them perfect for mason jars. Freeze whole tomatoes by washing, removing stems, and placing on baking sheets before transferring to freezer bags. Their skins will slip off easily after thawing.
Dehydrate halved tomatoes in a food dehydrator at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create intensely flavored dried tomatoes perfect for salads and pasta. Their high sugar content makes them ideal for making tomato powder when fully dried and ground.
History & Origin
Super Sweet 100 was developed by Burpee Seeds in the 1970s as an improvement over the popular Sweet 100 variety. The original Sweet 100, introduced in the 1960s, was beloved for its exceptional sweetness but suffered from vulnerability to fusarium and tobacco mosaic virus.
Burpee's breeding program focused on maintaining that signature intense sweetness while improving disease resistance and plant vigor. The 'Super' designation reflects these enhanced characteristics - better crack resistance, improved disease tolerance, and even more prolific production than its predecessor.
This hybrid quickly became a staple in American home gardens and remains one of the most popular cherry tomato varieties four decades later. Its development marked a shift in tomato breeding toward creating varieties specifically designed for fresh eating and snacking, rather than just cooking or sauce-making. The variety's success helped establish the cherry tomato category as essential for home gardeners.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees, Pollinators, Predatory Insects
- +Wildlife value: The plant is pollinated by bees, especially bumblebees.
- +Edible: 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.
- +Fast-growing
Considerations
- -Toxic (Leaves, Stems): Medium severity
- -High maintenance
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms while potentially improving tomato flavor
Marigold
Deters nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies with natural compounds
Carrots
Helps break up soil for tomato roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that prey on tomato pests
Chives
Repels aphids and may help prevent fungal diseases
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, draws pests away
Oregano
Repels various insects and may enhance tomato growth through root interactions
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and utilizes space efficiently without nutrient competition
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Releases juglone toxin that causes tomato wilt and stunted growth
Fennel
Inhibits tomato growth through allelopathic compounds and attracts harmful insects
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt tomato growth when planted nearby
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #321360)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good crack resistance, moderate tolerance to common tomato diseases
Common Pests
Tomato hornworm, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites
Diseases
Early blight, late blight, fusarium wilt, tobacco mosaic virus