Great White. 4/10. Underwhelming tomato for flavor. Watery, with a faint melony taste. Pretty good looking, but that’s where it ends. This will be the first and last season I will be growing this variety.
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Milka’s Bulgarian Red. 8/10. New variety that I trialed this year. Very good tomato, with a rich classic taste. Ideal for salads or as a slicer for a sandwich. She’s a keeper and will see another season in my garden next year.
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Here’s one of my favorite pics of the season. Not sure if I posted it on this forum yet.
From top left to right: China Jade Cucumber, Hungarian Heart (1 lb, 5oz), White Tomesol;
bottom left to right: German Yellow Yoder, Madame Jardel Black, Salvaterra Roma; embedded in between are my incredibly prolific and unstoppable Licciano’s Black Cherry.
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Picked these today, the large ones are German Strawberry, the smaller orange ones are Jaune Flammé. The GS is more of an oxheart, largest one is 20oz. Very meaty, sweet, not too acidic. JF is tangy and sweet.
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Lots of tomatoes coming in everyday. Glad everyone is doing well. These are the pink tomato i mentioned. We harvested a couple of gallons of them last week.
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My best performer remains Sungold/Sunsweet/Sunsugar. Which all seem to be basically the same thing.
The purple cherry, which I think is just Black Cherry, suffered much worse from the summer heat. June/July temps here generally shut down tomato pollination, and while the Super Sweet 100 and the Sungold picked up production once temps dropped some the Black Cherry doesn’t seem to have restarted yet.
Larger tomatoes remain a disappointment. Early Girl and Better Boy at least produce despite disease pressure but I frankly regret planting them when I could have had more Sungolds.
I plant in Earthtainers due to heavy clay soil in my area. I do need to do better on holding each plant to only 2-4 shoots and the cages get pretty overgrown, which doesn’t help with Richmond’s disease pressure.
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As an unsolicited public service announcement, I wanted to introduce you to another one of my trials this year. It’s the one I regret the most for taste. Potentially the worst tasting tomato I have ever had in my life… The Blue Bosque Bumblebee. This watery, flavorless tomato ranks at the very bottom of all the 28 varieties I grew this year. Rating: 2/10. It gets 5 points just for looks, but 3 points below zero for taste. Therefore the 2/10 rating. Terrible beautiful tomato. I don’t even want to pick these.
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Your putting out an impressive anount of effort and getting an impressive amount of results this year!
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The Midnight Sun, a wonderful creation of Karen Olivier. This has been my favorite tomato for the past few years. To my palate the taste is slightly citrusy, sweet and refreshingly flavorful. Texture is somewhat buttery/creamy and juicy. It’s a unique tomato for looks and taste. I love it, but this year it has some serious contenders for the number 1 spot in my books. This year only the top 15 varieties will be selected for next year’s garden. Midnight Sun definitely makes the cut: she’s still a top 5. 9/10 stars.
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It was just starting to ripen when I left for a long trip 2 weeks ago, so one of my neighbors has been eating our garden produce for a couple weeks in exchange for watering things and keeping an eye on it all.
We got back last night and these are the latest ripe ones, from both the greenhouse and the outdoor plants:
They are pretty typical size for these, which range from ~50 grams up to 100+ occasionally:
The greenhouse plant is enormous, already crowding the corner of the roof above the 8-9’ rafters:
The outdoor plants are much smaller (4-5’), but are also ripening in smaller numbers. I didn’t photograph the ripe ones on the vine, but here’s the slowest of the greenhouse bunch the ripe ones mostly came from today:
And some bunches for future weeks:
Some of these were overripe, but mostly still good. They seem to get mushy if you don’t pick in time, but my 11 month old loves eating the mushy ones, which still taste great. I usually make pico de gallo or pasta sauce with Pink Boar, though also work well sliced in sandwiches and salads.
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@Marco Yes, Midnight Sun is definitely a winner. I grew it last year and will bring it back next year although I skipped it this year to make room for some others to try.
I’ve grown and also really enjoyed Nizami, which is beautiful golden heart. Like Midnight Sun it has a nice rich taste, although maybe not the little bit of citrus or tropical note. For the most part I find yellow, orange, gold and bicolor tomatoes less interesting in terms of taste since they tend to be sweet, but lack much complexity or the nice acid zing I prefer. I’ve grown KBX, persimmon, ruby gold, and some other well regarded ones, but they mostly disappoint me, which I realize is just my taste preference and a lot of people love them. Brandywine Yellow (platfoot strain) was pretty good though, wild thyme bicolor was close to Nizami and Midnight sun and Limmony, which I’m growing this year, is also pretty tasty with a bit of acid to it most of the lighter colored ones lack.
I find my favorites are the rich pink/red types with some nice complexity to them as well. Brandywine Cowlick, Prudence Purple, Grightmire’s pride are some others are among my favorites. I enjoy but don’t love the dark tomatoes, although Polaris, another of Karen Oliver’s creations, was a clear favorite among a half dozen dark tomatoes my family tasted a few weeks back. My niece brought that one to a family gathering, so I’ll definitely be adding it next year.
Another one that wowed me in terms of flavor when I grew it a few years ago, was Morado di Fitero, a large meaty beefsteak from Spain. I’m growing it again this year and while it is really good, it isn’t quite as good as I remember it being, but all of my tomatoes seem a little less flavorful this year which I think is because of the timing of big rains. Besides the flavor, Morado has fewer seeds and gel than most beefsteaks and is really meaty.
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I totally agree with you. For the longest time I refused to have yellow varieties in my garden for the exact reason you stated. I also grow KBX. They’re a big, productive variety for me, which is reliable, but they lack that special factor. I prefer the Yoder’s German Yellow amongst the yellow beefsteaks. I also tried a few yellow cherries this year. The only one that will make the selection for next year will be the Igleheart Yellow Cherry. Hands down a top 5, since I started growing it 5-6 years ago. I also tried some white tomatoes this year for the first time. Not for me. I won’t be growing them again.
I made a decision to grow only 15 varieties next year and they will mostly be red and black varieties. The only 2 yellows will be the IYC and YGY.
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My ‘Sungold’ reseeded itself from last year. So far only one tomatoe, they are so miniature they are rather fun and bright orange. Having only one so far, it is definitely not a sweet ‘sungold’ is was sour but very tomatoey in taste. I am not surprised that it did not return as I though it might. The cross willed out! Interesting though. Nature.
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Yes “in Japan, Sungold cherry tomatoes were created from Tokita Seed’s chairman, Tsutomu Tokita’s, desire to create a sugary, sweet variety for fresh eating. Tokita first encountered cherry tomatoes on a visit to the United States in 1973 and realize the consumer markets of Japan were missing a small tomato variety with a sweet flavor. Many different types of cherry tomatoes were developed through Tokita Seed and marketed with a “two-bird, one-stone” campaign, speaking to the fruit’s nutritional properties while also promoting that it is a favored variety among children for its sweet, fruity flavor. In the modern-day, cherry tomatoes, including Sungold, are featured as the main ingredient in high-end Japanese spa packages. At the Hoshino Resort in the Kochi Prefecture, multiple varieties of tomatoes are used in face and body treatments, and there is also a pre-set culinary menu consisting of cherry tomato salads, tomato juice, and a tomato syrup drizzled over crushed ice.”
“Sungold cherry tomatoes are native to Japan and were developed by the Tokita Seed Company in 1992. The small tomatoes are an F1 hybrid variety of two undisclosed parent plants, and once released, they quickly increased in popularity among Japanese markets for their sweet flavor. Outside of Japan, Sungold tomatoes were also sold through the seed house, Thompson and Morgan, in the early 1990s in Great Britain. The variety established itself as one of the most popular cherry tomato cultivars after receivincritical acclaim in several taste trials. Today Sungold cherry tomatoes can be found through international online seed retailers and are also sold through specialty growers at farmer’s markets.”
There is a 90% probability you are growing one of the parents more or less. Recessive genes of the hybrid come back. Think of a hybrid as an unstabilized cultivar.
Hybrid Tomatoes | Varieties | California SummerWinds.
"
Hybrid Advantages and Disadvantages
Which is better: open-pollinated heirloom or hybrid? If you buy an F-1 hybrid you are going to get a plant that is the same as the last F-1 you grew. It comes from the same parents. The ‘Early Girl F-1’ tomato will be genetically the same as every other ‘Early Girl F-1’ tomato: they will grow the same in all respects–days to maturity, disease resistance, flavor. With F-1 hybrids you get the advantage of what is often called “hybrid vigor”–best of the parent plants and the work of the plant breeders to develop that hybrid.
But here’s a minus side to hybrids (warning: gets to be a bit Botany 101), if you collect the seed from F-1 hybrids they are not the seed of the original parents–they are offspring of the super-parents, the F-1. The seed of F-1 hybrids will not breed true the next generation; they will not grow true to the traits of the F-1’s parents.
Heirloom Advantages
So if you find an open-pollinated plant or heirloom that you like: it has the flavor and growing characteristics you like and it has disease resistance (if that is important to you) then it certainly will have one advantage over a hybrid you like, it will cost you less in the long run.
One more thing about heirloom and open-pollinated seed and plants, it is a good thing to help keep old cultivars alive–genetic variability is the spice of life. Many old varieties–heirlooms–exist because they have great flavor, color, and form.
Open-pollinated seed–most heirlooms–can be saved and replanted year after year. Positive–you save money. You don’t have to rebuy seeds every year. (Of course, open-pollinated plants can cross-pollinate with other open-pollinated plants, but that is another can of worms or seed.)
Best of Both
Grow both hybrid and heirloom tomatoes. Grow different varieties of each. Keep notes on growing habits and performance. Taste test the tomatoes you grow. Keep a list of those you would grow again. There are more than 15,000 named tomato varieties. There are plenty to choose from and plenty to like."
According to Gurneys its “an indeterminate, it continues to grow and produce fruit up until frost. Plants exhibit resistance to fusarium wilt race I and tobacco mosaic virus. Seeds can be planted indoors about 6-8 weeks before transplanting outdoors in the garden. Plant outdoors after any chance of frost is passed. Disease Resistance: F TMV. 65 DAYS.
Grows in zones: 3-9”
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Clark, thanks so much for the story of Sungold tomatoes. Most of us love them. To have a parent (probably) is great fun! I will buy the true plants next year as I like them. Also friends love them! In France if you give a small container of them to a friend its like giving them a box of Belgian chocolates!
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Brandywine is a favorite of mine which is interesting. If i was trying to reverse engineer the hybrid to make more i would cross brandywine with that small yellow tomato you have.
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes: Tomato of the Month.
That small yellow you have is one i would save seeds from
" Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
“Sweetest tomato ever” and “Like a party in your mouth.” More than one gardener sings the praises of Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, a hybrid golden orange cherry tomato variety.
It is considered to be a cherry tomato classic because of its sweet and tangy flavor – “So sweet that even kids like it” says one gardener.
Add to that the fact that Sungold (sometimes written “Sun Gold”) produces abundant fruit until frost with very few vulnerabilities to disease and you may just want to try this tomato variety in your garden.
A Little Sungold Tomato History
Sungolds were developed by Japanese breeder Tokita Seed Company and introduced to American and British gardeners in 1992. Because the tomato seed business is very competitive, hybrid tomato parentage is carefully guarded. Having said that, speculation is strong that the Brandywine heirloom tomato among Sungold’s parents.
How to Grow Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Start from seeds 5-7 weeks before planting outside or purchase seedlings. In the garden, plant Sungolds in well-amended soil, about 36 inches apart. For container planting, choose pots at least 24 inches across and 12 or more inches deep. If you live in a warm area that enjoys a second season of tomatoes in the fall, they’re a good choice because they get to maturity quickly (about 57 days) and are so resilient.
Give them what they need and Sungolds will reward you. They are heavy feeders, so be sure to keep them on a regular feeding schedule.
And make room for them! It’s not unusual for Sungolds to grow to be 8 -10 high or more. For that reason, avoid planting them in windy areas. Stake them the tallest tomato cage you can find, even when growing them in pots.
But even if you’ve got a busy summer and give them practically no care, Sungolds will keep producing until frost.
When Are They Ripe?
Sungold cherry tomatoes grow in clusters of 10-20 fruit. They’re ripe and ready to eat before reaching fullest golden orange color, but get sweeter as they ripen. Keep in mind that Sungolds never turn red, no matter how long they stay on the vine. They’re a good variety for young gardeners to grow. Kids like them, so they’re willing to pick them and taste them in the garden, which means they learn about ripeness and taste.
Extra growing tip: towards the end of the season, Sungolds split more easily so pick them before or just at peak ripeness. Skins seem to crack less easily earlier in the season.
More Sungold Varieties
Sungold Select
Sungold Select II
Big Sungold
Sungold X Mom’s
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Indeterminate
Type: Hybrid
Origin: Japan
Days to maturity: 55-65 days
Season: Early
Foliage/habit: Regular leaf
Fruit color: golden orange
Fruit shape/size: cherry, ½ - 1 inch, 1 ounce
Resistance: VFTMV
Yield: prolific
Taste: very sweet
Other notes: High in vitamin A. Tolerates heat well"
My guess of the yellow parent would take time
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Sungold was developed from a complex cross with Solanum Habrochaites, one of the wild tomato species. Smell the leaves of Sungold and you will smell the odor common to S. Habrochaites.
Sungold carries the b^og gene which just means that it is high in carotene. Carotene gives the characteristic orange color. It also carries at least 4 different genes that contribute to the extra sweet flavor. If you plant Sungold seed, about 1 in 100 will be highly similar to the parent with the other 99 noticeably different. A few of the segregating seedlings will produce red fruit.
Several people have tried to dehybridize Sungold over the years with varying levels of success. One or two are worth growing. Sunsugar iirc is one of the better attempts.
If you search online for Zima cherry tomato, you will find a commercial effort to one-up Sungold. Zima was developed from an orange pear shaped tomato very similar to Hibor. The guy who bred Zima, Doug Heath, worked in California for a lot of years. He moved from Seminis to Bejoseed a few years ago.
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Lots of good information on these. An open pollinated stabalized version would be great. Like the black sex link chicken most hybrids ofany kind are a simple cross of 2 parents. " The black sex-links are produced by crossing the Barred Plymouth Rock hen with a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster "
Sex-Linked Crosses | Animal & Food Sciences.
I know tomatos are not chickens
"In order to understand how sex-linked crosses work, an understanding of avian genetics is required. The first thing to note is that the genetic basis for sex determination is different from that for mammals, as shown below.
MAMMALS
(e.g., humans, cows, etc.)
Male = XY
Female = XX
Males determine the sex of the offspring 
##### BIRDS
(Including poultry)
Male = ZZ
Female = ZW
Females determine the sex of the offspring"
One time at the tractor store they were selling black sex link. Yes i gladly took the black ones since they are females. The others are males and they all look like barred rocks.
