Tomato, California Sungold (Organic)
Solanum lycopersicum. Orange Cherry. 65 days. Indet.
This may be the closest anybody has gotten to recreating the sweet, fruity flavor of the classic hybrid tomato Sungold in an open pollinated version. Whereas most attempts to develop an open-pollinated Sungold have started with dehybridizing (i.e., saving seeds from) the legendary Japanese F1 hybrid, tomato breeders Kanti Rawal and Steve Peters took a different approach and started by crossing the types of fruit that Sungold was purportedly bred from. This approach was clearly a success! Bright orange cherry tomatoes form in clusters on vigorous indeterminant plants that grow to a medium height, perfect for trellising with the classic California/Florida weave. Nearly as sweet as Sungold with characteristic thin skin but less prone to splitting. The undisputed winner of our sungold substitute variety trials; we’ve taken to calling it California Fungold! 12-25 gram fruit. Descended from one of our other favorite cherry tomatoes, Rosita Brandywine Cherry.
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Sow indoors in flats with good potting soil as early as February, but no later than April. Keep warm and well-watered. Up pot seedlings into 4” pots once they have two true leaves. Transplant into the garden once danger of frost has passed.
Seed Saving
Collect seeds from ripe fruit by squeezing into a jar and add 25% more water. Wait a few days for mold to form. When seeds sink and gel-sac is gone, stir, add water, then decant and rinse to clean. Dry thoroughly. Tomatoes are mostly self-pollinating; isolation is not usually needed for seeds to be true to type.
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