Sunsugar Tomato

Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in moist seed-starting mix and maintain soil temperature around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge, keeping them under grow lights or in a sunny window to prevent leggy growth.

Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before planting in the garden. Space plants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows, burying the stem slightly deeper than it was growing in containers to encourage a stronger root system.

Pick Sunsugar tomatoes when they turn a deep, glowing orange color and yield slightly to gentle pressure in your palm. At full ripeness, the fruits should feel warm from the sun and smell fragrant. The sweetness intensifies as the fruit fully ripens on the vine, so wait until the color shift is complete rather than harvesting at the first blush of orange. Harvest regularly throughout the season to encourage continued flowering and production; the plant will keep producing until the first hard frost.

As an indeterminate variety, Sunsugar will benefit from selective pruning to manage its vigorous growth and improve air circulation. Pinch off suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) when they're small to direct energy toward fruit production rather than excessive foliage. Once the plant reaches the top of its support structure or in late summer, pinch off the growing tip to redirect nutrients to ripening existing fruit rather than forming new flower clusters.