Where to buy seeds
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The Gold Nugget tomato stands as a testament to university breeding excellence, developed by Oregon State University in the 1980s to deliver exceptional sweetness in a compact package. This award-winning determinate cherry tomato produces vibrant orange fruits in just 60-69 days, making it perfect for gardeners seeking early harvests across zones 2-13. Growing 24-36 inches tall with a bush-like habit, it sets all its fruit at once before concluding its season, though some sources suggest spacing requirements vary from 12-36 inches depending on your growing method.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
36in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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What truly sets Gold Nugget apart is its remarkable sweetness paired with stunning orange coloration that earned it the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in England. This determinate variety excels in versatility, thriving equally well in garden beds, raised beds, and greenhouses while offering impressive resistance to seven major diseases including Fusarium Wilt, Late Blight, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Its compact, bush-like growth eliminates the need for extensive staking, and the concentrated fruit set allows for succession planting to extend your harvest window throughout the season.
Gold Nugget tomatoes shine as fresh eating cherries, their exceptional sweetness making them perfect for snacking straight from the vine or adding bright orange color and intense flavor to salads and appetizer platters. Their vibrant appearance and concentrated harvest make them excellent for preserving through pickling or drying, while their determinate nature allows gardeners to process the entire crop at once for sauces or canning projects.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 7-9 weeks before your last spring frost date, sowing 1/4 inch deep in organically-rich, well-drained seed starting mix. Maintain germination temperatures between 70-90°F until seeds sprout, then provide strong light and cooler temperatures of 60-70°F to prevent leggy growth.
Transplant outdoors after soil temperatures reach 55°F and all danger of frost has passed, typically mid-April in most regions. Harden off plants gradually over 7-10 days before transplanting, and bury stems up to the top 2 sets of leaves to encourage strong root development.
Direct sowing is not recommended for this variety.
Harvest when fruits develop their characteristic vibrant orange color and yield slightly to gentle pressure, typically showing a glossy skin appearance. Since this determinate variety ripens all fruit within a concentrated period, check plants daily once the first tomatoes begin changing color. Use clean scissors or garden shears to snip ripe tomatoes from the vine, leaving a small stem attached, and handle gently to avoid damaging the remaining fruit on the plant.
As a determinate variety, Gold Nugget requires minimal pruning since it naturally stops growing after setting fruit. Remove only the bottom leaves that touch the soil to prevent disease, and pinch off any suckers that develop below the first flower cluster to direct energy into fruit production.
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“Gold Nugget emerged from the breeding programs at Oregon State University in the 1980s, where researchers sought to create a cherry tomato that combined exceptional sweetness with early maturity and compact growth. The variety quickly gained international recognition, ultimately earning the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in England. This university-developed hybrid represents the successful marriage of flavor, form, and function that has made it an international favorite among gardeners seeking reliable, sweet cherry tomatoes.”