California Sungold Tomato is an open-pollinated cherry tomato that delivers the sweet, complex flavor home gardeners chase in expensive hybrid varieties like Sun Gold, but bred to stand on its own merits. Developed by Seed rEvolution Now, this indeterminate vine grows 60 to 72 inches tall and produces abundant small golden fruits ready to harvest in just 70 days. The real appeal lies in its vigor and yield: you'll get consistent loads of deliciously sweet cherry-sized tomatoes that resist two common problems that plague other varieties, blossom end rot and fruit cracking, whether you're eating them fresh off the vine, roasting them until they burst with concentrated sweetness, or skewering them for the grill.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
72in H x 24in W
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High
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This vigorous open-pollinated variety rivals its famous hybrid namesake in flavor while offering the seed-saving freedom many gardeners crave. Golden cherry tomatoes cascade from indeterminate vines in impressive quantities, with fruits that naturally resist both blossom end rot and cracking, two frustrations that stop many tomato growers cold. At 70 days to first harvest and reaching 60 to 72 inches tall, it's a substantial producer that rewards simple care with an abundance of sweet, bite-sized fruits perfect for eating fresh.
California Sungold Tomato excels as a fresh eating tomato, where its concentrated sweetness shines whether you pluck fruits directly off the vine or serve them whole in salads. The small cherry size and robust flavor also make these tomatoes ideal for roasting until caramelized and concentrated, intensifying their natural sugars. They thread beautifully onto skewers for grilling, their sturdy skin and compact size making them a practical choice for entertaining. These are tomatoes for moments of pure pleasure rather than sauce-making or preservation, though their abundant production means you'll have plenty to experiment with.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds in seed-starting mix, keeping soil warm and consistently moist until germination. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge, either under grow lights or in a sunny window, to prevent them from becoming leggy and weak.
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all threat of frost has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 70 degrees or warmer for vigorous growth. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows spaced 36 inches wide. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days before final planting.
Pick California Sungold tomatoes when they reach full golden color and give slightly to gentle pressure; at this stage, they'll be at peak sweetness. Fruits typically mature starting around 70 days after transplanting. Rather than waiting for every tomato on the vine to ripen simultaneously, harvest ripe fruits regularly to encourage continued production. These cherry tomatoes are small enough that you can often pick handfuls at a time, making harvest quick and satisfying.
As an indeterminate variety, California Sungold will benefit from selective pruning to manage its vigor and improve air circulation. Remove lower leaves as plants grow to prevent soil splash and fungal disease, and thin out dense clusters of foliage to let light reach developing fruits. You may also remove some lateral suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) on heavily vigorous plants, though this variety's abundance means conservative pruning still yields excellent crops.
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“California Sungold Tomato emerged from the work of Seed rEvolution Now, a breeding effort aimed at creating an open-pollinated answer to the wildly popular but proprietary hybrid Sun Gold tomato. Rather than settling for a different variety altogether, these breeders undertook the longer work of developing a tomato that could match the hybrid's legendary sweetness while remaining stable enough for home gardeners to save seeds season after season. This represents the kind of democratic seed work that has gained momentum in recent decades, where passionate breeders deliberately challenge the commercial tomato industry by giving gardeners access to improved open-pollinated varieties they can propagate themselves.”