Johnny's in Maine

johnnyseeds.com

I have been getting the real SunGold from then for at least 10 years now. I got some the first year they were made public and have been growing SunGold ever since.

I got mine from Tomato Growers Supply

tomatogrowers.com

I'm curious tho as to why you think there are many imposters out there? What was your source of seed?

Dave

I know exactly what you mean, John. Yesterday I pulled my Sungold and tossed it in the woods ... hope the birds enjoy it. It was growing well and loaded with fruit, but none of them tasted like the Sungold grown in 2005, 2006 and 2007 ... no fruity burst or zing ... and the color wasn't as deep a gold as I remember.

This year's seeds were from TGS. The seeds for the Sungold in 2005, 2006 and 2007 were from Thompson Morgan. I ran out of seed and the nursery here that sells TM seeds no longer offers Sungold. Next year's Sungold will be from Johnny's Selected Seed.

Bill

wouldnt mother nature have an effect on your sungolds? i have not seen every year to be the same.

Dave,

The Sun Gold "imposter" possibility arose from searches/ posts I recently read.

I will grow Sun Gold for the first time in 2009 and wanted to purchase seed from a reliable source.

There are imposters for Brandywine Sudduth, Marianna's Peace (some with smooth shoulders and some with ridged shoulders) and I just grew Brandywine "RED" with potato leaves (if you get my drift).

I consider it important to purchase seed form the "right" vender and thanks to the nice folks here that knowledge is available.

John

I'm really disappointed with my Sun Golds so far this year too! Like Bill's, mine taste completely different from the past four years and it's "fruitiness" that seems most lacking.

But!!! I used the same seed from the same pack this year which I purchased from TGS in 2005. I've been eating them for a couple of weeks and had chalked the taste variance to "first fruit syndrome". Sun Golds always seem to be better after the first several fruit but I'm not noticing any changes this year.

I can't explain -- but it certainly can't be an impostor in my case.

Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia

Strange, The Sungold F1 I grew in 2007 were from TGS and they were the real deal. Now the Cherokee Purple I grew in 2007 from Baker Creek definately WASN'T the real deal. Ami

Same here, my Sun Golds were fresh seed from TGS and great as always - color and taste as well as production. Maybe weather this year.

Can't say that I have ever run into a real "imposter". Some mis-labeled seed now and then but that's about it.

Dave

This thread has struck my curiosity about the Sungold tomato. I've grown the Sungold for the past 5 years as they are my wifes favorite. In all those years I've never had a plant to exceed 4ft in height but others have stated their Sungolds are large plants. What is the correct size of the so called True Sungold?

JWR,
I'm not sure there is an absolute answer based on so many intangibles but in my past experiences, Sun Golds have been the biggest plants of any variety I grow. Eight feet tall and then continuing growth back down -- with a wing-span almost as big.

This year I purposely relegated it to a non-primo spot because I knew it was both bullet-proof (from a disease standpoint) and overly productive for my family. My single plant is just hitting the top of its five foot cage but is still producing beyond our needs.

I've always wondered when I've read about folks growing multiple plants of Sun Gold. The past couple of years my single plant has supplied the entire neighborhood!!

Terry Light
Oak Hill, Virginia

Terry
I've grown Sunsugar that hit the 7-8 ft height but have never had a 4ft Sungold. I always purchase my Sungold plants at the same local Nursery and they were always from the same Vendor. My 2 Sungold plants were potted o/a 15 May and they are between 2-3 ft tall. We had a very cool May/Jun here in the PNW and all the Tomatoes did not grow an inch until the last 3 weeks.

Okay, I said earlier that I ripped my 2008 Sungold out of the bed because I don't think it was a true Sungold F1 ... fruit color didn't look right, foliage didn't smell right, taste wasn't there either.

Today my co-worker brought in some of her Sungold fruit from a vine I gave her as a transplant. Same commercial seed pack, same starter tray, same everything. Guess what? R-E-D cherries.

Right size, much fruitier and sweeter taste than my gold ones were, everything looked like Sungold ... except red. Well, not everything ... the cherries are hanging in great long trusses with far more fruit per truss than Sungold.

Hmmmmmm.

Bill, sure you didn't your co-worker one of your new super crosses by mistake.:) Ami

Make that "give your co-worker". I hate it when you can't edit your post after the fact. Ami