Tomato (Yellow Cherry)

This Sun Gold-type F1 hybrid indeterminate cherry tomato goes in after the Mar 28 last frost, grows into a vigorous 6+ foot vine with only light pruning, and pours out extremely long clusters of small, exceptionally sweet golden-orange fruit continuously from early summer right up to the Nov 12 first frost.

1. 1

   Sowing Seed Indoors

   Late Jan to mid-Feb, about 6-8 weeks before the Mar 28 last frost

   You'll see Seeds are flat tan-yellow ovals. Within 5-10 days at 70-80F a pale hooked stem emerges, followed by two smooth oval seed leaves, before the true serrated tomato leaves appear.

   Do Sow 1/4 inch deep in sterile seed-starting mix under grow lights kept close to the tray, with gentle bottom heat if needed.

   Details
2. 2

   Seedling and Hardening Off

   Weeks 2-8 after sowing, roughly mid-Feb through late Mar

   You'll see By 4-6 weeks the plant has several sets of true leaves and a sturdy stem. Leggy, pale, stretched growth signals insufficient light.

   Do Pot up to a larger container as roots fill the cell, then harden off outdoors gradually over 7-10 days before transplant.

   Details
3. 3

   Transplanting Into the Bed or Grow Bag

   After Mar 28 last frost, once soil has warmed

   You'll see A ready transplant is 8-10 inches tall with a thick stem and 4-6 true leaves.

   Do Strip the lower leaves and bury the stem deeply, straight down or on an angle, so most of the buried portion can root.

   Details
4. 4

   Light Pruning and Branching

   Weeks 3-8 after transplant, roughly mid-Apr through late May, continuing all season

   You'll see The plant branches freely from many points along the stem, growing full and bushy with many smaller stems each capable of carrying a long fruit cluster.

   Do Prune much more lightly than you would a slicer: remove only the lowest suckers near the soil line and any crowded, crossing, or diseased growth, but let most upper branching stand.

   Details
5. 5

   Flowering

   Weeks 6-10 after transplant, roughly late May through June, then continuing in flushes all summer

   You'll see Small yellow flowers form in long chains or clusters (trusses) that can carry a dozen or more blooms per truss, far more than a typical slicer truss.

   Do Let bees and wind handle pollination outdoors; hand pollinate by gently vibrating trusses only in a screened bed or hydroponic setup where pollinators cannot reach.

   Details
6. 6

   Continuous Fruiting and Harvest

   About 57-65 days from transplant to first ripe fruit, then continuing to first frost, roughly June through early Nov

   You'll see Small, round, golden-orange fruit about 1 inch across ripens along each long truss over a period of days to weeks, often with green, orange, and fully ripe fruit visible on the same cluster at once. This is one of the sweetest cherry tomatoes you can grow, with an exceptionally high sugar content.

   Do Pick ripe fruit every couple of days by the handful, and keep trusses supported as new fruit continues to set further up the vine.

   Details
7. 7

   Why the Seed Is Not Saved

   Anytime during fruiting, when deciding whether to save seed

   You'll see Ripe fruit looks uniform and true to type on the plant you are growing, since it is an F1 hybrid grown from a single cross made by the seed company.

   Do Buy fresh seed or transplants of this variety each season rather than saving seed from your own fruit.

   Details

Techniques — transplant, prune, propagate, divide, seed