How does hot weather affect the flavor of Sungold?

Sungold is my favorite cherry tomato, but last summer the taste was poor compared to every other year I have planted it. I have compared it to a cross between a tomato and a melon. Not last year. However, I had purchased new seeds from Johnny's and I don't know if that was the problem. My previous seeds were also from Johnny's. I buy 250 every few years to get a better price. I don't dare use my seeds from last year until I know the cause of the poor flavor. Heat or seeds? What do you think?

Linda, in my opinion, all tomatoes need heat and sun for best flavor. If either of those two are missing, you might get RED, or RIPE tomatoes, but not flavor. JMO

Linda, once temps start staying in the 90's my Sungold tomatoes tasti ng bitter.

Yes, there is a point where the tomatoes don't do well. David seems to know the temp. I understand they don't pollinate, bloom well, and other things when it is too hot. Don't know how you can regulate the temperature other than not having them in full sun if your area is fairly warm. Not sure but with your zone I doubt if you have that problem very often in the summer. I am in zone 5 and I try for all the sun I can get. Pretty far North.

We are considered a Zone 4 and we had record heat last summer. There were many days that were near 100 and that is unusual. My other tomatoes didn't seem to suffer from this.

Would you dare plant the same seeds this year? I think I would feel more confident in choosing a different company and buying new seeds. I could plant a few of last year's just as a test.

This message was edited Feb 1, 2014 11:52 AM

I think your idea of a test is great.

Linda, Johnny's Sungold is NOT the problem. Sungold was bred by the Tokita Seed Co in Japan who then sends seeds to the various places that sell the seeds.

The only problem I know of was when Burpee sold seeds for a red something or other labelled Sungold, and that was back in 2009.

I'm in a zone 5 and until recently grew Sungold F1 almost every year. And in all the seasons I grew it, whether it was too hot, too cold, too rainy, I never detected any difference in the taste.

Carolyn

So Carolyn, if it is NOT the seed or the growing conditions, then what would you say was the problem?

I honestly don't know what the problem is for others since I've never experienced it. And that's not a cop out on my part b/c all I can do is to share my own taste opinions where I grow tomatoes, well, Freda does that for me now, where I am in my zone 5 garden,

Carolyn

Linda ~ One year, the first year that I grew Sun Gold tomatoes, and I was quite disappointed as they were sparse and cracked before I could harvest them. I think we had a very late and cold spring, and then it heated up quite a bit.

Last year, I grew them, among other tomatoes and they were the star of the show as they grew better than any of the others. I grew one in a somewhat large plastic pot and I had the better results as the other one was in a Square Foot Garden. Not sure why that one grew better...but once it started producing, I harvested them every day for months until November! I have to admit, some of them never made it to the kitchen. The other plant only produced a few small fruits the whole season. It was consistantly hot all summer.

This year I will be growing them from seed...among many others.

I even wondered if Johnny's had made a mistake and sent Sun Sugar or some other orange cherry tomato. It was such a huge difference in taste and production.

I know we all have our own taste buds, but mine do not like Sun Sugar as much. Last summer I gave a neighbor a Sun Sugar plant I purchased and a Sungold I started myself and he said he couldn't tell the difference between them. He is the same person who raved about the Sungold I started and gave him the year before.

I have started and given away as many as 100 Sungold plants a year, or I've sold them as fundraisers for various causes. I know what they should taste like and they didn't. I need to know why!

Well, I think you should run your test this year then. Don't know what else to tell you.

Linda, you always have the option of contacting Johnny's and asking if they made an error,no harm in doing so, but when the issue is taste alone, and/or possibly increased size, which I've had with too much rain,I just don't think they can speak to that, unless an error was made and they tell you that.

Carolyn

I grew Sungold for several summers and didn't notice any change in flavor, but I did notice much cracking. Also didn't have much production one year, but then again, that was a bad year for almost everything I grew a couple or three years back with not much production of anything. I don't grow on the scale you do, just a backyard garden for our use and to can or freeze and give away to friends. But I switched to Sun Sugars a couple of years ago and love them. I think they taste equally as good if not better, have a thinner skin and don't crack. I know...different taste buds and some can tell the difference. Maybe I could as well if you put both in front of me at the same time.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I'll try to get the nerve to call Johnny's. Sending an e-mail didn't work. I did order from another vendor just in case they made a mistake and I will try a few of the leftovers from Johnny's to compare.

Johnny's is very good with replacing seeds. I emailed them last year about some
eggplant seed. They sent me replacement seed. If I were in your situation, I would
just explain your experience with the sungold last year. They should send you some
new sungold from a different lot # than what is on your seed packet.

I still say, as I did above that if the Sungold F1 seeds you got from Johnny's walked and talked like it and taste was the only difference, then taste alone is not going to convince me or perhaps others that you got wrong seeds. Sorry about that.

But just to keep a customer happy they might send you some additional seeds, and if you planted them next year there's a good possibility you'd like the taste,but that proves nothing since it's a totally different season with different variables.

Carolyn, not trying to be difficult, honestly, but just trying to be helpful

You sound annoyed, Carolyn. Are you?

This message was edited Feb 9, 2014 7:03 PM

This message was edited Feb 17, 2014 12:11 PM

This message was edited Feb 17, 2014 2:08 PM

No Linda, I'm not annoyed at all. Since taste is the only variable you name, I'm just having trouble undertstanding why you say the seeds you got from Johnny's are wrong, when I know the only supply of those seeds year after year is Tokita seeds in Japan, same supplier to several commercial places such as Pinetree, TGS and many more, and I do participate at several different message sites and have seen no one else with such comments.

Heaven knows I've got lots of things to be annoyed about but this isn't one of them. ( smile)

Carolyn

LooneyLinda (I still love you name!), I will put my two cents worth in and state that I have grown Sungold for many years--both in Illinois and now in NE Texas--and heat does not bother or affect the taste in my garden. I have bought Sungold seeds from Johnny's and or Territorial Seeds at one time or another.

They were also smaller than usual and had less production. Sungold has always been my favorite.

Just received new seeds today. I will test them as I mentioned earlier in this post.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

Please let us know how the test turns out.

Linda, where did you buy the new omes from?

And it would be best to grow your Johnny seeds at the same time you grow the new ones so you have a direct comparison, methinks.

Carolyn

It was my understanding that that is what she was going to do. Isn't that how she described the test?

Probaby she did Jnette/ I was just wondering where the new seeds were from.

I'm having a hard time keeping up and retaining what I've read b'c I've been so intent on trying to pack up the last of the seeds for her seed offer. and then still trying to watch the Olympics at night, and now the Westminster Dog show.

Gotta love some of those doggies. LOL

Carolyn

Westminster Dog Show has been an "event" at our house since 1984.

I hope LoneyLinda posts photos as well. Sungold has been a favorite of mine for years, I often have volunteers in the compost and just replant them in the garden. So I hope the new seeds Linda has will prove to be excellent.

My first experience with Sungold tomatoes was not very good, as it was a bad year for tomatoes in general, with late spring frosts and late rains.

However, in subsequent years, especially last year, as we had a long hot summer with scant rainfall, it has been extremely prolific with tomatoes well into November.

So many variables come into play, regarding certain breeds of tomatoes as well as them all in certain years. We cannot control the weather, and those of us that do not have a greenhouse will have to deal with whatever comes our way as far as growing conditions.

So I guess that for me, I will judge many tomatoes by the year that I grow them, and more than one season will be necessary. Also, more than one plant as sometimes, some will do better than others in the same year.

I'm obviously in the minority, but once it gets hot and dry here, Sungold becomes next to useless to me. The skins get thicker and the flavor loses sweetness and becomes somewhat bitter. That may only happen in the 100+ degree heat and drought we get in central Texas, but I've given up on Sungold.

David R

OK, you are probably right. We rarely get 100+ here. Just 90's but most of the season 80's.

Which one does best for you in the summer heat?

I've grown Sungold the last 3 years. 2012 had 45 days over 90 with 15 of those over 100 degrees. Plants were very productive all 3 years--perhaps because there was a large amount of fruit set before extreme temps hit. They tasted the same all 3 years, so I don't think high temps caused the problem. I've had the taste of some varieties suffer most when it was cold and wet for the 3 weeks after transplanting.

This should be a separate thread, but I am going to comment on Sungold taste. From what I had read, I expected it to be sweet. SWEET 100 IS SWEET!! Sungold does not come close to Sweet 100. In addition, about 80-85% of MY Sungold fruit has what I can best describe to be a "metallic" aftertaste. It's sort of like when we were kids and put a copper penny and a silver dime on our tongue to experience a small electrical current. Maybe this is what others call "fruity." It doesn't taste like the Pineapple tomato which has a fruity taste.

My relatives like Sungold, so I will continue to grow it while I try to find a really sweet yellow cherry.

mgsid, try SunSugar. I think it is better than Sungold. Just my opinion, an everyone has one.

I have now talked to three of the people I gave Sungolds to last summer. All three said that they did not taste as good, they were smaller in size and that production was greatly decreased. Even with that, one of the guys ordered 6 of them for this summer!

I am going to call Johnny's after talking to these people.

I bought the new seeds from Totally Tomatoes. I know some people would have gone elsewhere, but I have never had trouble with their seeds. I have had several problems with another company that is highly recommended though. Hate to give the name. It may cause a riot on this thread.

LOL! I unknowingly cause a riot on another forum when I related a poor experience (actually multiple) with a very highly touted seed company. Your comment just brought back some very funny memories!

Last year both of my Sungolds came from volunteers from the compost pile. They came in fine (can't imagine how considering they were volunteers, but they usually do) and kept right on truckin' through the summer. But I pull my cherry tomatoes out at about the second week in August to make room for some fall stuff, so maybe mine miss the real furnace blast that is August in NE Texas.

This year, though, someone recommended Sunkist F1 to me. So I am trying that one out instead of Sungold. No particular reason to get rid of Sungold for me other than wanting to change things up a bit.

When you mention that there are other differences besides taste and others have noticed them too this leads me to believe that you might have gotten something other then Sungold. I would contact Johnny's and tell them, there is no way for them to know unless you tell them.

I suppose that the taste of tomatoes is subjective. I grew Sweet 100 right next to Sungold. Side by side, I preferred Sungold.

I also grew Supersweet 100 and Black Cherry last year and they were great as usual.

Terri-Maybe I'll have to D-mail you with the name of the place I won't be ordering from again. After 3 bad experiences with the company I'm not going back.

Since the taste was the most important difference I noticed I hadn't paid attention to the decreased production and size of the tomatoes. I just love the taste of Sungold so much and I don't want to miss another year no matter what the cause.

I know Johnny's is a great company. I have NEVER had trouble with them before. IF it is a mistake it is simply that--A MISTAKE.

Linda, if you had that many problems with the same company, I hope you are posting reviews in the Watchdog.

I wish you would post it on this thread....I've had problems with some of my favorite seed companies, it's how they handle those issues that counts. I don't see why posting your experiences should bother anyone but...The reason I think you should notify Johnny's is if there was a mistake they need to know so they can prevent it from happening again. Maybe others have had the same problems. If it was my company I would want to know.

I need to ask Johnny's if anyone else has contacted them about this issue. I know they are a great company. I just have something called "Phone-a-phobia" so it takes me a while to get the courage.

I guess I also have "Post-a-phobia" because--well just because. I'm sure most of you know you can't tell someone's "tone of type" and making assumptions is easy to do depending on your own feelings at the time and also depending on the responder's history on other threads.

The company I have had the most trouble with is TGS

Who is TGS?

Linda, just tell them you really like the Sungolds, but had a bad outcome with them last season and are trying to figure out why prior to wasting another season on them. So, you are starting with the seeds, and will work up from there. i.e. potting mix, etc. Ask them if they have had any other complaints or questions, about their Sungold seeds from last year.

Just discuss it with them, as to what you used, what you fed them with, put on them, like Epsom Salts if you did, etc. If you can us a tone of voice like you aren't accusing them of mixing up their seeds, etc, just have them help you discover where your problem was.

When you first call, just tell whoever answers the phone that you had a problem with your tomato crop last year and would like to discuss it with someone to find out why, what was wrong. Otherwise you might get someone they hired for the season on the cash register or answering the phone who doesn't know one from the other.

Let us know how it goes.