Sungold tomatoes outside?

sandyv

Last year I grew them in the unheated greenhouse - fruit tasty but very small. I notice this year on the label it says they are best grown outdoors - really?. Any opinions please?

Fairygirl

Mine were fine inside. I can't grow tomatoes outdoors here, so they'll just have to get on with it whether they like it or not 

BobTheGardener

Sungold won't grow fruits any bigger than about 3cm no matter how they are grown, as they are genetically programmed to be that size.  You can indeed grow them outdoors but depending on where you are, the cropping season will be much shorter as they can't be planted outside until about June in most of the UK and will die when the temps start regularly dropping below 10C which can be as soon as early September.  In an unheated greenhouse, they will often still be carrying ripened fruit in December.

I always grow too many sungold plants so some end up planted outside and those do reasonably well, but growing any type of tomato outside in the UK is always a bit of a gamble IME.

Pete.8

I doubt they are best grow outside.
Tomatoes need temps betwee 12c and 30c.
Sungold are a cherry tomato - so don't expect big fruits
I have had very good results in my unheated greenhouse with sungold.

pansyface

I suppose it depends on where you live. Here in windy Derbyshire (‘scuse me, it woz the beans) I can’t grow tomatoes outside at all. They just get twisted and twirled and blown to tatters.

I grow mine either in the conservatory (underfloor heating and south facing - they think they are in heaven) or in the greenhouse (unheated so when the conservatory ones are spent, these ones take over).

I’m growing Sungold this year. Last year, I grew them for the first time. They are small but then they don’t claim to be anything else.

Here are mine now, just coming into flower.

sandyv

Thanks for the comments, as I expected greenhouse is probably better. I know they are cherry tomatoes, and therefore small, but mine were pea sized and I don't know why.

pansyface

🔍😳

Dovefromabove

I grow Sungold outside every year and they’re fine ... certainly much bigger than peas. 

BobTheGardener

Hmm, pea-sized isn't right for sungold, no matter whether grown under glass or outside.  There must be something else going on, maybe soil/nutrition or light levels.  Does the greenhouse get plenty of sunlight?  Do you grow them in pots (size?) or in the greenhouse border soil?  What compost did you use, if in pots?

JennyJ

Mine will be going outside as soon as it's warm enough at nights (no greenhouse or conservatory). This is the first time I've grown Sungold but other cherry types do OK so fingers crossed they'll be fine.

Dovefromabove

I used to grow mine outside in pots ... now I plant them in the veg patch. They’re fine 👍 🍅