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When it comes to Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes, many people will immediately think of a type of Tomato with an explosive sweetness, making it different from other cherry Tomatoes. Many people also like them because they are quite easy to grow, are disease resistant, and produce fruit faster. In the article below, gardenhow.net will provide you with the necessary information about this type of Tomato so that you can better understand it before deciding to grow it.
What are Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes?
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomato is a yellow-orange cherry Tomato variety known for producing large quantities of exceptionally sweet mini Tomatoes. These golden beauties grow in clusters on large indeterminate plants that necessitate the use of a sturdy Tomato cage. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes have pleasantly thin skin and are crack resistant, making them ideal for eating fresh off the vine. These plants take about 65 days to mature after planting, making them one of the earliest Tomatoes available.
- Plant method: sow indoors or use nursery starts
- Germination: 1-3 weeks
- Spacing: 24 to 36 inches
- Sunlight requirement: Full Sun
- Plant depth: plant seeds at 1/4 inch deep; nursery starts must be deeper than the pot.
- Zones: 3-9
- Disease resistance: Fusarium wilt and Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- Characteristics: Deep intense orange color with thin skin and bursting with flavor–Known as the sweetest Cherry Tomato
How to plant?
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes can be planted in two ways.
Plant in a seed starting container indoors.
Plant Tomato starts directly in the garden.
If you want to grow this Tomato from seed, start them 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Go here to learn more about seed starting indoors and how to start these Tomatoes from seed.
Planting starts should be planted directly in the garden two weeks after the last frost. They must be planted deeply. It is recommended to plant so that two-thirds of the plant is below ground. Space them 24 to 36 inches apart. These plants grow large and require a lot of space.
How to take care of Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes?
Planting a tree is only the first step in the whole process, taking care of the tree is the decisive factor in the growth and fruiting of the tree. Here are the factors that you need to pay attention to when caring for Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes.
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes soil requirements
The first step in growing Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes is to choose a location for your garden. The needs of the plant are the same whether you grow in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers. It is preferable if the soil is slightly acidic, loose, and well-drained. Tomatoes grow best in loam and sandy loam soils, but they will grow in almost any soil type except heavy clay. If you have a lot of clay in your garden, you may want to amend the soil with sand, sawdust, peat moss, or other matter.
Sunlights requirements
Similar to most other tomato varieties, sun sugar cherry tomatoes thrive in full sun. In most cases, a position in full sun (at least eight hours per day) produces the best results, though if you live in a hot climate, the dappled shade will suffice. There is no real difference other than the slight benefits of the morning sun as explained above, as long as the plant is not stressed by heat. It doesn’t matter when your plant gets the sun, and it doesn’t have to be continuous, as long as it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight, with eight being ideal for most stages of growth.
How to water sun sugar cherry Tomatoes?
While Sun Sugar Cherry Tomato plants are drought and heat tolerant, they require frequent and consistent watering in order to produce large yields. The most convenient way to water them is with automated drip irrigation, but you can water them with any method that wets the soil around the plant’s base. Avoid getting water on the plant’s foliage.
Plants may only require watering once or twice a week in the spring or during rainy weather, but in extremely hot weather, they may require watering every other day or even daily (especially if planted in a small container). The best time to water is early in the morning so that any moisture that gets on the plants can dry quickly during the day’s heat.
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes are resistant to cracking, but they do crack if watering is irregular. Maintain an even supply of moisture for the plants. Avoid sudden influxes of water, such as heavy watering after a few days of not watering, as this can cause the Tomatoes to swell and the peels to crack.
How to prune Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes?
Larger Tomato plants, such as Sun Sugar, do not require much pruning when grown in large, heavy-duty Tomato cages. If, on the other hand, your plants are growing up a Tomato stake, the suckers will most likely need to be pruned to keep the plants under control and prevent them from toppling over. When growing up a stake, designate one vine as the main stem and gently tie it to the stake in 1-foot increments.
The bottom of the stem is one area that is commonly pruned on most Tomato plants. The bottom leaves of the plant can yellow after a month or two in the ground. Trim the leaves from the plant’s base up to about 8″-10″ from the soil level. Maintaining a relatively clear base area can improve air circulation and make the foliage less susceptible to foliar diseases.
How to fertilize Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes?
Tomato plants are typically fed a slow-release granular Tomato fertilizer or a water-soluble Tomato fertilizer throughout the growing season. Granular fertilizers typically last a month or two, whereas liquid formulations only last a few weeks. Follow the application instructions and frequency recommendations for the fertilizer of your choice. Additionally, avoid using nitrogen-rich fertilizers such as lawn fertilizer, evergreen fertilizer, and even some all-purpose fertilizer mixes. High nitrogen levels can result in large Tomato plants with lots of foliage but few Tomatoes. It can also aggravate Blossom End Rot on occasion.
Weeding Garden Beds
Weed garden beds on a regular basis, about once or twice a week. Weed seedlings are easy to rake out with a handheld cultivator or pluck out and toss in the compost heap when they are small. They become more difficult and disruptive to the Tomato plants if allowed to grow larger. If left for an extended period of time, they may even go to seed, resulting in a new generation of weeds in the garden.
Common Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes diseases
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes have been bred to be naturally resistant to many common garden diseases, including fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, tobacco mosaic virus, and root-knot nematode. However, no Tomato plant is immune to disease. Fortunately, there are a number of good organic gardening practices that naturally reduce disease prevalence.
Bacterial wilt
Wilt diseases are fungal or bacterial infections that cause Sun Sugar Tomatoes to wilt suddenly. The roots are attacked by harmful soil-borne bacteria or fungi. Fusarium and Verticillium wilts are particularly dangerous. Rotate plants, give them plenty of space, apply copper fungicide, and remove/destroy infected plant debris as soon as possible.
Early Blight
Early blight is a fungal disease that causes brown rings on Sun Sugar Tomato plant leaves, especially near the base. The leaves eventually brown and fall off the plant. This disease stunts Tomato growth, resulting in Tomatoes that do not reach their full size. The Tomatoes may also develop dark spots and rot on the plant. This is particularly common in cool, rainy weather. Avoid watering the plants from above, give each plant plenty of space, and remove any diseased leaves right away.
Septoria Leaf Spot
Septoria Leaf Spot is a fungal disease that causes black spots on Tomato plant leaves. It thrives in cool, wet weather and in gardens with poor air circulation, just like other fungal diseases. It usually appears first on the bottom leaves. Treatment is similar to that of other fungal diseases. Removing infected leaves from the area, giving plants plenty of room, using a copper fungicide before planting, and rotating the plants every year.
Blossom End Rot
Blossom End Rot is a disease that causes the bottom of each Tomato to turn brown/black and the fruit to rot before it ripens. This problem occurs when the Sun Sugar Tomato is unable to absorb enough calcium. Once the fruit has blossomed end rot, it cannot be saved and must be discarded. To prevent future Tomato end rot, start by applying a calcium-rich liquid Tomato fertilizer (recommended above) or some garden lime. Even if there is enough calcium in the soil, end rot can be caused by damaged roots or stress on the plant. Water and fertilize plants on a regular basis throughout the season.
Harvesting and storing Sun Sugar Tomatoes
After your tomato plants have produced the desired fruit, the next thing you need to do is harvest and store them. The selection of the harvest time will contribute to the quality of the tomatoes. Choosing the right storage method will help you keep your tomatoes fresh longer. Here are the things that you need to keep in mind when harvesting and storing Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes.
When to harvest?
It is extremely simple to determine when to harvest these Cherry Tomatoes, and the simplest method we have discovered is to look at their color. When the fruit has a deep orange color all around it, it is ready to be picked. Carefully twist the Tomato without squeezing it; otherwise, it will split and should easily come off.
Some articles tell you to pick them up while they’re green and they’ll ripen on the counter, but that will make them undercooked and not as sweet. So, if you want the sweetest Tomato you’ve ever tasted, wait until it’s that bold, deep orange color.
How to store?
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to a month. For storage, only use whole, undamaged Tomatoes. Any less-than-perfect Tomatoes can be stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, on the kitchen counter for 2-3 days until ready for fresh use or processing into a cooked sauce or another recipe. The most crucial aspect of Tomato storage is to find a location that is neither too cold nor too hot.
Tomatoes keep best at 55°-60°F (12°-16°C). You might be able to find a good spot in a basement or garage that naturally maintains this temperature range. Avoid storing the Tomatoes in the refrigerator because the cold temperatures cause the flavor to deteriorate quickly and the texture to become very mushy.
To ripen, storage Tomatoes are usually wrapped in newspaper or placed in paper bags. The paper preventsthe Tomatoes from coming into contact with one another, which can lead to early rot. It also helps to trap some of the ethylene gas that naturally escapes from Tomatoes and keeps it nearby to promote further ripening. Check the ripening Tomatoes on a regular basis and discard any that show signs of rot or mold.
Dehydrating Tomatoes is also a way to preserve them for a long time. If you have too many cherry Tomatoes and can’t use them all in a short time, dehydrate them for longer storage. You can refer to how to dehydrate cherry Tomatoes here.
Q&A about Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes
Are Sun Sugar cherry Tomatoes hybrids?
Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes are a hybrid variety, so seeds cannot be saved from year to year. But if you want to grow a cherry Tomato, this is the one to go with! Because the seeds germinate quickly, they are an excellent choice for growing your own seedlings. Sun Sugar Cherries are not the most well-known Tomatoes, so you may have to look for them. However, the seeds are widely available online from a variety of seed catalogs. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomato seeds are even now available on Amazon; we’ve even been able to find them at our local garden nursery for the past two years.
How does the Sun Sugar Cherry Tomato taste?
This is not your average cherry Tomato! They’re bursting with sweet, savory Tomato flavor. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes are an excellent Tomato to try. Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes taste like Tomato-flavored candy! They also have very thin skins and are deliciously eaten right off the vine. They’re soft and full of flavor!
Final Thoughts on Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes
The advantages of Sun Sugar Cherry Tomatoes are that they taste better, have a shorter harvest time, and are disease resistant. These advantages are the reason why they are loved by so many gardeners. In the above article, gardenhow.net has provided you with all the necessary information, from characteristics, how to grow, how to care for, how to use, and how to preserve, with the hope of helping you in the gardening process.
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