I'm growing Sungold's for the first time this year but I have grown Super Sweet 100's for years.
1. Once the plants start to flower, I start to prune by snipping out the growth in the V's of the stems. There have been years where I have been lazy and haven't done this. Super Sweet 100's grow like crazy regardless of doing this (or not).

2. I grow them in the garden.

3.Super Sweet 100's do crack after a few rainy days. Don't worry. You will still have cherry tomatoes - EVERYWHERE!

4. Eventually Late blight gets all of my tomatoes, but Super Sweet 100's are very disease resistant and put up a good fight. Pests? Maybe slugs but they tend to go after the bigger tomatoes first.

1. Yes, I let them grow naturally because I use tall CRW cages. More fruit of the standard cherry tomato size.

2. In the garden. I can't really see them as container plants as they are simply too huge by nature but I know some grow them in containers. Maybe something the size of a 55 gal. drum would work. ;)

3. & 4. No to both.

I agree with booberry - cherry tomatoes EVERYWHERE whether you want them or not. They re-seed and create volunteers like weeds!

Hope this helps.

Dave

Wow... seem like great result without pruning them, I will try out this year.

I am growing in container, and I grow sweet100 for the first time this year. In the passed I have grown sungold which i remove most of the sucker,the end, they still fruits like crazy!!! I can't imagine if I like the go wild.... The only thing I concern is the rain, it may bring early blight disease.

In the garden. I can't really see them as container plants as they are simply too huge by nature but I know some grow them in containers. Maybe something the size of a 55 gal. drum would work. ;)

Dave, I've successfully grown both Sweet 100 and Sungold in 14 gallon containers before. If you can find a way to support them in the container, keep them from tipping, and mulch thickly, it is do-able (with good to great results) even in a hot climate. I threw in a handful of slow release fert every couple of weeks to keep them going.

My preferred method for cherry types is to put them at the end of a raised bed, though. Much easier to keep up with and support that way, IMO. :-)

I don't claim to have the best method for growing these but your series of questions must mean that you know there is a better way.

1. I prune to one stem as much as I can keep up with them until October and then I sort of let them go. I tend to think that I get more fruit because I plant more densely and utilize the vertical space to a fuller degree- these plants can grow 20 feet tall.

2.Here's the big difference. In my high tunnels the arch framework is my support and since my plants are clipped to a stringling I can lower the plants as they grow out of reach. I could let the plant grow to 13 foot within my larger tunnel but that would make picking a ladder chore. By just wrapping 10 extra feet of twine on the tomahook the plant can be lowered as it grows to bring it to your level. This year I have over 50 plants in each row(5 tomato rows) in my smaller 20x96 foot structure so far. Many are only 18" apart within the row. I agree with Suzy9 that the roots don't need extra room. You just got to provide for the plant support. Pots would be fine if you could stick a flagpole through them.

3.Cracking is not as much of a problem because it never rains on my plants under the high tunnel plastic cover. I will admit that I stopped growing Sungold in favor of SunSugar because the later crack far less after picked. I still grow a few dozen Sweet 100s as well as other like varieties- Favorita and Tami-G, all of which grow tall.

4. These plants are less prone to insect and disease problems than many of the larger fruited types. Sweet 100 may just seem to grow out of any problems but Sungold and SunSugar have an odor abot them that seems medicinal. I don't like to eat them right off the plant because of the objectional plant smell. I even used SunSugar as a grafting rootstock for a few other plants last year but no difference was noted.

To utlize these plants to the fullest a high tunnel allows you to fix all the things you don't like about these plants. My biggest complaint about them last year was that when I lowered the stringline so I could reach the top fruits the bottom fruits were touching the ground- they just seem to keep producing from the same area. I was picking from the same plants from early June thru Early November.

The main drawback to suckering is that it requires regular attention. I think these types can grow a few inches each day.

Like I said suze, I know folks do it but "successful", like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. ;) If the grower is happy with the experience and results then it is successful...for them.

But that doesn't mean it's the ideal nor should it be the recommended way to go when discussing large indeterminate variety tomatoes. Containers are perfect for any of the many container-sized bred plants and really BIG containers will work for some of the determinates. But indeterminates long to be in the ground. ;)

Don't get me wrong. I don't condemn container gardening. I do much of it myself. It has many advantages and is to be encouraged but it does have its problems and limitations. If the gardener knows and accepts those limitations then yes, they are successful. Otherwise they are bound to be disappointed.

Dave

Bmoser, perhaps it was a pic of yours, perhaps not but I saw someone doing as you suggest re: lowering the plants as they grow.

Seemed like a fine idea and it did allow me to bring some side stems back down into the WWM cages in mid to late season but the main stem was much too thick. Do yours, without wind action remain more pliable?

I was wondering about a high line w/drop string to maximise vertical (and earth) space but have doubts that I can successfully coil the main stem of an outside grown plant as I saw in those pics. I too am not interested in using a ladder or building scafforld for anything other than setting up and tearing down the support system.

This evening, I was wondering if flipping a florida weave to the horizontal at waist height might not be a worthy choice for me. It'd take more space, which means more mulch, water and posts but once made and trained, seems like everything else would be easy. A heavy gage wire or cable would be needed for the perimeter and corner posts, at least, would need to be guyed (sp?).

Hmmm, more projects ...

Sungold in container(10gal-12gal) on my Apartment's balcony, I did remove lots of sucker, they still very happy to fruit for you. :D 2 plants in 1 container! Seem like they loooooove bat guono very much.

Dave, maybe I wasn't as discriptive about lowering the stringline supported plants as i should have been. You don't want to allow the plant to just collapse onto itself when lowering it. The stems have some degree of feexability but They can snap if the weight of the upper plant if forced upon the lower stem.

There are a few ways to go about lowering the plants. Some people form a coil with the lower stem. Others just let the stem lay to any side. I start at one end of the row and move the upper stringline holder(tomahook) a few feet in the same direction within the row as I lower the lines. That way the lower stem forms an "S" bending to touch the ground and curling gently back up to a vertical mid-stem. The "S" looping will typically stay within the same row fairly well but occasionally I will need to clip a few plant stems together to keep an open alleyway between my relatively narrow 28" row spacings.

Since these varieties we've been discussing grow much taller it is always a good idea to plant them at one end and I purposely wrap an extra 6 feet of twine onto the tomakooks for those varieties just because they will need to be lowered more often.

Very nice pictures, Weew. I'm getting hungry looking at them. So far most of mine are just at the third blossom cluster stage. Which reminds me I better stoke the woodburners now- last night for awhile- I hope.

How many cherry tomato can we get from single cluster of sweet 100? I saw the picture of sweet100, seem like 1 cluster can go up to 40-60 cherry tomato!!! How about yours? 10? 20 only?

For sungold, I usually get 8-12 cherry tomato per cluster, I wish to see long cluster loaded with tomato!!!

This year I'm trying Sungold and Sweet 100's in Topsy Turvy planters. Just planted a month ago so don't know how well they're going to do.

I am growing a Sweet 100s. Mine has about seven stems (I underestimated the speed at which this plant just produces stems, leaves and fruit). I was just about to go outside and give it one of those aggressive prunings which will force me to let go some pretty green pearls. While I am quite sad, I know I will eventually get over it...

To answer the question about cluster size, so far, the largest cluster on mine has 17 toms growing (the cluster also started out with 17 flowers). I would say this plant systematically produces twelve toms per cluster, but some have 14 of them. I think the one that has 17 is a bit nuts and of the dozens and dozens of clusters I have on my plant, this is the only one with this many toms.

Interesting discussion about the plants and the containers. I once grew sweet 100 and sungold in 5 gal containers. Sungold had so much more flavor. Both plants produced nice shaped tomatoes but sungold won the taste test. Sungold will crack if you leave on the vine too long but if you are like most of us, that isn't going to happen. We eat them or share them.

I now grow the cherry types in 10 gal pots (no sweet 100s) and I have to say that the tomatoes are so much bigger, the plants are totally amazing (over 8 feet) and the sungolds just have so much flavor that it is hard to find another interesting cherry except perhaps Sweetie. It is bit later than most but the flavor is so worth it. Sweet.

I take some of the suckers out but not all of them. Every sucker you leave, becomes another stem and will produce more tomatoes. If you have the space and don't mind constantly staking the stem and new branches, let it do it's thing. Otherwise, prune to meet your own needs - the plant will be just fine.

Not everyone has the space to grow in the ground so I hope you ground folks will be nice about it and encourage anyone who grows in containers to grow in the biggest pot they can afford - and afford the soil to go with it. It is a huge investment and we container growers do the best we can. In some cases, such as with eggplants, containers is the best way to go.

happy gardening.

I grow both in the ground and, this year, in containers too. I only cut the vines that get too high to reach (on a two step ladder!) or are in the way. Some grow out the top of my 6 ft, CRW cages and some sprawl over and back down the smaller container cages. All are prolific, average cluster about 10-20.

Because of a neighborhood quarantine (cannot give away), most are going into the dehydrator.

Rick

I grew 100's for a few years. I would not prune them unless they are too close together. I try to space them five or six feet apart and have most of the weight on wires strung between posts.

Several inches of compost on top as mulch absorbed some rainwater, but 1 or 2 inches will cause a lot of fruit to split open.

Hi I am from south africa.

I have just bought some Sweetie Cherry Tomatoes, which are maybe 10cm (4inch) tall. I got two in a big pot. What should I expect in the next few months? we are now in spring however the weather is still cool and cloudy :(

I have also got two Roma plants in seperate pots. I hear they will bush like crazy!! :D

laters

My wife and I have grown these for years. They are in the ground in a well drained sandy soil. We always seem to have more then we can eat, they are very productive. We usually cut off a few suckers, but don't do much more. They are in the ground, in a large cage. We often have to put taller stakes up for the longer vines. Last year, we had perfect weather and we had some vines 10 feet or so long that were loaded with fruit, although that's not the norm. We still often have to stake as we go as they still get much bigger then the cages. Usually don't have pest issues, but they often get late blight, which doesn't seem to affect fruit production much.

This is a great thread, thanks to everyone for contributing. I have a related question.

I am growing the Sweet 100's hydroponically in my basement this winter. I probably goofed in not researching how tall the plants will get before choosing them. I've only got about 6 feet of vertical space, and I'm reading that these vines get 20 feet tall!

Anyone have suggestions on how to manage these plants when there's a low ceiling? Can they be coaxed sideways and downward?

Thanks for your suggestions!

Yes they can be trained to go sideways and downward. I had a Black Cherry tomato plant this last spring that I just let sprawl until it started setting fruit. I then gently hoisted most of the plant with Christmas tree netting and tied it to a broken hoe handle previously placed next to the base of the plant. And by the end, this plant had vines shooting up,down,sideways, and every which way. I think that the vine itself will always bend towards the light source, so that is something to keep in mind.

Take care,
Travis

Thanks, Travis! I appreciate your advice! Looks like I'll have an interesting time wrangling my cherry tomatoes!

I have sweet 100's, plus many others, in my garden. I removed the cages 3 weeks ago for the winter and plowed the garden. It was too dry, so my plow just basically ran over the top of them, cutting off a few limbs.

I got a lot of rain 2 days later. And due to my work schedule I haven't had time to plow again. The remaining limbs have popped up, started blooming, and have tiny toms on them!

They are survivors!

I grow Sweet 100's and Sungold in the ground in CRW cages and do NO pruning. If we have torrential rains they tend to crack, otherwise they are OK. I use larger cages for my cherry tomatoes, approx. 24" diameter.

I've let mine grow naturally, except for training it through some hog wire. I have my first tomato now, I thought they were supposed to be yellow, but this one looks reddish-orange. Did I maybe not get true Sungold seeds?

I have grown Sungold up a wood trellis. I did not prune or remove suckers, except to be able to walk by in the later months. The plant grew up the trellis with the assistance of some runner beans. (I did not attach it in any way. The beans did all the work for me.) The first picture (roughly) has the plant outlined in red. That trellis is 6 ft tall above the raised bed, and that is not the end of the season growth. The sungold produced fruit on the entire plant continuously, it seemed. This one plant is enough for my whole neighborhood; it was a huge producer. The last picture shows some of the Sungolds harvested in the upper right. I wouldn't call them yellow or red.... they are a stronge orange when fully ripe and more yellow/yellow-green/orange when not quite ripe.

Edited to add: I have no disease or cracking issues. We are in the desert, so my veggies are on a drip system that has to be watered daily in our heat.

This post was edited by lolauren on Fri, May 17, 13 at 15:40

Cool thanks. I left them a bit longer and they turned bright red. I bought Sungold's and Big Zacs from this company and they both seem to be just regular cherry tomatoes. I'm a bit disappointed to say the least. Especially since I trying something new. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

Sungold grows so tall that I finally commandeered a tall bird feeder stake to hold it up. I sucker it a little and top it off near the end of the growing season.

This plant just doesn't quit, so I'm glad my neighbors love them as much as we do. A really good tasting, productive variety, to say the least!

How do you fertilize them? What kind of organic fert. When you plant them what is your concoction on the root ball?

I will be growing Sungold for the first time this year. From the descriptions I gather I should ready myself for taming and trimming it down to manageable size.

I had sweet 100 last year. It grows mostly very small fruits on big trusses. And lots of cracks .. So I have scratched it out. Instead I will be growing a bigger - fruited cherries

I grow sungold and sweet 100 in a greenhouse about 400 plants on a string trellis with twisting and clips and a drop-down method .they get about '16 to '20 tall.
I don't really have a problem with disease and insects just a little powdery mildew and late blight. I take the time to strip the suckers and most of the foliage so I don't have that problem.
P.S. in the pic there are a few larger tomato types old pics going on 4 years with this house.

another pic

and another pic

I love gardenweb....you all have been my main go to for many years now. Life events prevented me from starting my own see this year, as I expected to be too busy to garden. But as the season got into full swing, I couldn't resist grabbing a couple of pots of hybrid tomatoes*, SunGold (which I thought could be containerized like Golden Nugget) and a Sweet 100 that I thought was a Thompson and Morgan bred basket plant. Big WOOPS on that logic.

In the interest of quick work, I'm just going to put them both in a 40 gallon pot. and let them go at it. If they get too big, I'll remove the squirrel netting and they'll get pruned down quickly.

thank you for keeping this thread going!

Jan

*Okay, well, as the season wore further one, a couple of eggplant starts. and Al Khuffa tomato, because I always wanted to see how they transition from their desert to mine. And one little Italian pepper. A couple of six packs of annuals, a rose or two, a handful of new perennials, some seeds here and there. But beyond that, I am absolutely NOT gardening this year. LOL

Another vintage thread with interesting topic.

I grew sweet 100 last season. I didn't like it because the fruits were TOO small and the vine was growing like crazy that I hardly could keep up with pruning.

I plant my tomatoes in tight spacing ( about 18" apart, 2.5 sqr-ft per plant ). This way I plant 3 in place of 2. Therefor I do prune systematically.

I am growing Sungold for the first time this year. I will definitely prune to 2 stems, max 3. Also, at the near end of season ( early September) start topping all new growth and flowers. Because I know that the new growth and flowers will not produce any ripe fruits .

In short , there are different gardening styles. As a gardener I believe in being in charge rather than letting plants do as they naturally do.

Sweet 100 is our all time favorite - very hardy plant with good sized fruit - not many splits and very tasty. We grow in a GH out of necessity. I let them grow crazy but train largest branches laterally as well as vertically because they are so vigorous and prolific - we give them plenty of space. Last year we tried Sweet Baby Girl which we thought was a good variety but we switched back to Sweet 100 this year. Sungold did not do as well for us and seemed to have lots of splits and early on - so for now - Sweet 100 it is!

{{gwi:89789}}

Hello,

I've grown Sweet 100 tomatoes in a garden setting, but plan to grown them on a patio. I have the 2 halves of a 55 gallon drum for containers.

I know they need support and have nailed a board on the front middle of the 2nd floor balcony and strung strings from it to a wall air conditioner on one side and a light fixture on the other end of the balcony...so a central point board with strings running to the balcony corners.

The plan was to have the vines spread and grow up through string grids to the upper string and then spreads out along the string and separated at points in a waterfall-like hanging and running along the strings.

Would that sound successful for Sweet 100's?

Should there be 1 or 2 per container?

thanks for the thread. I didn't read all the posts yet, but learned some already.

Hi there it's my first time growing Sweet 100s and I'm loving that there are so many fruits already.

My problem is that the leaves are getting yellow and I don't know what's wrong. Please do share your tips and advice. Thank you!

I also just transported them from a small rectangular box planter tho this one here.

I'm not anything expert....noticed clay pot though...I read they suck moisture from -the soil. Maybe that. Or transplant shock? You said you had just transplanted.

-

I saw a video of a recommendation of removing the root ball with his hands with the dirt and he dipped the whole root soil ball into a Miracle-Gro solution before planting in the new container. He said it helped transplant shock. I don't use Miracle-Gro and poured a little human urine in the area of the root ball after planting instead. The plant I tried it on perked up and next day looks ready for vigorous growth.

....it looks like nobody comes tot his thread...think it may be a legacy type posting and not paid any attention too. I posted in the forums for container gardening...maybe it will get a response....i think the website isn't as active on this as needed for immediately helps.

good luck!

Hi again......I doubt you will get a esponse in this thread. Believe it is legacy thread. I posted a question in the balcony gardening on Sweet100's...maybe they can help. Someone answered mine inquiry. http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3881060/advice-on-sweet100-tomato-in-large-containers?n=2

Yeah it is easy to overlook these old threads. Sorry for that,

Questions:

"Would that sound successful for Sweet 100's? Should there be 1 or 2 per container?"

Possible but it depends on height of the balcony and how much tying and training you want to do. They are an exceptionally huge plant so I suggest you do not do any lower level pruning on it as that will only make it grow taller. If worst comes to worst you may have to cut off the very top of the plant if it gets too unmanageable. And you will need lots of string for tying. 1 plant per container only.

My problem is that the leaves are getting yellow and I don't know what's wrong. Please do share your tips and advice. Thank you! I also just transported them from a small rectangular box planter tho this one here.

Yellowing leaves is almost always related to watering issues - usually too much - or lack of nutrient issues is the second most common cause. Plants in containers consistently have over-watering issues and nutrient issues because the nutrients wash out of the container every time you water and they have to be replaced regularly.

But if you just moved a plant this huge into this new container then the odds are it is suffering from severe transplant shock. Plants this size do NOT take to transplanting at all well.

Dave

Might add that I saw a net video of a person who said digging and holding the whole root/dirt ball in his hands and dipping it in Miracle-gro solution had eliminated transplant shock. I do not use Miracle-Gro, but tried pouring a little urine close to the planted root ball and the plant seemed to continue it's vigor without any transplant effects...other than the slight drooping at planting time. Next mornin they were perked up and looking unphased whatsoever witht he transplant. May be not true, but it seemed to benefit my plants. I think the little nitrogen in the urine gave the plant a little short term energy boost for the transplant. May not be true, but it sounds logical and my plants responded well to it.

Good luck on the plant...and thanks for the responder also.

take care

You can keep the height in check by letting lateral grow and at some point ( @ 4ft ?) top the main. Also I would trim some of the leaf branches and the ones hidden inside, especially if they are getting yellow or are not getting any direct light. JMO

Sey

more info/ great! i'm a little concerned about height, but think lateral growth might be a larger problem. the balcony isn't very large. if they bush considerably...i may need to go one plant for that reason.

The railing is waist high and wooden. i'm lashing a 4ft board to the railing and that should give about 7ft. with the support strings running in all directions.

i'd of thought a height a little more tan 4ft would do better, but you know better and how they will respond. thanks for the added info. think i have a basic understanding of what to do. good fortune on your's and thanks.

Keep in mind that Sweet 100's often reach 10+ feet tall and 4+ feet wide. Good luck.

Dave

thanks for the helps...been quite useful in planning.

Thanks so much! Wish I'd posted before I transplanted... I will have to try the miracle gro or your method soon since I had no idea this little plant had the potential to grow so big. I have it in a slender container that doesn't hold more than 2.5 gallons and I'm wondering now if it is stunting the development of the fruits.