Sun Sugar Tomato
Sun Sugar yields golden-orange 1-inch fruits with 10+ Brix sweetness and crack-resistant skin. Grow guide covers support, pruning, and harvest timing.
Key takeaways
- Sun Sugar is indeterminate — it grows 6–8 feet tall and keeps producing until frost, unlike determinate types that stop after one harvest flush
- First fruits ripen 57–65 days after transplanting; in Zone 6, expect ripe cherries by late July most seasons
- Brix above 10 makes Sun Sugar one of the sweetest cherry tomatoes available at US garden centers
- Crack-resistant skin is a practical advantage over Sungold in wet-summer climates like the Pacific Northwest and Southeast
- Plant in full sun with 8+ hours daily — less sun drops sweetness measurably and slows fruit development
What is Sun Sugar tomato?
Sun Sugar is an F1 hybrid indeterminate cherry tomato producing golden-orange 1-inch fruits that ripen 57–65 days after transplanting. It measures above 10 Brix for sugar content and carries rated resistance to fusarium and verticillium wilts — two common US soil-borne tomato diseases.
It was developed by Tokita Seed and introduced to US markets in the 1990s. Within a decade, it became one of the top-selling golden cherry tomatoes at US garden centers. The most direct competitor is Sungold, also from Tokita, which has almost identical flavor and growth characteristics.
Two traits separate Sun Sugar from the crowded cherry tomato market. First, the crack-resistant skin. Cherry tomatoes split when ripe fruit encounters sudden moisture — a problem in eastern US climates with frequent summer thunderstorms. Sun Sugar’s skin holds better than most other cherry varieties. Second, the Brix rating. Standard slicing tomatoes measure 5–7 Brix for sugar. Sun Sugar consistently tests above 10 Brix in USDA Agricultural Research Service comparisons. That difference is noticeable when you eat the fruit.
The “golden” color also distinguishes it visually from red cherry types. Ripe Sun Sugar is a warm golden-orange. The color stays consistent across the season, making it easy to recognize ripe fruit even in a heavily loaded cluster.
Sun Sugar vs. other cherry tomatoes
| Variety | Color | Days to ripe | Brix | Crack resistance | Disease resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Sugar | Golden-orange | 57–65 | 10+ | Good | F, V |
| Sungold | Pale orange | 57 | 10–11 | Fair | F |
| Super Sweet 100 | Red | 60–65 | 9–10 | Poor | F, V |
| Sweet Million | Red | 60 | 8–9 | Poor | F, V, N |
| Black Cherry | Dark red-purple | 65–70 | 8 | Poor | None |
| Juliet | Red | 60 | 8 | Excellent | F |
| Yellow Pear | Yellow | 70–75 | 7 | Poor | None |
Sun Sugar and Sungold are close in sweetness. Sun Sugar has better crack resistance. For wet-summer climates (Southeast, Pacific Northwest, much of the Midwest), Sun Sugar is the practical choice. For dry-summer climates (California, Mountain West), either variety works equally well.
Juliet offers excellent crack resistance but with noticeably less sweetness. Super Sweet 100 and Sweet Million are the most widely available red cherry options, but neither matches Sun Sugar’s flavor profile.
For a full comparison of indeterminate cherry tomatoes, our Super Sweet 100 guide covers how that variety stacks up against Sungold, Black Cherry, and other popular US cherry types.
How to grow Sun Sugar: site and soil
Sun Sugar needs full sun (8+ hours daily), fertile well-drained soil at pH 6.0–6.8, and consistent moisture. These three conditions produce the highest yield and the best flavor.
Site requirements:
- Sun: 8 hours minimum. At 6 hours of sun, plant growth slows and Brix drops. Cherry tomatoes tolerate shade but produce weaker, less sweet fruit.
- Soil: Loamy, well-drained, amended with 2–3 inches of compost before planting. Avoid compacted clay and waterlogged spots.
- Spacing: 24–36 inches between plants; 36–48 inches between rows.
- pH: 6.0–6.8. Test soil before planting. Outside this range, calcium and magnesium uptake suffer — both affect fruit quality.
Unlike determinate tomatoes that set all fruit in a short window and stop, indeterminate types like Sun Sugar grow and produce simultaneously for the entire season. Consistent nutrition matters throughout. Apply a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) at planting, then switch to a lower-nitrogen formula (5-10-10) once flowers appear. High nitrogen after flowering produces vigorous foliage but fewer fruits.
For companion planting strategies around tomatoes that improve soil conditions and deter pests, our tomato companion plants guide covers the best options for US gardens.
When to plant Sun Sugar by USDA zone
Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost date. Sun Sugar germinates in 5–10 days at 70–80°F soil temperature.
| Zone | Typical last frost | Indoor start | Transplant date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | June 1 | April 6 | After June 1 |
| 4 | May 15 | March 20 | After May 15 |
| 5 | May 1 | March 6 | After May 1 |
| 6 | April 15 | Feb 20 | After April 15 |
| 7 | April 1 | Feb 5 | After April 1 |
| 8 | March 1 | Jan 5 | After March 1 |
| 9–10 | Feb or none | Nov–Dec | Feb–March |
Harden off transplants over 7–10 days before setting them outside permanently. On day 1, give them 1–2 hours of outdoor exposure. Increase by an hour or two each day. Plant transplants deeper than the nursery pot level — bury 2–4 inches of stem. Tomatoes root along buried stem tissue, building a stronger drought-resistant base.
Soil temperature matters more than air temperature for early-season success. Sun Sugar transplants stall and become susceptible to disease when soil is below 60°F. Use a soil thermometer to confirm conditions before planting out, especially in northern zones.
Does Sun Sugar need staking?
Sun Sugar needs a support structure at least 6 feet tall. Standard 4-foot tomato cages fail by August in most US zones — the vine outgrows them, collapses outward, and becomes difficult to harvest.
Three support options that work for indeterminate cherry tomatoes:
Florida weave: Install 6-foot stakes every 2–3 plants. Weave heavy garden twine back and forth between stakes as plants grow, adding a new layer of twine every 10–12 inches of vertical growth. This is the standard commercial method. It handles the weight of a loaded indeterminate vine better than most cages.
Tall cage: Use cages at least 5 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter. Cattle panels bent into cylinders make excellent heavy-duty cages. Standard wire tomato cages sold at hardware stores (typically 4 feet tall, 12-inch diameter) are not adequate for Sun Sugar.
Vertical string: Tie twine from the base of the plant up to an overhead support (wire, trellis rail, or pergola). Wrap the main stem loosely around the string as it grows — one full wrap every 8–10 inches. This is common in greenhouse production and works equally well outdoors.
Install support at planting time. Driving stakes after the vine is established disturbs roots.
How to prune Sun Sugar tomatoes
Prune Sun Sugar to 1–2 main stems by removing suckers — the shoots that emerge from the crotch between the main stem and a lateral branch. Pruning to 2 stems balances high yield with manageable vine size.
Remove suckers when they are 2–3 inches long. Small suckers snap off cleanly with your fingers. Larger suckers need clean scissors. Leaving suckers untreated means 3, 4, or 5 competing stems by July — a vine so tangled it is hard to harvest and prone to disease from poor airflow.
The sucker below the first flower cluster is called the “main sucker.” You can keep it as a second main stem or remove it entirely. Standard approach: keep it as a second stem. Remove all other suckers that form below the first flower cluster. Above the first flower cluster, be more selective. Remove only suckers that grow inward. Allow outward-growing lateral fruiting branches to develop.
Stop pruning 4–6 weeks before your expected first fall frost. The plant needs its leaf canopy to ripen remaining fruit before cold arrives.
Our complete how to prune tomatoes guide covers the technique step by step, including how to manage two-stem training and which suckers to prioritize removing first.
Fertilizing and watering Sun Sugar
Feed Sun Sugar every 2–3 weeks during the growing season. Liquid fertilizer is more immediately available to plants than granular. Switch from balanced (10-10-10) to lower-nitrogen (5-10-10) once flowering begins. Too much nitrogen after flowering produces lush foliage but fewer fruits.
Consistent watering prevents two common problems:
Blossom end rot appears as dark, sunken patches on the bottom of fruits. It results from calcium deficiency caused by uneven water uptake. Calcium is present in most soils — the problem is inconsistent watering that prevents steady calcium transport up to developing fruits. Consistent soil moisture solves most cases. Calcium spray at fruit set helps when the issue is severe.
Fruit cracking happens when dry soil suddenly receives heavy rain. The sudden moisture spike causes fruit to expand faster than the skin can stretch. Sun Sugar’s crack resistance helps but does not make the plant immune. Consistent watering and 2–3 inches of mulch at the base of each plant stabilize soil moisture between rain events.
Target 1–2 inches of water per week. Deep watering 2–3 times weekly is more effective than shallow daily watering.
Common problems with Sun Sugar tomatoes
| Problem | Symptoms | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom end rot | Dark leathery patch on fruit bottom | Calcium deficiency, uneven watering | Consistent watering; calcium spray at fruit set |
| Fruit cracking | Surface splits on ripe fruit | Sudden moisture after dry period | Consistent watering; mulch base of plants |
| Fusarium wilt | One-sided yellowing, whole plant collapse | Soil-borne fungus | Sun Sugar has F resistance — verify diagnosis |
| Verticillium wilt | Slow yellowing from base, V-shape lesions | Soil-borne fungus | Sun Sugar has V resistance — verify diagnosis |
| Spider mites | Bronze stippling, webbing under leaves | Hot, dry conditions | Insecticidal soap; increase irrigation frequency |
| Hornworm | Large defoliated areas, green frass below | Tomato hornworm | Hand-pick at dusk; Bt spray for large infestations |
| Early blight | Brown spots with yellow halos on lower leaves | Alternaria fungus | Remove affected leaves; copper fungicide if spreading |
Sun Sugar’s F and V disease resistance prevents two of the most common causes of tomato failure in US gardens. Both diseases persist in soil that hasn’t been rotated. Growing tomatoes in the same bed every year builds up disease pressure — rotate tomatoes to a new bed every 2–3 seasons.
For companion plantings that naturally reduce pest pressure around tomatoes, see our tomato companion plants guide for combinations that work in US gardens.
When and how to harvest Sun Sugar
Harvest Sun Sugar when fruits are fully golden-orange and yield slightly under gentle pressure. They detach from the cluster with a gentle twist and no scissors.
Fruits left on the vine past peak ripeness do not split as readily as some other cherry types, but they do soften and attract birds. Harvest every 2–3 days during peak season. You can harvest entire trusses (clusters) when 80–90% of fruits on the truss are ripe — the remaining fruits continue ripening off the vine.
Peak season in most US zones is July through September. A well-maintained Sun Sugar plant in Zones 5–7 yields 1–2 quarts per week at the height of production.
For broad tomato growing strategy — including what to do with a large harvest at season’s end — our how to grow tomatoes guide covers canning, freezing, and seed-saving options for different tomato types.
Growing Sun Sugar in containers
Sun Sugar grows in containers but requires a large pot. Use 15 gallons minimum. Anything smaller cuts root volume and reduces yield. A healthy in-ground Sun Sugar plant has roots extending 2–3 feet in all directions — container plants are always working with constraints.
Use high-quality potting mix amended with perlite for drainage. Container plants need more frequent watering (often daily in hot weather) and more frequent fertilizing (every 10–14 days with liquid fertilizer) than in-ground plants. Potting mix has less nutrient-holding capacity than garden soil.
Provide a support structure inside the container or stake to a nearby wall or fence. Container-grown Sun Sugar can still reach 5–6 feet, so the support needs to be stable.
For step-by-step container tomato instructions — including pot selection, watering frequency, and support options for indeterminate varieties — see our growing tomatoes in pots guide.
What makes Sun Sugar worth growing
Most cherry tomatoes at US garden centers are red-fruited hybrids — Super Sweet 100, Sweet Million, and similar varieties. Sun Sugar and Sungold fill a different niche: golden-orange fruit with genuine tropical sweetness and flavor complexity that most red cherries lack.
Sun Sugar consistently earns top ratings in extension service tomato variety trials across the US. It performs from Zone 3 to Zone 10 as an annual. It is productive enough that a single plant provides more cherry tomatoes than most households can eat at peak season.
For Cherokee Purple, Better Boy, and other tomato variety comparisons, our Cherokee Purple Tomato guide and Better Boy Tomato guide cover the broader range of US tomato options by season length and flavor profile.
Sarah Mitchell is a Master Gardener and garden writer based in the Pacific Northwest. She has been growing food and flowers for over 15 years across USDA zones 7 and 8.