Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is 'Sungold' Cherry Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Sungold')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Sungold orange cherry tomato.

More about 'sungold' cherry tomato

About 'Sungold' Cherry Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum 'Sungold' · also called Sungold orange cherry tomato · edible

'Sungold' is an F1 indeterminate cherry tomato famed for intensely sweet, tangerine-orange fruit borne in long trusses. It is one of the earliest and most prolific cherries, cropping from midsummer to frost. Vines are vigorous and need staking, regular feeding, and steady water; fruit can split if watering is erratic near harvest.

Cold limit: USDA Warm-season annual in zones 3-11; perennial only in frost-free zones 10-11 · RHS H2 (tender; no frost tolerance) (18-29°C)

What 'sungold' cherry tomato's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for 'sungold' cherry tomato: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA Warm-season annual in zones 3-11; perennial only in frost-free zones 10-11 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for 'sungold' cherry tomato as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can 'sungold' cherry tomato go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when 'sungold' cherry tomato can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline 'sungold' cherry tomato

'Sungold' Cherry Tomato is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

'Sungold' Cherry Tomato hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is 'sungold' cherry tomato cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for 'sungold' cherry tomato: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. 'Sungold' Cherry Tomato is grown Warm-season annual in zones 3-11; perennial only in frost-free zones 10-11; you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature 'sungold' cherry tomato can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is 'sungold' cherry tomato?

'Sungold' Cherry Tomato is rated USDA Warm-season annual in zones 3-11; perennial only in frost-free zones 10-11 and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can 'sungold' cherry tomato survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect 'sungold' cherry tomato from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.