Golden dwarf champ vs Mini Gold vs Gold Nugget?

emcd124 · March 20, 2013

I'm trying to work out a garden plan for my son's preschool, and so I have two questions:

1. Do determinate tomatoes still need about 24" spacing? if I have a 5x2 space would it work to fit three in there if I put two in the back on the sides and one in the middle front?

2. If I dont have room for all three, which of the following yellow determinate varieties would you recommend? I've never tried any, so I'd really value input from anyone who has tried them, or even tried several of them.

Thanks!

ContainerTed · March 21, 2013

Golden Dwarf Champion will have 3-5 oz fruit. Whereas, Mini Gold is a dwarf sized cherry. I'm not familiar with Gold Nugget.

In your 5' X 2' bed, I would stop at two Golden Dwarf Champion plants (They can get to 4 feet tall with lots of branches), or possibly as many as 5 Mini Gold plants.

GWC has a wonderful sweet and "old fashioned" flavor. Mini Gold is more tart and is best when it is "dead ripe".

Wi-sunflower · March 21, 2013

Gold nugget is a typical cherry type plant. Because it's determinate tho, it doesn't get quite as big and sprawly as a full season cherry. It WILL be early to die off, but it will give you fruit at least a week before other varieties like Sun Gold.

One thing ai don't particularly like about Gold nugget tho is the fact that as the plant gets older, much of the fruit will get those ugly rusty spots on them like many yellows can get. Yellow Plum is another variety that gets rusty spots a lot.

Frankly I would give up Gold Nugget but plenty of plant customers want it because it is so early.

Carol

December 5, 2015

Gold Nugget is also parthenocarpic and said to be very productive.

Gardeneer · December 8, 2015

Back to original question"

In a 5ft x 2ft bed I can plan 3 ANY KIND of tomato variety, as long as they are caged or staked and the lower leaf branches are pruned . This excludes letting the plants sprawl.
I would plant the biggest one in the center and the smaller ones on each ends.

Gardeneer

March 20, 2013	#1
emcd124 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 104	Golden dwarf champ vs Mini Gold vs Gold Nugget? I'm trying to work out a garden plan for my son's preschool, and so I have two questions: 1. Do determinate tomatoes still need about 24" spacing? if I have a 5x2 space would it work to fit three in there if I put two in the back on the sides and one in the middle front? 2. If I dont have room for all three, which of the following yellow determinate varieties would you recommend? I've never tried any, so I'd really value input from anyone who has tried them, or even tried several of them. Thanks!

March 21, 2013	#2
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Golden Dwarf Champion will have 3-5 oz fruit. Whereas, Mini Gold is a dwarf sized cherry. I'm not familiar with Gold Nugget. In your 5' X 2' bed, I would stop at two Golden Dwarf Champion plants (They can get to 4 feet tall with lots of branches), or possibly as many as 5 Mini Gold plants. GWC has a wonderful sweet and "old fashioned" flavor. Mini Gold is more tart and is best when it is "dead ripe". __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

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March 21, 2013	#3
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	Gold nugget is a typical cherry type plant. Because it's determinate tho, it doesn't get quite as big and sprawly as a full season cherry. It WILL be early to die off, but it will give you fruit at least a week before other varieties like Sun Gold. One thing ai don't particularly like about Gold nugget tho is the fact that as the plant gets older, much of the fruit will get those ugly rusty spots on them like many yellows can get. Yellow Plum is another variety that gets rusty spots a lot. Frankly I would give up Gold Nugget but plenty of plant customers want it because it is so early. Carol

December 5, 2015	#4
shule1 Guest Posts: n/a	Gold Nugget is also parthenocarpic and said to be very productive.

December 8, 2015	#5
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,909	Back to original question" In a 5ft x 2ft bed I can plan 3 ANY KIND of tomato variety, as long as they are caged or staked and the lower leaf branches are pruned . This excludes letting the plants sprawl. I would plant the biggest one in the center and the smaller ones on each ends. Gardeneer