Galina's vs SunGold

pacmanJohn · February 7, 2010

I grew SunGold last year and the family fell in love with it so it's on the list for this year. It is actually the last seeds I'll need to get my hands on for this year's grow list. However, I have Galina's seeds that I've never grown. Just wondering from those out there that have grown both what the differences are...

Thanks.

**carolyn137** · February 7, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by pacmanJohn

I grew SunGold last year and the family fell in love with it so it's on the list for this year. It is actually the last seeds I'll need to get my hands on for this year's grow list. However, I have Galina's seeds that I've never grown. Just wondering from those out there that have grown both what the differences are...

Thanks.

The basic traits of both are quite different.

Sungold F1 is a hybrid, as you know, RL, indet and for many of us it really is quite an early variety and I grow it almost every year b'c I like the taste.

Galina's Yellow, which was the original name that was brought back from Siberia when Bill McDorman brought this one and many others back, has much larger cherry tomatoes, they mature to a deep gold, unlike Sungold, whose mature fruits are orange, Galina is PL and indet and I really like the taste of the fruits; they aren't sweet but have a nice more complex non-fruity taste than does Sungold. And it ripens much later than Sungold as well.

I can't pick one over the other b'c I like both very much for what they are as distinct varieties and each with different positive attributes.

pacmanJohn · February 7, 2010

Very good information Carolyn. Thank you. Sounds like they are two very different creatures. I may have to find a spot in the garden this year to give Galina's a try as they sound 'right up my alley' from your description.

Thanks.

roamwhereiwant2 · February 8, 2010

Hi John,

I've grown both and like SunGold a lot better. For me, Galina's is a bit odd tasting. Not exactly bland, but not particularly enticing either. I ended up shovel-pruning the Galina's plant long before summer ended because nobody was eating the cherries. But, your mileage may vary . . .

This year I'm growing SunGold's sister; SunCherry plus Chadwicks, and Black Cherry for my cherry tomatoes.

Yvonne

Jayc · February 8, 2010

I am a huge Sungold fan and grow it every year, guess I have a sweet tooth. It is regularly first to ripen and keeps going until hit by frost.
I very much enjoy Galina but if I could grow only one of those, it would be Sungold every time. Galina would not be a substitute for Sungold for me, it is quite different tasting.

pacmanJohn · February 8, 2010

Thanks you both for your input.

tjg911 · February 8, 2010

sun gold is a must, if i grow tomatoes sun gold will be there. i grew galina's one season but was not impressed by it. it did not taste good, just so so and it produced very few tomatoes. the plant died before the end of the season, very odd, other than last year with late blight i seldom have had that happen. personally i wouldn't try it again but you really need to try it to see what you think.

habitat_gardener · February 9, 2010

When I was buying transplants rather than saving and growing from seed, I grew SunGold F1 twice (because it's available everywhere) and Galina's Yellow once (because I found it only one year). To me, SunGold has a bit of an off taste and I got tired of it by midseason. I start cooking with tomatoes as a last resort when I have too many to eat and can't give them away any more. I remember that year the newspaper ran some articles about tomato desserts, so I tried creating a recipe for SunGold muffins. I'd grow it again if I couldn't grow any tomatoes from seed and that was the only thing left at the nursery.

The one year I grew Galina's, I grew Sunsugar F1 next to it, and they looked and tasted so similar that I wonder if the plant really was Galina's! I'm looking forward to trying it again.

bohica · February 10, 2010

Sungold was such a pleasant surprise for us, we have never grown anything other then a large varieties, the flavor was amazing, we popped them right in our mouths in the garden, I dont think too many made it inside!

pooklette · February 11, 2010

Yup - I thought Sungold and Galina's were very different too. Galina's was more yellow-gold and Sungold was orange. Galina's produced larger and slightly fewer fruits (though it was still quite productive.) Sungold has a very concentrated sweet, almost wine-y flavor to me. Galina's wasn't nearly as sweet and had a much more subtle flavor (not bland though.)

Oh yes, and Sungold produced fruits much earlier than Galina's did for me.

bohica · February 11, 2010

If anyone knows of a source for a few sungold seeds, I would be very interested in trying to get a few.
Thanks!

neoguy · February 13, 2010

Tom,

Send me a PM here or at Perry's if you still need Sun Gold Seed.

February 7, 2010	#1
pacmanJohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frankfort, KY Posts: 143	Galina's vs SunGold I grew SunGold last year and the family fell in love with it so it's on the list for this year. It is actually the last seeds I'll need to get my hands on for this year's grow list. However, I have Galina's seeds that I've never grown. Just wondering from those out there that have grown both what the differences are... Thanks. __________________ John

February 7, 2010	#3
pacmanJohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frankfort, KY Posts: 143	Very good information Carolyn. Thank you. Sounds like they are two very different creatures. I may have to find a spot in the garden this year to give Galina's a try as they sound 'right up my alley' from your description. Thanks. __________________ John

February 8, 2010	#6
pacmanJohn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frankfort, KY Posts: 143	Thanks you both for your input. __________________ John

February 8, 2010	#7
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	sun gold is a must, if i grow tomatoes sun gold will be there. i grew galina's one season but was not impressed by it. it did not taste good, just so so and it produced very few tomatoes. the plant died before the end of the season, very odd, other than last year with late blight i seldom have had that happen. personally i wouldn't try it again but you really need to try it to see what you think. __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

February 8, 2010	#4
roamwhereiwant2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, 7b Posts: 130	Hi John, I've grown both and like SunGold a lot better. For me, Galina's is a bit odd tasting. Not exactly bland, but not particularly enticing either. I ended up shovel-pruning the Galina's plant long before summer ended because nobody was eating the cherries. But, your mileage may vary . . . This year I'm growing SunGold's sister; SunCherry plus Chadwicks, and Black Cherry for my cherry tomatoes. Yvonne

February 8, 2010	#5
Jayc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 319	I am a huge Sungold fan and grow it every year, guess I have a sweet tooth. It is regularly first to ripen and keeps going until hit by frost. I very much enjoy Galina but if I could grow only one of those, it would be Sungold every time. Galina would not be a substitute for Sungold for me, it is quite different tasting.

February 9, 2010	#8
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	When I was buying transplants rather than saving and growing from seed, I grew SunGold F1 twice (because it's available everywhere) and Galina's Yellow once (because I found it only one year). To me, SunGold has a bit of an off taste and I got tired of it by midseason. I start cooking with tomatoes as a last resort when I have too many to eat and can't give them away any more. I remember that year the newspaper ran some articles about tomato desserts, so I tried creating a recipe for SunGold muffins. I'd grow it again if I couldn't grow any tomatoes from seed and that was the only thing left at the nursery. The one year I grew Galina's, I grew Sunsugar F1 next to it, and they looked and tasted so similar that I wonder if the plant really was Galina's! I'm looking forward to trying it again.

February 10, 2010	#9
bohica Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NY Posts: 113	Sungold was such a pleasant surprise for us, we have never grown anything other then a large varieties, the flavor was amazing, we popped them right in our mouths in the garden, I dont think too many made it inside!

February 11, 2010	#10
pooklette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Zone 5 Posts: 262	Yup - I thought Sungold and Galina's were very different too. Galina's was more yellow-gold and Sungold was orange. Galina's produced larger and slightly fewer fruits (though it was still quite productive.) Sungold has a very concentrated sweet, almost wine-y flavor to me. Galina's wasn't nearly as sweet and had a much more subtle flavor (not bland though.) Oh yes, and Sungold produced fruits much earlier than Galina's did for me.

February 13, 2010	#12
neoguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 610	Tom, Send me a PM here or at Perry's if you still need Sun Gold Seed.