That Sungold smell

[Labradors2]

Having heard about that distinctive Sungold smell, I decided to go into the garden and find out what it smells like. Maybe the plant that I bought isn't a correct Sungold as I discovered that my OP Sweet Million has a nice fruity smell, and even the Rosé de Berne smells slightly fragrant yet Sungold doesn't have much of a smell at all.

Linda

[Tania]

Linda,

SunGold F1 and SunSugar F1 foliage has different smell compared to the foliage of other tomato plants. They smell somewhat musky to me.

I cannot say it is a 'better' smell, it is just very different.


Tatiana

[Labradors2]

Thanks Tania. Musky huh? My friend is growing a Sungold so I'll go and sniff that some time!

Years ago, I had a colleague from England who used to refer to that "tom cat" smell that tomatoes used to have (back in the day). I guess you could say it's a skunk smell. I don't seem to notice that any more.

Linda

[carolyn137]

And there are many of us who smell nothing special at all with Sungold F1 foliage and there's a recent thread about the possible linkage between that odor and Sungold taste, I think it the breeding Forum, but I don't have time right now to go searching.

The adjective used to describe the foliage odor was not a nice one.

Carolyn

[Tania]

My sense of smell is interesting at times.

Sorry...

[Tom A To]

The fruit, once picked and placed into a bowl definitely has its own fruity, wonderful smell. Haven't gone out and sniffed the plant though.... afraid my wife will see me if I do.

[Labradors2]

How odd. I think I found the thread to which Carolyn referred, calling it a stink-bomb smell.

I found yet another discussion in 2011 where they said it smelled of Marijuana. Somebody said he thought he detected the smell of his neigbours smoking pot. Funny, I have had a similar experience. He said it was his Sungold tomato emitting the odour. I know it wasn't MY Sungold {LOL}.

[Dewayne mater]

As the season goes on and/or as the heat rises, the stronger smelling it gets. I try not to even brush up against it because it will get on you and nothing short of a shower will get rid of that smell.

[z_willus_d]

I'll 2nd Tania's notes on the bouquet of Sungold F1. I'd noted the same (seedling to mother plant).
-n

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Thanks Tania. Musky huh? My friend is growing a Sungold so I'll go and sniff that some time!

Years ago, I had a colleague from England who used to refer to that "tom cat" smell that tomatoes used to have (back in the day). I guess you could say it's a skunk smell. I don't seem to notice that any more.

Linda

Some tomato cultivars still have that skunk smell, others don't. Even some of the same types that used to have it, no longer do. A few days ago I was working in the tomatoes and picked up a distinctive odor I recognized as distinctive to Rutgers. (it probably wasn't found just in Rutgers, but it was distinctive for the cultivars I grew) Since I am growing several strains of Rutgers in an attempt to locate a long lost strain I remember from childhood, the first thought I had was...THAT'S IT! but my excitement waned as I looked around and realized I wasn't in the Rutgers section. Probably just one of the many cultivars with Rutgers in its ancestry or that in some other way shared the same scent. But I can go right down the row and brush against almost 80 varieties, and only a few still have that skunky scent. (If they ever did)

PS I also can't detect any particularly strong odor coming from SunGold F1. It does smell different, but not musky or unpleasant or even powerful at all. It could be the plant, or it could be just me. Who knows? I sometimes even wonder if possibly a plant can produce a specific scent for a specific purpose? One smell to chase bugs away, another to defend against disease?

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Some tomato cultivars still have that skunk smell, others don't. Even some of the same types that used to have it, no longer do. A few days ago I was working in the tomatoes and picked up a distinctive odor I recognized as distinctive to Rutgers. (it probably wasn't found just in Rutgers, but it was distinctive for the cultivars I grew) Since I am growing several strains of Rutgers in an attempt to locate a long lost strain I remember from childhood, the first thought I had was...THAT'S IT! but my excitement waned as I looked around and realized I wasn't in the Rutgers section. Probably just one of the many cultivars with Rutgers in its ancestry or that in some other way shared the same scent. But I can go right down the row and brush against almost 80 varieties, and only a few still have that skunky scent. (If they ever did)

PS I also can't detect any particularly strong odor coming from SunGold F1. It does smell different, but not musky or unpleasant or even powerful at all. It could be the plant, or it could be just me. Who knows? I sometimes even wonder if possibly a plant can produce a specific scent for a specific purpose? One smell to chase bugs away, another to defend against disease?

How interesting that the Rutgers have that skunky smell. I'll have to grow some for old times sake!

I wonder if those who detect a bad smell are spraying with some chemical that reacts badly to the Sungold aroma?

It would be neat if tomatoes would exude a smell to keep insects away! They could alert us that hornworms were around!!

The Swallowtail caterpillar emits a smell of anise when touched. It also has little orange "antlers" that it can stick out at will, as a kind of scary defense mechanism.

Mother Nature is amazing....

Linda

[Tania]

We do not spray with anything, and our air is very clean here in Anmore, so that's my perception of its 'natural' smell

[huntoften]

Sungold has that funky smell as soon as the seeds sprout and I think it get stronger as the plants mature. I picked a bunch of sungold last week that were raised in a high tunnel and the smell was so strong you would have thought a skunk had let a little loose.

On another note...has anyone ever divulged the true parents of Sungold or is it a secret?

[Poma_adoris]

Originally Posted by huntoften

Sungold has that funky smell as soon as the seeds sprout and I think it get stronger as the plants mature. I picked a bunch of sungold last week that were raised in a high tunnel and the smell was so strong you would have thought a skunk had let a little loose.

On another note...has anyone ever divulged the true parents of Sungold or is it a secret?

Huntoften,

If SunGold is an F1 hybrid as generally noted, then its parents would probably be 2 inbred strains maintained by the developer of the hybrid, and no one would have access to those strains to reproduce the same cross.

Some growers have worked to produce stable open-pollinated varieties that mimic the F1 hybrids they started with, such as Gary Ibsen (TomatoFest) who has produced a "de-hybridized" version of 'Big Beef'. I have not grown this and don't know how well it compares to the original hybrid.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Poma_adoris

Huntoften,

If SunGold is an F1 hybrid as generally noted, then its parents would probably be 2 inbred strains maintained by the developer of the hybrid, and no one would have access to those strains to reproduce the same cross.

Some growers have worked to produce stable open-pollinated varieties that mimic the F1 hybrids they started with, such as Gary Ibsen (TomatoFest) who has produced a "de-hybridized" version of 'Big Beef'. I have not grown this and don't know how well it compares to the original hybrid.

No, there are not just two OP parents for Sungold F1. There are two breeding lines, and each line can have up to four different parental inputs until the final OP's for each line are crossed to create the final F1 hybrid.

Not just 10 minutes agoI went through the details at another message site and can cut and paste them here if needed.

Carolyn