Recommended to us by many farmers we know, Gold Medal was an all-around stunning tomato in our very first grow out. Maude and Tom Powell of Wolf Gulch Farm who grew some seed for us had this to say about it: “We loved growing this tomato! The plants were abundant producers of very large, meaty, 1lb+ fruits. What really stands out is the color – a sunset orange with red marbling, amazing to look at when sliced. The flavor is also outstanding, somewhat fruity. Great for sandwiches, but we also dried and made sauce with them. It reminded us of Striped German, one of our all-time favorites, but was more productive.” First introduced in 1921 as Ruby Gold in John Lewis Child’s (credited with founding one of, if not the first seed catalog business in the United States) catalog it was later renamed Gold Medal by Ben Quisenberry in his 1976 catalog. Mr. Quisenberry operated Big Tomato Gardens and was passionate about saving heirloom tomato seeds from extinction. Indeterminate. This large tomato does benefit from the extra heat of being grown under cover in cooler areas. Indeterminate. 90 days. UO
Transplant out after danger offrost (50+F nighttime temps).
Note: Don't start too early or plants will be leggy and root-bound! Tomatoes do well in clay to loam soils.
PLANTING DEPTH:
1/8-1/4"
SPACING:
18" spacing in rows 5' apart.
EMERGENCE:
10-14 days @ soil temp 70-85F
LIGHT:
Full sun
FERTILITY:
Medium-Heavy. Prefers well-drained, well-balanced fertile soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5. Note that excess Nitrogen will encourage foliage, not fruit! Low calcium and irregular watering will result in blossom end rot.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Row cover may be used for extra warmth and possible earlier fruit set.
Irregular watering can result in blossom end rot.
Plant deeply to encourage healthy root structure.
Indeterminate varieties may benefit from pruning suckers to encourage air flow, plant health, and energy towards plant top and fruit.
