What's your secret?

[gunrunner]

For growing LARGE tomatoes? I don't mean the large variety type of tomatoes. I'm talking about the average tomato that grows big in your garden because you know the secret to having them grow bigger than normal. I tried using good fertilizer every two weeks to ten days which seems to help, but nothing out of the ordinary as far as size.
Can you share with me some thoughts on what I should do?


Thanks
Mike
Memphis

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by gunrunner

For growing LARGE tomatoes? I don't mean the large variety type of tomatoes. I'm talking about the average tomato that grows big in your garden because you know the secret to having them grow bigger than normal. I tried using good fertilizer every two weeks to ten days which seems to help, but nothing out of the ordinary as far as size.
Can you share with me some thoughts on what I should do?


Thanks
Mike
Memphis

Mike, the specific genes of a tomato variety in general control the eventual fruit size that appears.

If you want larger ones than normal of aspecific variety there are two things I can think of. One is to take all the blossoms/buds off a plant leaving just a few to develop and this is what many of those do who grow competition size fruits.

IMO fertilizer is just going to make a plant larger but not increase the size of the fruits themselves and indeed may do the reverse since more energy will be diverted to making new leaves and stems and roots.

Lastly, the only times I have seen fruits of a variety that were larger than expected was when it was a VERY rainy season.

You might want to find the user name PA Julia, she welcomes a lot of folks so look in Town Hall for her and then PM her since she is a major player in growing competetition size fruits and can direct you to links here that might help. Spoiler alert, and that's that many who do grow for large size also prefer to grow varieties that have what are called megablooms, or what some call fasciated blossoma. Ugly as heck but they grow primarily for size, not cosmetic perfection and not always for taste.

Hope that helps.

Carolyn

[gunrunner]

Caroyln Thanks that seems to be the case with my tomatoes. The fertilizer really does not give a great increase in fruit size, and since I am not growing for competition, I would not see any advantage to removing many of the blooms. Thanks again. Mike

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Lastly, the only times I have seen fruits of a variety that were larger than expected was when it was a VERY rainy season.

That happened to me this year. I wonder if it is because the plant makes fewer flowers in cloudy, rainy weather, more so than because of the extra moisture itself.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

That happened to me this year. I wonder if it is because the plant makes fewer flowers in cloudy, rainy weather, more so than because of the extra moisture itself.

I know what I want to say but don't know how to say it. But I'll try.

No, I don't think it's b'c fewer blossoms are made in rainy weather, I think one gets larger fruits b'c with both self pollenization as well as regular pollination, in the first case not enough pollen on the stigma so blossom abortion, so fewer fruits to mature making for larger fruits.

In the second case pollinators don't fly well in rainy weather so lack of pollination again leads to fruit abortion, ect.

I should add that partial fertilization of the ovules also can lead to smaller fruits, take your pick.

Mike, if you would like to share with us the specific varieties that you want to have larger fruits from perhaps some of us can suggst some substitute varieties that are close to what you are now growing.

You aren't the first person to ask what you did and I know that I've made the same suggestion to others.

Carolyn

[Captain Neon]

Friends that grow pumpkins for size have a hose at the base of the plant and let it run at a trickle constantly from planting to final harvest.

[Salsacharley]

I usually have smaller than standard size tomatoes for just about all varieties, and I think it is all due to environmental conditions. I grow my plants too close together. Many don't get but 6 hours max sun per day. The humidity is never over 40 percent with high heat and an elevation of about 6,000 feet. My soil is crappy desert dirt with amendments as I can add them. My water is hard. I'm plagued with spider mites. I still grow some great looking and tasting tomatoes and I can improve some of my environment, but I don't think I'll ever be able to grow large size fruit compared to standard. So Mike, if you have any conditions like mine and you can improve them, you might be able to grow larger fruits.

[Gardeneer]

YEAH, I wanna know it too . hehe

Carolyn said the very fundamentals of it already.
My experience shows that fruits set very early (cool temps) mostly won't get very large within the range of that variety. Also some varieties just wont grow uniformly in size. That is often the case with OP/heirlooms.
Having said that, I personally look for the total production. But if someone is growing for market that would be different.

[zipcode]

Cutting some of the fruits helps as said, also topping the plant. These are more drastic measures.
But also pruning to one stem also helps quite a bit. Drip irrigation, proper balanced fertilizing.

[Lindalana]

Several things I know are helpful in my garden.
TTF does increase number of blossoms, not sure if is helps with size of tomatoes itself but it surely is not hurting. I am saying it because I did not do any scientific experiments so to speak as separately adding TTF and nothing else etc. But yes, love using this stuff.
Amaze- it is product by Int aglabs.
http://www.aglabs.com/products/forag...cts/amaze.html
That stuff does work very well and easy to apply as foliar only few times a year.
Sea minerals. Does work. I had fairly ugly deal with my soil at community gardens this year, I wrote in different thread. Still I got some well sized tomatoes.

http://www.smilinggardener.com/sale/...als-fertilizer



[IMG][/IMG]

[Lindalana]

Just made pic of what is currently in the house and I have to say I felt like I was pulling my plants up the mountain against gravity this year- blossom drops, stunted growth, you name it...

[IMG][/IMG]

[gunrunner]

Thanks All for your info. This year I pretty much stuck with BetterBoy and Brandywine I know the BW is large anyway,but had hope the BB would be larger, even tho I have to say the BB did produce well. Lindalana, Am I right to assume that TTF is Tomato tone Fertilizer? I have read much about it but have not tried it yet. I am also torn between larger tomatoes or a larger total crop. For this reason I can't decide if I should prune a lot or not. Did try removing the lower branches from the BB this year and it did seem to help.
Does topping increase yield or size? Anyway thanks again


Mike

[carolyn137]

Is it time for me to up a thread asking the question:

When did growing tomatoes become so scientific?

We've had that thread before, not started by me, but no way could I find it.

Switching fertilizers at different stages of growth?
Using only this or that product to get blossoms?
Putting only this or that in the planting hole, ala Earl's method, and how I miss him.

Using STOP ROT for BER?
Using Blossom Set,not good since it was devised to help only those with cool Springs such as the PNW, where temps don't allow for blossom formation and it induces parthenocarpic fruits which can be irregular in shape and mostly seedless since normal fertilization of theovules does not occur and it's homonally induced, IAA ( indoleaceticacid) being the most common hormone used.
Using Epsom salts ( magnesium sulfate) when there is no lack of MG++?

Please don't answer my above comments here in this thread for I'm just thinking out loud to myself right now and my fingers are following.

I'll give more thought to this before I do start such a thread.

I feel better now, thank you, and I can smell the hash and eggs that Martha is now cooking for me and that's the BEST news.

Carolyn

[dustdevil]

Julia is one of our resident big tomato growers. If she doesn't post here, I would PM her and asketh your question.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Julia is one of our resident big tomato growers. If she doesn't post here, I would PM her and asketh your question.

Dust, I already suggested that in post #2 of this thread.

Carolyn