Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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#76 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: VA
Posts: 235
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I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone's big maters do. I don't expect to get anything over 2-3 lbs but it will be fun to try. Good luck to all of you growing them this year.
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#77 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Carmel, IN
Posts: 76
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I have a variety I created that I call "Sumo". It's from a cross between two heirloom varieties, Enormous Plum and Florida Pink. I have selected from the plant with the largest fruit for 10 generations now, and it seems to be stable. The largest fruit I have gotten is just over 3 lb, but it was grown in partial shade without pruning, so someone who is serious about growing large tomatoes might be able to double that. The largest fruit seem to come from double flowers. I've never seen true megablooms (triples or more).
Send me a PM if you'd like seed. Fred |
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#78 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: VA
Posts: 235
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Fred that sounds really interesting. I'll shoot you a pm. Just curious how do they taste?
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#79 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Carmel, IN
Posts: 76
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They are meaty with very few seeds. On a scale of "good", "better", "best", I would rate them as "better". Not quite as good as say Brandywine, but better than the average tomato.
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#80 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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I've planted out 76 tomato plants so far. 2 are Big Zac , 1 Maiden's Gold, and 1 Belmonte (Hoping for a Belmonster),
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#81 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
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#82 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Carmel, IN
Posts: 76
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I've selected for size the last 10 years, and I have the feeling that whatever genes are available for selection have already been fixed. I think the next step should be to have someone grow it under optimal conditions and see what its full potential may be.
This variety may have a different genetic background than other super-large varieties, so it might be possible to do a cross and get something even larger. Fred |
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#83 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Wasilla Alaska
Posts: 2,010
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I hope you guys are still not hibernating? I have about a dozen candidates growing for a large tomato, getting some mega blossoms too, but I will wait a bit before I select my prize flowers. The BZ flower is 4 fused together, nice... but not yet.
I am putting the juice to them now, in a couple of weeks I should see some results, and hopefully many more mega blooms. I also have a few varieties for my giant non fused tomato, we will see how that goes also |
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#84 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Louisville,Ky
Posts: 1
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I had a Burpee's Steakhouse tomato last year that was 2 lb. 1 oz. and did not prune for a large tomato on that plant. My oxhart, that I saved seeds from the year before, produced the most over 1 lb. tomatoes per plant. Great for canning.
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#85 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b
Posts: 1,369
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No hibernating Mark!
Just waiting on weather to kick in. I have a delicious with mega bloom. I pinched off all the other buds on that truss. Problem is, it's on a plant that started blooming too early under my HPS and it's not robust with foliage or that tall. It's on an early sowing that I did with 10 different plants just to get a jump on the season to have some fruit for eating. In my main crop which I sowed later, i have 4 delicious, 4 big zac and 2 chapman to try for personal records. The chapman had to be bum seeds. I sowed twice and got two plants out of 24 sowed. Anyway, I'm giving it a go to get one under my belt, and will seek out competition genetics next year. Did you top the plant with the megabloom? Last edited by PureHarvest; April 6, 2016 at 09:39 PM. |
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#86 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Wasilla Alaska
Posts: 2,010
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I did not, I do not think the plant is ready yet, so I will let that one pass.
As far as Chapman, how can you pass on growing loads just to eat? Darn those throw tasty treats for me. LOL |
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#87 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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So far my only mega bloom is on a Cherokee Purple plant. The plant is only about 14" tall.
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#88 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b
Posts: 1,369
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I guess I'm holding an unfair grudge due to the bad germ rates lol.
Ok, I will have to keep one for production. I did just notice a seed came up in the row this week. I sowed them 4 weeks ago. And it's a trifoliate. The other two came up in 4 days. Maybe I'll use that one for eating. |
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#89 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I had a market customer last week complaining about Big Zac. "All the darn tomatoes grew together in these big ugly clumps."
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#90 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Australia
Posts: 9
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It's almost winter here in Australia and I just transplanted 15 or so giant tomato seedlings outside in the garden. Not sure how they will do but it's worth a try.
Anyways, looking great there Mark! |
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