The very large tomato thread

[PureHarvest]

Yeah, our Dept. of Ag. has a weights and measures division. I know many people in that office and they would love the publicity, if I told them why I needed their help.

In fact, the news people are so desperate for an interesting new story around here, I could have a crew here in a few hours with a phone call and get all the video documentation I needed. They call me from time to time wanting to do some lame quick pieces about ag related stuff because they did some interviews with me years ago about local ag and gardening issues. The editor has to fill time and send the reporter out to get tape for that night. When they find someone willing to talk that can speak to a topic they want to cover, look out, your are on their list.
The bad is that they are robotic and don't listen to what you are telling them and your 5 minute interview ends up being a couple of 5 second snippits that night with some fill-in from the anchor.
The reporter definitely asks questions to cover what they want, even though you are telling them the real deal off the air before the camera is rolling.
Like the one year the reporter called me to talk about the ramifications of Russia dropping the US as a chicken supplier. They were desperate to get someone to talk about how that would effect the poultry industry here (#1 commodity here). I told them I raised birds on pasture on a small scale, so I really couldn't speak directly about that because I don't grow for the big guys who ship birds. Silence on the other end. Then she says, but can we come out and shoot some footage and ask you how this will affect the industry. I repeated my answer. She still didn't get it. She just had an assignment and a deadline and needed anybody to toss out an opinion that had anything to do with poultry.
Anyway, they look for the feelgood stuff that promotes the area in a positive way that also features an official agency.
Go figure on all of the above...

[lubadub]

There is always the tendency to allow more plant. Growers have this strong feeling about the need for more leaves. To get the most you can I think you need to be absolutely brutal. The leaf roll is something that appears to be common in the Big Zac F5 and up and is not tied to anything such as variations in watering. It just happens. Dan MacCoy made the observation that his big plants had small tomatoes and his small plants had big ones. He then took pruning to an extreme and now has the world record. Everyone was laughing at his idea until he stepped up top the scales.

[biscuitridge]

He did have the world record, now I've stolen it from him with my 8.61 lb. tomato.lol. sorry ,this is in response to #92 post

[PureHarvest]

I guess I was thinking of what I read about the previous record plant being tall an toppled over by a storm.
Good thoughts though. Perhaps I will go a chopping tomorrow...

[AKmark]

There is good explanation for the disorder, and it is probably not element driven or excess watering.
http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgi...leaf_roll.html

[AKmark]

I topped my first plant today, it was a Belmonte with 5 tomatoes fused together, that is what it appears like anyway. They are supposed to be 1-2 ponds, so one with 5 fused should be 5 + pounds or more.
I had to chop my BZ with 4 fused. One section got some rot, so it had to go. I have several other nice blooms, but like a stock holder I wait on more, and we know that could be a good or bad choice. lol Sorry for the lame fuzzy pic.
Here we go

[Salsacharley]

I wonder how many blossoms are on this beauty. It might have gotten pretty big but it was growing on a plant with 2 stems and several fruits. It is a Napa Giant.

[AKmark]

Hey ya Charley, you have to count the stigmas sticking out. You can also sorta look at the top of it, and can observe how many tomatoes are clumped together.
You have some catfacing on the bottom, so it is kinda hard to tell.

[lubadub]

It is a difficult thing to do, terminating the main vine just above the tomato, but that is what Dan did and Fabrice Boudyo did as well, following in Dan's footsteps with another 8 pounder.

[AKmark]

I do keep seeds, I gave out several Terhune 5.42 last year, which would have been much bigger, if it did not have a 4.5 and a 2.5 on the vine at the same time.

I am not sure I buy into seeds coming from a large tomato producing tomatoes that are larger than other seeds from the same variety, that came from a smaller tomato? I do think it would take many generations to tailor something genetically different, line breeding is a slow process to capture traits other than those already manifested within a line. Out crossing however, is a faster way to achieve results, and you also can introduce vigor if both lines are inbred. However, like most, I do try both methods, the cards fall wherever they fall, and surprises are sometimes great.
Before I get beat up, I will say that peeps are getting good results with OP Big Zac, based on selection of fused blooms. I am not seeing any drastic differences yet, besides vigor in the F1 when compared to my OP Big Zac from Fabrice.

At any rate, I will pass seeds out, I do go against my inner thoughts, and I do save seeds from my biggest tomatoes too LOL

Thanks for all your insight Marv, glad to see you here.

[AKmark]

So far Terhune is throwing the most mega blooms, Belmonte is looking good too, a few others have some choice blooms also. Still waiting on Big Zac to deliver, I have F1 and OP, and will patiently wait.
Anyway, here are a few ugly, but beautiful selections.

[lubadub]

There is a lot of potential in what you have going. Take good care of them.

[AKmark]

I found a nice set tomato on OP BZ from Boudyo's 6.83 this morning, it is 4-5 fused together.
I'm all over it Marv, trying a few new ideas, will post them if anything of worth comes from it.

[lubadub]

AKmark; Your season is so far ahead of mine. My plants are still in their first pots. 3 weeks until anything around here goes into the ground. You have a really good start this year and lets hope your good fortune holds.

[AKmark]

This tomato appears to be 5 maybe 6 fused together, sadly it is on my mother plant that I did a couple of crosses to already, and worse, it was only in a three gallon container. I couldn't stand not trying with it, so I cut off the crossed tomatoes and transplanted it into something more suitable. I did take a couple of cuttings, so I will simply re-do the crosses.