The very large tomato thread - Page 6

walt456 · March 5, 2016

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.

FredB · March 6, 2016

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

walt456 · March 6, 2016

Fred that sounds really interesting. I'll shoot you a pm. Just curious how do they taste?

FredB · March 7, 2016

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.

AlittleSalt · March 7, 2016

I've planted out 76 tomato plants so far. 2 are Big Zac , 1 Maiden's Gold, and 1 Belmonte (Hoping for a Belmonster),

Scooty · March 7, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredB

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.

Are you planning to further select for weight?

FredB · March 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scooty

Are you planning to further select for weight?

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

AKmark · April 6, 2016

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

quiltcarol · April 6, 2016

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.

PureHarvest · April 6, 2016

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?

AKmark · April 6, 2016

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

AlittleSalt · April 6, 2016

So far my only mega bloom is on a Cherokee Purple plant. The plant is only about 14" tall.

PureHarvest · April 6, 2016

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.

Cole_Robbie · April 6, 2016

I had a market customer last week complaining about Big Zac. "All the darn tomatoes grew together in these big ugly clumps."

Bryanbryn · April 7, 2016

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!

April 6, 2016	#85
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	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.

March 5, 2016	#76
walt456 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: VA Posts: 235	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.

March 6, 2016	#77
FredB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 76	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

March 7, 2016	#79
FredB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 76	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.

March 7, 2016	#80
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I've planted out 76 tomato plants so far. 2 are Big Zac , 1 Maiden's Gold, and 1 Belmonte (Hoping for a Belmonster),

April 6, 2016	#84
quiltcarol Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Louisville,Ky Posts: 1	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.

April 6, 2016	#86
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	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

April 6, 2016	#89
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I had a market customer last week complaining about Big Zac. "All the darn tomatoes grew together in these big ugly clumps."

April 7, 2016	#90
Bryanbryn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Australia Posts: 9	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!