Anyone care to have a contest to see who can grow the biggest tomato of the season? I have some Big Rainbow heirloom seeds on the way. Think I might give them a shot.
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Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:21 pm JayPoc 1 Lb 11-3/4 oz Lehrer Tomate
Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:40 PM JayPoc 1Lb 10-1/8 oz Lehrer Tomate
Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:52 am lindsaylew82 1 Lb 8 oz Black Krim
Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:21 am mattieg 1.442 lbs Brandywine
Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:28 am Jaypoc 1Lb 5.5 oz Cherokee Purple
Sun Aug 17, 2014 4:50 pm applestar 1-3/8 Lb Terhune
Mon Jul 28, 2014 10:45 am mattieg 1.15 lb Brandywine
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Who Can Grow Biggest Tomato Contest - 2014
Last edited by applestar on Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:00 pm, edited 9 times in total.
Reason: Posted entries.
Reason: Posted entries.
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Yeah the trouble with really working to get big tomatoes, pumping them up with fertilizer and lots of water, is that they lose a LOT of flavor that way. The most flavorful tomatoes are grown almost a bit stressed, very lean on both water and fertilizer. They will be smaller than the their pumped up cousins, but way better to bite in to.
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Now that my bigger fruited varieties are starting to produce, I feel ready
I won't be growing for size -- limiting to one fruit per vine, etc. but I'll post the biggest ones I harvest. Maybe we could do a weekly "biggest one yet"
Are we going by weight? diameter? circumference? Gixx has posted some pictures of harvested tomatoes on a scale elsewhere. (I don't have a digital one though)
...I guess I should start taking measurements.
I won't be growing for size -- limiting to one fruit per vine, etc. but I'll post the biggest ones I harvest. Maybe we could do a weekly "biggest one yet"
Are we going by weight? diameter? circumference? Gixx has posted some pictures of harvested tomatoes on a scale elsewhere. (I don't have a digital one though)
...I guess I should start taking measurements.
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That's a good one Lindsay, but I don't think it will hold up. I don't grow for size at all, but I do have a couple Lehrer Tomate's going and they're known to get huge. I think I have a green two pounder still on the vine. I'm also quite sure some of the pros will go even bigger than that. I do want to submit the following for honorable mention....almost three and a half pounds from a SINGLE TRUSS! I would have left them to keep maturing on the vine, but the truss broke in a wind storm. The largest of the cluster was one pound, four ounces.
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One truss from my Brandywine ran you close on that!JayPoc wrote:That's a good one Lindsay, but I don't think it will hold up. I don't grow for size at all, but I do have a couple Lehrer Tomate's going and they're known to get huge. I think I have a green two pounder still on the vine. I'm also quite sure some of the pros will go even bigger than that. I do want to submit the following for honorable mention....almost three and a half pounds from a SINGLE TRUSS! I would have left them to keep maturing on the vine, but the truss broke in a wind storm. The largest of the cluster was one pound, four ounces.
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That Terhune is looking pretty beautiful too! That just made me add it to my grow list. I start my seeds August 18!applestar wrote:Oooh, you are going to LOVE it. Sauce made with luscious heirloom varieties are to die for!
I guarantee you will be wishing you could stick your head inside and lick the pot. Use a rubber spatula.
I might have a contender in the works. This Terhune is looking pretty big
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Wasn't that your favorite last year? Terhune?
Weigh that thang before you bite it! Lol
I have some large striped Chocolate that are getting that yellowish look to their shoulders. I may pick them in a few days.
The first Black Krim (the 1lb 8 oz one) was on a truss that also carried a 1lb 4oz, a 1lb 2 oz, and a 12oz. I didn't grow them big on purpose, nature did. We had a real crummy start to the growing season. Momma did her own culling, and the hornworms did the rest.
It's a shame it didn't taste as good as it looked. I'm a big fan of the black, brown and purple tomatoes, but they've just been kind of meh this year.
Weigh that thang before you bite it! Lol
I have some large striped Chocolate that are getting that yellowish look to their shoulders. I may pick them in a few days.
The first Black Krim (the 1lb 8 oz one) was on a truss that also carried a 1lb 4oz, a 1lb 2 oz, and a 12oz. I didn't grow them big on purpose, nature did. We had a real crummy start to the growing season. Momma did her own culling, and the hornworms did the rest.
It's a shame it didn't taste as good as it looked. I'm a big fan of the black, brown and purple tomatoes, but they've just been kind of meh this year.
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I don't have any candidates for this contest. Not growing any particularly big varieties and I don't work enough at encouraging them. My biggest so far is a little under a pound (about 14 oz). But what about peppers? Peppers are intrinsically less heavy than tomatoes, being more hollow inside. But I just harvested a California Wonder bell pepper that was 4" across and half a pound and beautiful! (and it was still completely green, so presumably could still have gotten a bit bigger, if I left it on the plant.)
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Sun Aug 24, 2014 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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