Author Topic: Tomato growing competition for 2012..biggest fruit, just for fun (Read 82007 times)

antipodes · « **Reply #180 on:** April 13, 2012, 10:31:21 »

Oh yes I will have a go!
My plants are being babysat this week as we are going on holidays, they are nowhere near like the ones below.

What could be a contender? I am growing a large green beefsteak from saved seed, they were pretty big last year, also some Marmande. Also a Nebraska Wedding and a Green Bell Pepper, which are meant to be large.
Just have to avoid the dreaded blight :'(

goodlife · « **Reply #181 on:** April 13, 2012, 11:08:18 »

All the beefsteaks are possible for biggen..Green Bell Pepper toms don't grow that large, they are stuffers so they do grow into good size 'normal' tomatoes and crop well in quantity but they are not for this competition...unless I sent you some accidental 'mongrel' seed that should do surprise XXL stuffer.. ::)...but in that case..can I have some seed back from that fruit?... ;) ;D

gazza1960 · « **Reply #182 on:** April 13, 2012, 16:08:47 »

admission of guilt,got to hold me hands up Jeannine and say that my last 2 big zacs from the small quantity you kindly sent me have gone to that large shrivvled home in the sky they got to 4 leaf stage and I thought hooray but they gave in overnight and I dont know why as I kept em all cosy in there own heated little house,but all is not lost as I did manage to source 10 zacs yesterday so im starting over....albeit very late,I will try to grow a contender..... ::)

Gazza

Jeannine · « **Reply #183 on:** April 14, 2012, 05:16:23 »

Oh good Gazza, I din't have very many so I am pleased you found more. Wonder why they croaked?

Anyway, good luck to everyone..just for fun.. we need some of that in our lives.

Good for you Antipodes, welcome.

XX Jeannine

gazza1960 · « **Reply #184 on:** April 14, 2012, 12:06:16 »

Hold the phone Jeannine,just found 1 last seedling of your batch hanging on in there so although ive sown the new ones I got today Ill see if your remaining zac prospers.,,,,please...please..!!!!!

Gazza ;)

sunloving · « **Reply #185 on:** April 25, 2012, 07:30:45 »

I'm thinking about planting my toms in the greenhouse boarder this week as they are just to big for the pots they are in and the weather seems to have turned to rain and low pressure. Ive noticed that giant navakova and big zac are really chunky plants!

So just want to check, i've grown black russian as a cordon and marmande as a plant that the flowers stop growth on the branch, how do you treat these big toms in terms of pinching out and limiting trusses etc?
x Sunloving

Nigel B · « **Reply #186 on:** April 26, 2012, 14:00:01 »

Oi Oi! Guess who's back online.... ;) I have managed to justify grabbing another bit of internetty-time, working on the premise that time spent on this forum alone is worth every penny in wisdom gained..

Now then... I am preparing to be noble in victory. As you do.
The giants I had from JayB are going well, with flowers about to open on some of them..
Note, the use of vague terms like 'some' and 'the giants', is due to a small but still rather important labeling malfunction.
I'm hoping JayB well recognize which are which eventually... 8)

So all's well. And I'm glad to see you are all still optimistic, considering. ;D

Ninnyscrops. · « **Reply #187 on:** April 26, 2012, 23:03:56 »

Oh dear, time to 'fess up. Big Zac and Pollok didn't germinate for me, so probably totally my fault Jeannine. :'(

Brandywine and Brandywine crosses are looking healthy but no way as big as ChrisG's yet. Heating is off now in the greenhouse so they are on their own now, in 4 inch pots for a bit.

Nigel B - flowers already :o and Sunloving with chunky plants - might be time to concede ;D

.........but I'll keep going :)

Ninnys

sunloving · « **Reply #188 on:** April 27, 2012, 07:24:37 »

Ninny I only had one in 4 of the big zac appear so i think its just an aloof and shy variety! But my one plant is a bruiser!

x sunloving

Jeannine · « **Reply #189 on:** May 11, 2012, 20:02:23 »

I am annoyed about the Big Zacs. I had two lots , from different places and both new this year.

I have six growing but I can't remember which batch they were from. I think I sent over the seeds from a friend in the US as I was not totally comfortable with the buyer I got the other seeds from and as I had several giant varieties I thought I was sending the best ones over there.

The ones I have growing are doing well but the plants are shorter than my other giants.

I have just potted mine on into 5 gallon buckets.

Big Zac, Belmont, Behemoth King, Rebecca Sebastians Bull Bag. No Church, it must have been on the tray I dropped and lost. I think that is all.

I have a few flowers.

XX Jeannine

sunloving · « **Reply #190 on:** May 13, 2012, 08:50:33 »

Mine are planted in the gh boarder and growing well despite the frosts and aminopyraloid in one batch of compost i was using.

Thing about big zac is Jeannine is that your generocity with it means that we all will have spare seed of it next year and so will be able to send some back to you and give it a good trial :)

Im still wondering about how to treat some of the new to mes this year as ive already started to take out side shoots from my cordons.

Big zac, giant navikova and burpees delicious thanks to lovely seed donors are new for me this year, do i grow these as cordons and take out the side shoots, or allow one or two fruits to develop and then stop the rest how do you treat them?

Also a small aside im growing roma for the first time in pots this year is this a true bush tom? and therefore side shoots stay on?

Happy tom growing, lovely to have that tomato smell back in the gh!
x sunloving

goodlife · « **Reply #191 on:** May 13, 2012, 10:16:30 »

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do i grow these as cordons and take out the side shoots, or allow one or two fruits to develop and then stop the rest how do you treat them?

Yes..they are (and treat them as) cordons.

I finally got my biggies into ground in GH last week and they were really gagging for it as already in few days they are looking totally different plants. Planted mine in a bottom of the (bottomless) containers in GH border..and as they grow taller I fill the soil level up in the pots so the plants will root along the stems as they get buried. I soaked and fertilized the soil underneath my pots throughly so as the roots wonder 'outside'..they getting nourishment straight away.. ;)
I'm not going to allow mine to flower as yet...
I was originally planning to get them planted much earlier, but as the weather has been so cold this spring, I just couldn't plant them into my unheated GH. Plan was to give them plenty of time to develop good size plants before they come into flower.. ::)...so..I'm going to remove first lot of flowers as soon as they appear..give my plants more time to strengthen up and grow BIIIG rootsystem. When my plants have bulked up nicely, then they can flower and plan is to remove most of the flowers and allow one of two to set in the first couple of trusses...but no more than mable size and then I make a the cull to remove all but the biggest fruit...yes...I'm going to leave just one.
per plant. Well...thats the plan anyway.. ::)
Plants are in ground and the 'game' is on... ;D

sunloving · « **Reply #192 on:** May 17, 2012, 09:03:54 »

Right thankyou goodlife for the advice. We just need some warm weather now!

Thining to one! ha with my luck at the mo it would get half eaten by a catterpillar or drop off!

x sunloving

Jeannine · « **Reply #193 on:** May 17, 2012, 18:17:51 »

Roma is a bush , don't prune XX Jeannine

sunloving · « **Reply #194 on:** May 17, 2012, 19:25:29 »

Thanks J, i was just looking at them today and wondering whether to take out the side shoots. Thats great!

Heres to a tomato filled summer!
x Sunloving

Ninnyscrops. · « **Reply #195 on:** May 20, 2012, 23:03:28 »

4 Brandywines went up to the plot yesterday, bring on the sun ;D

Ninny

sunloving · « **Reply #196 on:** May 28, 2012, 07:12:59 »

Hi All
Well toms are in a producing side shoots by the hour the buggers! But coping well in the heat of this week.
Anyway i thought i might make a small commemorative vase/plant pot for the winner in my pottery class, it will take a few weeks to throw, shape, fire, glaze but definitely ready to send to the winner in sept!

So onwards and upwards. It wont be huge just in case it has to fly to canada!
It may of course be staying with me ;D
x sunloving

Jeannine · « **Reply #197 on:** May 28, 2012, 09:02:28 »

Oh well Sunloving, then I should tell you I have fruit on two of tomatoes and lots of flowers on the others.. so maybe you should start that potters wheel, a wonderful idea and so very kind ..but what if Sunloving wins eh?

Do you think I should start working on a vase or plaque from here, and yes it does take tiome getting it ready for my kiln, firing, glazing and firing again, and especially if I add a tad of gold..another firing.. just in case it has to go to Great Britain.

I can see this competiotion is going to be fun.

Thank you fior the lovey idea Sunloving.. I am sure everyone will be thrilled at your kindness.

XX Jeanninbe

goodlife · « **Reply #198 on:** May 28, 2012, 10:25:15 »

OHHHH..how wonderful ideas you two coming up with. ;D
My plants are just pushing out their first flowers and although this weather is no good for rest of the veg..toms are loving it.

brownowl23 · « **Reply #199 on:** May 28, 2012, 10:49:49 »

My cherokee purples, Mortgage lifter and super choice are putting out flowers. My polish giant afre being a bit more coy about flowering just yet.

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Author Topic: Tomato growing competition for 2012..biggest fruit, just for fun (Read 82007 times)