A4A heaviest grown tomato, another round anyone?
First year winner 2012, Peanuts with a 2lbs 1/8ozs Burpees Delicious.
Year two winner 2013
Year three winner 2014, Slyfox mal
year four winner 2015, Leaningshed
year five winner 2016 ...............
To be decided, could it be you?
Sign up below if you have what it takes to win this much sort after accolade.
Last years competition http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,78703.0.html
count me in :)
Possibly... what sort of weights are we aiming for... my yellow oxheart has approached a kilo some years. :wave:
Year one winner was peanut, because I made the trophy and sent it to the winner, think it was a Burpees delicious so sly fox must be year two ,, I'm in have just sown some brandy boy . Yippee
Quote from: Jayb on March 01, 2016, 14:39:16
A4A heaviest grown tomato, another round anyone?
First year winner Slyfox mal
Year two, Leaningshed
Year three, ..............
To be decided, could it be you?
Sign up below if you have what it takes to win this much sort after accolade.
Last years competition http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,78703.0.html
Ooops, sorry all, I remember admiring your gorgeous trophy too. I must be missing a year or two. I'll do some checking and update the thread. Thanks for pointing it out :happy7:
OK I am in.. with what I don't know but I'll be there XX Jeannine
A lot of you out there met me a few years ago at a swap with my seed stash in a huge suitcase , well over the years I have given many seeds away and have 2- 1 cubic foot boxes now. It worries me that I have far too many tomato seeds most of which are germinating for me but I have to pass many of these on. I am getting older and would rather give them away now rather than they end up in the garbage if I pop off. I give many transplants or seeds to the local church plant sale and this year I am providing plants for John's care home to grow tomatoes with patients but it still leaves me many.
I was thinking I have several types specifically for giant tomato growing, all of which came from that type of site so maybe I should offer them to you folks here. So if anyone need a biggie to grow for the competition and they think they still have time to sow let me know and I will make a list. Off my head I know there is Big Zac, Church, Rebecca Sebastians Ball Bag.. I have planted all my Mega Marv. I think there are others..Let me know Off to bed now
XX Jeannine
Quote from: Jeannine on March 21, 2016, 16:22:50
OK I am in.. with what I don't know but I'll be there XX Jeannine
Great, look forward to hearing what you are going to grow. I think I'm going to stick with Gigantomo, although not very successful for me last year, it was more down to my bad management and the weather than the variety I think. They tasted very good which has got to be worth it.
Quote from: Jeannine on March 22, 2016, 08:41:16
A lot of you out there met me a few years ago at a swap with my seed stash in a huge suitcase , well over the years I have given many seeds away and have 2- 1 cubic foot boxes now. It worries me that I have far too many tomato seeds most of which are germinating for me but I have to pass many of these on. I am getting older and would rather give them away now rather than they end up in the garbage if I pop off. I give many transplants or seeds to the local church plant sale and this year I am providing plants for John's care home to grow tomatoes with patients but it still leaves me many.
I was thinking I have several types specifically for giant tomato growing, all of which came from that type of site so maybe I should offer them to you folks here. So if anyone need a biggie to grow for the competition and they think they still have time to sow let me know and I will make a list. Off my head I know there is Big Zac, Church, Rebecca Sebastians Ball Bag.. I have planted all my Mega Marv. I think there are others..Let me know Off to bed now
XX Jeannine
That's a lovely offer and I'd love to grow something that could take the top spot it could be a duel entry! I'll pm you about postage. X sun loving
Ok Sunlovig, your seeds are packed and in the envelope for posting so get those post warmed up.
There isn't loads of anything maybe 10 but enough to get some plants going and maybe you can share your spares.
All I have written on the packages is just the name to save time but you can look the varieties up online.
They all came from Delectation Of Tomatoes... www.delectationoftomatoes.com
Germination should be OK , the first group are 2010 the second are 2012.
Group 1.
Behemoth King
Porterhouse
Church..
Rebecca Sebastian's Bull Bag
Big Zac,
Group 2
Belmonte..
Brutus Magnum
Delicious seeds
Leadbeaters Lunker
I will get them in the maill on Thursday.
Good Luck
XX Jeannine
That's wonderful jeannine, thankyou so much, how exciting, I'll put the spares into the seed swap. Let me know re postage via pm x sun loving
pm
Quote from: Jeannine on March 23, 2016, 11:35:37
Ok Sunlovig, your seeds are packed and in the envelope for posting so get those post warmed up.
There isn't loads of anything maybe 10 but enough to get some plants going and maybe you can share your spares.
All I have written on the packages is just the name to save time but you can look the varieties up online.
They all came from Delectation Of Tomatoes... www.delectationoftomatoes.com
Germination should be OK , the first group are 2010 the second are 2012.
Group 1.
Behemoth King
Porterhouse
Church..
Rebecca Sebastian's Bull Bag
Big Zac,
Group 2
Belmonte..
Brutus Magnum
Delicious seeds
Leadbeaters Lunker
I will get them in the maill on Thursday.
Good Luck
XX Jeannine
Sounds like you two will be growing some excellent big fruiters!
Anyone sown theirs yet? I'm sowing mine the first week of April, at least that's the plan!
Yes, mine were potted on from babies yesterday.. Megamarv. and Rachel Sebastian Ball Bag for biggies but I am thinking about adding a couple more.. I just don't have the room.
I am not trying to win as I have an edge on you all for climate so it would be unfair but I would like to beat my personal best..in fact that is a good idea.
What is your personal best folks and what did you do it with.
I will have to look mine up. Found it on A4A from 2014 PERSONAL BEST 2lbs 14 1/2 ozs
2015 never made it to the screen and is lost in my previous computer I think
XX Jeannine
I'm not really sure my largest tomato, not very me thinks!
What date do you aim for planting toms in your greenhouse?
Edit - spelling.
Jay, I don't know, I will just wing it depending on the weather, The plants are very small, I don't usually pot them on this small but I had oversowed in the Jiffy pellets because the seed was old and they almost all came up. I didn't have the heart to snip down so I potted them all on and my spares will go to a church sale. Yesterday it was quite hot in the greenhouse but it gets cold at night
Decided not to sow anymore.
My biggest to date was the Mega Marv in 2014, this is the seed from the same fruit
.
So, come on Mega Marv and Rachel Sebastians Ball Bag and I think I will include the Hoy as a runner too.
Good Luck to everyone
XX Jeannine
I think generally I'm planting mine my tomatoes out later than I used to, certainly starting them later, but they do grow on better now I use lights. Cherry toms were sown towards the beginning of March and as soon as I get the omph I'll sow my main batch for the polytunnel and some for outside.
I'm hoping to sow my 'biggy winners' :toothy10: in the next few days will let them grow on unchecked to hopefully catch the first big megga bloom when growing conditions are good. Am I right thinking your season comes a bit sooner than it does over here?
QuoteMy biggest to date was the Mega Marv in 2014, this is the seed from the same fruit
I've heard a lot about Mega Marv, definitely one to watch, though my Gigantomoes (sp) had WINNER written all over them. Trouble is it was very tiny writing!
Don't know much about Rachel Sebastians Ball Bag, not a pretty name. Look forward to hearing how they do.
We don't seem to have many joining in........
I like to think Rachel Sebastian was referring to her bowling ball bag when she named this one Jay but it always raising an eyebrow.
We get a longer season here, not a lot but enough that I could usually start things a bit earlier in the ground and maybe have a bit longer at the end, I am talking about frost free dates though and sometimes the rain can be an issue especially with blight. Truthfully I don't think it makes any difference to the tomatoes as we all start indoors and most of us grow under cover anyway so maybe I am being fanciful when I say I have an edge on you when actually for tomatoes I really don't. When I was in the UK I grew all kinds of squash that folks didn't seem to get to mature but only because I planned for the shorter season and kept them in till they were huge plants in buckets when they went out..
I only heard about the Gigantomoes this year so I have never grown it.
Sunloving you seeds left Canada this morning from the post office, I held them back till after the Easter mail, should be with you about a week or ten days, takes longer from here to Uk rather than the other way round. Warm up those pots !! XX Jeannine
Quote from: Jeannine on March 30, 2016, 07:44:35
Sunloving you seeds left Canada this morning from the post office, I held them back till after the Easter mail, should be with you about a week or ten days, takes longer from here to Uk rather than the other way round. Warm up those pots !! XX Jeannine
Very exciting , thankyou so much!
Propagator has a few slots opening up ! Maybe this year we will take the top spot! X sun loving
Well my plants are ready to go in their final spot now, they have been in the greenhouse about 2 weeks in 16 oz drink cups but they are bursting to go. so hopefully today is the day.
Message fro Sunloving is that she got my parcel full of biggie seeds so get ready over there.
Do we not have a list of folks personal best ??
I have a picture on here from last year which was lost on my laptop when it died. but I don't know how to move it here, anyway it was 46.5 ounces which I believe is 2lbs 14 1/2 ozs, not very big in the scheme of things but am hoping to beat it.
XX Jeannine
Hi all, there are some spares from jeannines list above these are
Porterhouse,bel monte, lead better lunker, Brutus magnum, church, Rebecca sabastian, big zac and delicious. Just a few seeds of each so if anyone wants to try them now I can post them on, otherwise I'll put them in the seed swap at the end of the season.
Here's to the big uns!
X sunloving
Quote from: Jeannine on April 17, 2016, 21:09:05
Well my plants are ready to go in their final spot now,
I better sow mine!
Glad yours are growing well :happy7:
I think this might be the one you were hoping to add Jeannine
That;s it, thank you Jay,, that is my one to beat this year!! 2lbs 14 1/2 ozs.
It seems very little but it is I big to me.
XX Jeannine
It looks big to me :glasses9:
I think if I can get anything to over 2lb that will be amazing and will be my goal for thsi year.
I have a large fused flower in Rachel Sebastian,s Ball Bag
Well done Jeanninie, good luck with your first flowers, exciting :wave:
My plants are teeny weeny seedlings still, but the weather has been so up and down (lots of down!) I don't think they are missing much.
Double Drat..it was a huge mega flower but it didn't pollinate. there are more there now that have but it was annoying.. oh well I am only the cheer leader anywayas my weather gives me an advantage over you folks, so come on kids, where are those progress reports!!!! :wav:
My cinnamon vines are up. I planted the oca really deep, at the bottom of buckets, to see whether it'll form tubers up the stem. Two are up; the second is barely emerging.
have triple fuse flower of Rachal Sebastina but not a sihn on mega marv
I'm just getting the first flowers on mine but mostly on the yellow pears. But brandy boy is looking very stocky and ready to support the prize winner!
i'm after a bit of guidance re beefsteak varieties. #ive only grown marmande before sucessfully and am used to cordons. ive left some side shoots on the beefsteaks because im expecting the flowers to terminate the growth. is this right? im growing your selection jeannine plus brandyboy. its not to late to turn them into cordons if ive done the wrong thing. x sunloving
The beefsteaks would be indeterminate aka vine tomatoes, If you prune to one stem,cordon, you would do that to the beefseaks, The Us always find it amusing that the British prune to a single stem..not me, I do it sometimes, sometimes I prune to two leaders and sometimes I never prune them , well I remove dead leave and sometimes top them later
Hi Jeannine, well of course we have to do it our regimented way!
So if you leave a beefsteak to turn into a multistemed plant how can the stems support such a big fruit? Do you give them special tying in ? Mine are really trying to be spiders throwing up one foot sprouts all over the place its a fll time job in my 40ft tom bed!!
Ive got fused flowers on rachel and on church atm and excited to see what might form.
but just normal fruit on brandy boy so far!
My personal record has been stuck at 1 lb this may be becuase I live relatively northerly, maybe the polytunnel and mild irish climate and your przewinning seeds might just help to beat the record!
x sunloving
Sunloving, truly in order to let a tomato grow without pruning is probably not very doable back home. First they need the heat which many times you don't get there which is why we use greenhouses,if we do use the greenhouse then space becomes the problem, if if in n a pot it needs to be huge, I am talking really huge and then ideally you need 4 feet between plants. The tomato can grow very big and very wide so inside it is just not possible unless you gave a massive greenhouse.
Regarding support, most folks over here use reinforcement wire and make their own cages, I think it may be called the same over there. I know it is available because I bought it. It is very heavy 6 inch square mesh and comes about 4 feet wide, it is then formed into a circle. very strong and I do recommend these for good support.
Most folks over here do some pruning somewhere in the middle between the single stem UK method and the old US full plant method. Some even let the plants sprawl over the ground and don't support or prune them. Most growers will prune to maybe two leaders.
Right now in me greenhouse I have all my plants unpruned in 5 gallon buckets. It was not a choice thing, it just so happened when I should have started to prune I was not well so I left them. Now they are as tall as me and very heavy with fruit . I keep thinking I should tackle them at least a bit as they are very overcrowded but they are OK, so I am not sure what to do. I might just leave them and learn something. I have often planted a tomato or two in a very large tub and let it go but never a full greenhouse.
If I was you I would do what you feel most comfortable with, too much mass can be a problem for disease so I would remove some green. I think a lot would depend on how close they are and what they are planted in. Think about making the wire cages though they are great
I've got some great looking fused toms forming but some very suspicious looking brown spots on leaves near the door which makes my heart sink!mit may now be a race between blight and ripening! How's everyone else doing? X sunloving
I'm holding my breath now as have some lovely green big uns! How is everyone else doing? It's a race with the blight now. X sunloving
They are looking great, any starting to blush?
I'm having a pants of a season one way and another, I think I'll be lucky if I get one over 6oz!!!!!!
But hey ho who knows whats hiding amongst the leaves.
Quote from: Jayb on August 07, 2016, 08:10:56
They are looking great, any starting to blush?
I'm having a pants of a season one way and another, I think I'll be lucky if I get one over 6oz!!!!!!
But hey ho who knows whats hiding amongst the leaves.
Hi jayb, I have some real whoppers but I don't think they are going to ripen because the blight is really gripping now. Might have to submit a green one! , let's hope for some late high pressure and some late bloomers! Sunloving
Well it's been tough with the blight this year but I'm going to stick my head above the parapet with a mid season entry.
It's a bel monte that weighs 679 g
I had it for my tea roasted it was delicious!
Well done :icon_cheers:
It looks a bit of a beast, so glad it was a winner in the taste test too :toothy10:
I have a couple of marble to golf ball size growing, I don't hold much hope though!
two big ones dont know the weight but there are bigger ones to follow.
Ooh they look lovely, get them on the scales, so glad it wasn't just me !
X sunloving
Oooh, they look so good, Mmmm :toothy10:
Is Black Tasmanian the same as Tasmanian Chocolate from the Dwarf Project?
didnt grow big toms this year these beefstakes are big daddy
This is monkey Ass from Ruud, not got as pointy a posterior as some.
Not had any special treatment, infact semi neglect so rather happy at the result :glasses9:
Nice one :icon_cheers:
Thank you. Been a great year for tomatoes. More bottling sessions to look forward to
1g heavier than mine !
I think that we can call it a draw unless someone comes along with a heavier one. :wave: