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Southeastern Illinois

Hi everyone,

I am thinking of growing giant tomatoes next year and was wondering which general varieties to consider. I would like to study each variety closely before deciding which general variety to go with thanks.

9/4/2017 7:53:16 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

The first piece of advice I can give you is to read the back posts and pages on this board.
Lots of knowledge here with answers to most of your questions.
Second,I would say is getting a copy of Marv Meisner's book on growing giant tomatoes.
Pretty much the instruction manual.

9/4/2017 10:08:02 PM

Southeastern Illinois

Hi ESheel31 thanks for your reply. I have been reading as much as I have time for over the past week or so here and have noticed a couple frequently mentioned varieties Delicious and BigZac. I think there is a Sutherland also I have seen. Bigzac is a hybrid I think and the delicious I know is a hybrid also. But not sure if the giant variety is the same line of delicious I have heard of in regular tomatoes.

I would be looking for something on the heirloom side if there are any serious contender heirloom varieties out there. I have been reading the first few pages of posts but it is a little much to absorb all at once so thought I would start by studying all the different general varieties to learn about their different characteristics.

9/4/2017 10:26:03 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

Well, Big Zac & Delicious started as hybrids but the seeds that are producing huge fruits currently are lines that are becoming stabilized.
But there are also other varieties such as Brutus Magnum, Mega Marv & several others including some crosses of these varieties.
This winter there will be club auctions at which you can obtain seed from huge fruit!

9/4/2017 11:13:10 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

VV, the auctions are the way to get seeds from massive maters. Some are (as I understand it) now stabilized crosses. Like w/pumpkins, it's all a crap shoot w/seeds. Every seed inside any given fruit or vegetable has it's own mind, or genetic possibilities? Peace, Wayne

9/5/2017 12:38:27 AM

Southeastern Illinois

Thanks Materdoc and Wayne. Yes I am trying to learn enough to get the type of seed I am looking for before the auctions so I know what I would be interested in bidding on. I have some future crosses in mind with some of the tomatoes I currently grow. So I am trying to get varieties with different sets of characteristics to have lots of crossing possibilities down the road. I will check out those other varieties you listed Materdoc thanks.

9/5/2017 7:52:25 AM

Mn

No need to buy any if you don't want to. Send me an email and I will send you out some seeds Big Zac seeds if you are interested. All I ask is for a self addressed bubble envelope to be sent to me. Let me know if you want some pumpkin seeds too. chris.qualley@yahoo.com

9/5/2017 11:04:17 AM

Southeastern Illinois

Thx Qtip I will send you an email later on my lunch hour currently. So far I was leaning toward Bigzac from what I have read it seems to be one of the better so just plain ole Bigzac seeds would be fine for me thanks.

9/5/2017 12:58:26 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

I'll say this as well.
Back grower diaries from a couple years ago under Pa-J were very informative and detailed.
And lots of pictures so guys like Porkchop and myself don't have to read.
Lol.

What ever happened to Pa-J anyway?

9/5/2017 2:37:37 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

If you have a spot inside and lighting available, you can try one this winter in the BP Winter Indoor Tomato Challenge. It will start in the middle of October and end on the first day of spring. Two winters ago is when I started growing the giants.

9/5/2017 2:41:51 PM

Wixom MI.

If you are interested in trying my new crosses Megazac,Megadom, Wixom slammer let me know and i can send you some seeds.

I tried to write pa-j last year to see how she was doing but never got a responce. She just disapeared in mid season two years ago ? I know that she had some health issues but i have no idea if any thing happened ? Miss her input.

9/5/2017 3:47:38 PM

Bloomington Indiana

I emailed her last year also but had no response.

9/5/2017 4:09:12 PM

Southeastern Illinois

I'll check those out ESheel31 thx.

Hi bnot I do have lights I use to start my tomatoes early with. How big of a container is needed. I used a 5 gallon bucket one winter for a tomato plant and by the end felt it needed to be much bigger than that.

Hi Wixom-grower I'll email you later as well. I have lots of room outside so can try several types thanks; grew about 70 tomato plants this year.

9/5/2017 5:26:00 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

First year I grew indoors with a 5 gallon bucket. I thought that was too small so last year I tried 15 gallon, 25 gallon and 40 gallon soil pots and also 5 gallon hydroponic buckets. Right now I have clones from my outdoor garden in 15 gallon soil pots indoors that I should be making crosses from in the next few weeks. I have yet to decide what approach I will use in this winters competition. Sometime in the beginning of October will make the announcement for the start of the winter competition. Will be glad if you decide to join us.

9/5/2017 5:31:35 PM

Zimmerman, Minnesota

Hey bnot,
First year grower here, I definitely want in on the winter grow challenge for tomatoes. It sounds like a blast and with the long winters it's good to see green.

9/13/2017 10:14:41 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

We would love to have you join us Farmer Brown for the winter challenge. Come on out to Gale Woods Farm weigh off on Oct 7th and lets talk tomatoes. The official start of the winter competition will be Oct 15, but there will be quite a bit of time to start your seeds to get an entry grown before the first day of spring. For all the new growers that don't have seeds....they will be available.

9/14/2017 5:51:55 AM

Zimmerman, Minnesota

Thanks, do plan on trying to make it down to Gale Woods Farm. I'm going to cut and weigh my biggest tomato today, it's almost 22 inches cc.

9/14/2017 9:07:37 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

Refrigerate after cutting. Good chance it will still be sound for weighoff. See you then.

9/14/2017 10:08:05 AM