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Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

"normal" tomatoes dive in sweet water when harvestet ripened.
All of my giant tomatoes swim at the surface like an iceberg.
I´ve teasted several.
How are yours doing? Dive or swim?
Please try and give a feedback!

8/20/2018 11:36:37 AM

Norfolk, UK

Not tried with a ‘giant’ - but can do at harvest and report back. :)

Trying with one of my beefsteaks ‘Green Cherokee’ it also hangs under surface.

I had tried to work out the density of the same tomato previously - e.g. three measurements vs actual weight which gave an = mFactor of 0.00057.

So, for that beefsteak perhaps - similarly dense as the giants? Hope my giants prove as dense as the beefsteak when finished growing!!

8/20/2018 2:29:12 PM

Central NY

What’s sweet water?...

8/20/2018 3:39:47 PM

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

fresh water, sorry but it is "Süßwasser" in German

8/20/2018 4:31:31 PM

central Nc

Interesting experiment. I wonder if there are very dense cultivars not thought of before that could be used to make a cross.

Wie ist das wetter in Bonn Udo? Ich vermisse Deutchland...

8/20/2018 4:54:18 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

saladdoug, I think an mFactor of .00057 would be on the upper side of density for the giants. I know I tend to run closer to .00048. Porkchop do you remember what we calculated you 8.22 at? Dan S is the only one i see on the higher range consistently..up to .00063. I have been trying to figure it out for a few years now and still don’t have any reason for his high density. Udo did you take a 3 way measurement of your big one?

8/20/2018 6:06:36 PM

Central NY

Don’t remember...I hope mine sink

8/20/2018 7:39:46 PM

Norfolk, UK

Thanks bnot. I’ll be very curious to measure and work out actual mfactor when the giants are harvested.

I’m growing in a cooler climate (although - actually we’ve had record amounts of early sun this season), with one in a little more shade - i’m told I can expect the tomato to grow until around DAP 55 to 60, versus perhaps 45 for the US?

Be interesting to see the impact (if any) on final density.

8/21/2018 11:27:14 AM

central Nc

Just a suggestion, but if you want better accuracy and you are already dunking your maters in water why not just use water displacement to measure? You'd need a measured food container (a few dollars). Get the weight and divide by mL water displaced.

8/21/2018 1:41:59 PM

Wixom MI.

I don't think i ever seen any of my tomatoes sink ? They float just beneath the surface of the sweeet water ! ;-)

8/21/2018 4:07:35 PM

Wixom MI.

I don't think i ever seen any of my tomatoes sink ? They float just beneath the surface of the sweeet water ! ;-)

8/21/2018 4:08:28 PM

Newcastle, CA

I was just thinking about the displacement thing the other day and have a classification for Biggest Tomato in addition to heaviest. I think that might be fun.

8/21/2018 4:33:01 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Divide the weight by mL ?
What number will that represent ?

8/21/2018 7:02:37 PM

central Nc

That is the universal formula for density. The standard is water, at 1 gm/ml. Less than that floats, more will sink. Probably more work than people want to do, since you'd have to add a sinker to the floaters. Then subtract the sinker volume, kinda like when you tare a scale. Definitely more accurate though. I might start doing it next year.

8/21/2018 9:34:22 PM

On a cliff in the desert

Are we going to start taking density measurements at weigh offs for tomatoes > 5 pounds? We would be able to track if a tomato is heavy or light to chart/its genetic line.

8/21/2018 10:34:56 PM

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

The differences in density are really small!
All I´ve found so far was 0.9 g/ml for green Giant tomatoes to 1.014 g/ml ridened "normal" tomatoes.
I want you expertise to make sure there are no giants of higher density known.

8/23/2018 1:31:17 PM

Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

BTW: There weather in Bonn is fine...
if you have enough water for your plants.
We hope for a single rainy day until 70°F + will go one next week.

8/23/2018 1:34:28 PM