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Georgia

I have tried to reach Nick directly, but no luck thus far. There is considerable speculation on various boards re the seed used and the role that Big Zac and Megablooms played. Can megablooms be fostered or generated in any way or are they just a chance occurence? Might hormones of any kind help? Would Nick's seed be an F4 of Big Zac? It appears that his winner was a compound fruit, but were they a cross or exclusively of another Big Zac line. Personally, as a total rookie, I would just be overwhelmingly happy to obtain a couple to see how they do in GA. Is Nick among us?
Mensplace, 36 Miltons Walk, Cartersville GA 30120

3/4/2010 12:43:35 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

mensplace, good to see you here, I hope that you are sucessful in getting seeds.

3/4/2010 7:17:01 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Nick's 7.18 looked a lot like a megabloom child; don't know if it was.

Good luck in getting seed, I am going through considerable effort and funds to raise two 7.18 Harp for vegetative propagation, but the list is long and growing already.

3/4/2010 8:25:55 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Nick's tomato was probably an F5. The lineage = Big zac, 3.9 Catapano, 4.29 Lyons, 5.58 Timm, 7.18 Harp. It was off of a megabloom. He did have another which was over 4 lbs. that was from a single bloom.
I'm pretty certain he didn't use any type of hormones. Not sure if they can be forced with the use of hormones, never heard of anyone trying it.

3/5/2010 5:57:25 AM

Georgia

While I do have seed from several heirlooms and Big Zac that I have already used to start some plants, I can't help but wonder whether or not there would be a major advantage in using seed from strains or genetics that have proven to be huge. I'm not growing for competition, just for the personal satisfaction of knowing that I grew a real beauty. That said, my real preference is really to grow something very special that is NOT from one of the megablooms or conjoined fruits, but a tomato that looks beautiful and tastes delicious. Then, given a few varieties of such, to begin some further breeding and even cross breeding. The soil, planting bed and all else is ready and we certainly have a long season here in Georgia. So, ultimately, how critical is it to have seeds from mammoth sized genetics? My thought is that a few such seeds might well save a few years and raise the odds for some good starting fruits up front.

3/5/2010 1:40:32 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

the only single flower variety i know (but my know is limitate to italian variety) is capable of a 4 lb tomato is belmonte, i want to try growing for size my kilodellagarfagnana tht produce 2 libers freely with no care!
but for beast over 4 lb or megabloom or nope!

3/7/2010 7:53:39 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

I gre a single flower BelMonte to 4.14 pounds. It was a beautiful tomato with that classic tomato look.
I haven't grown cortona's BelMonte but am looking forward to it. The BelMonte I've grown were not very tasty tomatoes but I have yet to see any variety that produced so many BIG tomatoes on a single plant. Definately a keeper in my garden for size.

This is a pic of the 4.14:
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=117648

3/7/2010 9:14:00 AM

Bureau County Il

well this year we are going to take ours to a weigh off we have grown monsters bigger than we have ever seen and yes bigger than the wr so i am gonna see how we do this year i think we can get close or beat the wr with maters ours are big and we dont baby them. We do have great soil though with no ferts added

3/25/2010 2:10:48 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

We are offering $250 first prize Sept 17th, you do not have to be a member of our club or a resident of the county, at the Cimarron County Free Fair. If you have a big one we'd love to see it. [Boise City, OK, end of OK panhandle, Hwy 64 would bring you this way] Adam, yer on!

3/25/2010 5:22:06 AM