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Southeastern Illinois

Just curious about opinions on the best variety or cross for producing the best mega's ...big zac ...Domingo ...delicious Megamutt...etc...? I am wanting to cross with a non mega producing variety to try to add mega's to that variety.

2/22/2018 4:27:34 PM

Central NY

I’m a yes vote w the domingos...Big big...

2/22/2018 4:47:40 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I think they are all about the same..if you are growing the top genetics of each variety. 70 plants in my garden last year..all different varieties. I would say that 90% of them tossed a first truss mega. Some plants tossed two triples on the same first truss. I would suggest that you plant a few different varieties and watch their characteristics. And then pick which you think is best to do a cross next winter. We have the big 3-Big Zac, Domingo, and Delicious. We have some that haven't gotten the acclaim yet of the big 3, but still have potential...Brutus Magnum, Mega Marv and Russian Oxheart. We have crosses already made Wixom Slammer (Domingo x Big Zac) , MegaZac (MegaMarv x Big Zac), MegaDom(MegaMarv x Domingo), Megamutt (MegaZac x MegaDom), ZacHeart (Russian Oxheart x Big Zac, RW Cephei (Brutus Magnum x BigZac), Westerlund 1-26 ( BigZarro x Hunt Delicious) and many more. I will be growing out about 15 Hunt Delicious genetics and about 6 Brutus Magnums to choose seeds for my next winters planned cross.

2/22/2018 5:24:24 PM

Southeastern Illinois

Yes was thinking about one of your 8.22 PC.

Thx but none of the crosses you mention are the crosses I am thinking about Bnot. Thinking outside the box a bit have some things I need to try but want the best chance of passing mega blooms on to a non mega plant. Probably going to plant now in containers and move outside when weather permits. Then can move them back inside to pollinate in isolation. Then pull some clones perhaps for early start this spring.

2/22/2018 5:51:31 PM

Mn

Domingos for sure..BUT and a BIG BUTT....they seem much more susceptible to BER and/or those awesome blossoms just might never form right.....I prefer big zac in my area....

2/23/2018 8:58:21 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Why not grow the plants you like best and after you see what produces megablossoms in your garden then making crosses on single blossoms on those same plants that are doing good for you in your garden?

2/23/2018 9:18:17 AM

Central NY

Qtip brings up a good point....important to find which variety grows biggest in your garden...73 days till seed start..its gonna come quick..

2/23/2018 9:53:42 AM

Wixom MI.

What kind of tomato are you trying to cross ???

2/23/2018 11:35:23 AM

Southeastern Illinois

Hi Qtip not worried about BER too much think I can control it now. Seem to have stopped the BER on the 4.86 winter tomato.

Hi Marv I am wanting to have seeds this summer from the crosses to experiment with late season and have them for the winter grow. One of the crosses I am considering is geared toward winter growing so want the seeds to try indoor next winter.

Hi Chris the tomato I am wanting to cross is a compost pile special I have been growing for a few years now. It is a large beefsteak type that seems more aggressive than the Big Zacs. Did some test germinating this winter and that tomato smoked the 3 different types of Big Zacs I germinated.

This particular tomato plant is super aggressive usually growing out of the cages and back down to the ground and heading back up again about 1/2 way up the cage before winter kills them off. I grew several 1 lb plus tomatoes on them without pruning. Going to prune some of them to one tomato this year to compare to the giants I grow since I know exactly how this plant grows.

2/23/2018 2:01:47 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

sometimes you can get a second tomato on a plant with your big tomato and you can use it to make your cross without affecting the giant tomato already on the plant.

2/23/2018 2:14:32 PM

Southeastern Illinois

Thanks Marv that's a good idea. That reminds me of something I think about often. I have watched tomato plants have 10-20 lbs of tomatoes on them at any one time and still trying to achieve new growth. Just seems like the potential of tomato size is huge if a way is found to unleash it. Suppose a step by step approach like in pumpkins will eventually get us there a pound at a time :)

2/23/2018 3:09:19 PM

Central NY

Better double check that with yer team...

2/23/2018 4:02:06 PM

Wixom MI.

I agree with bnot. They are all prety equal at putting out big megablooms and they all can put out 6 lb+ tomatoes.i made the megazac by crossing the megamarv x bigzac. The megamarv was a more agressive plant and also more tollorant to blight than the bigzac. The bigzac seemed to have a larger tomato !
It sounds like you are trying the same thing with your plant.since you already have the agressive plant i would suggest crossing with the bigzac for fruit size.

2/23/2018 5:10:06 PM

Southeastern Illinois

Hi Porkchop those aren't my competition plants those are my play plants. Most likely there will be 100 tomato plants at least this year. Mostly my regulars so got plenty of room for as many giants as I want to care for. Had about 70 plants last year. I have some great seeds thx to everyone here so plan to plant a good variety to see if any favor my soils better etc.

Thx Chris I do have a very aggressive vine would grow 15-20 ft easy if supported that high. I didn't know if one variety favored mega's more than the other. Trying to increase my odds of getting a successful mega bloom cross to that variety. I have seen a few random ones over the years in the variety already but nothing massive.

2/23/2018 6:37:26 PM

Wixom MI.

For me my megazac has consistently given me the most and my largest megablooms and easyest to pollinate. My Domingo megablooms are much smaller than my megazacs but at the end the tomatoes end up the same size !!!

2/23/2018 7:17:03 PM

Southeastern Illinois

Great I just happen to have a few 6.23 Konieczny megazac seeds. I'll make sure and include it in the crossing thx.

2/24/2018 4:18:03 PM