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Location

Message

Date Posted

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Here is a question for all of you giant tomato growers. Most of you, and me, are trying to grow a really huge tomato by nursing a conjoined blossom, a megablossom, into a tomato that might get to be as large as 8 pounds or more. Certain varieties of tomato are more likely to produce this megablossom and all fall into the beefsteak category. Is there anything other than maybe weather that might make a variety be more likely to produce more megablossoms or is it a just growing the variety and hoping for the best?

7/20/2019 8:33:15 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I am of the opinion that nutrient levels in the soil are even more important than weather in the formation of the mega's. Experimenting during the winters with hydroponic solutions has me convinced that nutrient levels can cause big changes to the plant growth characteristics. I just need to figure out what the right levels are.

7/20/2019 10:36:00 AM

Central NY

Singing “fat bottom girls” softly to them In the middle of the night?....bloom food works too...

7/20/2019 10:55:20 AM

Wixom MI.

I have noticed different responses in different verieties. I used wallace tomato packs on some of my plants this year. On my megazacs i have fuller thicker stemed plants but no megablooms but with my Domingo plants again biger fuller plants but bigger first truss megablooms compaired to the domingos not treated ??? Crazy that each veriety reacted differently for me.

7/20/2019 11:12:41 AM

Wixom MI.

Next year i will give my Domingo plants starter packets early when i plant them outside and give them to my megazacs after i see megablooms allready established on the plants

7/20/2019 11:19:37 AM

Wixom MI.

Im still having problems with the bigzac and delicious verieties but i am trying grafting on one bigzac and it looks good so far.

7/20/2019 11:24:08 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

I agree with bnot.
I think you can force the plant to do things at certain times with the right ratios of nutrients.

7/20/2019 11:56:52 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

You ask a good question Marv! and I guess all the answers would be hypothetical. In my experience the Big Zac will produce the largest megablooms overall. With that being said, they all occur out of the first truss whether it is on the main stem, secondary first truss, or tertiary first truss.
My thinking is that stem will grow faster than the first flowers. When the truss appears, the flowers haven't had time to separate. As the stems continue to grow the flowers in the stem "get their act together" and begin to separate faster. That's why you don't have the largest megablooms later on, unless it's from a first truss of a secondary higher up.
That's my two cents.

7/20/2019 5:35:19 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Where’s my Queen album ?.......

7/20/2019 5:46:31 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Whatever I am doing, do the opposite of that and you should be good to go.

7/20/2019 11:25:49 PM

Tinykinville

I am not sure what causes the megablooms but one thing I think would be worthwhile is to try crossing plants from the large breeds that produce multiple megas with plants from the largest tomatoes grown. Because quite honestly if you don't get a fully pollinated multiple bloom you likely are not going to go above a 4lber at best.

7/21/2019 12:26:20 AM

Grittyville, WA

I planted a Ristomate tomato from the seed exchange. It consistently makes little sunflower blossoms. But the tomato size is small. It is consistent at mega-mini blossoms. To blossom enthusiasts, it's worth a try out of curiosity, and maybe for breeding.

7/21/2019 2:32:45 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I used that tomato in a cross and the result was nothing of value.

7/21/2019 6:45:56 PM

Grittyville, WA

Yeah I dont know how many genes control size. It would possibly take dedicated effort/ many plants/ multiple generations. It is good at throwing mega blooms but yeah its a cherry tomato.

7/21/2019 10:04:05 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

marv, i am curious, when you have made crosses..did you decide value at f1 or f2. I think it takes two generations to evaluate a cross.

7/21/2019 10:05:13 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I was so unhappy with what I got I never went beyond F1. I thought the plants would have tons of fused blossoms but all I got was a very small tomato every time, perfectly shaped though.

7/22/2019 8:03:54 AM