The Junction's 2023 Giant Tomato Contest

[Mark_Thompson]

Well I bet all my money on this one pony, and damn did it look good for a while

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But unfortunately it came up lame due to some sort of rot or another

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So there was only one option

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Maybe 2024 will be a better year for giants for me.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

HOLD_THE_PRESSES...do we have a New Leader?

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Um...............

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The Gotch

[Yak54]

Leave it to The Gotch !

[MissS]

That's a pack horse for sure. No way can it win this race.

[Yak54]

That's the heaviest 10 oz tomato I ever saw !

[MissS]

@Mark_Thompson You should still weigh that one. That's no nag, it looks like a thoroughbred to me.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Will a winner be named soon...The Gotch is preparing a place for his PARTICIPATION TROPHY.

The Gotch

[MissS]

And the winner is...

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1) 3:1.25 Cleota Pink grown by @Barb_FL CONGRATULATIONS!

2) 3:01.2 Sakharnyi Zheityi grown by @wodehouse

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Well done!


3) 2:6.95 Big Zac grown by @Cornelius_Gotchberg

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Great Effort!


It sure was a fun mater race. Thank you everyone for participating. My hat is off to all of you for stepping up to the challenge.

I can't wait to see what the crop of 2024 brings. With the seeds that you all have saved to share from your big ones they are only to get bigger and better.

[Uncle_Feist]

Since there's no drug screening in this contest I'm probaly gonna do some doping this year to try and get one over the finish line.

[karstopography]

Wow, I didn’t see that coming, a tomato grown in south or south central Florida being the champion. Thought that the winning tomato would certainly come from a place at a much higher latitude with extra long summer days that aren’t especially hot. That Cleota Pink is beautiful to boot and looks delicious, not like one of those fused blossom monstrosities that represent many champion tomatoes these days. Congratulations to @Barb_FL for not only growing the 2023 TJ giant tomato, but one that could also place first in a tomato beauty contest.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

but one that could also place first in a tomato beauty contest.

Yup; them there other two (2) have an appearance only a Tomato Rancher could love...

The Gotch

[MissS]

Wow, I didn’t see that coming, a tomato grown in south or south central Florida being the champion. Thought that the winning tomato would certainly come from a place at a much higher latitude with extra long summer days that aren’t especially hot. That Cleota Pink is beautiful to boot and looks delicious, not like one of those fused blossom monstrosities that represent many champion tomatoes these days. Congratulations to @Barb_FL for not only growing the 2023 TJ giant tomato, but one that could also place first in a tomato beauty contest.

Gotta watch those dark horses. She snuck in in the Giant Photo thread.

I must say that you did an amazing job growing two very challenging contestants!

[Mark_Thompson]

@steve ok that's a great question. It's sprawling in the middle of the path. It's not staked or caged so I have to wait until I pull it to see if it has a marker. For now I am calling it Big Lou but that is not it's real name.

I have some seeds I got from my first Big Lou fruit. They’re fermenting right now, but I can send to you when they dry.

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[MissS]

I never did find a marker for this tomato, so I really don't know what it is. @Mark_Thompson I saved a whole bunch of seed from that plant so we should have plenty to share with everyone who wants it this year. You can save your postage but thank you so very much for your kind offer.