2024 Monster Mater Madness

[MissS]

Here is a good thread on one woman's experience growing giant tomatoes. It's very informative.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=29799

Also a link to Marv Meisner's book 'Giant Tomatoes'. Well the link won't work for me. There is a book on Amazon titled 'Giant Tomatoes' if you are interested.

Is this the link?
https://www.giantpumpkin.com/TomatoEbook/toc.html

The Tomato Bible - By Marvin H. Meisner, M.D.
Table of Contents
Overview
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 A Brief History of Tomatoes
Chapter 3 Selecting Your Seeds
Chapter 4 Preparing Your Soil
Chapter 5 Timing Your Tomatoes
Chapter 6 Starting Your Seeds
Chapter 7 From Seedling to Transplant
Chapter 8 Hardening Your Plants
Chapter 9 Transplanting Into the Garden
Chapter 10 Protecting Your Plants
Chapter 11 Mulching Your Tomatoes
Chapter 12 The Power of the Megabloom
Chapter 13 Pruning Your Plants
Chapter 14 Staking and Supporting Your Tomatoes
Chapter 15 Tomato Pollination
Chapter 16 Fertilizing Your Tomatoes
Chapter 17 Watering Your Tomatoes
Chapter 18 Estimating Tomato Weight
Chapter 19 When to Pick Your Tomatoes
Chapter 20 How to Store Your Big Tomato
Chapter 21 Tomato Diseases and Physiological Disorders
Chapter 22 Saving Your Seeds
Chapter 23 Crossing Tomatoes
Chapter 24 A Basic Composting Plan
Chapter 25 Are you growing a cover crop?
Chapter 26 Aerated Compost Tea
Chapter 27 Interpreting Your Soil Test
Chapter 28 Growing Degree Days
Chapter 29 Hot Weather Tomato Protection
Chapter 30 Common Grower Mistakes
Chapter 31 The Mycorrhizae Story
Chapter 32 Gordon Graham's How To Book
Chapter 33 Growing in Containers
Chapter 34 Growing Tomato Plants from Cuttings
Chapter 35 Charles Wilber, Growing Organically
Chapter 36 "How to" for a Beginning Grower
Chapter 37 Germinating Old Tomato Seeds
Chapter 38 Grafting Tomatoes
Chapter 39 MacCoy and the New World Record
Chapter 40 A New Kid in Town
Chapter 41 Domingo
Chapter 42 What next, a Ten Pounder?
Chapter 43 Summary
Chapter 44 Some Repetition and a Few More Tips
Chapter 45 Question and Answer
Appendix 1 Recipes
Appendix 2 The Anatomy of a Tomato
Appendix 3 Tomato Basics
Appendix 4 Plant Pruning and Support
Appendix 5 The Great Tomato Hunt
Appendix 6 Suppliers
Appendix 7 Contributors
Appendix 8 Glossary
Appendix 9 Testing Labs
Index

No this is not it. The book is titled 'Giant Tomatoes' by Marv Meisner. Here is a different source https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165 ... t_Tomatoes

[karstopography]

Biggest for me so far in 2024 is a 1#10 ounce Hoy. So far, three tomatoes over 1 pound. Dester at 615 grams, Red Barn at 685 and now this Hoy at 740 grams. There’s still some big Red Barn and Hoy tomatoes. I don’t know if I will get to the kilo tomato this season, though, like Domingo produced in 2023.

Hoy this season was grown from seed saved from the 2022 season. Red Barn is seed from the 2023 MMMM swap.

[MissS]

Biggest for me so far in 2024 is a 1#10 ounce Hoy. So far, three tomatoes over 1 pound. Dester at 615 grams, Red Barn at 685 and now this Hoy at 740 grams. There’s still some big Red Barn and Hoy tomatoes. I don’t know if I will get to the kilo tomato this season, though, like Domingo produced in 2023.

Hoy this season was grown from seed saved from the 2022 season. Red Barn is seed from the 2023 MMMM swap.

Pic's???

[karstopography]

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I need to eat or freeze that Dester tomato today.

Red barn might be my favorite new to me variety. Compact and healthy indeterminate that makes big and delicious tomatoes. There’s two more on the plant that should easily top a pound, but I can’t see them well enough to nail down the weight.

All these tomatoes lose a little weight if picked at color break or a little after and allowed to ripen on the counter.

[MissS]

Those are all beauties and they taste good too.

The race is on!

[Mark_Thompson]

It’s starting to feel a lot like summer here, and I’m starting to find blossoms like this, feeling good about my chances of finding a giant this year.

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[Mark_Thompson]

Above blossom a little further along

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[AKgardener]

Right on.. right behind you on my Cherokee purple

[MissS]

Above blossom a little further along



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Oh my goodness. That blossom is magnificent! Look at the stem on that flower, it's huge!

My money is on this pony. BTW which pony is it?

[Mark_Thompson]

Porkchop

[TomatoNut95]

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My potential: Westerlund 1-26 Hoping it's at least a pound!

@MissS Today I planted 1 seed of the Sutherlund strain of Domingo. It may seem late, I know but issues have been making me fall behind on a lot of stuff.

[JRinPA]

Hey I finally found the thread.

The one on the near right... 6.33 lb Faust 23. Only seed I got germinate well.

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[Mark_Thompson]

@TomatoNut95 That thing looks yuge!

[TomatoNut95]

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Color break!! Color break on my Westerlund!! I'll soon be weighing this baby!! Woo-hoo!!! (forgive my excitement)

[TomatoNut95]

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@MissS My official entry for the contest!

Westerlund 1-26 2lbs 2.3 oz

[MissS]

And @TomatoNut95 takes the lead on the Westerlund!

[maxjohnson]

This is my sole candidate for 2 pounder+ tomato this year:
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Or what's left of it after frost damage, and I'm not starting new seeds.

The Gigante Farina recovered well, along with the Green Giant next to it.

When I saw this megabloom I had to take out my electric toothbrush to pollinate it to be sure, I allowed too many of them to slip by in the past.

20240704_164617.jpg

[MissS]

@maxjohnson It looks like the toothbrush worked! He's moving along.

[Uncle_Feist]

I planted late this year (on purpose) but should have an entry in a few weeks!

[MissS]

@Uncle_Feist Most of the competition growers plant late so that they can take their tomatoes to the weigh-offs in September, others plant early to take theirs to the county fairs. This year there is a new way to get into the record books by taking them to your local grocery store or UPS/FedEx where there is a certified scale to be weighed.