• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

For us mater growers

How's this?

Tallest plant
Best looking plant (We can break this down by type)
Largest tomato (We can break this down by color if needed)
Most unusual tomato
(For geeks with scales!) Most pounds of tomatoes per plant

IMO, the final call is Kevin's but I don't think it is fair or even doable to set up categories for largest tomato. Not that pix of a large Roma, Cherry or Grape would not be welcome, but with so many different types of plants, some so-called cherry toms are as large as some maters grown for juice such as a Red Zebra.

Mike
 
I think heaviest tomato is easy to do as long as all participants have a decent scale. Tallest could be fun too but now I gotta think about building some huger supports
 
A couple more refinements for consideration:

The competition ends April 1, 2011. That will give the growers below the equator a chance to start seeds and grow plants just for this.

We can use both heaviest and largest tomato. Scales for heaviest, a ruler for largest.

Not required but would be nice: a report on how the mater tastes and looks. Taste is objective, so rather than good/bad, something along the lines of sort of sweet, acidic; the thickness of the skin, how it keeps after harvesting. For instance, Celebrity is suppose to be a huge producer in regard to tomatoes per plant but lots of reviewers rate it just above supermarket toms in taste. Personally, I would rather harvest 15 pounds of great tasting fruits from a plant than 30 pounds of blah stuff.

YMMV,

Mike
 
Not just a competition though. It is a good chance to see what methods people use, ferts, etc. and there is sure to be several varieties in this, so it will be nice to compare them as well........but I will be starting some tomatoes just to grow 'em big. :PIt's all in good fun.

jacob
 
Yeah, what Jacob says! I'm not going to donate precious garden space to trying to raise one huge tomato, but I will stick a few in some 7-gallon pots and bury them in the part of the garden where weeds won't grow. Let only a fruit or two mature, cutting off all the other blooms. Feeding it compost tea very frequently. Maybe playing music for it part of the day and telling it how wonderful it is and how it will have the best baby or babies of all the plants in the world!

I may start some odd plants just to see how they do.

Mike
 
yeah it would, lol the supermarkets pretty much have their generic no flavor romas , generic no flavor medium size perfect rounds, and their generic large "ugly or heirloom" types. differents shapes same non-flavor :)

I only grow a few varities all heirlooms, brandywine, roma, and a beefsteak type heirloom that I got seeds from a family member (actually I saved seeds from said family members tomatoes that I got) so I dont even know what to call that one :) but anyway you look at it, homegrowns are always gonna taste so much better no matter if its a heirloom varity or a hybrid.
 
Allright,I have an entry...Where do I post it?I'm thinking we should supply a green photo on the vine,and a ripe photo.
 
wordwiz said:
The competition ends April 1, 2011. That will give the growers below the equator a chance to start seeds and grow plants just for this.
Click to expand...

Means we can bring 'em in and overwinter too, right? ;)
I'll give it a shot- I'm by no means a tomato aficionado, but I've got a few unique ones I want to try this year on top of the old standard Sub-Arctic and Tropics I grow from Denali Seed. I wanted to try one or two in a hydrobucket too, to fiddle with nutes.

Not to over-analyze, but should there be an indoor/outdoor and a soil/soilless separation as well? Me personally I'd prefer to keep it simple, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
 
Hinky said:
Means we can bring 'em in and overwinter too, right? ;)
I'll give it a shot- I'm by no means a tomato aficionado, but I've got a few unique ones I want to try this year on top of the old standard Sub-Arctic and Tropics I grow from Denali Seed. I wanted to try one or two in a hydrobucket too, to fiddle with nutes.

Not to over-analyze, but should there be an indoor/outdoor and a soil/soilless separation as well? Me personally I'd prefer to keep it simple, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Click to expand...

I don't see any reason you cannot overwinter them, given the categories. Any picture of a plant/tomato from the start to the finish would be considered.

Since no one is passing out trophies or $1,000 awards, why not a hydro, dirt and container sub-section but keep the winners to the largest, best looking, best producer? It's just my opinion but if I see you get two pound maters and 50 pounds per plant, regardless how it is grown, I want to learn more!

Mike
 
Hi all,

Sorry I have been away for a time been a little under the weather and dealing with life's trials. We do have plenty of time to talk about where we will go with this. I am glad there is good interest in this.Been a lot of good ideas tossed about. Lets keep things rolling and we can decide before everyone does their planting for the season.


Kevin
 
Kevin,

Are we ready to do this?

Largest tomato. Measured by a ruler.
Heaviest tomato. Scales.
Most pounds per plant. Scales and record keeping.
Best looking plant - pics required.

FWIW, I have my list down and most of the seeds sown, though I am waiting on some stuffers from Victory seeds. So whatever is decided is fine!

Mike
 
I just today potted up some Giant Belgiums, Cherokee Purples, Golden Nuggets, and Early Wonder.

I also potted up some Sheepnose Pimentos, Listia de Gandia eggplants, Little Finger eggplants, and Bell Pepper Sweet Mix.

I am going after most pounds per plant I think. I have my 12 foot step ladder handy. :woohoo:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top