What are the largest Competition Size tomatoes?

14 years ago

Does anyone know what the top largest tomatoes grown are? The competition size ones. The only one I know of are Big Zac tomato seeds. I would like to grow and compete some in our county and state fair this year. Any help would be appreciated.

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Comments (5)

terrybull
14 years ago
my biggest came from a celebrity. about the size of a football. it was probably an oddball
farmerdilla
14 years ago
The record is still held by Burpee's Delicious. Big Zac may give more consistant big tomatoes. In general the large beefsteak types will win single fruit weight contests, but not beauty contests.
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Largest AND most productive seldom go hand in hand. One factor is sacrificed to a degree for the other. Just ask those who try to grow record sized tomatoes. But there are 100's of beefsteak varieties that will produce up to 2 lb.ders with a fair amount of production. Big Zac is one I can think of, Giant Belgium another, Stump of the World, etc. Some are hybrids and some are open-pollinated. Removing blooms from the bloom clusters can also affect the size of the remaining fruit produced by that set of blooms. And of course there are many other variables too - soil, care, feeding and watering regime, weather, plant age, etc. Just browse through the 'Beefsteak' listings at any of the big tomato seed suppliers like tomatogrowers.com Dave PS: a variety named Delicious used to hold the world record but many question the actual validity of that record. Here is a link that might be useful: 3 pages of Beefsteak varieties
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What is large and what is big and what is really big? The tomatoes mentioned so far grow at the big level but not really big. Why has noone mentioned Big Zac....oh, it is a hybrid. So what about Delicious. It holds the world record at 7 3/4 pounds. A strain of Delicious, the so-called Hunt Strain grew a tomato over 7 pounds a few years ago and a 6.5 pounder 2 years ago. Brutus Magnum produced a 6.25 pound tomato in 2011. MegaMarv popped one at 5.51 pounds that same year and several growers are reporting tomatoes with MegaMarv over 5 pounds this year. Over 4 pounds is large. Over 5 pounds is big, over 6 pounds is really big and over 7 pounds is huge and over 8 pounds will be a new world record. &&&&&& I had to cut and paste the above so I wouldn't forget something. LOL Big Zac F1; Yes, Minnie won many NJ contests with it but over the years when folks grow it, and I do read/post at several message sites, folks seem to get not much over a pound or two with it. Delicious? Yes, Gordan Graham 's biggie , while it still holds the world record at what, something like 7# 12 oz, I didn't confirm that,if not using the the selections made by others from that original fruit, and not everyone has access to those seeds, don't get anything near the record with just regular ole seeds for Delicious, from this or that seed site. Fact is, and you know it from your post, that there are many who are dedicated to growing the biggest baddest fruits they can. And Marv Mesissner, whom I know, helped that along with his book. Those growing for size use special techniques, just as the large pumpkin growers do, megablooms, which I knew and still do as fused blossoms, seem to rule. But I do think that just ordinary home growers are looking for just ordinary varieties, no special techniques used, to get some big ones. And nothing wrong with that as I see it. ( smile) Carolyn
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<Dave, why do you remove the fused blooms ?> Images of fused fruit produced by fused blooms Because they are a source of stress for the plant, are very often terminal bloom clusters so terminate that particular stem and the future production of that stem is lost, and because IF they produce anything it is an ugly, twisted, deformed, wad of multiple fused fruits. Not something I want.
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greenhousin
14 years ago
I've been competing for a few years now and my most consistent results have been coming from Big Zac seeds that were saved from previous competition winners.
I have tried many different varieties over the years.
Tomatoes which have produced over four pound tomatoes for me are:

Big Zac
Church
BelMonte

In 2008 I held the Ohio State Record with a 4.48 pound tomato which was grown off of the variety "Curch". In 2009 I broke that record with a 4.83 pound tomato which was grown off of the variety Big Zac which was a seed from the 5.58 Timm 08. Many competition Growers are now considering the 5.58 Timm one of the first "proven" tomato seeds, meaning that this seed has produced more record breaking fruit than any other known tomato seed. I believe the 5.58 Timm is an F4 Big Zac. My 2009 record was short lived as Nick Harp produced a tomato last year off of the same 5.58 Timm seed which weighed in at 7.18 pounds and is the fourth heaviest tomato ever recorded.

I hold a contest each year for the heaviest tomato at www.perrysgreenhouse.com, your welcome to join in if you'd like. There are prizes awarded to the winners of the contest, this year our first prize includes a copy of the book Growing Giant Tomatoes by Dr. Marvin Meisner, 5 seeds from the 4th largest tomato ever grown in the world, "the 7.18 N. Harp" a $20 gift certificate to our Sponsor, and the prize list is growing.
I've given away all of the competition seeds I have for the season but I am sure you will find someone there that is willing to share. Our community is focused mainly on producing record breaking vegetables with lots of information to help you achieve your personal best.

Good Luck in your Endeavor!!!

Duane
hardclay7a
14 years ago
Other possibilities are Neves Azorean Red, Giant Belgium, and Burpee Porterhouse. I'm doing Big Zack, Supersteak and Mortgage lifter. Forget about Burpee delicious, the variety seems to have lost something. My Supersteaks are consistently two to three times larger than my delicious ever were. What ever you decide, do it quick. These all require a lengthy season. Don't give up if you don't get expected results the first year. Keep trying new techniques, methods, varieties, fertilizers, etc. This is my third year and I haven't seen a tomato over 5 Lbs. Yet.
Good luck
~Ken~
averycason
6 years ago
Where can I buy seeds to grow the giant maters

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What are the largest Competition Size tomatoes?

Comments (5)

terrybull

farmerdilla

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greenhousin

hardclay7a

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