BIG Tomatoes Raised in 2012

Posted on December 12, 2012 by SEAMSFASTER

In 2012 we raised 109 tomato plants from seeds of DOCUMENTED weights of varieties which have been demonstrated (or claimed in a few cases) to grow to 2 lbs. or more. Following is a table of those 109 lineages. I am in the process of organizing pics and compiling results of this endeavor and will update this table once that effort is completed.

Following this list of 109 is an overview of the largest specimen of 59 varieties produced by Delectation of Tomatoes through 2012.

Tomato Plants Raised in 2012

by Delectation of Tomatoes, etc.

from Documented Large to GIANT Specimens

Variety (Weight in lbs., Grower, Year)

Amana Orange (1.638 DT 2010)

Bear Claw (1.226 DT 2011)

Behemoth King (1.538 DT 2011)

Belmonte (1.824 DT 2010)

Big Rainbow (1.888 LBH 2011)

Big Zac (1.552 DT 2011)

Big Zac (1.716 DT 2009)

Big Zac (1.736 DT 2011)

Big Zac (1.988 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.008 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.258 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.266 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.464 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.510 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.660 DT 2011)

Big Zac (2.75 DT 2009)

Big Zac (2.762 DT 2010)

Big Zac (3.000 Diaz 2010)

Big Zac (3.24 Perry 2011)

Big Zac (3.308 Diaz 2010)

Big Zac (3.59 Perry 2009)

Big Zac (3.72 Watson 2011)

Big Zac (3.77 Timm 2010)

Big Zac (3.9 Catapano 2007)

Big Zac (3.91 Timm 2011)

Big Zac (3.94 Pennington 2010)

Big Zac (4.04 Johnston/Butler 2010)

Big Zac (4.20 Diaz 2011)

Big Zac (4.28 Timm 2010)

Big Zac (4.59 Lyons 2006)

Big Zac (4.70 Hartung 2011)

Big Zac (4.77 Timm 2010)

Big Zac (4.91 Lyons 2011)

Big Zac (5.32 Lyons 2011)

Big Zac (5.35 Lyons 2010)

Big Zac (5.64 Timm 2010)

Black Mountain Pink (1.560 DT 2011)

Brandywine, Pink (1.062 DT 2011)

Brandywine, Pink (1.57 Brandyberry 2011)

Brandywine, Sudduth’s (1.322 DT 2011)

Brutus Magnum (6.25 Meisner 2011)

Burpee Supersteak (1.682 DT 2010)

Church (1.662 DT 2010)

Church (2.495 DT 2011)

Church (2.515 DT 2011)

Church (3.36 Perry 2008)

Cleota Pink (2.108 DT 2011)

Cuostralée (1.296 DT 2011)

Da Costa’s Portuguese (1.388 DT 2011)

Delicious (1.328 DT 2011)

Delicious (1.8 Wild 2011)

Delicious (3.85 Landry 2011)

Delicious (3rd gen. Gordan Graham)

Delicious (4.25 Lyons 2010)

Delicious (4.42 Landry 2011)

Delicious (4.46 Marley 2011)

Delicious (4th gen. Gordan Graham)

Delicious (5.41 Landry 2011)

Delicious (6.51 Meisner 2011)

Delicious (7.33 Hunt 2010)

Dutchman (1.148 DT 2011)

Florida Pink (1.328 DT 2011)

Fred Limbaugh Potato Top (1.638 DT 2011)

German (1.414 DT 2011)

German Red Strawberry (1.300 DT 2011)

Giant of Siebenburgen (1.492 DT 2011)

Gildo Pietroboni (3 Kott 2011)

Green Giant (1.292 DT 2011)

Hillbilly (1.320 DT 2011)

Homer’s German Oxheart (1.738 DT 2011)

Hoy (3 Kott 2011)

Hungarian Heart (1.544 Jacobs Cove 2010)

Italian Heart? (4.19 Perry 2011)

Kellogg’s Breakfast (1.350 DT 2011)

Kentucky Beefsteak (1.440 DT 2011)

Large Barred Boar (0.972 DT 2011)

Leadbeatter’s Lunker (4.017 Leadbeatter 2012)

Leadbeatter’s Lunker (4.364 Leadbeatter 2012)

Leadbeatter’s Lunker (4.905 Leadbeatter 2012)

Magnum (1.482 DT 2011)

MegaMarv (5.51 Meisner 2011)

Michael’s Portuguese Monster (1.932 DT 2011)

Mong (1.680 DT 2011)

Mr. Underwoods Pink German Giant (1.788 DT 2011)

Nature’s Riddle (1.382 DT 2011)

Neves Azorean Red (1.798 DT 2010)

Omar’s Lebanese (1.724 DT 2010)

Persimmon (1.290 DT 2011)

Phil’s Fantastic (1.410 DT 2011)

Pineapple (1.596 DT 2010)

Porterhouse, F2 (2.062 DT 2011)

Pruden’s Purple (1.522 DT 2011)

Pusztakolosz (1.446 DT 2011)

Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (1.828 MGS 2010)

Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag (2.200 DT 2010)

Richardson (1.433 DT 2010)

Rosalie’s Big Rosy (1.000 DT 2011)

Russian (2.010 DT 2011)

Russian (2.319 MGS 2010)

Russian 117 (1.284 DT 2011)

Slankard’s (1.530 DT 2011)

Sylvan Gaume (1.416 DT 2011)

Tiffen Mennonite (1.234 DT 2011)

Todd County Amish (1.936 DT 2011)

Virginia Sweets (2.218 DT 2011)

Vorlon (0.980 DT 2011)

West Virginia Sweetmeat (1.352 DT 2011)

White Wonder (1.268 DT 2011)

Zore’s Big Red (1.278 DT 2011)

BIG Tomato Varieties Grown by Delectation of Tomatoes through 2012
Variety	Weight (lb.)	Harvest Date	Notes
Behemoth King	1.538	10/4/2011	Seeds from this & descendents
Belmonte	1.962	8/22/2010	Seeds from descendents, grown to 3 lbs.
Bezrazmernyi	1.698	9/12/2012
Big Bill	1.504	9/5/2012
Big Rainbow	1.888	10/8/2012	Seeds from this & descendents
Big Zac	3.486	12/6/2012	From 3.94 < 7.18 lbs.
Black Mountain Pink	1.560	8/30/2011	Seeds from this & descendents
Brandywine, Pink	1.570	8/25/2011
Brandywine, Sudduth’s	1.438	9/28/2012
Brutus Magnum	2.006	9/3/2012
Chilo della Garfagnana	1.546	8/13/2012	Sibling grown by others to 3.563 lb.
Church	3.208	9/13/2012
Cleota Pink	2.108	9/29/2011	Seeds from this & descendents
De Weese Streaked	1.560	9/4/2012
Delicious	1.968	10/24/2012	Parents were 6.51 < 7.33 lbs.
Donskoi	1.866	9/12/2012
Frank’s Large Red	1.432	8/18/2012
Fred Limbaugh Potato Top	1.638	9/27/2011
German	1.904	7/25/2010	Seeds from this & descendents
Giant of Siebenburgen	1.492	10/10/2011
Gildo Pietroboni	1.962	10/27/2011
Gold Medal	1.310	10/18/2012	Parent was 3.70 lbs.
Hazel Mae	1.548	8/25/2012
Hendershott	1.500	8/25/2012
Homer’s German Oxheart	1.738	9/1/2011
Hoy	2.048	9/9/2012
Hungarian Heart	1.402	9/15/2012	Parent was 1.544 lb.
Italian Heart	1.752	10/3/2012	Parent was 4.19 lb.
Joe’s Pink Oxheart	1.678	9/11/2012
Kentucky Beefsteak	1.440	9/13/2011
Lara’s Giant	1.195	10/4/2012	Sibling grown by others to 1.7 lb.
Leadbeatter’s Lunker	1.758	9/15/2012	Parent was 4.017 lbs.
Magnum	1.564	8/23/2012
Mazarini	2.246	10/14/2012
MegaMarv	2.678	9/9/2012	Parent was 5.51 lbs.
Mémé Beauce	1.546	8/17/2012
Michael’s Portuguese Monster	1.932	8/30/2011	Seeds from this & descendents
Mong	1.680	8/10/2011
Mr. Underwood’s Pink German Giant	1.788	9/1/2011
Neves Azorean Red	1.798	8/4/2010	Seeds from this & descendents
Omar’s Lebanese	1.724	11/7/2010
Oxheart “Giantissimo”	2.294	8/31/2012
Porterhouse (F2)	2.062	9/1/2011
Portuguese Monster	2.610	10/11/2012
Pruden’s Purple	1.552	8/28/2011
Pusztakolosz	1.446	10/4/2011
Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag	2.200	8/10/2010	Seeds from this & descendents
Richardson	1.433	11/8/2010	Seeds from this & descendents
Russian	2.319	10/16/2010	Seeds from this & descendents
Shuntukski Velikan	1.978	8/4/2012
Siberian Giant	1.438	8/18/2012
Slankard’s	1.530	10/4/2011
Sumo	1.782	10/11/2012
Super Beefsteak	1.546	9/13/2012	Off-type bicolor, very tasty
Sylvan Gaume	1.416	9/6/2011
Todd County Amish	1.936	10/14/2011
Tuxhorn’s Red And Yellow	1.430	8/25/2012
Virginia Sweets	2.218	9/29/2011
West Virginia Sweetmeat	1.806	9/7/2012

Trinidad Moruga Scorpion and Carolina Reaper Pepper

Posted on December 9, 2012 by SEAMSFASTER

The very day I learned that a batch of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion hot pepper pods had broken through 2,000,000 on the Scoville Heat Unit scale, I ordered 10 seeds. These I planted indoors on February 02, 2012. Only 6 seeds sprouted. I babied them for weeks until I had room (and time) to transplant them into the backyard high tunnel on June 29th – along with several other superhot varieties (Bhut Jolokia, 7 Pot Barrackapore, Naga Viper, Trinidad Scorpion, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T, Naga Morich).

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion plants have been healthy but did not even start to get buds until October. I have yet to see an open blossom on any of the 6 plants, let alone a pod.

Well, some serious winter weather is settling in and I cannot afford to keep heating the high tunnel (this is NOT a greenhouse…). The aphids are horrible and have not responded to organic pest control methods. There are quite a few living ladybugs, but they are very lethargic most of the time. The aphids, on the other hand, keep sucking the life out of the tomato and lettuce plants, and reproducing like bacteria, regardless of whether the temperature is 34° or 107°.

So I’ve decided to try to save my most valuable pepper plants through the winter. Yesterday I constructed a small “low tunnel” within the high tunnel and mounted a metal halide light. The pepper plants should stay cozy for the next 3 months. Aphids will be the major challenge (along with paying the electric bill…)

Also, a couple of weeks ago I read about the Carolina Reaper Pepper (previously known as HP22B for Higher Power, pot 22, plant B) and, predictably, immediately purchased some seeds directly from the developer. After 3 days in the fridge, I planted 11 seeds on December 05, 2012. These peppers have been tested several times over the past few years and AVERAGE 1,474,000 SHU’s!!! (my throat burns and my nose runs just thinking about eating one of these pods…)

Big Zac (3.486 DT 2012)(3.94 Pennington 2010)

Posted on December 6, 2012 by SEAMSFASTER

Start over, do over, more than a little embarrasing. In addition to eating crow and swallowing pride, I also have to choke on a big electric bill for the light – a light which grew some fungus and thousands of aphids, but not a tomato.

OK time for some excuse making:
Just a simple tpyo – I meant 3.48, not 4.38! (blasted dyslexia…)
Wrong ballpark (where DID I drop that GPS unit…)
Just a demonstration of what not to do
I can’t be accused of being a pessimist anymore
Rotting won the race over ripening
Rotten tomato award?

First light frost on day 42; first hard frost day 62; first serious mold on day 78 – that’s when it should have been picked! Mold management is crucial when air circulation is poor; this one was covered for as long as 3 continuous days in November.

Density (specific gravity) estimate is 0.91 (compared to water) , which is a bit less than the average 0.95 for tomatoes that are half ripe.

This one would be classified as “horseshoe” shaped.

This fruit gives some vague idea of what a 9 lb. tomato might look like; a perfectly spherical (NO lobes or cracks…) and ripe tomato with a diameter equal to the maximum of this one (20.1 cm) would likely weigh about that much.

Obviously the formula needs some serious reworking to take deep lobing into account. I’ve worked up some Geometry Adustment Factors already, so next year I’ll start integrating those into predictions.

Lessons learned, trial and error, back to the drawing board, better luck next time…

Anticipation

Posted on December 5, 2012 by SEAMSFASTER

First thing tomorrow morning I will be clipping off my biggest tomato and taking it in to the Utah Department of Food and Agriculture, Division of Weights and Measures to have it officially weighed. It’s barely 50% ripe, but the rotting areas are spreading faster than the red coloration. It’s starting to look like it’s been through a war.

Here are my final measurements for the weight estimation formula, where CC=circumference measurements in cm.

CC1 = 58.6 (this is 23.1″ taped circumference)

CC2 = 47.6

CC3 = 51.3

W=0.016043*CC1*CC2*CC3 (weight in grams)

W = 0.016043*58.6*47.6*51.3 = 2,295.7g = 5.06 lb.

Taking an average between the widest and narrowest meaurement on the dimension with the deepest crevice, that is CC2=42.6, W = 4.53

Taking off 8% (a barely educated guess) from 5.06 to account for deep lobing, W=4.66

Using caliper measurements (my standard daily routine) and formula, W=4.79

Now, thinking outside the formulas, it seems reasonable to subtract some additional weight from the estimate because of serious fungal invasion (especially on the back side) and the fact that there is a significant gap which passes all the way through the tomato.

So I’m going to pretend I know what I’m talking about and give my final prediction: