Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 56 Entries. Tuesday, April 29 View Page I didn't grow anything last year. I worked on the house we have been building. I think I have been aborting my giant pumpkins by Socking it to them after they start growing fast. I'm not going to do that this time. I am amending the soil and souping it up. All I want to do is water regularly. Growing giant cantaloupe, pumpkins, watermelons, and tomatoes. Currently growing this Big Zac. Just a regular seed pack from totally tomatoes. No special growing history. It's not the only giant tomato I am growing but it's the only one with a big mater right now. I wanted to see what I could grow in a 5 gallon bucket extra early. It's about 44 days after pollination. 20"CC. I used someone elses chart to calculate OTT weight. It's estimating 3.76 pounds right now.   Thursday, May 1 View Page guess I need to show some details to the big zac in the global bucket. March 19th photo. a couple days after it bloomed. Not sure if it bloomed on March 15 or if it was the 16th   Thursday, May 1 View Page According to the info that I typed in when I took this picture, pollination was march 16th. 9 dap on March 25th   Thursday, May 1 View Page 46 dap on the Big Zac Hybrid. (totally tomatoes) measuring 21" CC I don't know how to calculate OTT. I been using someones excell sheet online from 2010. Not even sure if it's accurate. The complete measurements are 21 cc ,18,17 It's in a hammock now. Won't be able to measure much for here on out. Early spring giant tomatoes take about 70 days to mature from bloom date. It still has estimated 24 days to go to harvest. Lets say it only takes 20 more days and the last 7 days will be ripening. That's still 14 more days of growing. Note= I have never documented the growth rate or habits of a giant tomato. Any suggestions?   Thursday, May 1 View Page bottom view of the Big Zac Hybrid...as of April 28th   Thursday, May 1 View Page I have a 6.83 Boudyo currently 6wks old growing in a 25 gallon raised bed...so to speak. It is a half barrel with the bottom cut out. Have a 7 week old Beefmaster plant growing in an Earthbox with some extra soil amendments. In all my years of growing regular tomatoes, all my largest have been the first bloom to open on the entire plant but the plants were also loaded with several dozens of tomatoes all growing at the same time. My largest tomato was 3.25 and 3.5 lbs on a Brandywine and on a Beefmaster that was loaded with fruits. Can't remember which was the heaviest. I just never had the heart to pull all the other fruits off to grow a giant. I was hungry. lol I guess I'm ready to grow some giants now. BUT....The books say to grow the giants further up the vine and not on the first cluster but the first cluster is where all my Large fruits have been. This makes it hard for me to wait and grow one higher up. I dunno. At the same time, I think that one would grow giant if it had a lot of leaf and vine growth behind(below) the point of the fruit just like growing a giant pumpkin. I don't know enough about tomato plants to know if this is a good idea.   Monday, May 5 View Page Started turning colors May 5th. Weighed 3 lbs. Was grown in a 5 gallon bucket.   Sunday, June 15 View Page 192 Weston growing in a 55 gallon barrel. Pollination day. Bloom 1 3/16 inch. X a different 192 Weston.   Sunday, June 15 View Page 1370 Bobier 10ft out , 4 lobe X 1213 Rea   Tuesday, June 17 View Page #1 192 Weston 2 days after pollination 4 lobes   Wednesday, June 18 View Page #1 192 Weston 3 DAP   Thursday, June 19 View Page #1 192 Weston 4 DAP   Thursday, June 19 View Page 1213 Rea X 1370 Bobier 5 lobe 14ft out . Pollination Day Aint she purdy   Friday, June 20 View Page #1 192 Weston 5 DAP   Friday, June 20 View Page 1213 Rea X 1370 Bobier 5 lobe 14ft out, 1 DAP   Saturday, June 21 View Page #1 Weston 6 DAP   Saturday, June 21 View Page 1213 Rea X 1370 Bobier 5 lobe 14ft out, 2 DAP   Saturday, June 21 View Page 1st female on 1370 Bobier 10ft out , 4 lobe, 6 DAP Waiting on the third female that will bloom in a couple of days.. Hoping it's a 5 lobe. 2nd female was 4 lobe.   Saturday, June 21 View Page Carolina Cross X 192 Weston 6 DAP   Saturday, June 21 View Page Carolina Cross X open 4 lobe 4 DAP   Saturday, June 21 View Page Carolina Cross X Open 3 DAP   Sunday, June 22 View Page 192 Weston 7 DAP   Sunday, June 22 View Page 1370 Bobier 7 DAP   Sunday, June 22 View Page 1213 Rea 3 DAP   Monday, June 23 View Page 192 Weston 4 lobe, 8 days after pollination, 63"OTT   Monday, June 23 View Page another female on the 1370 Bobier, 15ft out, 5+ 1 miniature lobe. It's 5 lobes plus a deformed mini lobe. 6 ? Crossed it with the 1213 Rea the first female on the plant is growing so great. I don't know if I have the heart to cull it later on. Time will tell.   Monday, June 23 View Page 1st female on the 1370 Bobier, 10ft main, 8 days after pollination = 28 3/4 inch CC   Monday, June 23 View Page 1213 Rea , 5 lobe , 4 DAP   Tuesday, June 24 View Page 1370 9 DAP   Wednesday, June 25 View Page 1370 Bobier 10 DAP , 39.5"CC wow   Wednesday, June 25 View Page 192 Weston, 10 DAP, 71" OTT, growing in a 55 gallon barrel.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page Carolina Cross x 192 Weston 10 DAP, 68"OTT , growing in the garden I'm fixin to feed it. I haven't fed it since I amended the soil at preplant.   Wednesday, June 25 View Page Looks like blossom end rot on the 192 Weston. Blossom end is a darker green and it is soft. That's a shame too. It was growing pretty good.   Thursday, June 26 View Page 1370 Bobier 11 days after pollination 44" CC   Thursday, June 26 View Page 1370 Bobier 11 DAP Stem end   Friday, June 27 View Page Carolina Cross (seed from PandP ) 12 DAP, 77" OTT 4 gallon bucket comparison   Friday, June 27 View Page 1370 Bobier 12 DAP 48"CC   Friday, June 27 View Page 1213 Rea 8 DAP it's growing slowly.   Saturday, June 28 View Page Carolina Cross 13 dap 85" OTT   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1370 Bobier 13 DAP 53" CC   Saturday, June 28 View Page 1213 Rea 9 DAP 25" CC   Monday, June 30 View Page Carolina Cross 15 DAP 97" OTT   Wednesday, July 2 View Page Carolina Cross 17 days after pollination   Friday, July 4 View Page Carolina Cross 19 ? DAP Critter control sun protection Happy 4th of July   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Carolina Cross #1 23 DAP   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Carolina Cross #2 7 DAP   Tuesday, July 8 View Page Carolina Cross #3 6 DAP   Thursday, July 10 View Page Carolina Cross #1 25 DAP I think I need a little more sand   Thursday, July 10 View Page Carolina Cross #2 9 DAP 4 gallon bucket comparison sitting on a 1x6 plank gotta put something different/bigger/better under it.   Thursday, July 10 View Page 1370 Bobier.....not looking good. It's shaped like a butternut squash too. 25 DAP 84" cc :P   Thursday, July 10 View Page 1370 Bobier growing a giant butternut squash Garden covered with Powdery Mildew Had lots of rain for a while. Now it's Humid   Friday, July 11 View Page Carolina Cross #2 10 DAP 84.5 " OTT   Saturday, July 12 View Page Carolina Cross #2 11 Dap, 92" OTT removed the 1x6 plank and sat it on a sand mound. Plot is on a slight slope but this melon has landed at the bottom of the slope where water sits for a couple hours after rain or watering.   Saturday, July 12 View Page Carolina Cross #1 27 days after pollination I need more sand   Saturday, July 12 View Page Giant Cantaloupe. Not sure on age but it's "about" 20 days old.   Monday, July 14 View Page Carolina Cross #1 29 DAP 142" OTT.. growing real slow Carolina Cross #2 13 DAP 104" OTT Dry weather. need to water Carolina Cross #3 11 DAP 78" OTT Carolina Cross #3 12 DAP 86" OTT