Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 54 Entries. Friday, May 4 View Page Growing a few giant tomatoes this year, and again skipping the pumpkin as struggling with time & a young un. Many thanks to Wixom Grower and GiantVeg on here for the seeds. Peter’s 2.88kg is the UK record, and a reselection from Dan McCoys 6.88 tomato the year he broke the world record. Aim for three coddled plants at home, although spares may make it to a more remote plot.   Monday, May 14 View Page First parts of an airlift compost brewer gathered   Tuesday, May 15 View Page Recommended air pump is no shrinking violet. 60 litres per min for a 5 gallon brew. Hoping pictures are appearing - app give some issues.   Thursday, May 17 View Page Ordered some fertilizer for the giant tomatoes and unpacked it earlier in the week. Came back to find this not long after...   Monday, June 25 View Page A pair of Glazebrook 2.88kg giant tomatoes at the home greenhouse. This was a later, second sowing.   Monday, June 25 View Page This is a 6.23 or 5.95 Konieczny - I’ve one of each and one plant here and the other at the remote plot. Label on this one now missing, so hoping the other still labelled up. :) Pinched off the first truss as no megabloom, so hopefully catch one at the next truss. Pics of the remote plot plants will have to wait until end of the week, slightly behind these in size. Thanks again for the seed Chris. Rooting for the plants!   Saturday, June 30 View Page Hopefully a nice megabloom on the giant tomato 5.95 Konieczny (Domingo) at the plot - no mega as yet on the 6.23 Konieczny (Megazac) which I’ve confirmed as the home plant, first truss has now been and gone.   Saturday, June 30 View Page The 2.88kg Peter Glazebrook (Big Zac) plant at farm done as a second sowing is behind the pair of 2.88kg Glazebrooks at home. May be contending with a bit of wireworm as it’s a recent conversion from grass. Can see some mega blooms forming on the pair at home but still early.   Wednesday, July 4 View Page 5 gallons of compost tea on the five plants today, most applied on soil but some applied to leaves with zucca wetting agent. Some liquid seaweed, plus small side dressing of chicken pellets applied.   Friday, July 6 View Page Looks like a 2x blossom (have I got that right) on one of the home 2.88kg Glazebrook plants. Started pollinating today, and pollen falling so must be mature enough.   Friday, July 6 View Page Looks like a 4x fused mega on the second 2.88kg Glazebrook - still early days on this one, but hopefully pollinating soon.   Friday, July 6 View Page 6.23 Konieczny (Megazac) is growing well, but no megablooms shown up yet, nothing on 2nd truss either. I’m going to let a side shoot go now, and aim to double chances by letting both shoots grow. Not sure if Mega blooms are less freq or lower quality on other trusses - posted the question on the tomato forum. If you know the answer or have suggestions - head there and let me know!   Saturday, July 7 View Page Looks like an early stage 3x bloom on the 2.88kg Glazebrook at the plot.   Saturday, July 7 View Page Fingers crossed this 5.95 Konieczny at the farm plot (Domingo) has pollinated. Harder to tell here on x times fused tomato’s than the big zac types.   Sunday, July 8 View Page Lots of shallow rooting under the white plastic. Side surface dressing of chicken manure, seaweed drench and foliar + Voodoo on soil of home plants.   Sunday, July 8 View Page I’m also letting a number of the side shoots form, then pinching out at an early stage to leave two residual leaves to get greater leaf coverage with an aim of driving growth. Interestingly, the home plants esp earlier in year have increased leaf size to compensate for a bit of shading. There’s less shading now - will they have a greater capacity to drive growth now back in more sun?   Friday, July 13 View Page   Friday, July 13 View Page Aiming for two bites of the cherry for pollination - this on my biggest megabloom the 4x on the 2.88kg Glazebrook1 at home. Vibration on the flower, picking up dislodged pollen on spoon at the same time - then brushing it back on to the stigma. Would have otherwise gone to waste. This mega has needed pollination on different parts, on different days.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page Home update: all shoots pinched out for the 2.88kg Glazebrook that’s pollinated (x2 fused - in pic m). The second Glazebrook blossom has taken what seems an age to pollinate different parts (x4 fused) on different days. Part of me is a bit worried they aren’t all fused, but too early to tell. No sign of a mega on the Konieczny here, but growing up two stems now. It’s the biggest plant.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page Plot update: 5.95 Konieczny looks set, new growth pinched off.   Wednesday, July 18 View Page And the plot 2.88kg Glazebrook looks to have a caterpillar bloom - most looks set, but some still in bloom, so will try and pollinate the last bit again today.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Side dressing of kelp meal, and seaweed foliar and drench at plot, kelp meal, seaweed + feed foliar and drench at farm.   Thursday, July 19 View Page Now proud owner. Still 1.5 blooms left for season, so a little a little after the horse has bolted but dragging my toothbrush to plot (and forgetting it) has been a pain. Hopefully this covers the romote plot going fwd, for a whole £3 @ half price.   Wednesday, July 25 View Page Dap 19 on one of the home 2.88kg Peter Glazebrook tomatoes. Tomato now swelling into nearby leaf stem (circled in photo). Is it worth cutting off the foliage to give it room, and keep the tomato itself from being in contact with leaf stems etc where possible? (like reason behind an s-bend in pumpkins)   Friday, July 27 View Page Game over for the 5.95 Konieczny (Domingo) at the plot around DAP 25. Sorry Chris! Blossom end rot - the Uk been hitting record temperatures for weeks now, and the polytunnel at the plot is roasting hot. Whilst watered and good calcium I think it’s just been the heat stress causing water transport issues. Will see if I can keep the tomato off the vine to save seeds, and letting new growth form and perhaps another mega to form yet. Off the blocks tho - 410 grams. PB? Here’s to the next and breaking it. Ha!   Tuesday, August 7 View Page The 2.88kg glazebrook at home approaching 20 inches, so I think about 2.5 to 3 lb (?)   Tuesday, August 7 View Page Of two others at home, the 6.23 Konieczny (Megazac) is a 6 ft plant but no megabloom, so just letting biggest flower set now.   Tuesday, August 7 View Page This is what we’ll go with. And it’s at such a height, it’s just going to rest up on the GH shelf!   Tuesday, August 7 View Page The other 2.88kg mega bloom (that 4x fused bloom - weep!) didn’t fully pollinated, so going with another bloom further up. Perhaps 2 or 3 fused. Setting now - is that too late for pollination in the UK? No idea, but it’s this or nowt.   Wednesday, August 8 View Page The 2.88kg glazebrook at the plot, around 19.5 inches.   Wednesday, August 8 View Page The 5.95 Konieczny (Domingo) has been let free post the blossom end rot, for new flowers. Hopefully have something to pollinated over next few weeks - a few contenders.   Sunday, August 12 View Page Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble   Sunday, August 12 View Page Side dressed tomatoes @ plot with kelp meal, chicken pellets, tomato feed and a surface layer of manure - then covered over again with the plastic sheeting.   Monday, August 13 View Page Attempting to try the mFactor calculations I've seen on bnots diary (blaming you here bnot...) Home tomato on 2.88kg Glazebrook: DAP 38. 21.5 x 18 x 21.5 = 8320 Farm tomato on 2.88kg Glazebrook: DAP 26. 22.5 x 20 x 18 = 8100 Measuring one of my regular beefsteak (Green Cherokee - no special treatment) = mFactor of 0.00057. bnots mFactor = 0.00045. So somewhere between those likely? Home tomato @ 0.00057 = 4.7 ; @ 0.00045 = 3.7. Vs CC = 3.75 Farm tomato @ 0.00057 = 4.6; @0.00045 = 3.6. Vs CC = 4.25 Well, there you go. Here's to the first season growing giant tomato regardless. Given DAP it looks like the home tomato is on last run, whilst the farm tom has some time to overtake it.   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Looks like a bit of the tomato has torn off the stem as it’s expanded, leaving a bit of an exposed hole. Advice welcome. I’m guessing sulphur and it still gets to count if you were to weigh it officially at a GPC type event?   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Another angle   Wednesday, August 15 View Page Looking at this pic, it’s bottom left tho you can’t see hole from here   Tuesday, August 21 View Page The two 2.88kg Peter Glazebrook tomatoes chugging along. Dap 46 at home at 24 inches   Tuesday, August 21 View Page ...and dap 34 at the farm. Both looking green still.   Wednesday, August 22 View Page Just clocked the first blush on the home 2.88 Glazebrook. It’s on the segment breaking away from the stem as expected- DAP 47. 24 inch cc. Question is now - will it grow anymore before getting to 3/4 red? Quite excited by the prospect of weighing it tho - will be my first giant tomato, and no idea if it’s likely to be under or over chart. Will be find out soon tho!   Tuesday, August 28 View Page First blush on the farm 2.88kg Glazebrook, DAP 41 (sunnier location). Measures around the 25 cc mark. Assuming the hose fabric etc is contributing etc! Will continue to wait until picking. Cool!   Tuesday, August 28 View Page This looks tricky - reading early tomato guidelines: (5) Stem must be cut within 0.5 inches of specimen How do you do this without actually damaging the tomato and getting it discounted by other guidelines. Not due to pick for a few more weeks I think. All advise gratefully received!   Tuesday, August 28 View Page The Glazebrook at home has put on another inch since first blush - now at 25 inches   Tuesday, August 28 View Page From the top view of the same 2.88kg at home, of three nodes - two are green, but it’s that third one where it pulled away from the stem that will determine the picking. So torn when to actually pick tho! It’s getting real red on that segment Rookie nerves.   Tuesday, August 28 View Page More pics of same 2.88 Glazebrook tomato at home, less fingers in way. I think DAP 53   Tuesday, September 4 View Page I thought I might have harvest by now - but apparently not! Home tomato steady at 25 inches around, but think it’s added a bit of depth on a lobe that was greener. It’s ripening in the round, but the first segment that ripened is holding steady. Checking daily that first segment, but I’ve not harvested yet - trying to give the rest of the tomato as much time as I can to catch up. 25x25x18.   Tuesday, September 4 View Page Farm tomato - a sunnier spot - is ripening more quickly. Excited to see what it weighs, but again, holding back and checking frequently. It’s a compact tank of a tomato. Frank the Tank. This is about DAP 48, vs home tomato on DAP 60. @porkchop - trophies for tomato comp look great (I’m not in it tho). Can I get one for patience tho? Going beyond DAP60 is killing me. This one has done a little creeping up, just flirting with 26 inches now, getting ripe in the round.   Wednesday, September 5 View Page Harvested both tomatoes this am. Gutted to find a soft spot hidden away in the centre underneath the biggest out of view. So, DMG. But - 2.732 kg, (6.02 lb dmg) on shop scales - 148 grams shy of the current UK 2.88 kg record set last year!   Wednesday, September 5 View Page Shop scales   Wednesday, September 5 View Page Second tomato came in at 2.406kg (5.31lb) with a last minute non leaking split. Not sure if that’s dmg as there seems to be some allowance for it in the Early Tom guidelines, but really all ambitions and hopes were resting on the other one so points a bit moot. That’ll teach me to water plants either side of it. Off the same seed.   Wednesday, September 5 View Page Many thanks to Peter (GiantVeg) & Chris (Wixom) for the seeds this year and opportunity to grow some giant toms - it’s fun learning about giant tomatoes from the boards and having a go this year. Will be saving some seed from these toms and others regardless.   Saturday, September 8 View Page Ripening for seed now: 6.02 lb dmg & 5.32 lb.   Monday, October 22 View Page Clearing the polytunnel - been ignoring this one for second half of season, but saving for seed. Megabloom was too late for the best of summer weather - but it’s a Domingo and I’m keen to save seed for another season. Seed originally from Chris Konieczny Domingo seed. 2.391kg / 5.271lb   Thursday, November 8 View Page SeedSaving from last of the giant tomatoes (5.27 lb) - a Domingo type. Megabloom very late in the season, so plant left to it’s own for second half off season and tomato kept for it’s seeds for another season.