Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 20 Entries. Thursday, April 4 View Page Hi all, been a long time without posting news. Still very busy , working hard to get ready for the season. Will grow 1000 giant tomatoes, a giant pumpkin and some heavy leeks. Thanks a lot to Terralba, we keep using those great products to grow all our vegetables. Here a photo of each stuff we used to grow our record tomato 8.07lb in 2018. Good luck to all !   Friday, May 17 View Page So, I will start this 2019 diary with the 2018 8.07 Story. I have received a huge amount of emails asking millions questions about genetics, growing technics etc... The story starts back in 2016 when we finally decided to grow professionaly tomatoes. For years, friends keep telling us ours giants tomatoes were very tasty and really unique. We are growing 100% organically in the same patches since 2008, adding tonnes of different composts and plenty of naturals stuff like blood meal, seaweed meal, chabasite, lombricompost, corne, basalt and several guanos ( bird, bat etc...) In 2005, one particular plant produced some delicious fruits with nice shape, that was the 5.05 Fulk. In 2016, we planted 636 différents giants tomatoes. ( check my 2016 diary to see the whole list, we included the very last 5.05 Fulk seeds we'd got) We started to select the very best tomatoes by the shape, the taste and the health of the plant. Between all these plants, 2 were very differents : 5.51 MegaMarv and 5.05 Fulk. Both plants were absolutely Huge ! Very thick mainvine, giant leaves, very nice shape and an unique taste. We liked a lot the shape and the taste of the tomatoes grown by the 5.05 while we were amazed but the vigor, the production and the taste of the 5.51. We decided to cross (well protected as pumpkin flower to keep the bees away) them together to get the best of each : 5.51 MegaMarv X 5.05 Fulk. Target was to obtain a rounder shape than the 5.51 fruit ( they are slighty flat), a good production, a fabulous taste and a strong plant. We saved the fruit and get the seeds , that tomato weighed 3.52lb. Here a photo of the 5.05 Fulk plant in 2015.   Friday, May 17 View Page 5.05 Fulk in 2015.   Friday, May 17 View Page 5.51 MegaMarv plant in 2016. Amazing production and power !   Friday, May 17 View Page Another 2016 shot of the same 5.51 plant. It keeps producing big tomatoes up to the first frosts. We never calculate the total weight produced by that plant but it was Something over 30kg with an average of 2.5/3lb per fruit.   Friday, May 17 View Page Here the "One " : 3.52 Daho 2016 = 5.51 MegaMarv X 5.05 Fulk   Sunday, May 19 View Page In 2017, we sown the 3.52. We had a lot of hopes for that cross. All plants were very strong, but one of them was a true monster, huge mainvine, generating a lot of flowers and growing very aggressively. From June to late november, we picked up easily over 30kg of tomatoes on that plant. I selfed a very nice flower late august. Early october, for the National GPC weigh off , we picked up that tomato that was still green and growing well on that 3.52 plant. When we cut it, we counted 18 green tomatoes on the plant all estimated around 2.5/3lb. The following day, at the show, we were glad to win the tomato class with that green specimen that weighed 4.22lb. (the one in the middle, a few days later) The one on the left weighed 4.14 and was grown from another 3.52 Plant. The quality of the flesh was fabulous, very dense but melting in the mouth, extremely tasty. Tasting test was approved. we were happy with the cross we made.   Sunday, May 19 View Page Finally, in 2018, we sown again the 3.52 Daho 2016 but also that 4.22 Daho 2017.(and many more something like 600) One day, when I was cutting the suckers (endless job with so many plants), I noticed a special blossom on one of the 4.22 plant.   Sunday, May 19 View Page I fall in love with that megabloom ! When I selfed it , there were 6 tomatoes growing already on the plant. I cut them all only a few days later cos I wanted to be sur the pollinisation was okay.   Sunday, May 19 View Page When it started to grow, we were so excited, we even checked it at night LOL   Sunday, May 19 View Page Our 2014 PB was 5.29 and we started to think, we could enjoy a nice ride and why not, beat it...   Sunday, May 19 View Page Early august, it landed in the hamac safely.   Sunday, May 19 View Page 19 august 2018, night shot again lol Why night ? we finished to cut the suckers late cos it's way too hot in the polytunnels in the summer ( up to 45C fully open). " Apres l'effort, le réconfort" :-)   Sunday, May 19 View Page 10 days later, 29 august 2018, it still growing well despite a very hot and dry summer. I was worry it would ripe quickly cos of the extremes températures ( average 32/35C outside) but it didn't. Even now, I can't stop thinking it could have been even bigger than 8.07 with a cool and grey summer, who knows ?   Tuesday, May 21 View Page Here one of the 4 polytunnels full of giant tomatoes back in 2018. If you want to keep everything under control , you have to cut the suckers everyday. When you finished one tunnel, the following day, you go to the next one etc...but you finished the last one, it s time to come back in the first one again. Full time job, specially tough when it 's hot. We built another tunnel this winter which is way better for plants and us. Much wider, much higher, vertical sides, front/back doors, Rolling sides and half moon openings. The temperature is much more stable and confortable.   Tuesday, May 21 View Page Good production, It's nice to plant many différents genetics, you can check with ones are strong, healthy, weak, slow, quick, etc...   Tuesday, May 21 View Page This is the new Tunnel. Spent weeks to build it but it was Worth it. All those options are perfect to control the temps, stop the Wind etc...   Tuesday, May 21 View Page Anyway, back to the big tomato. Shot taken by a journalist a few days before to pick it up. I never ever thought it could weigh 8lber. To be honest, I knew I was heavy, 6lb + of course but I was dreaming to break the 7lb barrier. I never measured it before to cut it but Judging by the size of the hamac, it could be around 7lber.   Tuesday, May 21 View Page Finally, That D-day arrived and what a day ! We went to the scales shop ( yes they sells scales lol ). The whole shop team was present for that magic moment. The owner himself checked his scale one more time with gloves and different weights just to calibrate and certify the accuracy. We stop breathing when I put it on the scale... and what a shock !!! I was expecting 7lb and I couldn't believe my eyes when we read 8.07lb ! That was a very special feeling, going beyond a dream is fabulous, I remenber having goosebumps lol. Beating Gordon Graham 7.12lb 1986 record is crazy, we all read Marv Book hundred times and never thought I'd reach and break it.   Tuesday, May 21 View Page 8.07lb Daho 2018 (4.22 Daho 2017 X Self)