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Deer Park WA

Hi Crew!
Well winter has finally begun letting loose her icy grip here in the Pacific North West YEA! Dani and I planted our Giant onions and Big Zac tomatoes last week no sign of life so far. Has anyone else started their "other Crops" yet? Also I have a few giant Cabbage seeds we recieved from "Exhibition Seeds" across the "Pond" does anyone know when to start them?

2/12/2003 11:06:53 PM

Montoursville, PA

Starting instructions are usually on the packets. More important is knowing from a local, to you, what the growing time is, in days, to maturity. Somehow you have to figure that out from your show date and backdate, to a seed planting date, either direct or, in the house. In these two instances I believe you would delay planting, to have maximum size and prime condition, by your show date. Usually the package will give you some kind or a days report. The seedsmen are cagey so as not to recieve complaints. They do not say from seed planting or from transplant to the garden....to prime.

I have ask this question about Big Zac on chat and did not hit anyone who had or would give an answer. Will watch here with you. Hope you get something more to work with. Big Zac only gives you starting timing on the package from Totally Tomatos. I am still thinking but I think I would like to set Big Zac seedling into the soil about August 15th. here in Pennsylvania. I would be shooting for the prime, of the plant, to work with going into the October 4th. show date or weigh off. I'm hoping that would be about the third or forth fruit set. I would not permit any fruit to develop until the choice set and then only two tomatos per plant. If competing I would have three plants to permit differences to show and a split to happen with out being out of business. I would try to have soil evenly damp and evenly fertilized adding water and fertilizer daily or evey other day to eliminate spurts in growth. Bagging of the fruit on the plant makes sense.

Same thinking with the cabbage. You want your prime to hit about ten days befor show day.

2/13/2003 6:40:15 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Hey Gads,
I have some giant cabbage this year,they are the flatpoll variety I got them in a swap for pumpkin seed.They were sown in November for early Sept. maturity.I beleive fellow Cornishman George Rogers sows January for November shows.
I'm told to plant out at the end of this month.

Doc,
This time last year it was like Big Tomato.com here.If you do a search I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

2/13/2003 8:30:21 AM

Western Pa.

doc,

Even though I do plant a few Big Zac's earlier, I have found that by planting the seeds on or around June 1st, timing seems to work rather well for our weigh-off in October. Many of my larger fruits from earlier plantings, may already be rotten or split by this time. (My largest tomato, which weighed 3# when picked, came from a stunted, anemic looking plant who's stem lost much of it's outer skin, in a sucker pruning accident). Hope this helps!

kilr

2/13/2003 9:48:36 AM

Long Island,New York

I hope you dont let that sucker prune anymore Kilr....

2/13/2003 5:56:49 PM

Sloughhouse, CA

I hope to grow a Big Zac this year frrom Totally Tomatoes. I will plant the first plant when night temp. are around 50. Then plant to space them about every 2 weeks or so.

2/14/2003 12:59:16 AM

Md/ Usa

why plant big zac there are not even the world record holder.they grow either very strong or very week.
delicious is better choice if you want consitant big 1-2 lbs
that is be for all the added thing you need to do to soil, pruning and fertilizing to get big tomatoes.

2/15/2003 9:55:34 AM

Western Pa.

Matfox,

How heavy was the largest Delicious tomato you've grown? I've grown both varieties, and Big Zac has given me several over 3#, delicious has not. I have not heard of anyone (besides the world record), growing a delicious tomato of 4#+, which makes me believe it was a fluke.

2/15/2003 10:28:28 AM

Montoursville, PA

The ugliest tomato I have ever seen showed up Oct. 4th in Pennsylvania last year. It looked like a compound mentally deranged escapee from hell. It did weigh four lbs as I recall. Nothing good looking there to say the least. It would have insulted a food processor. If that is what I have to do I won't do after this year. No use messing if you can not get 4 lbs. more or less. I have had several beefsteak varieties, on occasion pushing three pounds and a tiny bit more unofficially on one occasion. That little bit more year was a year I fed pan fish straight from the lake head first behind the shovel, to the plant. They were slipped into the garden about June 15th. That was also a GA experimental year so we did not eat the fruit. Blood meal and natural fish were the major fertilizers with GA sprayed June 15th. and July 15th. The heavy fruit was selected and grown with only two fruit on the main vine and on a single vine system to about five feet.

2/15/2003 10:55:27 AM

virginia

Kilr, you are right......Greg

2/15/2003 2:16:46 PM

Md/ Usa

biggest delicious i grew was 4.2 lbs
As for 4 lbs+ tomato's no varity has been know to
pop them off regularly.

2/16/2003 3:25:50 PM

Pulaski Tn blkcloud@igiles.net

hEY GADS, HOW'S YOUR BIG ZACS DOIN?? I GOT MINE IN CUPS OF WATER WITH SECRET MIX ADDED AND AFTER 2 DAYS THEY HAVE STARTED TO SPROUT.. SAY.. YOU GOT ANY EXTRY BIG ONION SEEDS LEFT??

2/26/2003 9:39:12 AM

Montoursville, PA

I'm a natural born sucker for big stuff advertising. Years ago I paid a horrific price for a giant apple tree. About the fourth year it did produce nearly a four pound apple. Since that time nothing even close. I should have trimed it with a chain saw years ago. Just didn't have the heart to do it. Now the sucker is throwing shade on one end of the pumpkin patch. That might do it! And I have a fireplace cooker where I can use the sweet smoke of that apple wood.

That being taken care of I would have a nice potential side show bed for another something.

2/26/2003 10:48:45 AM