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Going Green

We are in search of your best largest tomatoes seeds. We have 50 growers wanting to grow your seeds.

11/5/2017 8:08:51 AM

East Carbon, Utah

What are your parameters and criteria? I have saved seeds of over 330 varieties of tomatoes that have been documented, or at least claimed to grow to 2-3+ lbs., including a number of very promising varieties from Russia that have not yet, to my knowledge, been trialed by serious or elite giant vegetable growers. A number of these, in my opinion, if grown exclusively for heavy weight, as has been done for years for varieties like Big Zac and Delicious, have the potential to produce 5+ pounders. Some genetic diversity should be a positive thing when pushing the boundaries in plants or animals.

11/16/2017 8:56:48 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Russian varieties?
I’d like to know about those.

11/17/2017 5:50:44 PM

East Carbon, Utah

Apparently growing BIG tomatoes has been popular in Russia for generations, and there are dozens of heirloom varieties that have potential grow giant tomatoes. The past couple of years, I've traded seeds with growers from Russia to the tune of over 180 varieties. Not all of these 180 are technically Russian, nor do they all produce big tomatoes.

11/18/2017 12:47:57 AM

East Carbon, Utah

Following is a list of varieties which I think, if grown under proper conditions (rich soil, good water, pruning, thinning and the rest of the techniques that serious giant tomato growers employ) have the potential to produce huge tomatoes. I think many of these could inject some valuable DNA and genetic diversity into the sport of growing giant tomatoes. I'm including a few lesser known Italian and other varieties (including a few from my own crosses) with significant potential as well.

11/18/2017 12:48:16 AM

East Carbon, Utah

Bigzarro
Polish Giant Beefsteak
Westerlund 1-26
Chilo della Garfagnana
RW Cephei
Bezrazmernyi
West Virginia Sweetmeat
Donskoi
KY Cygni
AH Scorpii
Mazarini
EV Carinae
Yaponiya
Sainte-Lucie
Sibirskiy Velikan Rozovyi
Pink Oxheart
Tamara
RS Persei
Budonovka Starinnaya
Nesravnennyi
Smith's Southern Giant
Tadzhikskyie
Astana 6
CW Leonis
Gigantamo
U Lacertae
Dyvo
Vinnyi Bolgarskyi Velikan
Chudo Sada
Nochnaya Svecha
Krupnaya Grozd'
Kiselovskiye
Smuggler's
Mont Athos
Gom Bal
Kosovo
Abkhaziya Rozovaya
Vishnovyi
Yusupovskyi S Fergany
Volov'ye Serdtse Pobeditel'
Anzhela Gigant Ukrainskaya
Bordovyy
Radishchevskyie
Chervonnyi Gigant
R Leporis

11/18/2017 12:49:25 AM

East Carbon, Utah

These are ordered according to my results for size; the vast majority of these, from Mazarini on down, were grown in the open field, in poor to fair alkaline clay soil using low quality secondary water, little fertilizer, no pruning and no thinning. So I think under ideal growing conditions, one could get fruit sizes at least 2-3 times what I got; that is, 3-6+ pounds. It would be awesome to see what kind of results other serious giant tomato growers could get from some of these - a fair testing of the size potential of so many varieties is a project way too massive for one grower!

11/18/2017 12:50:08 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

I have grown what I have called a Russian Oxheart for the past two years. Don't know what variety but know that it is from a northern region. Brought over from a Russian friend of mine. It responds to the usual plant manipulation to grow big tomatoes. The first time out in 2016 I grew one 4.66lbs. This year one plant obviously had crossed with a Big Zac and grew some really nice multi-blooms. They were going big and were challenging the biggest BZ's I had until a deer got to them. Was able to save some seeds. I also on purpose crossed a 7.15 White BZ with the 4.66 Russian Oxheart and produced a smaller 3 lb tomato just for seeds and will grow it next year. My only complaint with the Russian variety I have is that the skin is much thinner than the BZ and susceptible to skin splits and rot and may not hold up to the riggers of growing too big.

11/18/2017 1:05:51 PM

Going Green

The exotic seed exchange collect seeds from 50 growers and then redistributes those seeds to the all 50 growers. Most of the seeds that come in are from GIANT TOMATO, GIANT CANTELOUPE, GIANT LONG GOURDS, GIANT BUSHEL GOURD, TALL CORN, TALL SUNFLOWERS. GIANT SQUASH, GIANT PUMPKIN, LONG BEANS, SPECIAL CUCUMBERS and lots of other vegetables. Some growers send seeds of many varities. What is required is a minimum of 50 bags of seed labeled. Go to seed exchange for more details.

11/30/2017 1:26:04 PM