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Pleasant Hill, Or

I know a lot of factors come into play here, but what is a rough estimate of time it take a bloom to grow a tomato to a mature fruit?

Mega blooms are just now starting to show themselves on my plants. Our weigh-off is the first weekend of October. I have 72 days to go. Too much time? Too little time?

Thad

7/21/2010 1:46:48 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

There is a fella named Dale Thurber who goes by "seamsfaster" at my site who has been keeping VERY good stats on all of his tomatoes this season. He is using a variety of different types of tomatoes in his giant tomato garden, most of which have been ripening from blossom to finish in @ 36 to 45 days. His Big Zacs have been ripening in @ 45 days. Dale has taken the Utah State Record with his 2.762 pound fruit which was grown off of the 4.83 Perry.

7/21/2010 6:36:17 AM

Belgium

harvest your tomato when it is still green, then they are the heaviest, red tomatoes are way ligther, my 5.0lber grew for 3-4 weeks

7/21/2010 10:43:16 AM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

For a large beefsteak tomato such as Big Zac the time from blossom to ripe tomato is said to be 60 days but this depends on the weather. If it is cool or too wet the time will be more. If it is warm and dry then less.

Marv

7/21/2010 7:28:27 PM

Joliet, IL

i have a local contest amongst friends and we can weigh them and get an official weight at a local meat market where some friends work. my question, is if you did not have to wait for a weigh-off, when is the best time to pick for maximum weight. i have read and seen posted when stopped they stop growing and are still green. i would think when it starts turning more yellow than green, it is time especially if no more measured growth. any thoughts?

7/22/2010 12:17:24 AM

Belgium

you need to harvest it when it just starts to turn red

7/22/2010 1:30:26 AM

Pleasant Hill, Or

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help! I'm growing Big Zac's and Delicious, and our weather out here has been very cool. That will probably mean that they will mature on the later side of 60 days.

I have a few mega blooms pollinated and growing now (about the size of a pea). Start fertilizing or just let them grow? The soil is basically the same as I grow pumpkins in, so it is pretty fertile. Can you do too much?

7/22/2010 1:45:22 AM

Belgium

to much and they blow up easily

7/22/2010 2:10:47 AM