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Norfolk, UK

Hi there,

As I look to decide which seed to grow this year, i’d love to know what you are planting. Are you are going for ‘proved’ seed that’s grown big before - or selecting seed from the biggest toms in recent years.

How do you choose yours?! I’m all ears. Some great seeds to choose from.

Thanks,
Douglas

1/26/2019 1:10:52 PM

Valencia Spain

I'd grow your seeds if I was u Doug

1/26/2019 2:15:23 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

Doug, you asked a very good question. There are many answers and interpretations depending on the grower and environment. This is my opinion.

I've spent more than enough breaking down tomato seed lines utilizing the GPC tomato weights by looking at the mother seeds of the largest and following them back. On a piece of paper I have growers, weights, years, arrows pointing every which way..You can get a headache by doing this!

I've determined up until recently that Big Zac genetic lines from the 5.03 Boudyo 2012 and 5.07 Boudyo 2010(?) are dominant in most of your largest Big Zac tomatoes over the years (8.61 Sutherland, 8.41 MacCoy, 7.19 LaRue, 7.10 Foss, 7.07 Qualley, 7.05 Marley, there is a long list.) so you can't go wrong with picking seeds of offspring with any of these. They should all throw quality mega blooms. Since most of these are open pollination there will be variations that could either improve or decrease size.

Now, we are in the new age of giant tomato growers trying different varieties more than ever. The introduction of the Domingo into giant growing by Steve Porkchop Marley. Also, crossing varieties thanks to the efforts of legendary crosser Chris Konieczny. In the last couple of years this has changed the course of seed selections.

For example, you have 8.22 and 9.44 Domingo tomatoes from the 5.95 Konieczny. Now who wouldn't want seeds from those Domingo offspring?
I think the more Domingo's that are grown the better chance we could see 10 lbs. I personally think the Big Zac is maxed out its potential.

The 6.23 Konieczny Megazac (MegaMarv/BigZac cross) is a great seed line to plant. It produced a 7.73 Menting in 2018. I truely believe that crosses like this will get us over 10 lbs.

1/26/2019 4:48:37 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

And for what I'm planting. I have not been able to produce a large Domingo yet. My nighttime temps during the summer are too cold. I will put up a hoophouse this year and give the 5.95 and 8.22 Domingo's another go around. The 5.04 Clayton Domingo. I have a few 6.23 Megazac Konieczny's left. They will go in along with seeds from smaller Megazacs I have grown.

I am a big fan of the 7.10 Foss line. I have a few seeds of the 7.10 left along my with my 6.06 and 5.36. The 7.19 LaRue and the 4.48 LaRue. The 6.02 Spaziani. The 4.70 Zacheart F1 cross I grew last year. The 4.28 Spaziani "Big Marley" first year cross from 7.10 Foss BZ x 8.22 Marley Domingo. I know this is long winded but I find this stuff interesting. Good question Doud and good luck! Rick

1/26/2019 4:51:07 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

...Good question Doug and good luck!

1/26/2019 5:36:01 PM

Wixom MI.

Damit rick thats what i was going to say !!! Lol.... :-)

1/26/2019 10:54:19 PM

Wixom MI.

You can't go wrong with proven seeds but i find that you should try to grow several different verieties of gaint tomatoes like the Bigzac, megazac, Domingo, Megadom,Brutus magnum and Delicious and see witch verieties will grow best for you. The problem with just the highest weight is that 85% of the tomatoes being grown are bigzac's so its going to have most of the to weights. But it you don't try different verieties you may be limiting your chances at growing your best tomato. I have grown about 12-15 tomatoes over 5 lbs and none of them have been bigzacs. They all came from my Megazac and Domingo seeds. But rick has tried all the same seeds as me and he seems to be having most of his best ones from the bigzac's so like i said in my opinion you should try several different verieties to see witch one works best for you.

1/26/2019 11:25:03 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I agree with Chris. Another thing is that the different varieties seem to behave differently with differing weather conditions and we cannot predict the weather. So, growing different varieties makes you possibly be not so dependent on the weather. As an example, Brutus Magnum and Delicious might do well one season while Domingo does well in another and Big Zac in another. This is all pretty much in the same soil. I grow Big Zac and now Domingo more than I used to but I never leave out a few Delicious and Brutus Magnum and a couple of MegaMarv too. And, a few crosses for completeness. Hope this along with Chris's thoughts help.

1/27/2019 9:15:13 AM