Gigantomo

[jayb]

Another hyped up tomato variety this year, Giganntomo. A supposedly very large fruited variety producing fruits in the 1 - 3lb mark. http://www.lincolnshireecho.co.uk/Gi...ail/story.html

Van Meuwen are offering some prise money for the largest grown!
http://www.amateurgardening.com/news...igantomo-11366

I've got one plant planted in the greenhouse, the first buds have formed. I can see a megabloom forming, so interesting to see if I can get it pollinated. I've no illusions of winning any prizes, just a little fun to try and grow the biggest tomato I can, hopefully bigger than I've grown before.

[Galina]

that's me done for then ............ was so hoping to get a big'un this year .............. boo hoo ............now you'll beat me for sure

Hope it does well for you and not just hype.

[Silverleaf]

Those mega blooms are interesting - both of my Costoluto Fiorentino plants have them, I guess that's what makes those weird ribbed monster tomatoes?

[jayb]

Yes the big lumpy/beefsteak types often have a megabloom on a truss. Some people pick off the flowers as they don't want ugly fruit, also on a seed saving note they have a bigger chance of being cross pollinated.

[jayb]

that's me done for then ............ was so hoping to get a big'un this year .............. boo hoo ............now you'll beat me for sure

Lol, very kind but wayyyyy too early, flowers are not even open and I have so much time to forget to water etc

Hope it does well for you and not just hype

Yeah, guess I'm a sucker for a story and want it to be good, I'd love huge, but if they are not, will I be happy with big and good taste!

[Galina]

Yes the big lumpy/beefsteak types often have a megabloom on a truss. Some people pick off the flowers as they don't want ugly fruit, also on a seed saving note they have a bigger chance of being cross pollinated.

That's right. They are also called 'daisy flowered' because they are very open flowers inviting insects etc, hence more cross pollination. The flowers are fused and the resulting fruits are also several fused together and therefore larger than later fruit.

[Silverleaf]

Cool, I shall leave mine alone and see what happens. I don't mind ugly lumpy tomatoes, they all taste good!

[jayb]

First of the flowers on Gigantomo, looks a biggy, hope it sets.

[jayb]

Weather's been good, my first Gigantomo fruit looks to be set and growing. I've picked a few flowers off, but I don't have the heart to do too many.

Gigantomo

[Galina]

You can tell they are going to be big and beefy

[Silverleaf]

Looks wonderful!

[jayb]

I'm having feeding problems with my big tomatoes, I had a tub of tomato feed which according to the label it looks like it has everything you would want, organic, a balance of nutrients and minerals also includes seaweed... But my poor big tomato plants have started to look ropey. I've had to pull one or two fruits as they had a bad case of blossom rot and I think the ones on Gigantomo are going to go the same way - bum! That will teach me not to mess about with feeding them.

[Silverleaf]

Oh what a shame! Blossom end rot is either irregular watering or calcium deficiency, right?

[Galina]

Or just bad luck and susceptible varieties. For example: has there ever been a San Marzano tomato grower who did not have one or two examples of BER on early tomatoes?

Well that's my (slightly brown fingered) excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it! LOL

The next fruits will hopefully be fine! Just a little later and without the size advantage of fused flowers.

Epsom Salts is the usual recommendation for dealing with BER, but I have no personal experience.