Handgrenades and horseshoes

Well, it seems I spoke too soon, I picked my biggest Pineapple Beefsteak and put it on the scale, not good enough. 2 pounds 1.5 ounces, not good enough, rats. Good job Pam, you need to share your secrets ... bwah ha ha ha (evil laugh), no really, I've seen some photos of your garden (last year) and you've got it going on.

I'm planning on harvesting seeds from this tomato, since it was my biggest one, maybe I'll have a bigger one next year. Keep growing good food and big tomatoes.

Dave

Dave's garden pt. 2

Well, I finally got around to taking a short video on the garden, the focus is on the tomatoes. The Pineapple beefsteak is huge!!! Hope you enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/49486452

Pam’s Kobe Beefsteak Weighing 40.4 ounces Takes the Lead

Pam brought two giant tomatoes for weigh-in at the tennis courts on Friday, Aug 17. They were both Kobe Beefsteak grown from seeds that she ordered online.

 
Bill, Rich and Larry did the official measurements. The first tomato weighed 38.8 ounces with a girth of 18 7/8 inches, easily beating Terri's Delicious that weighed 26.9 ounces, the leading tomato before this weigh-in.

The second tomato looked huge and I could tell it would beat the first one before we even put it on the scale. It weighed 40.4 ounces, with a girth of 19 1/4 inches, and now leads the competition.

 
Pam's leading tomato ties the record (by weight) held by Dave's Aussie Beefsteak in 2005. This one also weighed 40.4 ounces, with a smaller girth of 18 3/4 inches.

After the weigh-in, Pam cut up a few slices to sample the taste and to me it tasted mildly sweet, perfect for sandwiches!

 

 

Pineapple Beefsteak

I think I may have the trophy this year, witness the wonder of the Pineapple Beefsteak! The first in the sequence is the monster (to the left above the tennis ball), I keep forgetting to borrow Tina's ribbon measure for the circumfrence. The other 2 will be at least 2lbs, this is a really tasty tomato, has really pronounced fruit flavors (mango, pineapple, yummy). I didn't expect to get anything like this (if I had, I would've thinned for a even bigger monster), can't wait to weight them when they ripen.

Look out, I'm gunning for the trophy!

Dave Davisson

First Entry of the Season

I brought in my Delicious tomato at the club last Saturday, 7/21, for weigh-in. This is the first entry of the season. The fruit measured 13-1/2 inches in girth and weighed 17.4 ounces. Carmel took the official measurements.

The competition is just beginning. I am sure more entries are coming. Meanwhile I will enjoy this one in my sandwiches.

Tomato Reject

By Terri Sweet

This is a Delicious that was rejected for being a runt.  It will make a good fried green tomato.

Carmel's Garden

By Carmel Engel

  

Stan has a variety of tomatoes.....He has Big Beef, Marianna's Peace, San Marzano, Champion Vent, Celebrity, German Johnson, Hillbilly, Ace, Big Boy, Sungold, Mortgage Lifter, and Ambassador.......They have been planted for 2 months and the tomatoes on the vine are still green....He has 18 tomato plants altogether!!!!

Finally a fruit appeared on my Big Zac. :)  This could ultimately by the trophy winner!

Kim's Heirloom Brandywine

Kim purchased this plant from Raley's with beautiful fruit on it already.

Dave's garden 2012

Well, it's about time I started posting some photo's of my garden, wait ... photo's?!!! We don't need no stinkin' photo's, we got video!!! So, here is a short video on my garden right now, the main focus is on the tomatoes, Big Beefsteak, Early Girl, San Francisco Fog, and Pineapple Beefsteak. I hope you enjoy and I will post again!

https://vimeo.com/44167476

Carl's Tomatoes

05/13/12 - These plants (Big Zac and Delicious)are ready for transplanting.










05/27/12 - They are now in half wine barrels at Carl's new house.

06/03/12 - Two nice looking fruits.













The mist watering helps cool down the plants in 95 deg weather.

Terri Sweet is competing

Terri has decided to join the competition.

April 3, 2012 -  The hard work is just beginning.

These are two beautiful heirloom tomatoes -- a Big Zac and a Delicious

At eight weeks, the plants have lots of blossoms and fruits should come out soon.

Tomato Contest 2012

The 2012 tomato contest is in high gear with a lot of enthusiasm from last year’s participants as well as from three tomato growers who are joining the competition for the first time. Welcome Mary Krenzke, Steve Bell and Carl Chavez to our contest.

Early reports from contestants about their plants are strongly positive – their plants are healthy and growing strong this early in the season some of their plants have fruit already. Last year, my competition tomatoes didn’t bear fruit until late July. The unusually hot weather this season must be the reason.

I am grooming four plants this year for competition: two Big Zac and two Delicious tomatoes which were grown from seeds out of my last year’s garden. As before, I am growing my competition tomatoes in half wine barrel containers with my special soil mix.


My garden as of June 3.

The 2011 Winner -- My Big Zac

It only took eight years of competing to win one. My second Big Zac entry this year took the title, officially weighing 35.0 ounces. I have now taken custody of the tomato trophy from Pam, the last year's winner.

My Big Zac No. 2 Leads!

The 2011 tomato contest is almost over. The last weigh-in was held on October 1st. The tomato was another Big Zac from my garden. This happened while I was out of town. I had asked Robert and the Mimaki girls to pick the tomato for the official weigh-in.

My Big Zac No. 2 was weighed at 35 ounces, with a girth of 17-3/8 inches, officially taking the lead.

This contest will end on Saturday, October 22nd. It doesn’t look like there will be anymore entries before then.. but we’ll have to wait and see.

My first entry this year: a Big Zac

The weigh-in happened last Saturday, 9/17. My Big Zac No. 1 beat Pam's by 0.1 ounce and is now in the lead!



The official measurements were 16.0" girth weighing 26.6 ounces.



Robert and Carmel performed the measurements.










I have another Big Zac (No. 2) on the same vine as my first one that presently has a girth of 17 inches and is still very green. It may grow another half inch before I pick it for the weigh-in.

Another Ace Hardware Tomato from Pam

The third entry of the season is Pam's Ace Hardware Beef Steak no. 2, easily beating the previously leading tomato (also Pam's) by about 6 ounces. This one was weighed officially by Rich and Larry last Friday, September 2. The tomato weighed 26.5 ounces, with a girth of 16-1/4 inches and is now the leader.




Pam brought in her tomato entry with Nils providing necessary security.




This contest is still young. I have lots of green tomatoes on the vine, and I am hoping at least one of them will be suited for this competition. Here are two examples:

An Ace Hardware Tomato Takes the Lead

Pam brought in an entry to our tomato contest last Saturday, August 20 at the RAT Barbecue for weigh-in. The official weight was 20.6 ounces with a girth of 13.5 inches. Pam said the tomato was a Beefsteak type which she bought at Ace Hardware! This entry beats the previous leader, Carmel's Super Steak by about 2 ounces.

The First Entry of the Year

Last Saturday, August 6, Carmel brought in a beautiful tomato for weigh-in. It was a Super Beefsteak. The Mimakis took the honor of doing the measurements. The official weight was 18.8 ounces with a girth of 13-15/16 inches.

The winning tomato last year was Pam’s Brandywine at 21.1 ounces.

Linda's Early Girls

By Linda Gephart

Zack gave me one of his Early Girl tomato plants that he had grown from seed early this spring. He explained how to "harden" the plant by putting it out during the day and bringing it in at night. I was pretty good about following his directions... for about a week. Then, one night, I forgot to bring her in.

Of course, it happened to be a very windy night. The next morning we noticed that our little baby tomato plant that was so gently nestled in a small cardboard box and wrapped in newspaper had disappeared. I spotted the box (empty) sitting against the fence. The newspaper had blown under a thorny rose bush. The plastic plant pot was nowhere to be seen. However, back in the corner of the garden was our tiny, fragile Early Girl tomato plant. She was gasping for air and water laying there in the sun, braced against the fence.
















I gently rescued her, placed her in a coffee cup and gave her a drink of water. After a couple of weeks, she was just as happy as the day (before) she blew away. Bill and I planted her in a protected spot in the garden so she could grow and be happy.

After weeks of watering her, fertilizing a little, and talking to her, we now have 5 lovely tomatoes just about ready for a salad.

Thank you, Zack for giving me this Early Girl.