I read many times when people were bragging about the size of their tomatoes. Some can get them up to 2 lb and even more. I always wondered - am I missing something? What is the deal to be a tomato so big? Does it taste better? Or it is only a form of sport like trying to be the fastest one on a 2 mile run?

My buddy and I compete on which one of us can grow the largest tomato. Last year was the initial contest and, yea, I’m 1-0. We compete on the biggest fish when we fish together. Just something we do, compete, all in fun and just to trash talk each other. Table tennis, basketball, fishing, billiards, etc. Tomatoes happen to be another one of our endless contests.

Fred hempels jazz line made some whoppers for me one year. I had cold and wet early weather that discouraged fruit set, then later it was warm and wet.

The aptly named Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant did well for me last year.

Nothing like a tomato that fills up a sammy in one slice. No worries about the slices sliding around or off or out of the sandwich.

@ PlainJane It is really huge and beautiful. Did it taste better? I found that cherry tomatoes usually are more flavorful. I never grew a giant tomato and my largest one was cherokee purple (it was my first cherokee purple tomato and it made me love this variety!) but the smaller ones tasted the same.

Barmaley wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 7:29 pm @ PlainJane It is really huge and beautiful. Did it taste better? I found that cherry tomatoes usually are more flavorful. I never grew a giant tomato and my largest one was cherokee purple (it was my first cherokee purple tomato and it made me love this variety!) but the smaller ones tasted the same.

It tasted great! (But KBX is better!)

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It tasted great! (But KBX is better!)
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Then why don't you grow just KBX?

[mention]Barmaley[/mention] I don't intentionally grow giant tomatoes but sometimes, depending on the soil fertility, weather, genetics and other factors, I end up with some big ones. My aunt had given me seeds for an unnamed tomato that was her favorite and after she passed in 2011, I have grown at least a few every year in her memory. I named the tomato after her, Anna Margaret's Heart, and my best year was in 2014 when I had a very successful growout with a number over 2#, as shown below. And as mentioned by others, one slice will cover a slice of bread or a burger.

Before the greenhouse effect I used to get tomatoes >24 oz ea.
When the heatwave kicks in they are 1/2 that size.

For me, it's a combination of sport and amazement. Nothing like seeing a tomato so big that it looks like it will take down the entire plant!

I started growing my grandfather's tomato now that he can't, and I never knew it could get this big! He said that one slice would hang over the edges of a sandwich. Boy was he right.

Rockoe10 wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 3:30 pm For me, it's a combination of sport and amazement. Nothing like seeing a tomato so big that it looks like it will take down the entire plant!

I started growing my grandfather's tomato now that he can't, and I never knew it could get this big! He said that one slice would hang over the edges of a sandwich. Boy was he right.

My grandpa had one like that that he always grew. Sadly nobody saved any of his tomato seeds. I do know that they were an older variety but none of his kids can remember which one. They were huge to a little girl like me and dripped down my chin when I ate one out in the garden. They were red and many were boat shaped. The mystery will never be solved. Do you know what variety your grandfather's tomato is?

[mention]MissS[/mention]
I don't. I don't think my grandpa knows either. To him a tomato is a tomato is a tomato, just a really big tomato lol.

All i know is it came from over seas, and I'm sure it's changed a bit over the decades in his garden. I'm impressed at how "pretty" they look for such a big tomato. The taste however was kinda basic.

I like growing tomatoes that are said to be able to be giant-sized. I'm trying a few this year. In previous years, the biggest I ever got was about 2lbs, though, with Cuostralee, Chapman, and George Destikas Italian Red, in 2016. If one variety doesn't get giant for you, that doesn't mean others are the same.

Since you grow in containers, you might try a variety like Domingo, or Atlas F1. I'm not sure that Atlas F1 is giant, per se, but it's a big tomato designed for containers. Domingo is a record holder, and it seems to have a small plant; I'm just guessing it would be good in containers.

Huge tomatoes are fun to impress/surprise people with. They look cool, and have presence. There's nothing quite like giant fruit, especially if it tastes good.

Giant tomatoes are nice because there's more to eat. Kids tend to like giant fruits, too. They can inspire people to garden.